Even superheroes need to work on their personal and professional development. Spider-Man is a bit overly sensitive and is always blaming himself. Maybe he’s reading The Empath’s Survival Guide. On the other hand, Tony Stark (aka, Iron Man) might want to attend a few workshops on empathy.
Your team of superheroes needs personal and professional development time, too. A month ago I wrote about 8 Reason to Take Time for Professional Development. Now I’m going to help you, the leader of the team, understand why you should encourage your team to do this. It not only benefits them, it also benefits you and your organization.
Energize Them
As exciting as a new project is, they can become monotonous when the new project looks and feels a lot like that last one (and the one before that.) Professional development breaks up that cycle with something new and different. This will pump a little life into your team or, better yet, keep them energized if they haven’t gotten to monotony yet.
They also come back to the team with new ideas to try. Often we get stuck in our small worlds and don’t see the technological developments outside our four walls. Getting some professional development training will help your team expand their arsenal of skills and that expands what your group can accomplish.
Keep Them
Investing in your team by getting them involved in professional development training shows that you are concerned for their well-being and their professional journey. Too often, professional development is cut from team budgets. Set your company apart from the rest by continuing to invest in your people. Doing this will not only engage and keep your team, it will also help you recruit new people, too.
Let Them Go
Sooner or later someone will leave. They’ll retire, start their own business, need to move, something. No matter how good your company is, people will leave. But it doesn’t have to leave you in the lurch. Investing in professional development ensures that you have a solid succession plan and can move team members up to fill new roles. Of course, this might mean that you lose someone due to an opening in another group. That’s a great feeling when a promotion comes open in another group and you’ve developed your team to the point that other teams want them. Don’t take that as a negative thing. Take it as a sign that you’re doing things right.
The Final Takeaway
Professional development is an investment just like your retirement or other sources of income. Spending time and money in them now will grow them to unprecedented levels later.
Photo by Raj Eiamworakul on Unsplash