During the life cycle of a business, it’s pretty standard for employees to come and go. However, you probably have a few you would be reluctant to lose. As the CEO of DynaFlex, Darren Buddemeyer has a few strategies for developing talented employees and keeping them on board for the long term.
Identify Your Essential Employees
Essential employees are those who consistently strive for the best results. They put significant effort into their tasks and collaborate well with other team members. If they were to leave for another organization, you’d have difficulty finding a replacement.
Because essential employees work hard, nothing can stop them from success. However, they also tend to grow bored if they feel stagnated in specific duties. To keep them interested, you have to develop their skills. Let them dip their toes in other areas of the company and see how they perform.
Provide Fair Feedback
When an employee first begins, there is usually a learning curve involved. They may spend a few months discovering the ins and outs of their role until they can successfully handle it with few errors.
During the initial growth stage, assessing a new employee’s performance and providing constructive feedback they can learn from is critical. The more employees know, the better they will perform in the future.
Give Leadership Training
Most people aren’t born leaders. Instead, they develop leadership skills through trial and error and mentorship from their bosses. Another way to grow your employees into leaders is by providing leadership training.
Leadership training courses help employees to build their management skills. They learn how to motivate others, identify problems within a business, and strategize for maximum performance.
You can provide leadership training to employees you believe have what it takes to manage future teams. Training is available through several sources, including universities and management firms.
Cross-Train Your Team
Many employees grow tired of handling the same tasks month after month. Providing them with the opportunity to enhance their skills and learn new things can increase employee engagement.
Cross-training is relatively easy and cost-efficient. Asking an employee what their interests are and allowing them to try out new tasks can do wonders for increasing the longevity of an individual’s employment.
If you regularly allow your workers to expand their skills across departments, you’ll build a leadership team that can consider all facets of the organization.
Connect Employees with Professional Organizations
Another way to build employees’ leadership skills is through professional organizations. Professional organizations exist nationwide, but there may also be local groups that promote management skill-building.
One organization that is quite popular for developing communication skills is Toastmasters International. Toastmasters has clubs based around the world that are open to anyone. With Toastmasters, employees learn to leverage their public speaking skills, build strategic relationships, and improve team collaboration.
About Darren Buddemeyer
Darren Buddemeyer is the successful CEO of DynaFlex, a manufacturer of orthodontic products and appliances used worldwide. His humble beginnings with DynaFlex began at age 14 when he performed various odd jobs for the company. Today, he helps dentists worldwide fulfill their mission to enhance their patients’ smiles and sleep quality.
