5 Reasons You Should Invest Time in Building Your Team’s Skills

In a recent article, we spoke about the Five Benefits of Leadership Development You Need to Know About. We’ve already taken a closer look at one of the benefits outlined in that article – better communication. Now we will continue to explore how leadership development plays a pivotal role in the creation of each of the five benefits, with the second theme to be discussed being Recognising Talent.

One key to any company’s success is having the right people in the right roles. But how do we know who that might be? And how do we avoid overlooking someone who doesn’t appear to be the obvious choice?

Here are five compelling reasons to invest in your team:

1. Demonstrate Commitment to your Employees

Offering leadership development opportunities shows your employees that you are willing to go the extra mile to help them progress in their careers and within the business. It also signifies that you are dedicated to the betterment of the business as a whole by choosing to invest in your team rather than seeking to fill roles externally.

2. Nurture Future Leaders

A primary objective of any leadership development program is to provide employees with the opportunity to expand their skills and grow their career opportunities. Perhaps the perfect candidate to fill an important leadership position is already working within the company but doesn’t ordinarily get the chance to step into such a role. By investing in the potential of your future leaders, you support succession planning and ensure that your teams are built upon a strong foundation.

3. Diversify Employee Skillsets

Similar to what we’ve mentioned above, ‘up-skilling’ your employees to be able to perform in leadership roles will help to grow the effectiveness of your business. When each member of your team is well adept in a variety of areas – or ‘multi-skilled’ – they are able to perform better within those areas. This is vital in ensuring that they are capable of understanding different aspects of the business and can transition into other roles with greater ease.

4. Promote Employee Engagement 

Engaged employees have higher levels of enthusiasm and commitment to their work.  When we feel supported by our leaders, we are more motivated to work better and continuously for them. By providing support in the form of leadership development training, employees can see that there are opportunities for growth and upward mobility.

5. Creates Consistency

By providing the same leadership development opportunities to all employees, your entire team becomes more knowledgeable about tasks, processes and productivity. This increases the efficiency of the entire company when everyone has a clear understanding of how to best get tasks accomplished. It becomes easier to identify areas of concern, reach goals and meet targets.

When managers make an effort to provide all employees with opportunities to develop their skill set beyond the basics of their current position, the benefits are far-reaching. Not only does this create a more engaged team, but it also allows leaders to identify those people who are deserving of greater recognition and opportunity. In doing so, you are able to build and cultivate a strong team with aligned goals and motives.