To create an environment and culture in your business where profit, productivity and staff satisfaction are reaching and exceeding their targets, employees need to feel valued in the workplace. An unmotivated, disengaged employee can have a detrimental influence on any business. If an employee feels their personal development and career progression is stagnating, they are far more likely to lose interest in their work, underperform and resign to seek better workplace satisfaction elsewhere. Conversely, a business owner or manager who takes an interest in their employees by creating a personal development plan aligned to their interests, are more likely to experience numerous positive knock-on benefits.
How is personal development viewed in the workplace?
The latest Australian data shows that of the 17.1 million people of working age (15-74), only 27% had participated in some work-related training during the previous 12 months. While this figure might seem alarming given the clear benefits of providing employee training through personal development courses, there are mitigating circumstances. Almost a quarter of the working-age population were participating in some formal education that leads to a qualification, such as University degree courses or TAFE Certificate programs while another 8.4% were taking part in personal interest training that had nothing to do with their employment. While these figures soften the blow somewhat with many employers contributing to formal education programs, it’s clear that personal and professional development planning for employees is not a priority for most Australian companies.
Why is it crucial for your business to have great leadership?
With an increasingly global marketplace for Australian businesses, and the escalating rate of technological change across all industries, leadership in the workplace has never been as important as it is today. Business leaders can look ahead and plot a course for growth while also looking inward to see how they can get the most from their employees. They can turn ideas into reality, inspire others to follow their lead and contribute to reaching goals in meaningful ways, and increase productivity by ensuring employees are highly engaged and motivated on a day-to-day basis.
What are the qualities and characteristics that define great leadership?
Leaders have a range of conditions that enable them to create successfully and launch action plans to achieve specific business goals while motivating employees within the organisation to pull in the same direction. To be able to lead productively and efficiently, they must possess a certain set of skills and character traits, some of which comes naturally while others can learn through training and experience. This include:
- Ethics – By displaying ethical behaviour, your employees are more likely to do the same. The actions of you and your staff will define your businesses reputation.
- Trust – You can’t do it all yourself, so you must trust your team to take on certain responsibilities. But placing confidence in your employees, you will empower them to take ownership, and they will feel valued as a result. It also frees you up to concentrate on growing the business and taking it to the next level.
- Communication – Unless your staff is as clear about the vision and direction you want to take the business as you are, chances are you won’t succeed. Apparently delivering your key messages and ensuring you are always available will make it easier for your staff to get their job done.
- Stay calm and be positive – Even in the face of turbulent times, you must remain calm and in control. Your staff will take their lead from you, so be confident and navigate your team through the rough seas.
- Lead by example – If your team see that you’re willing to roll up the sleeves and get your hands dirty for the cause, they are far more likely to follow suit.
- Think quick – It’s not always possible to analyse a situation and take your time to come to a decision. There will be times when you’ve got to act decisively and make a quick decision right there on the spot. Don’t hesitate, get creative, and operate with confidence.
- Be adaptable – Not everyone is the same, so the way you approach each staff member will need to be different. Some may need to have their ego stroked to get the most out of them while others will prefer less personal attention. Some may react to a hard line stance while others will need a more sensitive approach. Then there are religious, cultural, moral and language considerations that you need to take into consideration. The best managers know which buttons to push to get the best out of their employees.
- Considerate – Your staff will want to know you have their best interests at heart. By catering to their needs, providing a safe and comfortable work environment, and creating a personal and professional development plan, you are more likely to enjoy high staff satisfaction. This empathy results in a more productive staff group and lower turnover.
How can a personal development course help you become a leader?
The best leaders are always thinking about how they can improve their ability through ongoing personal development. By engaging in current personal development courses, leaders can develop their skills in areas such as strategic thinking, listening, coaching, financial acumen, industry knowledge and a range of management disciplines.
Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) is a proven model that has been helping leaders and business owners to succeed for over 30 years. NLP enables leaders to form connections between neurological processes, language, and communication, and learned behavioural patterns to achieve specific goals. By understanding NLP, you’ll be able to:
- Know the behavioural patterns of your employees and instigate change
- Teach in a way that accelerates learning and enables easy memorisation
- Be more confident in your ability
- Separate emotion from your decision-making process
- Improve your communication skills
Personal development in the workplace for employees of all levels, from CEO’s and managers to employees who have just entered the workforce, is vital for the growth and stability of any organisation. The best leaders will recognise that personal development plans for their staff will boost satisfaction and morale while also understanding the need to develop themselves at the same time. It’s these organisations that will thrive in the modern business world of constant change and pace.
