Developing Employees | Origin: ML129
This is a general discussion forum for the following learning topic:
Developing Employees
Post what you've learned about this topic and how you intend to apply it. Feel free to post questions and comments too.
Comment on David McCreight's post: Well said. Cross-training and open input are two of the strongest signals that a team is actually functioning as a team — not just a group of people doing parallel tasks. I also appreciate your point about solid performers being the backbone of a department. They may not always seek the spotlight, but they often carry the institutional knowledge and consistency that keep everything running. A wise leader recognizes that both stars and steady contributors have essential roles to play — and invests in both.
Comment on Alina Alvarado's post:
What a great insight — and congratulations on pursuing that supervisory role! You're right that a learning invitation goes far beyond words on a page. It's a living signal that says "I see your growth as part of my work, not separate from it." I love how you're already thinking about using it as a segue into development plans and a touchpoint for check-ins. That's exactly how it becomes part of a team's culture rather than a one-time memo.
The fact that this course is giving you both the ideas and the language to articulate your supervisory vision is a powerful reminder that leadership growth is often as much about learning how to name our intentions as it is about forming them. Best of luck with your application — the team you lead will be fortunate to have a supervisor who enters the role already thinking this deeply about their development.
This course reshaped how I think about employee development. The biggest shift for me was recognizing that development isn't a separate item on my to-do list — it's how I schedule and assign work in the first place. When I pair tasks with people who can grow from them, everyday work becomes the classroom. I was also struck by the reminder that written goals are 10 times more likely to be achieved than unwritten ones, and by the research showing that development is a partnership — I create the conditions, but ownership of growth belongs to my team members.
Moving forward, I want to be more intentional about scanning my to-do list each week with development in mind, asking "Who could grow from being part of this?" I also want to build shorter, more frequent check-ins focused on what my team is learning and trying rather than just status updates on tasks. Most of all, I want to be a connector — introducing team members to role models, raising their visibility with institutional leaders, and using my network to open doors for them. Real development is an act of generosity, and it's how a leader leaves the team stronger than they found it.
Comment on Chad Ogle's post: It is very important for employee development, and it also enables the organization to gain highly competent staff.
It is important to Provide development opportunities.
Employee development is a collaborative effort.
Development is a very collaborative process that the employee and supervisor must equally participate in.
Great engaging questions to ask in hopes of producing reflective thought for all parties involved.
Be ready to give feedback often and find ways to provide experential learning opportunties as part of the development plan(s).
Give feedback more often, asking employees what they think can be done to help improvement, listen with an open mind.
The idea of learning invitations/commitment emails is something I would like to apply/see applied in my team. It goes beyond just saying we care about development. It can also be a good segue into a development plan or even a tool for checking in on their progress in their plan. I am currently applying for a supervisory role over other academic coaches, and a lot of this course content has given me both ideas and key verbage to highlight my goals and intentions for the role.
Empowering employees is not only key to their development but also promotes growth that will be beneficial to the individual(s) and the organization.
It was great to hear ways to get employees involved with the program and working towards a larger goal. This will help them feel a sense of belonging to the facility as well.
Having employees interactive with cross training and feel open to creating input within a team is critical to the departments overall success. Although some of the less performers my be the backbone of a department and usually have a deeper understanding on how to accomplish goals.
it is important to ask employees to be a part of the process and invite them in. It is also important to make it more informal but more frequent as take advantage of when opportunities present themselves vs scheduled longer meetings
