Introduction to Developing Employees for Future Success

   Businesses rightfully seek having in house talent. As such the entirety of an employee’s relationship with an organization has been studied and developed.
   We will continue to explore this larger process in this chapter. Please understand that what might require an interview in our culture may be eclipsed by a bloodline in another. Different cultures have differing perspectives on trainings; who may be trained, how, etc. Some of this may be based on caste, gender and so on. To “win the war for talent” beyond our own culture one needs to review the “battlefield”; something we take for granted domestically.
   In the west, initially new employees need strong direction, they then expect to be able to think independently and treated with respect. However, imagine being somewhat new on the scene and asking your Greek employees to do something in a casually, without specificity. It may not get done. Culturally Greeks tend to expect to be told what to do. They have a high Uncertainty Avoidance Index (see Geert Hofstede’s work).
   The precepts are correct, just understand adjustments may need to be made; subtle nuances are always to be assimilated. How both here, and blended with elsewhere, employee development is accomplished is worth considering. Classically, education, experiences, relationships, and personality and abilities assessment will remain.
   This chapter explores purpose and activity of employee development. We discuss relationships among development, training, and career management. And, we look at development approaches, including education, assessment, job experiences, and interpersonal relationships.
   The chapter emphasizes skill types, knowledge, and behaviors strengthened by each development method, so employees and their managers can choose appropriately when planning for development. The third section of the chapter describes steps of the career management process, responsibilities of employees and employers at each step of the process. We conclude with a discussion of special challenges related to employee development, which will shift from culture to culture — the so-called glass ceiling, succession planning, and dysfunctional managers.