Also, be sure to find out if anything about their job situation is frustrating them, such as too much travel, difficult colleagues, or not enough challenge from day to day. Try to address their needs and desires—and eliminate obstacles as best you can. Help them to develop by shaping their careers and responsibilities in the direction they’d like to go. To move them in the right direction, you’ll have to provide them with the right growth opportunities.
- Starting a new project from scratch. For example, developing and launching a new product or heading up a new initiative or team.
- Fixing a business or product in trouble. For example, improving the bottom line of a new service or marketing a failed product to a new segment.
- A job rotation in a different work environment. For example, assigning a operations manager to do a sales rotation, or a short-term stint in another region or country.
- A high-profile special project assignment. These projects, which should have very clear objectives and a short duration, offer employees the chance to practice targeted problem solving, work in cross-functional teams, and be exposed to senior executives. Project-based assignments also offer the added benefit of flexibility. Often, participants can work on such projects part-time, so they would not have to give up their current duties.
Some organizations have established mentoring programs for high-potential employees. These programs pair individuals with experts who are willing to guide them in meeting certain work challenges and in defining a career path. If your organization doesn’t have such a program, consider establishing an informal one for your top employees.
Finding appropriate mentors for your best performers doesn’t have to be overly complicated. Mentors do not necessarily have to be a part of your group or business unit. In fact, mentors outside the organization may have broader perspectives.
For the high-potential individual, having a mentor can be critical. Mentors know how to motivate employees by providing recognition for specific achievements. Beyond just offering encouragement, however, mentors can help employees:
- Clarify their career options
- Better understand the organization and navigate its politics
- Build support networks
- Deal with work obstacles
- Strive to enhance collaboration among talented people in your organization. Since people often stay in organizations because they enjoy the company of like-minded colleagues, invest in bringing talented people together. This can be done informally through social networking opportunities, or more formally through special task forces or work groups.
Adapted from the Harvard ManageMentor® online program "Developing Employees".