Career development for us and our teams

Leadership discussion by Dana Bright on June 2022

Advancing the careers of our team is fundamental to being a manager. But what about advancing our own? Investing in yourself creates room for you to grow others. Whether you’re nurturing yourself or someone else, career advancement thrives on created opportunities, actionable feedback, coaching, advocacy, and a strong support community.

When you’re supporting your team…

Give people uncomfortable stretch opportunities and let them face the challenges independently — being there for support but no helicoptering.
Cynthia P.
Align on their “dream job” and then connect them with people working in that space. Find opportunities that will help them gain this experience.
Kate S.
Growth doesn’t have to happen solo. I think we often see the most growth in situations where a team works together to achieve something big.
Brett W.
Pair small achievable goals with only 1 big one to keep the message simple.
Carol P.

And when you’re looking after yourself…

Create the space to focus on yourself and not just your team. Sounds obvious but isn’t always easy.
Jill N.
“Your Board of Directors” Build close relationships with peer mentors and learning from them along the way.
Marcie Q.
What my manager did as I was transitioning from IC? THEY BELIEVED IN ME. (Like no one prior. It felt magical.)
Tin K.
Find and maintain exeternal sources of information and inspiration. e.g. a) I read HBR articles and incorporate them into my management style and b) I stay connected with other managers and directors.
Kingsley H.
Learn about Dana Bright on LinkedIn and as @dana_bright on Instagram.