UPDATING THE DEFINITION OF CAREER DEVELOPMENT
Those in training and organizational development know, usually better than anyone else in most organizations, that career development is important, However, it is a challenge for most managers and a high stakes game in business today. You’ve likely encountered widespread confusion about what career development actually is, from both managers and others.
All too frequently, you’ve seen form trumping function. Literally. For many managers, career development is all about the form, checkboxes, and deadlines. Now don’tget us wrong, individual development plans (IDPs) are essential. Annual talent reviews and discussions are critical. Timely completion of necessary documentation is a must. The organization counts on all of this.
But, believe it or not, no employee we’ve ever interviewed has said anything like, “For me personally, career development is all about the form.” Best-in-class managers know that it’s so much more than the paperwork and processes. They embody an updated definition of career development:
Career Development: [kuh-reer dih-vel-uhp-muhnt] noun... although it’s much more active, operates like a verb:
- A range of manager/employee collaborative activities that facilitate: opportunity, fluidity, agility, evolution, relevance, insight, capability, passion, experiences, service, challenges, learning, impact, engagement, and accomplishment.
- Energy and attention in service of each employee’s unique work and life priorities.
- The outcome of ongoing dialogue with employees.
Based upon thousands of interviews over three decades, it’s become very clear that genuine and meaningful career development comes from a foundation built through the human act of conversation. Whether it’s a formal IDP meeting or an on-the-fly connection, it’s the quality of the conversation that matters most to employees and drives growth.
What do you think? How prevalent are career conversations in the organizations that you serve? What can the Training and OD functions do to drive meaningful career conversations between managers and employees? Let’s talk more about this at the September Chapter Meeting.
Beverly Kaye and Julie Winkle Giulioni have just written Help Them Grow or Watch Them Go: Career Conversations Employees Want and will be featured presenters at our September meeting.
Beverly can be reached at beverly.kaye@csibka.com and Julie can be reached at julie@designarounds.com .
