How exceptional managers use everyday psychology to develop their people

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to identify an important and often overlooked approach to talent development: managers who apply everyday psychology with their people to drive significant growth.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is based upon: years of consulting with managers, indentifying how to grow people in significant ways; original research of the practices of Exceptional Development Managers; and expert recommended approaches.

Findings

Companies undervalue the important role managers can play in talent development. Managers are well positioned to significantly develop people, yet most do not. This paper describes the five actions managers can take using everyday psychology to help drive employees’ development.

Practical implications

While every company strives for a fully skilled workforce, for the majority, this is far from reality. With greater investments being made to companywide talent development, it is wise to also invest in equipping managers to turn everyday work into everyday development for their employees. Because the development breakthroughs can be daunting, managers who know how to practically apply everyday psychology have a significant edge. HR departments, company leadership, and individual managers can benefit greatly from leveraging these practices.

Originality/value

Manager's involvement in employee development is not new, this just has not gone far enough. Frequently employee development is viewed as needing to be a sideline to getting results. Further, companies are often not relying on the development driven by managers to make a significant impact on their talent development objectives. Yet, managers are key to developing people, and making psychological principles readily adaptable by managers unlocks their path forward.

Citation

Axelrod, W. (2015), "How exceptional managers use everyday psychology to develop their people", Industrial and Commercial Training, Vol. 47 No. 3, pp. 121-126. https://doi.org/10.1108/ICT-11-2014-0075