Why Providing Opportunities for Growth is So Important
The Surgeon General's Framework for Workplace Mental Health and Well-Being seeks to help leaders and organizations support the interdependent physical and mental well-being of their employees. The framework offers five essentials that leaders can employ to support overall workplace well-being. Essential #5, Opportunity for Growth, is rooted in providing employees with opportunities to learn as well as achieve a sense of accomplishment.
Offer Quality Training, Education and Mentoring
Leaders should provide employees with meaningful opportunities to learn. With that in mind, a Forbes article, offering 10 ways managers can support employee career growth, makes the point that leaders should understand employee aspirations. Knowing your employees’ bigger professional goals helps establish trust and also provides a jump off point for identifying and providing training opportunities. Finding educational courses that meet organizational needs, but are also specific to employees' needs and interests, is a win-win proposition for both employers and employees. Furthermore, when you can connect organizational goals to individual desires, you are creating a powerful opportunity for employee teams to thrive.
Foster Clear, Equitable Pathways for Career Advancement
Jill Strickman of Genuine: The Real People Company suggests that offering online career advancement courses demonstrates to employees that their growth is important to the company. Additionally, Fadi George of Kalungi, Inc. says leaders can help employees determine their goals, define a path and support them to navigate the path. Organizations that "provide transparent career pathways and advancement opportunities for all workers help foster inclusion and diversity in the workplace."
Ensure Relevant, Reciprocal Feedback
Forbes explains that giving feedback is important to supporting employee career growth, "Provide and ask for feedback regularly. Don't defer feedback to annual performance evaluations, as these don't provide opportunities to understand what inspires people," offers Pankaj Srivastava of Practical Speak. Furthermore, leaders should work to help employees use the feedback in their work and assignments. Employees' strengths can be leveraged for collaborative and outcome oriented projects. Additionally, feedback sessions are opportunities for dialogue where either party can discuss how mentorship might support employees.