Nurturing growth within your team

Stretching your direct reports
By Silvia Calleja

This newsletter explores the art of developing direct reports with an emphasis on individualized, respectful approaches. It navigates the challenges faced by managers in motivating and instigating behavioral change while emphasizing the importance of recognizing and respecting the unique qualities of each team member.

Over the recent weeks, several individuals have reached out seeking insights on effectively challenging and empowering their direct reports positively and respectfully. This newsletter aims to offer a starting point on this intriguing subject.

While most managers share the goal of developing their team members, frustrations often arise early in the process. Challenges emerge not only from the occasional lack of motivation on the part of the individual being developed but also from the realization that change rarely occurs at the pace anticipated by the manager. This can lead to the employee being unfairly labeled as lazy, uncommitted, or incapable of fulfilling their responsibilities.

Embarking on the journey of developing individuals begins at ground zero, prompting certain fundamental questions

· Who is this individual?

· What are their strengths?

· What motivates them?

· How do they see themselves in the future?

· What specific change am I expecting from this person?

· How does this expectation align with the broader goals of the business?

A common pitfall for managers in the realm of performance improvement is overlooking the individuality of their team members.

Any attempts to modify behavior that neglect the unique set of skills, strengths, values, motivators, and mindset of each person are destined for failure. As a manager, it is crucial to respect these individual aspects. For example, expecting an introvert to become an extrovert overnight is unrealistic, but you can encourage them to contribute more vocally in meetings where their input is crucial.

Behavioral change requires sustained effort, patience, and motivation. Moreover, individuals must perceive the benefits of investing time and energy into the process. By illustrating how such changes align with their long-term goals, you can instill focus and resilience, especially during challenging times. Your role is to create conditions conducive to change, offer timely and clear feedback, and guide them from goal setting to translating them into specific actions and subsequent reflection on progress.

Before urging someone to change, you must have a clear vision of what this change looks and sounds like. Vague directives like “be more proactive” are insufficient; instead, define and agree together on how such statements translate into tangible actions. Striking the right balance — making the steps challenging yet manageable — creates momentum and sustains motivation. Additionally, communicate clearly how the proposed change contributes value to the organization; if it does not, reconsider the necessity of requesting a behavior change that does not benefit the team.

The Challenge for the next 14 days

The challenge is straightforward: Select a team member and begin to understand them better, applying the principles discussed. Keep the conversation casual, avoiding specific mentions of behavior change, and focus on learning more about them and their motivations.