Growing Your Staff

Growing a staff is an important part of realizing your organizational vision and goals. Much like a plant needs water and nutrients to survive and bear flowers and fruit, employees must be nurtured and given the benefit of rich experience if they are expected to continually improve their performance.

Plain English : Growing a staff, is the time and effort used to educate, improve, and empower your team.

For example, when you take over as the leader of a team, group, or organization, you are instantly at the helm of a ship staffed by a crew, large or small. That crew may be getting the job done, but is it being done in the most effective way? Is the crew happy? Are crew members educated and motivated enough to figure out a better way themselves?

The reasons for growing a staff are many, benefiting the employees, you, and the organization. The reasons include the following:

Skill levels.
By taking the time to mold your staff—as a group and as individuals—you’ll improve the standard of the work being conducted. Employees will have more specialized knowledge, enabling them to make more specialized decisions.
Happiness.
Employees feel best when they feel they are in motion. By giving them a chance to grow as individuals, morale will improve. Even if their job description remains the same, they’ll be able to more creatively attack their work.
Retention.
If an employee perceives that you are interested in his or her growth, you are likely to make an ally of that employee. Taking the time to nurture that employee can build loyalty and help keep a valuable staff member in place.

Empowering employees is a positive work experience, one that can transcend the organizational politics and improve the bond between you and your team.

Nurture, educate, care, and listen. Investing in your group members always guarantees a solid, exponential return.

Caution : As your staff’s talent, ability, and grasp of the business improve, some group members are likely to realize their own high growth potential. You will probably suffer minor setbacks when losing a valuable group member to a better job or even another company. Be happy; this is one of the best indications that you are giving your employees important skills.