As a people leader, it’s in your job description to encourage the professional development of your team. Offering meaningful motivators and education can help your employees live up to their full potential, feel empowered to make a difference within their role, stay loyal to your organization and ultimately, positively impact your bottom line.

Moving Beyond the Status Quo

High potential employees won’t be satisfied with the status quo and these are the employees you want on your team. If given the guidance and support they want and need, they will be the future leaders of your organization. But ignore them or quash their desire for personal and professional growth, and you will likely lose them to the competition. To encourage and maintain a work environment that promotes a culture of growth and learning, remember to:

Check in. Regularly evaluate your employees’ performances by offering both positive feedback and suggestions for improvement. Schedule frequent discussions with staff about their short and long-term career goals based on their strengths, interests and experiences and together create a plan for how to get there. These are great ways to not only encourage career progression, but also show genuine interest in the people you manage.

Branch out. Start a mentoring program in your workplace that will cost nothing and benefit everyone. Pairing less-experienced employees with your seasoned veterans will allow established employees to share their expertise, while giving newer employees a first-hand look at what they need to do to succeed. If possible, find ways for your high-performing employees to train  in  roles  outside  of  their  comfort  zone.  “Cross-training” will  offer  you  a  more  skilled workplace while giving your employees a chance to explore other directions. Make a point of finding out what professional interests your employees have and how this may fit in with your organization’s HR needs.

Reward the standouts. Take the time to notice, acknowledge and celebrate individual accomplishments—even if it’s as simple as a thank-you note, acknowledgement of an individual’s efforts to the team or a team lunch. Don’t make the common mistake of neglecting your strong employees just because they don’t need a lot of supervision. Everyone appreciates the occasional pat on the back. If responsibilities change and new opportunities arise, reward your employees for the extra work by making sure their titles and job descriptions reflect these changes.