Here is a brief excerpt from an article by Julie Winkle Giulioni for Halogen Software’s TalentSpace blog. To read the complete article, check out others, learn more about the firm, and sign up for email alerts, please click here.

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Here are 5 ways that adopting a development mindset impacts the manager-employee relationship:

1. The democratization of learning

Gone are the days when ‘hi-pos’ were the primary training target population. Survival depends on everyone at every level attaining their highest potential. As a result, leaders who believe that all employees are capable of growth and make learning universally available to the masses (as opposed to treating it as a perk for a few) will be rewarded with greater capacity and results.

2. Recognizing and seizing developmental opportunities within the context of work

Development can no longer be relegated to the classroom (or webinar or online learning course.) Life offers rich and cost-effective learning opportunities. Work unlocks wisdom. When managers and employees alike can take a moment to step back and critically look at what needs to be done with an eye toward development, the potential to press the boundaries of one’s current capabilities is nearly unlimited.

3. Honoring the role of risk-taking and allowing for failure

For many, learning feels like risky business. Genuine, productive development is messy. It means that people are operating beyond their comfort zones. It requires stepping into the unknown, trying new things, coming up short and trying all over again. In fact, when handled constructively, failure can be the most powerful and instructive of teachers. Appreciating this dynamic is key to the development mindset. Contingency planning – anticipating and planning for failure and set-backs – should appear as a required column on all development plans right along with actions and dates.

4. Engaging in an ongoing conversation about development

Given the pressures to perform, it’s essential to help employees keep their learning front-of-mind. Managers can help make this happen through ongoing development dialogue. Rather than once-a-year IDP (individual development plan) sessions, effective leaders weave learning into the conversations they are already having with employees.

When someone struggles, they explore the skills that would make work easier. When someone is performing well, they spotlight strengths and talents to build upon. They debrief meetings, events and interactions with an eye toward what was learned. Through this kind of persistent, consistent conversation, leaders are able to transfer their development mindset to employees – and in the process create an unbeatable culture.

5. Balancing learning with output

A development mindset requires a new way of thinking about results. It elevates the role of learning and requires that leaders balance it with the bottom line (whatever that might be – production, sales, new products, etc.) Enhanced retention, engagement, long-term capacity and organizational results may require shifting some priorities, expanding the dashboard of critical metrics to include learning, and reducing short-term expectations.

The benefits of cultivating a development mindset

Leveraging on-the-job growth drives what matters most to organizations – keeping top talent, tapping discretionary effort, exploring new opportunities, and driving the bottom-line. As a result, cultivating a development mindset may be the most effective strategic priority an organization can undertake. Are you set for a new mindset?

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Here is a direct link to the complete article.

Julie has spent the past 25 years improving performance through learning. As co-founder and principal of DesignArounds, Julie leads multi-disciplinary teams that create award-winning electronic and instructor-led training. A sought-after speaker and consultant, Julie is co-author of the Amazon bestseller, Help Them Grow or Watch Them Go: Career Conversations Employees Want. To learn more, connect with Julie by clicking here.

You also need to know about the work of David Zinger. Here’s a link to his website and another to his Amazon page. I urge you to check out the Employee Engagement Network, an international organization that David founded.