Level Up Your Team With These Three Simple Steps

When you're working with a team, it's easy to forget that each person has their own unique skill set. I've worked in environments where people had been at the company for years but hadn't advanced because they didn't know how to ask for more responsibility. And I've also worked in environments where management repeatedly promoted people with no new appreciatable skills.

To get people to stick around long enough to see growth in your company, you need them to grow and improve too. Professional development plays an important role here. It's a plan for how you'll support your business goals while developing your employees! Level up your employees by following the steps below.

Find out what your staff wants to learn.

I'm always looking for new ways to grow and support my team. What are they interested in learning? How can I help them reach their goals?

One of the first things I recommend is getting clear on what each employee wants from their career. This can be as simple as asking, "What would make you happy at work?" or as complex as facilitating an off-site retreat where everyone gets together to map out their ideal future (and then figuring out how to get there).

Check-in with them regularly about their progress.

Ask your team how things are going, what they learned today, or what they're working on. Check in with them at least once a month, but ideally once every week or so. I used to think that mentorship was just about having conversations about career pathing and giving occasional feedback. But it turns out that mentorship is much more than that – it's about actively engaging with your team members' professional development plans.

Encourage them to teach others what they've learned.

The best way to ensure someone has the skills needed for their next role is by helping them become an expert in their current position. If there's something that person has been doing for years and could teach another employee, encourage them to do so. This will not only help level up their skills but also allow other employees interested in learning from this person an opportunity to do so.

The bottom line is that leveling up your staff is beneficial to everyone. It helps you achieve your business goals, it helps bring in talent for leadership opportunities, and it helps to develop future leaders that already know how to play the game at your company. All in all, leveling up your staff is a success loop. Your employees will feel progress, want to continue growing with your company, and stick around longer.