Leadership Development in a Shifting Workforce Landscape
One of the most significant changes to the workforce today is loyalty or the lack there of. In a recent workforce survey, over 80% of respondents agreed that their definition of loyalty in the workplace had changed over time. The workplace has become transactional for the employee. More and more workers are taking the view that they are the sole drivers of their own careers. “Fifty years ago, an employee could stay at the same company for decades, and the company reciprocated with long-term protection and care,” said Tammy Erickson, an author and work-force consultant. “Many were guaranteed longtime employment along with health care and a pension.”
Now many companies cannot or will not hold up their end of the bargain, so why should the employees hold up theirs? Given the opportunity, they’ll take their skills and their portable 401K’s elsewhere.
With all of this change we are often asked by organizations, “Is it even worth investing and developing leaders anymore if they aren’t going to stay?” The answer may seem to be a simple “no,” however, we believe at Rozzi and Associates that there has never been a more pertinent time to invest and build into your workforce than right now.
Organizations that are seeking to build long-term success need to focus on developing leaders at every level of their organization! These days, trust is more important than loyalty: Loyalty is about the future — trust is about the present. What can you do right now to build trust? Invest in your people.
Jack Welch, former CEO of General Electric once said, “My main job was developing talent. I was a gardener providing water and other nourishment to our top 750 people. Of course, I had to pull out some weeds, too.” Mr. Welch understood the value of leadership development in organizations as large and powerful at General Electric.
The same truth is found in the medium and small business, the nonprofit and even in today’s church workplace climate.
Employee retention, development and engagement is often most successful when team members know how to grow in their current role or into a new one. A common misconception is that simply because someone excels in the current role, that success will automatically translate to the next level. Instead, development toward a specific role with a results-oriented goal helps all employees grow.
Here are a few questions to ask yourself about your own organization’s leadership development:
Am I giving enough feedback to my direct reports to help them continually develop in their role?
Do my direct reports know to grow in their role or how to grow to another role?
Do I encourage continual development and innovative thinking?
Do I give my direct reports latitude to do things differently than me?
As you look forward to 2019, how do you need to shift your workplace development to the changing landscape?
Contact us today for a free consultation at susan@rozziandassociates.com.
Susan Rozzi is the president of Rozzi and Associates, a leadership and organizational development company helping good leaders become great! Our programs start with the premise that great leadership skills are a product of time, practice and focused development. Our leadership development, emotional intelligence insight and career management programs can be customized to meet your desired outcomes and needs.