Developing top performers takes more than just a promotion. To get that next generational leader ready for the next role, invest time in their talent. For example, even a highly ranked rookie baseball player is trained before their first pro game. Spend time assessing their areas of opportunity and then coaching to those weaknesses. Educate them, increase their work scope, and increase their breadth of responsibility before promoting.

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Surprises are best left to celebrations, not annual reviews. An employee should never receive feedback for the first time during their review. Regular check-ins and coaching sessions are imperative. When the manager coaches regularly, ensure it’s documented with written confirmations. An email noting the conversation will ensure that when review time comes, the feedback is not coming out of left field.

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Trust your employee to do their job. Once you’ve hired and trained the right people, let them do it without micromanaging their work. Trust but verify. Delegate and spot check as needed and follow up regularly, but don’t micromanage your employees. If there are problems that arise with behavior or performance, address them immediately.

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Providing a handbook and company policy manual is important during the onboarding period, but just handing out a copy to a new employee isn’t enough. It behooves you to create a fun and interactive approach to sharing the information, such as creating a fun game or scavenger hunt that requires a deep dive into the material and allows them to gain insight on what’s important and what you want them to know.

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The first impression is a lasting impression. Ensure the candidate feels welcomed. From the initial greeting, sell the company, beginning with introductions, handshakes and the courtesy of offering water to the candidate. Make the candidate relaxed and comfortable, so you can seek out a fit. An interview is a two-way conversation, not an interrogation. Discuss the company and benefits, while you uncover the candidate’s skills.

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If your mind can see it and you believe you can do it, then you will. Firm belief in yourself is more than half the battle, it is everything. Believe you can do it and you will figure out how because you will have the strength and determination. As you build on that belief which fuels your passion, you start seeing yourself accomplishing your goal, which makes it a possibility.

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Taking time to fill yourself up with strength is important. Even five minutes alone can keep you centered and fill your inner strength. Time alone, away from the hectic things that may be going on around you, will help you stay focused and not get pulled into any chaos. Nurturing yourself is a way to sort through things, get connected with your strengths and forge ahead.

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Integrity and inner strength begin with keeping your word. You cannot control the actions of other people, but you can control your thoughts and actions. It is important to be accountable for your own actions daily, to keep building your strength base and confidence. Stay away from blaming, own who you are and live with integrity. Keeping commitments builds integrity.

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Find out what makes you feel centered and connected to your energy source. What are your core values, principles and beliefs? Discover or rediscover who you are and what makes you motivated. Stay true to your convictions and live by them. As you live what you believe, you will have integrity and attract good things to you. Inner peace, stability and strength come from living in alignment with your core beliefs.

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Being present with where you focus your thoughts is the best place to start, because that is the greatest influencer in your life. What are you focusing your thoughts on consistently? Once you get clear on that, you will have a place of reference for what created the feeling and influenced your decisions, which then propelled your actions and gave you the outcome from your efforts.

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