Performance vs Development Part 2

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Salaam and Greetings,
A couple of months ago, I wrote the Part 1, which was on Performance. That was the easy part.
I don’t want to talk about the criteria, the matrices, the framework, the roadmap, which many of us can just read up in the internet or a book. I want to share something I experienced when I was in the Army.
The Armed Forces takes training and development seriously, Very seriously. If you are nominated to go for a training or a development program, you are expected to go. You can excuse yourself once, but if you do it the second time, you can say good bye to you being nominated again for another program. That serious. And there is no written policy on that. It’s just the way it is.
In the Armed Forces, development is part of the culture or the DNA. Everybody is trained and developed as if they are going to be in the Armed Forces next 30 years and all will be a General. That’s how far they see you, not just for the next appraisal session.
Development in the Armed Forces ensures there will always be someone ready to take up the next chain of command. Something the corporate sector seems to have some challenges with.
Development in the Armed Forces is mostly informal. Most of my development was on the job through my CO and other senior Officers. I was tasked to read books, get involved in organizing events, give presentations, write reports, conduct research, work with other units, even assist in preparing an exam paper for officers’ promotion exam. Of course, when you were young and being tasked to do all these, you grumble. What I didn’t realize is that, I am being developed. That developed my leadership, thinking, communication, negotiating, organizing skills, and getting to know the organization and people better.
Best part, it is real life, and the feedback is also real (you get some private moments with your senior officers if you make a mistake). But even that, I learned a lot about those “feedback” sessions. Those quiet moments can be loud too. But, it was never with malice. I learned, they do it because they want me to look good and succeed. They take pride when they see me getting better and doing good. I salute all my seniors back in the Army for ‘developing” me.
Development in the Armed Forces vs Development in the Corporate Sector (well, not all. Some are doing quite well).
  1. Most managers demand performance, but not development. They ‘outsource’ that development function to HR and/or training department. HR/Training department gladly takes up this role. Instead of helping, they are actually making the managers handicapped in the area of development.
  2. The development of an organization’s workforce (I am refraining from using Talent because it tends to define a specific selected group of people) is the responsibility of ALL. Not, one department (Talent Management Department) or one person, the CEO. In the Armed Forces, we are all Leaders. We take responsibility for the development of our officers and soldiers.
  3. You train skills. But, development cannot be trained. Doesn't mean it cannot be learned. Going through development activities on a continuous basis, puts you in a situation or environment conducive enough for you to learn and develop.

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