The Big 3 Areas of Development
When it comes to developing others, one of the most often asked question I hear is, "In what areas do you develop people?...
There are literally thousands of things people can work on in terms of their development. How do I know which one to zero in on?"
That's a good question. How does one pick an area of needed development in the midst of the myriad of possibilities?
It can be almost overwhelming. It can also get you sidetracked on things that aren't all that helpful actually.
## Here are two things I try to keep in mind:
First, you want to develop people on the basis of what they have been asked to do in light of who they are.
The LDN Global definition of develop is: Intentionally strengthening your people's capacity to grow and contribute. At its core is the belief that people can make a contribution in the task they've been given. This is also tied to their design.
So, what are they being asked to do? What will help them do that even better?
Also, what is their unique design, makeup, personality, and gifting that can be developed even further to help them be successful?
We often see development projects that are more for the sake of the one responsible for developing than for the one receiving it. We can easily get caught up in the "latest fad" syndrome. The key question is: Will this help them be successful in what they are tasked with doing?
The second thing I keep in mind are the Big Three areas of anyone's development.
I find that in every leadership development situation I go into, I am consciously looking for where the leader is in his/her demonstration of these three. What are they?
Namely, their Thinking, their Maturity, and their Skills. These center on how they think, how they behave, and how they perform.
These are the areas that make or break the leader. They are the critical things one needs to think of in terms of a person's development.
So, as I'm interacting with leaders, asking questions, observing behaviors, watching performances, these help me to know what are the essential things to look for. Instead of thinking of thousands of possibilities, I focus on just three.
I'll be covering each of these in greater detail in subsequent blog posts.
For now... What is your main challenge when it comes to developing your people?