November 3rd, 2010 
jvremec
Employee Development: Motivate Employee Participation in Professional Development Opportunities and Improve Performance
Author: Gayle Lantz
When companies think of employee development, they often search for training programs, educational seminars, coaching or the latest book that might offer ideas on what employees can do to sharpen skills or strengthen expertise. However, none of these programs will be effective if the organization lacks one critical success factor: individual motivation. An individual has to want to develop himself before any employee training and development program can be successful.
What can you do to help your employees achieve best performance?
Here are some tips to help motivate the seemingly unmotivated and increase your organization’s overall performance.
1. Target the highly motivated and strong performers.
All organizations have individuals who are highly motivated. They stand out more easily. They typically like challenges and welcome growth opportunities for themselves. Engage them in activities to help them get even better. The improved performance of the highly motivated will help raise the bar for your entire organization. Those who are less motivated will have to step up the pace.
2. Focus on the future.
Rather than concentrate on performance areas that aren’t working for an individual, talk about possibilities for the future. It’s easier to become energized about new possibilities than dwelling on weaknesses. Determine the positive outcome that will occur if a change/improvement is made. For example, you might say, “We can reach more buyers if you can speak more frequently to groups. What can you do to hone your presentation skills to help secure more business?” Help employees keep their eye on the goal, not their ego.
3. Open dialogue about desire.
Discussions about development should be positive and ongoing — not limited to annual performance reviews. Let the individual lead. Rather than saying, “Here are areas you need to develop,” ask “What would help you build on your strengths or increase your effectiveness?” When a particular approach has been identified, ask for commitment to follow-through. Create a culture where ongoing development is expected, encouraged and rewarded at all levels.
4. Start at the top.
Executives should model the commitment to growth and development that they want to see throughout the organization. After all, many problems disguised as employee development issues actually reflect leadership deficiencies of the firm or organization.
Consider using assessments of some kind to help employees gain a more objective perspective about them. Assessments can be helpful or destructive depending on how they are used.
In the end, it’s all about achieving what both the employees and what the organization wants. Be clear about what’s most important to both.
An employee development and training program is not something to be checked off on a checklist. The strongest organizations make employee development an integral part of their culture and strategies for success. They constantly seek new and innovate ways to engage their people in development opportunities to achieve best results.
About the Author
Gayle Lantz, is an organizational development consultant and executive coach who works with organizations such as NASA, Southern Company and Compass Bank. She helps employees and organizations leverage their strengths to achieve important results. For more tips on how to make the most of your work, sign up for “WorkMatters Tips” at http://gaylelantz.com/signup/index.htm
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How can I tell my boss he needs to pay me some seminars so I can learn more and do my job better?
This is because I really think I need to learn more for my professional development but it is hard to take a penny off my boss. Please help.
Ask if any funding is available and when . Explain why this benefits him and his business. If you can prove some finacial or personal improvement ,type up a simple proposel. It shows you are serious about your reasoning behind him releasing funds.Good luck .
I want to set up some regular prof. dev. seminars with my co-workers. Is there a good FREE site?
I want to set up professional development sessions with my fellow co-workers. I’m looking for a good, free site where members can RSVP, discuss past and upcoming sessions, and volunteer as team leaders. Any good suggestions on a site that would help me coordinate this? Thanks.
Holy poop am I glad I don’t work with you.
Can any one who hires new employees answer my question?
I’ve worked with the same company for 14 years, moving up in the company. My resume is awesome (I think so). I have no college degree, but some college. I was actually a few classes away from a degree. Is it better to put an Education section in my resume, stating the college I attended and related courses I took and/or credits I earned. Or completely leave this out and put in place a Professional Development section listing some seminars and webcourses I took relating to the position I’m applying.
If you have relevant work experience, that will look better because it applies directly to the position you want. You could still list your education, but I wouldn’t make it the primary focus of the resume. It could just be a smaller section towards the bottom.
What should I teach my ELT professional development seminar on?
I have to teach a seminar for the other teachers at the British Council where I work. What subject do you think they’d find most useful? I can teach about reading/listening skills, grammar, speaking, or a materials-lite approach to teaching. What do you think they’d find most useful?
I teach English to German business people, and I think the hardest thing is to teach grammar in a way that is easy to understand and to make it fun!
I find using drawings of matchstick men with binoculars jumping from past, present and future, setting their sights at other times helps to explain the tenses. germans find it particularly difficult to understand the difference between past simple and present perfect.
Another super fun subject is changing the meaning of a sentence by intonation!
Good Luck
Has anyone come across HR seminars providing people?
I’m the CEO of an IT company and my people work to their best to give good results. But, in many of them some factor is missing in them that hinder their progress. I’m looking for professionals who can conduct seminars on human resource development. Has anyone come across such people?
As an HR professional, the number of legal issues you need to be aware of can be overwhelming. Especially when you consider the increasingly litigious nature of our society — and the many nuances of employment law. At this intensive two-day course, you’ll cover the core skills it takes to safely interview job candidates … counsel employees … and mediate disputes.
You’ll gain a thorough understanding of EEOC and ADA regulations. You’ll learn how to comply with the Family and Medical Leave Act. Plus, you’ll take part in practical exercises that give you a chance to practice and refine dozens of new HR techniques. With all that is at stake, this is an investment that is well worth your time and money to gain peace of mind.