As we’ve now covered two steps in the process of developing our internal talent, it’s worth taking a moment to summarise just where we’ve got to so far.
We’ve seen that the development of talent needs time and patience. Yes, there may be bright stars out there full of enthusiasm and a burning passion to succeed but, on the whole, those we’ve identified will still need lots of support, and a programme that exposes them to greater and greater responsibilities.
In the last article, we listed a few ways to support talent in this way, and it’s worth just going over them again. For example, employers could encourage those people to take on the management and delivery of a new project, make a presentation to a senior team, or attend an important meeting. These tasks need to be part of a process that allows the individual time and space to ensure that their learning can be absorbed, and the skills gained re-enforced.
In this development process there are two proven and tested ways to ensure that ‘exposure’ is as effective as it can be: coaching and mentoring.
Coaching and mentoring for success
Sometimes there is a temptation to see coaching and mentoring as one and the same thing: ways to pass on the learning and experience of more senior and experienced individuals to a younger and less experienced player. Not so. They are different inputs with very different outcomes.
Yes, they will involve tutoring from an experienced individual with a wide range of experience, both in business and possibly with a range of other skills from different backgrounds. But this doesn’t have to be someone with decades of practical knowledge. It’s perfectly possible to have reverse mentoring, where the coach or mentor is actually younger. Age is irrelevant: what matters most are the experiences they have to share.
Coaching, however, is very much focused on supporting the development of range of skills and capabilities. The role of the mentor is much more that of a sounding board. Someone you can turn to and ask questions or seek advice. For example, take the possibility of a new posting to a company’s overseas division. The coach might well be there to provide the practical learning needed to take on such a role. The mentor might well find themselves facing questions about the candidate’s readiness for such a role, like: "Am I really ready for this next step?" and "Do you think it’s the right one for me at this stage in my career?"
A mentor can also be there if things don’t work out as well as hoped. If you fall off a horse, your first reaction might well be to never want to get back in the saddle again. Mentors can be a huge help in allowing someone to have the opportunity to explore the situation in detail, ultimately giving the individual confidence to learn from what happened, to get back up and to carry on riding.
What are your talent objectives?
Both coaches and mentors are ideally placed to provide the necessary next steps in encouraging and enabling your talent. As we’ve previously pointed out, allowing talent to thrive requires exposing individuals to new opportunities and therefore broadening their experiences. Mentors are uniquely placed to assess just what might be the ideal options to enable that process to take place.
However, to really tap into the process, both have to be fully conversant with your talent programme. To be a true source of wisdom, strength and guidance, they need to know what your objectives are and where their own skills and knowledge can best serve that overall objective.
This is particularly relevant for leadership. As we’ll see in the next, and final, part of this series, there has never been a more critical moment to clarify just what the role of a leader is, and how it is likely to evolve in the future. To answer that conundrum will mean looking back over the past year, but as one year ends and another opens, it’s never been a more crucial time to start to consider just what leadership means and where it might be going next.
Michael Esau is global HR advisor for SAP
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