Want more engaged and productive employees? Assist them in their career development efforts, writes Maria Haggerty in Inc.

“Personalized career development should be prioritized for all employees,” Haggerty says. “Encourage them to identify goals, then present them with tools and opportunities to help them develop a path to reaching them.”

First, help employees build a road map to success. A career map—a written plan that charts a person’s career status, goals, and the steps needed to get to the next level—can help solidify an employee’s future. Once a career map is created, leaders should meet with employees regularly to assess their progress.

“Creating a plan is a crucial step in combating job dissatisfaction, lower engagement and productivity, and attrition—all of which are bad for your business,” Haggerty says.

Organizations should also support employees in their quest to learn new skills and expand their industry knowledge, even if they want to do it out of the office.

“If an employee expresses interest in acquiring external knowledge that will help him or her achieve a goal, do what you can to provide support,” Haggerty says. Offer recommendations on local conferences, industry events, certification programs, and training sessions that they can take advantage of.

“The key is to pave the way, then step back and let the employee take charge of his or her own development,” Haggerty says. “Make it clear that your role is one of guidance and support.”

New Tech Doesn’t Mean a New Marketing Strategy

Don’t think of advances in tech as an excuse to move in a whole new marketing direction. Think of it as a way to reframe your brand’s underlying message of value. https://t.co/DYcQwrPn8p

— Content Marketing Institute (@CMIContent) February 26, 2020

It’s true that marketers have many more storytelling tools at their disposal—virtual reality, voice response, artificial intelligence—but that doesn’t mean organizations have to change their strategic direction, argues Jodi Harris on the Content Marketing Institute blog. Instead, use new technology to add new dimensions to your existing storytelling efforts.

“Don’t think of advances in tech capabilities as an excuse to move in a whole new marketing direction. Think of it as a way to reframe your brand’s underlying message of value and add new angles into your story of customer success,” Harris says.

Other Links of Note

Spring is around the corner. Get ahead with these office spring-cleaning tips from Nonprofit Marketing Guide.

Having trouble engaging volunteers? Mariner Management & Marketing’s Peggy Hoffman shares seven ways chapters have successfully recruited volunteers.

Keep members interested. Memberplanet’s Cassie Braun offers five different email reminders you can send to increase retention and engagement.

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