These are challenging times, and I am always on the lookout for forward-thinking individuals with constructive solutions.
The most recent experience involves an executive with a large corporation who is experiencing temporary downturns in some departments. Volume is down now, and they are not entirely sure what the future holds. High-performing people have questions about their future employment.
The executive I am working with has come up with a strategy for keeping these people; one that is well worth looking at. He is having these people assessed to determine potential career directions, strengths and areas for development.
In addition, he has asked me to help each of them develop a career plan and provide some career coaching. Although this is a new project, additional benefits have already appeared.
Each of the people, I have met with, has indicated how much they appreciate working for this executive. In these stressful times, they feel someone is actually in their corner; that they have some support.
Three valuable things are going on here:
- People are being evaluated.
- Potential positions are being examined.
- High performers are strengthening the bonds with the executive they report to.
Whether or not you choose to take the steps outlined here, focusing on the careers of your high performers is a wonderful strategy in these stressful times. If you are experiencing a slump right now, your people are concerned for their jobs.
The last thing you need is for them to leave and be poorly staffed when things pick up. Your willingness to show some concern for them can go a long ways toward dispelling anxiety and strengthening loyalty.
Do you have some high-performing people you are concerned about? If so, consider sitting down with them to talk about their careers.
Before you have a conversation with them, do some homework and review their past performances:
- Where have they really excelled?
- What could they have done better?
- What do you see as their potential within your company, as you look into the future?
- Are you willing to send them off to another area, if it is genuinely in their best interests and if there is nothing that looks good in your department?
Remember you cannot expect these conversations to come out well, if you are not willing to genuinely support their best interests. Your real intentions are the key point here. If you only want to promote your interests, it will come through and trust will be diminished.
If you decide this is something you would like to do, it will be good to plan the conversations. First, you will want to appreciatively thank them for their contribution. Then have a list of questions ready to determine what you want to know such as:
- How are things going for them?
- What do they see going well now?
- What isn’t working, as well as what they would like to see working?
- What are their concerns? Be prepared to possibly answer some tough questions here.
- What are their career aspirations?
- Where do they see themselves in two years? Five years?
- What do they see as their strengths?
- In what areas do they need development?
- What do they see as their next best position?
- What steps do they see that they need to take in preparing for that move?
- How do they see that you might be helpful to them?
The above are not meant to provide a complete script for the conversation you would want to have; but they can provide some ideas and a place to start.
These are very difficult times—particularly for people who are used to being high performers.
The rungs on the ladder of success are not as clear as they were in the past. It is scary and fears multiply. Demonstrating genuine concern about their careers can be a wonderful step in creating assurance in a world that appears to offer very little.
Have fun with this. The potential here for you is to develop a more committed, even higher performing workforce.
Note: If you are concerned about success in hiring, contact me by phone at 602-357-4399 or by e-mail at ken@positiveoptions.net