Developing Employees

Developing Employees

by Harvard Business Review
Released June 2009
Publisher(s): Harvard Business Review Press
ISBN: 9781422136591

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Book description

The Pocket Mentor series offers immediate solutions to the challenges managers face on the job every day. Each book in the series is packed with handy tools, self-tests, and real-life examples to help you identify strengths and weaknesses and hone critical skills. Whether you're at your desk, in a meeting, or on the road, these portable guides enable you to tackle the daily demands of your work with greater speed, savvy, and effectiveness.

Managing employee growth is critical to your organization's success. But to develop your employees effectively, you must have certain skills, such as the ability to seek out opportunities, set goals, and provide feedback. This volume teaches you to:
· Assess developmental needs
· Understand and take into account differences between your employees
· Use a Performance and Potential grid to determine next steps
· Conduct a career development discussion

Table of contents

  1. Pocket Mentor Series
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright Page
  4. Table of Contents
  5. Mentor’s Message: Why Develop Your Employees?
  6. Developing Your Employees: The Basics
    1. The Business Case for Employee Development
      1. How your organization benefits
      2. Comparing old and new approaches to development
    2. Your Role
      1. Why some managers neglect employee development
      2. What happens if you neglect it
      3. How you can fulfill this role
    3. Customizing Development Strategies for Employees
      1. The importance of seeing employees’ differences
      2. Ways of differentiating employees
    4. Using the Performance and Potential Grid
      1. Introducing the grid
      2. Evaluating an employee’s performance
      3. Evaluating an employee’s potential
      4. Placing the employee on the grid
      5. Using the grid to determine next steps
    5. Keeping Top Employees Motivated
      1. Comparing extrinsic versus intrinsic motivators
      2. Identifying what motivates your best employees
      3. Providing appropriate challenges
      4. Providing mentors for top talent
    6. Growing Competent Employees
      1. Understanding and appreciating your “corporate backbone”
      2. Developing these solid contributors
      3. Providing frequent affirmation
    7. Dealing with Underperformers
      1. Calculating the return-on-management ratio
      2. Identifying C players
      3. Moving underperformers up or out
      4. Deciding whether dismissal is in order
    8. Discussing Career Development with Your Employees
      1. Preparing for the discussion
      2. Establishing trust
      3. Conducting the discussion
      4. Defining a development plan
  7. Tips and Tools
    1. Tools for Developing Your Employees
    2. Test Yourself
      1. Answers to test questions
    3. To Learn More
      1. Articles
      2. Books
    4. Sources for Developing Employees
  8. How to Order

Product information

  • Title: Developing Employees
  • Author(s): Harvard Business Review
  • Release date: June 2009
  • Publisher(s): Harvard Business Review Press
  • ISBN: 9781422136591