Do you own your career at your organization?

In today's workplace, career development has become an increasingly important topic. As organizations strive to stay competitive and grow towards profitability in a rapidly changing economy, they must invest in the development of their people to ensure that they have the right, knowledge and experience to be successful.

So here comes the key question which has always been up for debate - "Who really owns development at the workplace? Is it the responsibility of the employer, the employee, or both?" Lets explore below a few thoughts that come to mind -

Manager/Organization Responsibility

As managers you play a significant role towards developing your people. In your capacity as a leader of your team you would usually provide opportunities for development, such as training programs, mentorship opportunities, and career advancement opportunities. These opportunities not only benefit your team members, but they also benefit the organization by improving job satisfaction and overall performance. As managers you must provide a supportive environment towards people development. This includes providing regular feedback, recognizing and rewarding accomplishments, and creating a culture of learning and growth.

Employee Responsibility

While managers/organizations have a significant role to play towards developing their people, you as an employees also have a responsibility towards taking ownership of your own development. You should seek out feedback from your managers, identify areas for improvement, and set goals for yourselves. You should also take advantage of any development opportunities provided by your manager/organization. As an employee who takes ownership of their own development you are more likely to be successful in your overall growth and career.

Shared Responsibility

While the responsibility for career development is shared between the manager and employee, it is important to note that this responsibility should be a collaborative effort. Both employees and managers should work together to create development plans that are aligned the employees aspirations and organizations future goals. This collaborative approach not only improves communication and alignment, it also creates a more supportive environment for employee development.

In my view who owns development at the workplace is less important. What matters is that managers and employees align together and focus on taking the first step towards a culture of development and really define actionable development plans. Every team members has different needs and aspirations, and a one-size-fits-all approach to development is not going to work. Managers need to take out the time to understand the aspirations and development needs of their team members and employees need to be able to reflect on what they want to do and how they want to reach their career goals.

As a closing note - career development is the responsibility of both the manager and team members. Managers should provide opportunities for development and create a supportive environment for growth, while employees should take ownership of their own development and seek out opportunities for growth. By working together, managers and team members can create a culture of learning, growth and development.

So.. as managers are you ready to support your teams in their journey and as employees are you ready to take ownership of your growth and career.

Best Regards,

The Reflective Lens