What role do leaders play in helping talented people take the next step in their careers?
That question was at the center of a recent Synergy Solution Group leadership discussion with Wyetta Ford of HR Coach. The September 3 session brought together owners and senior leaders to explore how mentorship, sponsorship, and intentional development can help women grow within their organizations.
The conversation was a follow-up to an earlier Synergy discussion about the role mentors, allies, and sponsors can play in career development. This time, the focus shifted to leaders: What can you do to create opportunities for others?
Don’t Assume You Know What Someone Wants
One of the simplest places to start is by asking.
Rather than assuming someone wants a promotion or a particular career path, leaders can have more intentional conversations about where employees want to grow. That could mean asking about a skill they’d like to develop, an experience they’d like to gain, or where they’d like to be in the next few years.
Those conversations give leaders better information to help connect people with the right opportunities.
Look for Ways to Create Access
The discussion also explored the difference between supporting someone’s growth and actively creating opportunities for it.
Sometimes that can be as simple as inviting an employee into a meeting she wouldn’t normally attend, giving her an opportunity to present, or considering her for a new responsibility. Sponsorship can also happen when an employee isn’t in the room, with a leader advocating for her when opportunities are being discussed.
These don’t have to be major promotions. Smaller opportunities can give employees experience, visibility, and a chance to demonstrate what they’re capable of.
Help People Get Ready
Creating access doesn’t mean overlooking gaps in experience or skills. Development is part of the process.
Wyetta encouraged leaders to think about where someone wants to go, what may be missing today, and what experiences could help prepare that person for what’s next. As her follow-up resource emphasized, development is about helping people become ready rather than pretending readiness gaps don’t exist.
The session gave Synergy leaders a practical way to think about developing talent within their own organizations: ask, listen, develop, create access, and sponsor.
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Synergy Solution Group gives leaders from independently owned commercial HVAC companies a trusted place to share what they are trying, ask candid questions, and learn from the real-world experiences of their peers. Learn more about joining Synergy.
