Nurturing Junior Employees

Great leaders are not always great managers and finding a boss that is willing to nurture and grow their staff is becoming very difficult. Supervisors have a responsibility to get their job done first but they also need to take part in shepherding the next generation in the work force and empowering them to grow and develop into the leaders of tomorrow.

I have experienced both kinds of bosses and found it far more rewarding and challenging to work for the manager who pushed me to my limits and gave me assignments that helped me stretch my skill set and develop new competencies when I was learning the ropes. Of course, this took a lot of trust on the part of that boss but I was up for the challenge and proved my worth by going above and beyond. In the end, my boss was also rewarded for the progress of my efforts on the team and we were both happy. Would that all work environments were that functional.

I have also worked with less willing or able managers who felt a junior team member was more of a bother than an asset. These kinds of bosses can be classic micro managers and rarely trust the rookies with tasks to let them earn their wings. My suggestion to these kinds of bosses – let your staff fumble and then hold them accountable! If you give them responsibility, it makes them feel connected and validated at work. Team member buy-in is priceless and can motivate almost anyone if they believe their work is making a difference.

Most people don’t leave bad jobs, they leave bad bosses. So if your boss just doesn’t get it and there is no hope of a change in mindset, you need to stealthily devise your exit strategy. Don’t ever leave a job unless you have another to go to, especially in this economy. But if your boss is not a good manager and there is no system in your organization that will help change that, then you deserve to be in an environment where you can grow as a professional and develop your career.

Even in the most blissful job environment, you should be thinking about your 5 year plan and where you see your career going in the future.  A great boss will help you on your way but alas, not all of them are so enlightened. Years ago, I was fortunate to have such a boss who was always thinking about how we, the junior staffers could make our next move up because he knew we were all in entry level positions. He helped us make the most out of the current positions but talked openly about our next career moves so we were proactive in building our future.

If your boss is not helpful in assessing your strengths and identifying your weaknesses, seek outside assistance from a personal Board of Directors that you assemble outside of work. In reality, we don’t always have the support system in-house that we need but this should not stop you from reaching out to other professionals in the field for mentorship and advice. And, it just might help you get to the next mile marker on your personal career journey.

So if you are not being nurtured in your current work environment, seek it out from other sources and be thinking about next steps that could lead to a more positive and opportunity filled work place.