My husband is an extremely ambitious person. His goal has always been to move forward in life, to never sit still. He works as a maintenance mechanic and has always wanted to move up from his current position. Unfortunately, many of the companies that he has worked for haven’t given him that opportunity. So he remains stuck where he is and looks for better options.
He recently started a new job and his boss asked about his goals. He looked his boss dead in the eye and said, “I want your job when you’re done with it. So what do I need to do to help you move up?” His boss smiled and replied, “That’s what I wanted to hear!” After finding out about this conversation, I became even more impressed with this new company and am hopeful that my husband will get to make the shifts that he desires.
One of the best things that you can do for your employees is to help them reach their goals. Find out what they want to do, what they’re passionate about, and their level of ambition. Sit down with each employee and have a meeting specific to this. Once you find out where they want to go, ask about what they need to get there. It may be something as simple as more training, or it may be that they need to go to school. Once they have shown that they are serious and are willing to take initiative, offer them the opportunities that they desire. Many companies will pay for school or reimburse their employees for education. As a side note, this is usually the case only when the employee is taking classes that are geared toward the goal in the company. A receptionist who wants to be a lab tech won’t be reimbursed for art courses.
Provide your employees with opportunities for growth and you’ll be amazed at what they can do. You’ll see an improvement in morale and loyalty, as well as better performance. People who know that their employers actually care are more likely to become more involved in their workplace, the activities, and put more effort into their work. Next time an employee comes to you about wanting to do something different, remember how much it can benefit you both.
