I made this statement in a meeting today, and I fully believe it to be true. If you are not constantly trying to improve your workforce (for their benefit, and for yours) then you are doing them a disservice – and you are failing your company.
The most rewarding (personally and professionally) positions I have ever held were with companies that honestly believed they had a responsibility to educate, and to challenge their employees.
One of the low points in my management career is when I let an employee go that I had NOT made a proper effort to train/educate improve. I let many employees go through downsizing, etc – but only this one stands out as an employee I “failed” – and I did. I let him go without properly preparing him for the event – since I never questioned his work, never tried to improve or educate him.
As a manager, I failed him.
That was almost ten years ago, and it still bothers me. Even though I know the experience I got from that – what *I* learned from it – has made me a better manager today.
Fortunately this ex employee and I have remained friends, and we still chat frequently. He also realized he wasn’t living up to his potential.
But it wasn’t his job to read my mind – it was my job to expand his.
I failed him. And I learned from it.
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