As a leader or manager you can make a huge impact in creating cultures and working environments that foster growth and encourage and empower colleagues to reach their career aspirations and full potential. Achieving this doesn’t have to be complex, its the little things that make a difference:

• Have open and ongoing career conversations with your team
• Hold regular 1:1 meetings and appraisals to check in with your team about their career growth
• Make sure development plans are individualised, not everyone has the same aspirations, needs or wants
• Provide, support and encourage engagement in development opportunities (e.g., training courses, mentoring, coaching, supervision, shadowing)
• Encourage and empower colleagues to own and take charge of their career and development
• Lead by example, actively pursue your own development
• Recognise and reward growth, celebrate your teams achievements and milestones of your teams’ career development.

As part of the team you play a crucial role in fostering cultures and working environments that value growth and development, so it’s important we all play our part:

• Engage in career conversations with your manager and colleagues
• Champion the importance of growth and development
• Share your knowledge, skills, experience and learning with colleagues
• Support learning, offer to be a buddy, mentor, preceptor or coach
• Give constructive and compassionate feedback to colleagues to help them grow
• Receive constructive feedback positively and use it to aid your development
• Engage in learning opportunities
• Celebrate progress and success, acknowledge colleagues achievements
• Own and take charge of your own career and development.