Expert Panel® Forbes Councils Member Forbes Human Resources Council
When you’re working your way up the ladder and you finally reach the level of career success you’ve been working so hard to achieve, it’s key to recognize senior colleagues who took you under their wing and were generous with their time and knowledge along the way. Now that you’ve “made it,” it’s your turn to reach back to support and build up the next generation.
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Below, 11 Forbes Human Resources Council members share their best practices to help leaders continue to pay it forward, lift up their community and remember where they came from.
1. Become A Strong Sponsor
Finding one or more strong sponsors in your organization makes moving up the ladder easier. However, sponsors and excellent performance will not be enough to stay up there if you don’t take care of the team below you. Be an incredible mentor and sponsor to others below you to pay it forward and continue climbing. – Elisabetta Bartoloni, Heidrick & Struggles
2. Engage In A Support Network
A support network is crucial for career development. You should never forget who has helped you, even in small ways, as you progress. This could be publicly recognizing someone or referring them for future opportunities or engagements. Once someone has helped you, it is important to pay it forward. Years later, people come back and thank me for something I helped them with. This is precious. – Katya Laviolette, 1Password
3. Foster Social Outreach Opportunities
Build programs that create an engaging environment for your employees while showcasing your ability to strategically implement engagement and retention strategies that also benefit the community. Volunteer programs and philanthropy committees are a great first step! – Veronica Oubayan, CarepathRx
4. Document And Spread The Word About Volunteerism
Volunteer at work to mentor rising stars, at home to coach young adult children, in the community to pay your learnings forward and in society to help make a better world for all of us. Then, spread the learnings and value of your experiences through the written and oral word to educate more people who can learn and benefit from your experience. I call it the “FBSS” model: paying it forward, backward and side to side. – Laci Loew, XpertHR (a division of LexisNexis)
5. Provide Constructive Feedback To Junior Employees
Leaders can help junior employees grow by offering guidance, sharing expertise and providing constructive feedback. This creates a positive work environment and promotes professional development, benefiting both the individual and the organization. Additionally, as junior employees progress in their careers, they may eventually become leaders and pay it forward by mentoring others. – Matthew Reeves, Together Software
6. Enable Others To Learn From Your Mistakes And Failures
Become a lifelong coach and mentor. Give to others what has been given to you and then give more. Use your platform to provide learning opportunities and stretch assignments and take every opportunity to coach along the way. Be bold about your mistakes and failures to help others learn from them. Share your path with others and help them carve their own. – Bethany Kurbis, Integrative Coaching LLC
7. Develop The Next Generation Through Internship Programs
Using your trials and triumphs, mentor younger generations in an internship program. Our program offers students real-world experience while working alongside our employees in service to our clients. As they learn to transition from an academic environment to a professional one, we give back to our communities by developing the next generation of leaders both personally and professionally. – Tammy Harper, CAI
8. Offer Scholarship Donations To Young People
I’m a strong believer that I want to enable others to grow and develop. Whether that is through scholarship donations or mentorship programs, paying it forward is a must. I strongly believe in maintaining community ties and assisting high schools and colleges in their endeavors to develop the next generation. – Nakisha Griffin, Neustar Security Services
9. Go Beyond The Scope Of Your Job Description
Career mobility advances when healthy leadership attributes are consistently demonstrated. This includes a leader’s willingness to empower, recognize and invest in others (i.e. team, organization and community). It is essential for leaders to operate beyond the scope of their role, vertically and horizontally, with radical collaboration, transparency and communication with others. – Britton Bloch, Navy Federal
10. Share Knowledge With Underrepresented Communities
Actively seek out and mentor individuals from underrepresented communities. By sharing your knowledge, network and experience, you can help others reach their potential and provide them with support and resources that may have been lacking for you at their stage. Paying it forward helps you grow professionally while building up the community that helped you become who you are today. – William Stonehouse, Crawford Thomas Recruiting
11. Look For Ways To Acknowledge And Recruit Fresh Talent
When climbing you should always be looking to lift others along the way. Surveying the landscape to see if there are opportunities for others and speaking their names in the rooms they aren’t in is a great way to ensure you are still contributing to your community. I am always looking for ways to bring new, fresh talent into rooms. – Alba Anthony, Grey Group
Successful HR executives from Forbes Human Resources Council offer leadership and management insights.
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