Issue Archive: January/February 2007

Professional Development - Be a Coach and a Leader

Skill sets are changing rapidly in the business continuity field. Therefore, it is crucial to make sure your staff is up to date on the latest trends, techniques, and guidelines. While employee performance reviews are routine, these reviews do little to elevate an individual's performance or skill sets. Performance reviews are usually little more than an item that needs to be checked off annually on every manager's to do list. As a manager, it is important to understand that your company's performance reviews will do little to elevate your staff and often may have the opposite effect.

Interestingly, a program generally doesn't exist to elevate staff when a manager's performance is both on their own contributions and their team's as well. Wouldn't you, as a manager, want to elevate your employees' skill sets, especially after investing the time and effort to hire the most qualified individual? Managers can only be as successful as their employees; therefore, you and your program deserve and must demand the most proficient BC professionals and the most efficient BC team.
So how do you get started? What is the best way to turn around a poor performer? What is the best way to take an active interest in your staff's career growth while creating a more efficient, productive team?

Career Coaching
Effective managers take an interest in their employees' career growth and advancement as a career coach. They take an active interest in elevating their staff's credentials and continuing these efforts throughout the year. Being the career coach has unmistakable advantages, not only do your employees benefit from staying informed, but your own performance gets a boost from a more efficient team and better team relationships.

 
Career coaching should occur at least once each quarter. Initially, ask employees about their career plans. What do they enjoy? What do they wish they could change? Where would they like to be in five and 10 years? Asking these questions helps you better understand individual employees as well as how all of your employees can work more efficiently as a team. Next, help develop career paths and list the credentials and competencies required. Beware that you must be sincere; otherwise, your efforts may be questioned.

Conduct a SWOT
Once career goals are determined, begin career management by determining where each employee is and what steps are required to reach goals. A SWOT analysis is an excellent exercise to evaluate current career competencies and credentials. SWOT is a performance improvement exercise that stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.

When conducting a SWOT, consider all relevant factors, including tactical skills, soft skills, and personal brands. Tactical skills include things like conducting a BIA, implementing a program, and conducting exercises. Soft skills include presentation experience, project management skills, ability to be strategic, and so on. An employee's personal brand should also be considered. A personal brand - how others view the individual one-on-one and/or in a group - has a tremendous influence over an individual's career.

Take Action
After you have completed an assessment with each employee, it is time for action. Take a close look at individual strengths and opportunities. How can you make the most of what you have? How can these points be used to advance careers or increase career satisfaction? Review weaknesses and threats. How can you turn these points into positives?

You can also assist your staff with career goals by utilizing a spreadsheet that lists BC/DR skills and credentials. For each employee, note the skills they currently have and their ranking for each skill. During your employee one-on-one meetings, you can determine as a pair which skills or credentials need focus. These meetings will help you work with each employee on advancing their credentials on a short-term basis as well as keeping their long-term career objectives in check.

Train and Educate
As you assess your employees, you will discover some gaps in their competencies. As a career coach, it is in your best interest to recommend training to strengthen certain skills.

For example, if an employee wants to become more active with technology, you might recommend some on-line classes to strengthen this weakness. If the individual is uncomfortable with giving presentations, you may want to recommend a group class or Toastmasters, an organization that focuses on presentation skills. Your staff also may want to focus on certifications. Many companies budget for employee training reimbursement, a benefit that is often not fully utilized.

Interest = Investment
Some managers question the benefit of elevating staff and taking an interest in career advancement. They fear developing staff will result in people turning their new skills into a new job elsewhere. The reality is that many people leave their jobs due to poor relations with their managers or co-workers. Elevating your team through proper coaching techniques is necessary to ensure the success of your BC program as well as your success as a manager. Employees want to work for a coach who is
a leader.

Cheyene Haase is president of BC Management. She can be reached at (949) 250-8172 ext. 204 or via e-mail at chaase@bcmanagement.com.