Conversation Jumpstart for Supervisors
The following are examples of questions to facilitate a professional development conversation between a supervisor and employee.
Conversation Openers
- What are your professional passions? What role can I play in nurturing those?
- What makes you happy at work? When do you find yourself being most satisfied at work?
- Where do you see yourself in one year? In five years?
- How is your job evolving? Are there skills you need to develop in the next year in order to be more successful?
- Is there an area of particular interest that you would like to explore further?
- What is one thing I can do to help you enjoy your job more?
- Is there a particular aspect of your job that is unclear or unfamiliar? What can I do to help?
- I have identified that our department needs X skill set. Is this an area of interest to you?
Conversations for Reluctant Employees
- What barriers are inhibiting you from pursuing your own professional development?
- What doubts do you have that you may be able to reach the next step?
- What individuals/books/events have most impacted who you are?
- Let me tell you a bit about reasons why all staff are encouraged to pursue professional development…
- The industry, including technology, is rapidly changing
- Important knowledge needs to be transferred and retained
- Professional development can make you a more valuable employee
- Professional development can re-energize you
- Cross-trained, flexible staff increases opportunities
- Our staff is our greatest asset, we want to make sure you are happy and engaged in your job
- There are many ways to develop your skill set to appeal to your learning style:
- In-class training
- Articles and books
- Webinars, videos, web-based modules
- Hands-on, project-based learning (learning that applies to your day-to-day job)
Conversations for Eager Employees
- How can I support you in your professional development goals?
- What new responsibilities or challenges would move you ahead in your goals?
- Is there a new task or role you could take on that would make better use of your talents?
- What projects, committees, or other responsibilities would you like to be a part of to help develop your career?
- Is there another department you’d like to learn more about?
- Are you interested in a mentorship program?
- While I understand you are interested in X, right now we need someone with Y skill set. I think you would be a great match for that.
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