Did you know that about only fifteen percent of managers are fully trained and prepared to be promoted to the next level of management? It is really no surprise that about fifty percent of promotions fail miserably when the decision is only based on an employee's performance level.

One of the most important and sought after qualities of a good leader is the ability and desire to develop their employees and help them reach new heights. If a manger takes an active part in developing your team and other members of the organization, truly shows that the manager is concerned for not only the current standing of the organization, but the future of the organization.

Talent development within an organization should be a company wide initiative, but most of the responsibilities fall on the shoulders of supervisors and lower managers. The sad thing is, coaching and developing employees doesn't come naturally to most leaders, especially those in lower management positions. By taking the time to understand what you can do to help your employees, you can prepare them to be successful at the next level. Follow these tips below for greater success at coaching employees.

1- Take the time to encourage professional development among employees. Those employees who have the most potential are never satisfied with the status quo. You want and desperately need these employees on your team. They are ambitious, high performing, and dynamic in all ways. If they are given the proper direction and guidance, they are those who will be the future leaders of the organization. If not, they will be taken by other organizations, or worse, your competition.

2- With each employee create a strong game plan. Planning in essential to advancing in your career. This is the road map that will take you to your goals. It doesn't matter if it is a simple or complex plan as long as they are action steps and deadlines to be met. You will want to work on building necessary skills to get you to your next position within the company.

3- Pair employees with a mentor that will help them become the employee they want to be. Mentoring allows an organization to use its existing talent to impart their knowledge and expertise to others.

4- Always work on and identify new opportunities to expand their professional network. Having a solid professional network is vital to the success of future leaders. Networks are a great source of information, advice, and support from other individuals in management positions.

5- If you have some employees who are definitely high potential, it might be worth wile to hire an outside coach to come in and provide training and help the employee further their plans for development.

Doing these things will help you in your employee coaching and help you develop the future leaders of your organization.