How to Have a Career Development Conversation Properly

When was the last time you had a meaningful career conversation with someone on your team?

I don’t mean your annual performance review conversation. I am not referring to a quick “How are things going?” conversation in your one-on-one meetings.

I mean a conversation about where your team members want to go, what they want to learn, what they’re good at and how you can help them get there.

For many managers, these conversations are harder than they sound.

I have talked to many leaders over the years who don’t know how to structure these conversations and are not getting much help from their organization.

In fact, new research from Wiley Workplace Intelligence, based on a survey of 1,459 people, found that only 29% of managers use formal, company-provided development tools. Another 37% rely on informal approaches they’ve created themselves, while 26% use no development tools at all.

The Gap Between Knowing Yourself and Knowing Your Team

But here’s the statistic that really caught my attention:

62% of managers say they understand their own strengths; however, only 30% of managers say they understand the strengths of their team.

Wow! That statistic blew my mind!

That means that 70% of leaders just don’t get their people!

This is a big problem.

Why?

Well, it is your job as a leader to develop your team! How can you develop them if you don’t understand what makes them tick, what their natural strengths are, what kind of work energizes them or what skills they need to develop?

Career Growth Looks Different for Everyone

It is also critical for you to know what career growth means to them.

Career growth and progression do not look the same for everyone.

One person may want to become a senior leader. Another may want to deepen their knowledge and become a subject matter expert. Someone else on your team may want more challenging projects, greater visibility or the opportunity to learn something new.

Your job is to help your team think about their career goals and then support them to get there.

3 Ways to Have a Meaningful Career Development Conversation

1. Ask better questions.

Instead of “Where do you see yourself in five years?” try asking “What would you like to be doing more of?” or “Where do you feel you’re growing and where do you feel stuck?”

2. Make development an ongoing conversation.

Career development shouldn’t happen once a year. Look for opportunities during your regular one-on-ones to give feedback on a project or to ask someone to take on a new challenge.

3. Get curious about the person, not just the position.

I highly recommend using an assessment like the DiSC Profile with your team. It will give you data and insights on how your team members like to communicate, how they like to solve problems and what motivates them at work.

Which of these ideas resonates most with you?

Try asking one career-related question in your one-on-ones this week.

Perhaps you can start with: “What’s one thing you’d really like to get better at over the next six months, and how can I help?”

Your Role in Your Team’s Career Development

Your job is not to be in charge of someone else’s career. That is their job. Everyone is responsible for their own career.

Your job is to guide, coach, listen, support and provide the right feedback and opportunities for your team members to learn and grow.

Thank you for sharing!

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