A new approach

A new approach

 You have to water the flowers
you want to grow. 

–Stephen R. Covey

Over the past few decades, the approach to employee development has shifted. Organizations have adopted more expansive models of what development looks like. Compare the old versus new approaches in the table below:

Old Approach	New Approach
Only poor performers need development.	Everyone in an organization can be developed, especially high performers.
Development is the responsibility of the human resources group.	Employee development is every manager's responsibility.
Career development focuses on moving capable employees up a predictable corporate ladder.	Career development focuses on moving employees through new challenges to strengthen their professional abilities.
Development means "training" (i.e., internal seminars or weekend workshops).	Development more likely means informal, on-the-job ways of learning, such as: "Stretch" assignments Job rotations Self-paced e-learning Action learning Manager coaching and feedback Mentoring

To develop your employees effectively, you must have certain skills, such as the ability to seek out opportunities, set goals, and provide feedback. Equally important, however, is your commitment to cultivating the potential of your employees.
As you strive to develop your employees, keep in mind that there is no one-size-fits-all approach. You must respond to your organization's unique business context and to your individual employees' values, skills, and interests.