Issue link: https://epubs.iltanet.org/i/23077
Staff Development and Retention Describe your techniques for developing the following skills in your staff: Depth of knowledge in specialized areas; interpersonal skills; leadership skills; presentation skills; verbal and written communications skills; other skills/techniques. • Skills develop along many tracks. I try to model the behavior I desire to see in others. I encourage formal training through ILTA and other providers and I encourage team-based work to promote interpersonal and leadership skills. We typically cross-check each other’s written communications to improve the department’s skills in this area. We have formal departmental presentations which allow all of us to practice our presentation skills. • Sharing information with the team in an internal knowledge database; assigning projects that involve leading others; leading by example; requesting that others review procedures for clarity; recognizing and citing examples of excellent written and/or verbal communication skills. • Formal courses, both in-house and outside, and on- the-job training. • Professional development training is tied into an individual’s goals and objectives. Staff get a training 10 2010 IT Staffing Survey www.iltanet.org budget each year and topics require management approval. To achieve additional credit, staff have the option of presenting to their team what they’ve learned during training. We take advantage of free webinars and online materials. Senior management has also started an optional book club. Subject matter includes organizational leadership and interpersonal skills. • I pay close attention to learning styles and do my best to accommodate. Some of my staff learns best on their own and through books, so we pay for appropriate books. Others learn by doing, so I try to give them early access to new systems. Employees who have shown the initiative to self-start their learning are often sent to classes or seminars. In all cases, we turn first to ILTA resources for education. • Direct feedback, professional coaching, soft skills seminars, required reading and associated follow up discussions/exercises.