Sam and Marcia were proud to bring their son, Sam Jr. into the world. It was both of their greatest wishes – to raise a child. They shopped for him meticulously, buying only the best organic foods. They enrolled him in soccer, karate, piano lessons, and scouts. Home-schooling seemed like the right choice and when it was time, they pushed him to attend a college close to home, so he could live at home. They chose his degree for him, English Literature because they knew he loved to read. When graduation came, they encouraged him to move back home, until he was ready to launch.
That was 10 years ago. Sam Jr. still lives at home. He works part time as a server at Applebee’s. He talks about getting something full time soon, that is when he figures out what he wants to do with his life. Sam Sr. suggests coding. Marcia secretly stresses out. She wants her basement back. She wants her life back. Meanwhile, Sam Jr. contemplates life…
You’ve probably heard this story before. You might even know a family like Sam’s and Marcia’s. Not judging here. Just making a point.
Raising children implies that someday they leave the nest. Yes, I know the Great Recession in 2008 threw a big monkey wrench in that for most young people, but I’m more interested in the idea of “raising.”
And I’m not talking about children here.
If you’re The Boss, your job is to raise employees.
Raising employees is different than employing employees. It means you diligently work to prepare them to move on someday. They are not your employees, nor are they the company’s employees. They own themselves. You are entrusted to maximize their current value and prepare them to add greater value. Even if that value is eventually enjoyed by one of your competitors. Does that seem counterintuitive? Let’s explore it.
Human beings are wired for growth. All start out naturally curious. As The Boss, when you get a new hire, particularly one who is new to the workforce, they are ripe for development. The more challenges they successfully overcome, the more confident they get, and the more value they add. If you continue to challenge them, in most cases they continue to grow.
Which is where most Bosses begin to panic. They don’t want to lose their most talented employees. And so they subtly cut back on the development, afraid the employee will outgrow them. And if that new employee follows that line of development, they stop growing. Well except for the fact they grow stagnant. And begin to lose drive, motivation, and confidence. Pretty soon they begin to blend in and before you know it, you’re having to kick them in the butt just to get them to do their job. The fire is gone. Now you wish you could get rid of them and bring in somebody more talented and motivated.
It sounds like you’ve got Sam Jr. on your hands. And it’s not his fault, it’s yours!
If your job as The Boss is to develop employees, be prepared to have your employees quickly outgrow you. That’s natural and normal. By holding onto them, you’re creating a forest of Bonsai trees. Great to look at but absolutely useless. You can’t sit in the shade of them or hang a swing from them. They sure look pretty sitting on the shelf though.
This week, think about reframing what you want your reputation to be. By developing employees constantly, you’ll set up a pipeline for talent. Your best employees will grow up and move on, but the best and brightest young talent will fight to work for you. And if that happens, not only does your value grow, you’ll also have one of the most energetic and productive departments in your company.
This week, think about what you can do to maximize your talent and reputation as a Raiser of Employees.