When I was a child, it never once occurred to me that my parents didn't know everything. I mean, sure, they didn't understand what it was like to be in high school (because they were "so old"), but they obviously knew how to handle car repairs, when to see the doctor, and how to handle my rebellious siblings. (I, of course, was perfect.)
Then I became an adult—and learned that most of adulthood is just winging it.
Children have a whole group of people assigned to them to help them succeed—parents, teachers, older siblings, cousins—but adults either need to figure it out themselves or seek out their own mentors. The working world reflects this progression: Companies have all sorts of mentoring programs and succession planning programs for entry-level to middle management employees, but once you make the senior team, everyone kind of abandons you.
It's the equivalent of saying, "Hey, you're an adult now! You're on your own."
But it's time for that to change. It's expensive for a company to lose an executive—replacing a senior leader comes with a long recruitment phase and can cost up to 213 percent of the employee's salary—and yet, we don't worry about their retention and development.
Think about that for a minute—HR is in the business of helping employees succeed, but we see executives as already having succeeded. If you're the new CFO, how much help do you really need? Well, actually, a lot.
Here's how HR can better meet the development needs of senior staff:
1) Understand what motivates senior employees
First, it's important to understand that senior executives have goals and dreams just like the shiny new grad in that entry-level role. In fact, many of them are craving mentorship.
Global executive search and talent advisory firm Egon Zehnder recently polled 1,275 senior execs on their professional development. More than 30 percent of the execs said their companies were not helping them achieve their professional potential and 72 percent stated that they would welcome more help from their companies.
Another study from the firm looked at what motivates executives, and personal growth and development ranked at 45 percent—tied for second place in the list of motivators.
2) Make sure they receive feedback—positive and negative
While it's absolutely true that some senior people believe they walk on water and get angry if anyone says otherwise, most people want to know how they can improve. Don't let your CEO skip his annual review from direct reports, and encourage your board to give feedback to the CEO. This information helps a person grow, even when they are at the top of the ladder.
3) Provide professional coaching
A great HR person can often provide professional coaching herself, but when you get into the senior levels, it might be best to find an executive coach. It's easy to hook your junior accountant up with someone more senior for mentoring, but it's not so easy for the higher levels. A few executive coaching sessions are far cheaper than turnover at those high levels.
4) Encourage a stronger role in company culture
Sometimes, the need for more development comes down to a stronger involvement in company culture in general. Beyond a specific management role, involving execs in culture exposes them to new challenges and learning opportunities. The senior HR person should encourage the senior team to focus on making the company a better place. Remind them that they can make a difference through simple things, like treating employees fairly, complying with laws such as FMLA, being an example of a great manager and introducing fun events or team activities.
Whatever you do, don't assume that an executive has all of the support he or she needs. They're just humans, too.
Photo: Creative Commons
Ressourcen zu diesem Thema
Sie möchten noch mehr erfahren? Entdecken Sie unsere Produkte, Kundenberichte und aktuelle Brancheneinblicke.
Blogbeitrag
10 Erfolgstipps für Ihr One-to-One Meeting
Die besten Teams erleben regelmäßig etwas, das sie sinnvoll weiterbringt und beflügelt: gute Gespräche mit ihren Führungskräften. Andere Teams nehmen widerwillig Platz im stundenlangen Horrorkabinett schlecht vorbereiteter Gespräche ohne Fokus und ohne Spaß. Es geht aber auch anders – wenn die Führungskräfte den Gesprächen bewusst einen echten Nutzen verleihen. Wie das funktioniert? Eigentlich ist es ganz einfach – bereiten Sie das Einzelgespräch mit Mitarbeiter:innen so gut vor wie ein wichtiges Kundengespräch: klare Agenda, aktives Zuhören, ein Austausch auf Augenhöhe, echtes Interesse, gemeinsame Ziele.
Blogbeitrag
Die wahre Bedeutung von Wertschätzung
Es ist schön, wenn man gelobt wird, von wem auch immer, vom Chef, von Kollegen oder von Kunden. Keine Frage. Natürlich wünscht man sich, dass die eigene Leistung, der eigene Beitrag sichtbar wird und Anerkennung findet. Und so wundert es nicht, wenn Mitarbeiter genau dies wünschen. Dies findet unter anderem seinen Widerhall in den üblichen Mitarbeiterbefragungen, in denen wiederholt und in vielen Unternehmen zum Ausdruck kommt, die Mitarbeiter wünschten sich mehr Wertschätzung.
Blogbeitrag
Die Führungskraft als Coach
Eine traditionelle Führungskraft kennt die Antworten auf dringende Fragen und Lösungen für akute Probleme. Deshalb ist sie Führungskraft. Sie ist es gewohnt, täglich auf Fragen, wie „Was sollen wir tun?“ oder „Ist das so in Ordnung?“ reagieren zu müssen. In vielen Teams und Organisationen ist das so, und die Geführten erwarten von ihren Führungskräften eine entsprechende Reaktion.