Innovative Approaches to Employee Development

Accountability is one of the most important—and often overlooked—skills in leadership. It’s not about micromanaging or policing your team. It’s about setting people up for success. How? 🤷♀️ Through the three C's of clear expectations, challenging conversations and consistent follow-through. While we all want to believe people will naturally follow through on what they commit to, that doesn’t always happen. And when it doesn’t, too many leaders let it slide. But brushing these moments under the carpet doesn’t help anyone, all it does is erode accountability over time. So, what DO you do?? 1️⃣ Be crystal clear about expectations. Ambiguity is the enemy of accountability. If people don’t know exactly what’s expected of them, how can they deliver? Take the time to clarify actions and responsibilities WITH them, not for them. 2️⃣ Document commitments in 1:1 check-ins. Writing the actions down is REALLY important. It ensures nothing gets lost and sets a reference point for everyone involved. 3️⃣ Explain the 'why.' People are much more likely to follow through if they understand why their actions matter. How does their work contribute to the bigger picture? What’s at stake if it’s not done effectively and efficiently? 4️⃣ Anticipate and address barriers. Ask if there are any obstacles standing in the way of getting the job done. When you help remove these barriers, you’re building trust and giving people every chance to succeed. 5️⃣ Follow up at the agreed time. Don’t leave it to chance—check in when you said you would. Ideally, your team members will update you before you even have to ask. But if they don’t, don’t skip the scheduled follow-up. 6️⃣ Acknowledge effort or address gaps. If the action was completed, recognize the effort. If it wasn’t, outline the expectations for the role and provide specific feedback on what needs to improve. Be transparent about the implications of not meeting role requirements over time, ensuring the person understands both the consequences and the support available to help them succeed. (A lot of people need help to develop the skills to have this conversation!!) 7️⃣ Plan the next steps. Whether the task was completed or not, always end by agreeing on the next steps and setting clear timelines. If you need a lean/leadership coach to work on these areas and help increase accountability right across your organization, then get in touch! It's one of my specialties... 😉 _____________________________________________________ I'm Catherine- a Lean Business and Leadership Coach. I take a practical hands-on approach to helping teams and individuals achieve better results with less stress. Follow me for insights on lean, leadership and more.

When I thought I’d done enough hiring, I missed one small but big thing, and it cost a great employee. Last quarter, I filled an important position in just 11 days. It felt like a win. But 6 months later, that person quit. And I realised, the mistake wasn’t in how fast we hired, but in how little we understood what truly motivated them. I did everything right, job description, skill match, reference check, offer letter. The candidate joined happily. They were talented and responsible. But what I never asked was: 👉 What will make you stay here beyond one year? During his exit talk, he said, I wanted more challenges, a clear path, and a stronger sense of belonging. That’s when it clicked, we hired for skills but didn’t show them the growth journey. Here’s what I should have done from day one: 1️⃣ Growth Plan: Explain what their 6, 12, and 18 months could look like, including new learning or team exposure. 2️⃣ Culture Talk: Share how our company lives its values daily and how they’ll be part of it. 3️⃣ Ownership Chance: Tell them what project they’ll own and how it will make a difference. Because employees don’t just quit jobs, they quit environments that don’t meet their expectations or values. Recent reports also say: Professionals now value purpose, growth, and belonging more than just salary. A good onboarding and role clarity are now key to retaining employees in the first year. So I changed my process, Now ask them: ✔ Why this role? Why now? during interviews. ✔ Share a short growth roadmap at the offer stage. ✔ Have a First 90 Days check-in on culture and impact. ✔ Explain, What success looks like in Year 1 and review it at month 6. Results: ✅ Fast hiring (under 20 days) ✅ Better offer acceptance and retention rate Key lessons for HRs and recruiters: 1️⃣ Start with why, understand what drives the candidate beyond the job title. 2️⃣ Talk about culture and belonging early, not after joining. 3️⃣ Show the path, people stay when they see how they’ll grow and make an impact. Simple frameworks: Why-Impact-Roadmap: Explain the reason, result, and path. Environment Check-In: Discuss clarity, culture, and growth before hiring. 90/180-Day Review: Set early goals and revisit them at 3 and 6 months. #careers #careeradvice #hr #linkedinnewsindia #linkedin

Holding your team members accountable is a sign you care about them. In conversations with many leaders I coach and mentor, they share how challenging it can feel to address when team members aren’t meeting expectations. They express hestitation about giving this type of feedback and that they want their team members to like working with them. As a result, leaders (intentionally and unintentionally) solve problems for team members, rescue them from their deadlines, or finish projects. I encourage leaders to reframe accountability to this: It’s because you care about your team members that you’re holding them accountable. Here’s what this looks like in action: 🔹Set clear expectations. 🔹Give your team the tools and resources to be successful. 🔹Support them in their learning, growth, and projects. 🔹Care about your team members as people. 🔹Remind team members you believe in them and their abilities to do the work. 🔹Then, hold them accountable with compassion—which means coaching and giving feedback when team members aren’t meeting those expectations. Leaders who hold their teams accountable build trust, culture, capacity—and stronger organizations. Have you seen accountability with compassion work well in an organization?

Everyone wants “AI literate” talent. But have you ever stopped to define what that really means? I did. After 1000s of hours and months of research, iteration, and field testing — genAssess now evaluates candidates across 9 AI-era skills, including: Delegation & Coaching (how you instruct the AI) Problem Solving & Creativity (how you think through challenges) Communication Design & Technical Adaptability (how you shape prompts that land) This is real AI capability — inferred directly from how someone prompts, not what they say they know. And that insight? It’s a game-changer for recruiters and hiring teams.

𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗮𝗻 “𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝗱𝗼𝗼𝗿” 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮𝗻 “𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗸𝗶𝗼𝘀𝗸”… 𝗼𝗿 𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘁? Having an 'open door policy' is a popular principle believed to be synonymous with good leadership. The intention is noble - to make oneself accessible, driving transparency and collaboration. 🔴 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗳𝗹𝗶𝗽 𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗹𝗲. For the person with the “open door” it can become a constant interruption that makes it really hard to get work done. 𝐴𝑛𝑑 ℎ𝑜𝑤 𝑖𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 ℎ𝑒𝑙𝑝𝑓𝑢𝑙? 💡 You see - 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗼𝗿 𝗶𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺; 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗲𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝘁. If your team can't move an inch without seeking your nod it's the lack of empowerment and autonomy in your team that is the real problem. Rather than fixating on keeping the door open or shut, focus on truly enabling your team members to be confident and equipped to make decisions and own their actions. An "open door" is not an invitation to run every minor decision by you. It's a safe space for them to bring ideas, concerns, or problems that they cannot handle themselves. Your role is to inspire confidence, and to cultivate an environment where they are not afraid to make decisions independently. 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝟰 𝗣𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗪𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗔𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀: ➊ 𝐸𝑛𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑎𝑔𝑒 𝐷𝑒𝑐𝑖𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛-𝑀𝑎𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔: Start by identifying the areas where they can make independent choices. Guide them through their first few decisions, build their confidence and gradually let go. The goal is to build their confidence in making informed choices. ➋ 𝐸𝑛𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑎𝑔𝑒 𝐴𝑐𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑏𝑖𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑦: Make sure everyone understands their roles and the expectations tied to them. Reinforce that each person is responsible for the outcomes of their tasks. The more accountability they own, the less they will seek constant approval. ➌ 𝑆𝑒𝑡 𝐶𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑟 𝐵𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑎𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑠: Help them discern the situations that truly require your attention and where you expect them to run with it. But – there is a caveat: People are at different points in their growth journey and you must do this with each of your core team individually. ➍ 𝐺𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑈𝑠𝑒𝑓𝑢𝑙 𝐹𝑒𝑒𝑑𝑏𝑎𝑐𝑘: Highlight their good decisions to boost their confidence and tactfully point out areas of improvement. Show them that mistakes are learning opportunities, not disasters. Remember, a leader's job isn't to do all the work but to build a team that can work efficiently, even when the leader isn't in the room. _______ 👉 𝑇ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑖𝑠 𝑎𝑛 𝑜𝑝𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑝𝑖𝑒𝑐𝑒 𝑏𝑎𝑠𝑒𝑑 𝑜𝑛 𝑚𝑦 𝑜𝑤𝑛, 𝑝𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙 𝑒𝑥𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑛 20 𝑦𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑠 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑝𝑒𝑜𝑝𝑙𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑑𝑒𝑝𝑙𝑜𝑦 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑎𝑐ℎ𝑖𝑒𝑣𝑒 𝑠𝑢𝑐𝑐𝑒𝑠𝑠 𝑖𝑛 𝑎 𝑣𝑎𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑡𝑦 𝑜𝑓 𝑒𝑛𝑣𝑖𝑟𝑜𝑛𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑠.  

How do you assess potential employees? Do you use outdated methods that lack validity? Or do you use a science backed approach that maximises the potential of hiring right? I am currently reading 'Twenty ways to assess personnel' by Adrian Furnham (Yes I know I'm a nerd, but I just love this stuff) and it is a very insightful read. We talk a lot in Learning & Development about assessment, but how well do we really understand the tools we use to judge potential, performance, or “fit”? Adrian Furnham dives into the full spectrum of assessment methods, from the credible to the comical. 👉 The strong predictors of performance: Cognitive ability & aptitude tests Still the strongest predictors of performance. Structured interviews Fairer and more valid than unstructured ones. Personality questionnaires Useful, especially Conscientiousness. Assessment centres & SJTs Realistic, job-relevant, but resource-heavy. 👉 The Developmental Tools: 💠 360° feedback – great for growth, less so for selection. 💠 Biodata – our past often predicts our future, but use with care. 💠 Gamified assessments – fun, data-rich, but still early-stage science. 😵 The Dubious & Discredited Graphology, astrology, and even phrenology once claimed to assess talent. (A reminder that “popular” ≠ “valid.”) 🎯 The Future Wearables, digital footprints, even neuroscience are being explored…but Furnham warns: be curious, not credulous. Summary “The best assessment systems combine multiple valid methods, balance cost and fairness, and never forget the human experience.” As someone fascinated by both neuroscience and workplace psychology, I love how this book bridges hard science and human insight, and reminds us that evidence beats intuition every time. 💬 Which assessment methods do you actually trust, and which make you roll your eyes?

Catalina S. told me something that completely reframes how we should think about skills validation. After 10+ years leading workforce transformation at Vodafone, T-Mobile, and DataCamp, she dropped this truth bomb during our latest Business AI Playbook episode: "Companies don't just want employees to know things, they want employees who can do things." Most L&D teams are still stuck measuring completion rates and quiz scores. But Catalina's seeing something different work: Evidence-based skill validation that proves real-world capability. Here's what she's implementing right now: → AI-powered surgical feedback — Johns Hopkins is using AI to analyze actual surgical videos, providing objective feedback on technique and precision, not just theoretical knowledge → Peer-led GenAI Scouts — A global engineering org turned employees into instructional designers, achieving 90% engagement and 20-40% time savings on repetitive tasks in just 6 months → Real-world retail simulations — AI roleplay environments where new hires practice customer interactions, earning badges only after demonstrating 3 successful and 3 unsuccessful scenarios with lessons learned → Skills data as strategic inventory — Finally giving companies visibility into their actual internal capabilities while supporting employee growth aspirations Catalina's challenge to every L&D leader: "We need to shift from knowledge retention to evidence-based skill validation." The companies getting this right aren't just improving training metrics. They're fundamentally changing how their workforce approaches capability development. 🎥 Watch the full conversation below 🔄 Share this if you think proving skills matters more than passing tests What's the most creative approach you've seen to validate real-world skills? #BusinessAIPlaybook #LearningInnovation #SkillsValidation #AITransformation #FutureOfWork

Most new hires don't fail because they can't do the job. They fail because we don't teach them how. We spend months recruiting the perfect candidate, then throw them into the deep end with a laptop and "good luck." But the best companies know something different. They understand that the first 90 days aren't just about orientation - they're about transformation. Here's the 30-60-90 framework that turns confused new hires into confident contributors: Days 1-30: Learn & Assimilate Focus on cultural integration and foundational knowledge. Give them small wins to build confidence while they absorb your mission, systems, and workflows. Days 31-60: Contribute & Collaborate Shift to independent contribution. Assign real projects with deliverables.  Expand their network through cross-team collaboration and establish regular feedback loops. Days 61-90: Lead & Innovate Full autonomy on core responsibilities. Encourage strategic thinking and fresh ideas. They should be mentoring newer hires or learning from senior team members. The magic happens when you combine three elements: → Structure: Clear expectations for each phase → Ownership: Let them shape their own learning journey → Support: Pair them with a buddy and celebrate small wins Most companies treat onboarding like a checklist to complete. The best companies treat it like an investment to maximize. A strong 30-60-90 plan doesn't just help new hires succeed - it transforms them from "just another seat" into high-impact contributors who stay, grow, and refer others. What's the biggest onboarding mistake you've seen companies make?

𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐇𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧 (𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐎𝐧𝐛𝐨𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐍𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞) A recent study published in Frontiers in Organizational Psychology explored how newcomers learn during onboarding by looking at three key learning forms:  • 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐥 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 (structured training, onboarding plans)  • 𝐈𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐥 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 (peer conversations, job shadowing)  • 𝐒𝐞𝐥𝐟-𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠(goal-setting, reflection, proactive follow-ups) The findings reveal something powerful: Onboarding is most effective when organizations move beyond rigid training programs and create opportunities for self-directed, informal, and interactive learning. New hires who actively shape their onboarding—asking questions, seeking feedback, reflecting on progress—adjust faster, feel more connected, and stay longer. So, 𝐰𝐡𝐲 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞?  • 𝐑𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 & 𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭: Poor onboarding is one of the top reasons for early turnover.  • 𝐅𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐩-𝐮𝐩: Structured and self-directed learning accelerates role clarity and confidence.  • 𝐂𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 & 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Informal learning helps newcomers integrate socially and culturally, which is often overlooked in formal training. What can I/O Psychology and L&D practitioners do?  • Design onboarding that blends 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐥 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬(e.g., mentorship, peer learning, shared breaks).  • Incorporate 𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟-𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨𝐨𝐥𝐬 like reflection prompts, learning goals, and follow-up checklists.  • Map onboarding activities to 𝐤𝐞𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬—compliance, clarification, connection, and culture—so learning is intentional and complete.  • Use data to 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐰𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐫 𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 with both formal and informal learning pathways, not just training completion rates. Onboarding should be a co-created learning experience, not just a process to get through. When we empower new hires as active participants in their learning journey, everyone wins—newcomers, teams, and the entire organization. #WorkplaceEngineer #IOPsychology #LearningThatSticks #TrainingAndDevelopment #Onboarding #EmployeeExperience #LeadershipDevelopment

How #exams should be in #today's time! This semester, I taught a course on #Environmental #Management at Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay . This course was an elective open to both #UG and #PG students. We had a full #class of 75 enthusiastic learners. The course combined theory and numericals across a wide range of themes: 🔹 Historical evolution of environmental management 🔹 Core principles and diverse perspectives 🔹 Carbon footprinting 🔹 Life cycle costing 🔹 Introduction to LCA (or perhaps more importantly—when NOT to do an LCA!) To keep the #learning #experience dynamic, I experimented with several innovative teaching and evaluation methods such as #groupwork, #flippedclassroom, #classdebate, and #evaluationbypeers. Students enjoyed these formats, but the real #challenge was: How do we make the final exam interesting and meaningful? As teachers, we try to test all topics, but it’s never possible to cover everything. Students may prepare certain areas, yet the exam may ask something else. To bring balance—and to acknowledge that students can be just as creative as instructors—I introduced a #BonusQuestion in the final exam. ✨ Students had to frame a new question (not asked anywhere in the course) and answer it themselves. This encouraged: ✔️ Critical thinking ✔️ Creativity ✔️ Reflection on their strengths ✔️ Ownership of their learning The best part? Almost all 75 students attempted the bonus question! I hope more educators try similar approaches and share their experiences. Let’s continue to rethink assessments for today’s learners. 😊