How Leaders can Support Career Development

Recognizing and elevating your team members' skills is crucial for fostering their growth and maximizing their potential. I didn't always have the budget to send team members to various conferences, workshops, etc., but I have years of experience, including successes and challenges. I utilize my experience as a source of learning opportunities for my team members. Here are some suggestions: ✨ Start with identifying the skills your team members are passionate about and support their professional development. Provide resources, training opportunities, or mentorship to help them enhance their abilities. ✨ Assign tasks that align with your team members' strengths and give them opportunities to showcase their skills. Granting autonomy and responsibility can boost their confidence and help them further refine their capabilities. ✨ Create a clear career path within the organization and discuss growth opportunities with your team members. Provide challenging assignments, promotions, or additional responsibilities that align with their skills and aspirations. ✨ Be sure to recognize and celebrate your team members' accomplishments publicly. This can include praising their skills during team meetings, acknowledging their contributions in company-wide communications, or organizing team-building activities to appreciate their efforts. ✨ Encourage a culture of continuous learning and knowledge sharing within the team. Promote collaboration, offer platforms for idea exchange, and encourage team members to share their skills and expertise. #professionaldevelopment #keeplearningkeepgrowing #peersupport

One critical relationship I’ve been exploring is the connection between social capital and career development. Social capital is vital because much of our learning and growth depends on the support, guidance, and opportunities provided by others. The extent to which you have—and can leverage—social capital directly impacts your ability to gain the experiences, exposure, and expertise necessary for career progression. As a leader, how can you help your employees build social capital to excel in their roles and advance their careers? Here are a few actionable areas to focus on: ✅ Relationships: Ensure your employees build connections with key stakeholders or influential leaders essential to their success. ✅ Opportunities: Advocate for them to gain access to meaningful projects or roles where they can showcase their skills and grow. ✅ Exposure: Act as their "megaphone," amplifying their great work so it gets the recognition it deserves. ✅ Resources: Provide the tools, budget, or approvals they need to perform at their best. ✅ Credibility: Support new or less-experienced employees by vouching for them, helping them earn trust and acceptance from others. By focusing on these areas, you can help unlock opportunities and unleash your employees' full potential. What other strategies have you found effective in building social capital? #leadership #managers #socialcapital

𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿: 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗰𝘆. Too often, high-potential talent doesn’t advance—not because they lack ability, but because no one is championing them. 𝗦𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗶𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲. 𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗰𝘆, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆. Organizations don’t just need better leadership development programs—they need better advocacy cultures. 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗰𝘆 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗰𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀: - 𝗩𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 – Ensuring talented leaders are seen at the right time by the right people. If no one sees their impact, they will be overlooked. - 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 – Connecting their strengths to what the business values most. If contributions don’t resonate, they won’t gain traction. - 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗴𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 – Ensuring their value is acknowledged and rewarded. Without this, even high-potential leaders stagnate. HR leaders and senior executives play a critical role in shaping this advocacy culture. Leadership development isn’t just a process—it’s a strategic investment in visibility, relevance, and recognition. Over the years, I’ve worked with leaders on the verge of being overlooked—not due to lack of skill, but because they weren’t positioned for success. Coaching isn’t just about skill-building; it’s about navigating perception, influencing narrative, and aligning strengths with what the organization values most. In my Harvard Business Review article on advocating for your best people, I explored how leaders who champion their employees build a reputation as effective talent developers, which can positively impact their own career progression as well. Great organizations don’t just identify talent—they champion them. That work starts with #HR and senior leaders willing to challenge outdated definitions of leadership success. Who has helped champion your success—and how are you paying that forward? Link to article in first comment 🔗 #ExecutiveCoaching #LeadershipDevelopment #OrdinaryResilience #CHRO #HRLeadership #OrganizationalCulture #HighStakesLeadership #PerceptionMatters #StrategicInfluence

One of the greatest privileges a leader has is the ability to elevate those around them. Whether you are the leader of an entire function or just a few people, I believe there is no greater proof point to a leader’s impact than when their teams achieve their greatest potential. For many organizations, Thermo Fisher Scientific included, Q1 is highlighted by annual goal setting. But a priority for us throughout 2024 is to ensure career conversations are bigger than simply checking a box once a year. When I think about actively supporting the careers of my team and our HR function, a few strategies come to mind: - Check in often. Use regular 1:1s to assess progress and pivot where needed so the colleague feels they are continuing to progress toward their aspirations. - Use your tools. Many companies offer robust talent planning resources; use what is available to coach your team along the way. - Invest in your own development. Coaching others is a learned skill so do not assume you are always doing it right. - Champion the wins. Use your voice to shine a light on the success of others, fueling them to maintain the momentum. - Be the matchmaker. Keep an eye open for new projects or stretch opportunities based on the colleague’s aspirations. With ever-competing priorities, we all have room to grow when it comes to actively supporting careers. But when do this well, it is a win for everyone– for our companies, our teams and ourselves. #careerdevelopment #lifeatthermofisher

If career development opportunities just feel like more work, you're doing it wrong. Here's a few tips I keep in mind when doing career development with my team (and for myself): 1. Career goals are not my company's goals, my team's goals, or the goals I need to achieve to do my job. Career goals are MY goals. 2. Sometimes, my work goals align with my career goals. A lot of the time, they don't. As a manager, its important to focus on goals that align with the work and goals that don't with each direct report. (The biggest mistake I see managers make is only focusing on the career goals that align with the work goals.) 3. New work opportunities & experiences are really important for achieving career goals (and feeling like we're making progress towards our goals), but research shows there's something else that's just as important: Being connected to influential people who can help you achieve your goals. As a manager, using your 'connections' to help your direct reports is one of the best and easiest things you can do for your direct reports. Example: I wanted more speaking opportunities. My manager introduced me to an Association he was connected to that needed a speaker. I got the gig and even got paid for it! 4. Ageism is *rampant* in workplaces but particularly when it comes to career development (for both young and older people). We tend to think young people just need to 'do the grunt work' to earn opportunities, but when we treat young people this way, they can't see how the work they're doing leads them to an opportunity they actually want. When we deny older professionals resources and coaching for career development, sooo much knowledge and experience walks out the door to a place that actually appreciates them. What tips do you have for productive career development? #careerdevelopment #goals #careers