Investing in Potential


I just wrote this for work, but it’s worth repeating here.

 

 

Today finds me reading a book on Unleashing Talent. I noticed this book lying lonely in the office, so I picked it up and planned to read it after I finished a couple of books in queue previous to this.

 

So far, what I find here are very interesting, good points about management and leadership. As you can see, this book is a very lightweight and small book. 72 pages long, to be precise. Out of that, I have read 42 of those pages. Each one of those 42 pages I have read about unleashing talent have had one thread in common:

We need to invest in the people that work for us.

Yes, we should pay attention to the learners that we are developing content for.

Yes, we should pay attention to our clients and be speedy and responsive.

However, we ignore the simple fact many times in our hiring and so on that the content and responses are coming from people that work for us. We need to treat them well and give them chances to stretch, grow, pursue their passions. It is nothing short of investing in the future of your business when you invest in your developers and send your leaders and managers to leadership conferences.

Yes, that means spend money.

No, don’t be cheap.

The people in which you invest are seeds. If you take care of them correctly, you’ll harvest far more than you invest every time. When you walk through your offices, wherever they are, look at each and every person there. If you look at those people and see the future of your company within them, then do your company a favor and invest in them. Make them great. Get your leaders to lead, your managers to manage, and developers to develop. To quote the book, “Give them roots to grow and wings to fly”.

If you are doing this, then please continue and if you are not, then strongly consider it. Personally, I work with a couple of people at my local office that saw potential in me and took the time to develop it. I am at a loss for words to express my gratitude for this and I am sure that the people your company truly invests in feel the same way.

Figure out how to invest in your people and do that very thing. Right now if not sooner. Make it a priority. The future of your company depends on it.

Other than that, extend it past your company. Look at your relationships as a whole. Friends. Family. There are people in those circles. Find a way to invest in them. If it’s not worth investing in, let the relationship way to the wayside (gently, if possible).

Be intentional. Start now.


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