You have a subordinate who you feel has the makings of greatness. If developed and encouraged, this person could climb to the very top. But with a department or division to run, plus your own responsibilities, it’s not always that easy to give your potential star the support and encouragement that’s needed. It’s a universal problem most managers have to contend with.
Some managers think that talent will win out in the end and that nothing need be done to help promising rookies along. With luck and initiative, they’ll make their talents known eventually.
There is some validity to this contention, yet many experts—like James Clawson, an associate professor at the Colgate Darden School of Business Administration at the University of Virginia—feel that managers ought to take an active role in helping subordinates make their mark.
It can make managers look good and help the organization, not to mention bringing the special feeling that accompanies giving a deserving individual the chance to realize his or her potential.
Yet, by assisting a capable subordinate, many managers fear being accused of favoritism. “It’s not an issue if you deal with all subordinates fairly,” Clawsen says. Teach all of them the fundamentals and be accessible to anyone who needs guidance. If everyone starts out in the same place, the leaders in the pack will soon take the initiative and come to the fore. They’ll use their special abilities and eagerness to learn, excel and work just a little harder.
Once promising rookies are spotted, don’t be timid about taking them under your wing.
What do these talented people need and what part should you play in their development? Clawsen suggests:
- Active coaching and teaching. Managers have a dual role: to supervise and teach. The crucial part of the job, according to Clawsen, is teaching. It should be done consciously and diligently. It’s important that managers recognize their role as teachers so they devote time and energy to the task. Teaching is a lot harder than most people realize until they do it. It requires understanding, patience, practice and dedication.
- Respect. Respect is a two-way street. Ideally, the manager ought to respect and admire the rookie’s intelligence, drive and ambition. At the same time, the rookie ought to respect the manager’s unique position of having the skills and talent needed to supervise part of the organization and also be a teacher and mentor.
- Trust. “If subordinates feel that the boss has his or her best interests at heart, they’ll profit from the relationship,” Clawsen adds. Mutual trust also leads to an open, friendly and honest rapport, which translates into greater motivation and higher productivity.
Observation: Once the manager’s job is completed and the promising rookie has learned all he or she can, the manager can take some well-deserved pride in knowing that pertinent teaching skills have been inculcated in the rookie as well. It won’t be long before the talented person takes what has been learned from you and passes it on to others. The teaching process goes on as the next generation of managers learns the ropes and rises in the company, following the lead of those who have gone before them.
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