Ditch the Boring and Embrace the GROW Model!

Alright, listen up, boss! Your report has been on your team for what feels like forever – 10 long months. It’s high time you put on your career development cap and create a plan that’ll rock their world. Let’s dive into what you need to do in the next two weeks.

Before the Career Development Showdown: Know Your Role and Goal

You’ve got a crucial role to play in this career convo – align and listen, my friend! Science stuff says that managers who dish out responsibilities that match their team’s future goals build killer teams. This chat is all about finding the perfect fit, not just tossing ’em up the career ladder.

During this career jam, you’re gonna do more listening than a smooth-talking DJ. According to the LifeLabs manager gurus, top motivators ask about 10 questions every 15 minutes! So, crank up your curiosity, and let your report do the talking while you do the listening.

Remote Managers, We See You!

Yeah, we know you got that razor-sharp memory, but even superstars take notes. When you jot stuff down, let your team know what’s up: “I’m taking notes, so don’t think I’m ignoring ya. You’ve got my full attention!”

The Grand Goal: Craft Short and Long-Term Action Plans

Your mission, if you choose to accept it (and you better!), is to team up with your direct report to craft a short-term (3 months) and long-term (18 months) action plan.

Before the Career Chat, The “Life Story” Chat

This is where the magic happens! Schedule two heart-to-heart sessions for about an hour each – one for the life story chat and one for the career development showdown.

Let your report know what’s coming their way in the meeting invites: “We’re gonna have a career development chat in a few weeks, but first, I wanna know all about your journey so far. We’ve never had a chance to dive into that!”

Start the life story chat by asking, “Starting from high school, tell me about your life.” Get nosy! Ask all the juicy questions about their pivots and transitions. Oh, and resist the urge to talk about yourself – this is their time to shine.

During the Career Development Jam: Get Your GROW Model On!

Alright, boss, it’s go time! The actual career development chat is happening, and we’ve got the GROW model to the rescue – a nifty technique to blow their minds with new ideas and action.

GROW stands for Goal, Reality, Options, and Way Forward. It’s like a superhero team for career dreams!

G: Goals and Aspirations

What’s their ultimate dream job? Uncover their career vision and where they wanna grow. But fair warning, this might be the trickiest part of the whole shebang!

Hit ’em with questions like:

• “Imagine money and skills aren’t holding you back – what’s your dream role?”
• “What interests you the most?”
• “Which parts of your past work put the biggest smile on your face?”
• “Are you more into a top-notch individual contributor gig or a high-flying manager role?”

R: Reality – Facing the Music

Now you know their big dream, let’s see where they’re at now. Get real and ask stuff like:

• “Are you feelin’ the challenge in your current role? What would pump up the excitement level?”
• “What do teammates and stakeholders think you’re the master of?”
• “Tell me about the feedback you’ve received from others – what are your strengths and areas for growth?”

O: Options Galore

Time to brainstorm! Think of tons of options to bridge the gap between reality and their career dreams. Get ’em involved, and think big together!

Team up on ideas like:

• “What skills can you work on right now to get closer to that dream role?”
• “What wild assignments, big projects, or experiences could jazz things up?”
• “Who’s in your network that could hook you up with amazing opportunities?”
• “Know any good books or resources that’ll give you a fresh perspective?”

W: Write Down the Way Forward – Create a Plan of Attack!

Now that you’ve thrown all the ideas on the table, let’s get this show on the road! Work together on a shared document and plot out the short-term (3 months) and long-term (18 months) action items.

Develop Current Role: Short-Term (3 months)

What changes can they make in their current gig to get closer to that dream career? Get creative with moves like mentoring junior team members for a taste of people management.

Develop Skills and Network: Longer-Term (18 months)

What skills do they need to sharpen? Maybe there are nifty training courses or books to dive into. Plus, let’s tap into your combined networks and find key people to connect with for endless opportunities.

Develop into Different Role: Longer-Term (18 months)

Any cool roles they can try on for size in the next 18 months? Let’s cook up a plan to bridge the gap through stretch assignments, mentorship, training, or epic experiences.

And there you have it, boss! The ultimate guide to rocking your career development chat.