FROM JIM SIRBASKU’S DESK Taking Lessons from the Teacher We are well into the new school year, a good time to focus attention on and give gratitude to the educators of tomorrow's leaders. Teachers deserve admiration for regularly facing classrooms of pupils with vast differences and needs, and still managing to fill young minds with the knowledge that turns them into productive citizens and creative thinkers.

Some of today's pupils will eventually land at the doorsteps of industry and business, eager to perform. In the ideal scenario, some of the best employees will become high-performing CEOs and CFOs, executive directors, or hold other highly responsible positions of leadership. But for this ideal to occur, learning must be a lifetime pursuit and teaching, or development, must meet individual needs.  

In too many organizations, this does not happen. Employee development programs are often like ordering from a menu that offers a single entrée, no substitutions permitted, and everyone has to like it. In development classes, this means that managers with different needs will join others both like and unlike them, to study the same things – customer service, perhaps, or team building, or leadership in general – whether they need these sessions or not. Organizers of such programs should glance into the room at mid-point and see how many pupils are engaged in the subject. If you see vacant stares, doodling and finger drumming, take it as a sign that your development needs an infusion of relevance and reality.

The First Step
One of the most effective things a leader can do when developing employees is find out what they need. Asking, "In what area(s) do you need to grow?" is simple enough. But just because the question is easy does not mean the answer is at our fingertips. Everyone has blind spots, and all ambitious employees want to present themselves in the best possible light. For example, don't expect someone to tell you that she is good at everything except for establishing relationships. Many people just do not want to admit that a skill or two might be weak. Even those who know where they need to improve might not be willing or able to articulate it clearly.

This is where an objective assessment can be a useful method of determining exactly what your employees need to develop into a great leader. Let's define an "objective assessment" as a measure of on-the-job behaviors or skills required to perform the job. A list of these skills could be quite long and include such things as displaying commitment, an ability to develop teams, skill in motivating team members, and the constant fly in the organizational ointment, effective delegation of duties to others.

Such a list can seem endless, but that does not mean it must intimidate. One of Profiles' assessments designed to develop managers looks at 18 important areas or skills sets. Even with its detailed examination, it takes only a short time to finish and can be completed online, in the privacy of the employee's home or office. Such assessments are scientifically designed to obtain responses that are honest and clear.

After the Assessment
If we were in a classroom, we'd ask for a show of hands in response to this next question, and we'd expect to see few fingers in the air: How many organizations actually DO something with assessments once the employee has completed them? Here's another question: Are the assessments designed for action?  

We envision a classroom full of shoulders shrugging about now.

One of the mysteries common to many offices has to do with the Bermuda Triangle of amassed information. Self-studies, projects, reports and assessments gather dust on shelves or get lost in the bottom of a pile on a desk. People get busy with phone calls, day-to-day duties and out of town conferences, and then they go on vacation for a couple of weeks. Soon the valuable information about Jim or Sally's ability to communicate with team members is lost.

We believe truly helpful assessments come with easy-to-follow next steps. The same assessment described earlier comes with action reports, one for the employee who completed the assessment, and one for his or her supervisor or on-the-job coach. The manager's assessment is a self-study. Like any good diagnostic, it reveals which measurements the manager excels at, what the organization needs, and what the manager needs to work on.

The coach's assessment comes with a report on the employee, as well as exercises and activities for the coach to assign. Designed for employee growth, this report is like a tailored suit – it fits perfectly. If you knew something was missing on Sally's team but could not define what the ingredient was, this report will tell you. Perhaps the missing link is effective communication, or maybe Sally is not listening to team members as carefully as she should be. Whatever the case, the coach's report will say so – and the coach will know how to help Sally shore up these weaknesses in performance.

Life provides us with valuable educational milestones: moving from grade school into middle school, graduating from high school, finishing college and advanced degrees. But such milestones do not signify an end to learning. Each one puts us on a new path to something new. Just ask any teacher.

 
Jim Sirbasku, CEO
Profiles International

QUIZ

What does it really mean to be a good leader? There are certain things all good leaders do, such as communicating effectively, providing direction, instilling trust, etc. But what does that really mean on a day-to-day basis? Take this short quiz and try to match the 10 Things Good Leaders Do (left column) with their practical daily applications (right column). See if you know what it REALLY takes to be a good leader!

Answer Key - Rollover to Highlight

1. Listen to Others--
   Solicit ideas, suggestions and opinions from others
   
   

2. Process Information--
   Identify the core element of an issue
   
   

3. Communicate Effectively--
   Cover an issue thoroughly without overdoing it
   
   

4. Instill Trust--
   Keep promises
   
   

5. Provide Direction--
   Keep focus on big picture while implementing details
   
   

6. Delegate Responsibility--
   Give others authority to independently fulfill responsibilities
   
   

7. Cultivate Individual Talents--
   Is a patient, helpful, effective coach
   
   

8. Motivate Successfully--
   Give recognition to producers of high quality work
   
   

9. Build Personal Relationships--
   Show consideration for the feelings of others
   
   

10. Facilitate Team Success--
    Create an atmosphere of team cooperation over competition