According to our research, the best way Training professionals can support the growth and development of high-potential employees is to encourage and plug into a set of behavioral tendencies we find common among self-starting high-performers. We call it “self-building,” and we’ve identified four key behaviors worth supporting:
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Beyond networking: Self-builders approach relationships in terms of what other people might need or want from them. Their relationship orientation is “service to others.”
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Voracious learning: Self-builders are focused on extracting skill, knowledge, and wisdom from every experience; from every task, responsibility, and project; from every interaction with every person at every level.
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Value adding: Instead of begging for the next coveted project at work, self-builders focus on their current responsibilities, seeking to do whatever needs to be done now very well, very fast, all day long and longer with a great attitude—and then, and only then, seek new and better assignments.
- Everyday balancing: Instead of working themselves to a frazzle and then hoping to rejuvenate in their off time, self-builders prioritize their own physical, mental, and spiritual well-being every day. Their daily wellness activities make them stronger, so they bring their best selves—healthy, clear-headed, and values-centered—to work.
The most important thing to understand about “self-building” is that it is not a special occasion, but rather an everyday activity: What relationship am I going to build today? What am I going to learn today? What value am I going to add today? How am I going to seek balance today?
Support everyday self-building every day!
