Home Health & Hospice Week

Tip: Your staff are watching you for an example

Great bosses grow their employees by modelling "great boss behavior," one expert advises. But how do you achieve that behavior?

"You spend a little time on introspection and make some key personal decisions," says executive coach Joel Garfinkle, author of 300 leadership articles and books including Getting Ahead: Three Steps to Take Your Career to the Next Level. "Once you have created the internal foundation, you will more naturally do what a great boss does and you'll be able to grow your people by showing them the way." You should begin by asking yourself these three questions, Garfinkle recommends:

1. Where are you going? "Before you can grow your employees, you have to know where you yourself are going," Garfinkle advises. "Clearly define your path. What is the next step in your own career progression? Have a well-defined understanding of your company and where it's going in the long term. Identify the company's goals and then evaluate your own goals to make sure you are in alignment."

Action item: Set aside an hour this week, either behind closed doors or away from the office, and make a list of your personal and career goals, Garfinkle recommends.

2. Who's going with you? "Look behind you. Look around you. When you move up the ladder, who will fill the spot you vacate?" Garfinkle asks. "Don't limit your thinking to the boxes on your organization chart. Look throughout the company for standouts. Consider people who have volunteered to take on new projects or responsibilities.

Think about who steps up to the plate when somebody else doesn't come through."

Once you've got your list, sit down with each individual. Explain your personal business goals, the company's goals, and how it all fits together - "at least give your people the high points," he says. "They need to see themselves in the picture a year or five years from now." This will help them decide how to spend their time, and then you can work together to create a growth strategy that will serve both of you.

"It's a lot easier to grow a team and a company when everyone is paddling in the same direction," Garfinkle notes.

Action item: Next week, keep your eyes open and make a list of high-potential employees you'd like to talk to. Then set up a schedule for meeting with each individual.

3. How are you going to get there? "The best way to develop your people is to let them take the lead," Garfinkle says. As you talk about the company's long-range goals, ask each individual: Where do you see yourself? What job would you like to have? Why? What do we need to do to prepare you for that job?"

If one of your employees tells you she wants your job, see it as an opportunity, not a threat. Let her come up with a new strategy and try it out. Other ways to encourage employees' growth are through job-exchange programs within the company, job shadowing or temporary internships involving Clevel managers, and using mentors and coaches. Even if employees don't change careers, "experiencing the company from a different perspective will make it easier for them to interact with other departments as they move ahead," Garfinkle says.

Action item: "Choose one high-potential employee from your list and work with him or her on their personal career goals and development plan. Use that as a template for working with others on your list," Garfinkle advises.

And when you have your people development plan in place, set milestones so you can work with each individual to evaluate their progress. "You may need to make midcourse corrections from time to time, but your people will be motivated to exceed your expectations when they know you're committed to their success," Garfinkle says.

Make The Time

Finding time for this process is a challenge, Garfinkle acknowledges. "You have deadlines to meet, tasks to accomplish and numbers to make."

However: "To grow yourself and your employees, you need to step back long enough to see the big picture," Garfinkle urges. "If you feel stuck or overwhelmed by this, get some help - hire a coach, join a mastermind group, or find an accountability partner. Just take the first step, and the future will begin to reveal itself."