Learning to establish measurements sets leaders and their followers up well for the step covered in this post. If you have not read the post on measuring success, go back and read it now or you will be lost here (click here). In this step, we analyze the progress made on the goal. If one is meeting expectations, help them reflect on what actions are achieving those results best. If things are lagging or there is lots of friction, help them identify the causes of the problems. In both cases, both you and those you lead learned how to do things better along the way. Use this time to discuss applying those lessons so others may replicate them and achieve positive results. People accept change better when they are the ones discovering how the change is better rather than someone telling them to change. Successful people reflect on things they learn, good and bad, so they repeat the behaviors that helped them and avoid those that caused them to fail.

I find it is helpful to begin the meeting with the challenges facing the person you lead. Look at the shortfalls in the progress of their goal. Use questions to help them examine the perceived causes of those failings. Discuss what behavioral changes might improve the situation and how they will apply them in their work and life.

While I served in the National Guard, I was also a police supervisor. Police work involves working various shifts, and at that time, the supervisor job entailed working a weekend night shift. Well I learned I could work the night shift, have someone cover a couple hours for me, and still attend a full day of training for Guards. However, on the weekends we had to complete a physical fitness test, it was not so good. With only a few hours of sleep, I often failed the test. I would retake the test later the same week and pass it. I figured out that instead of working the night shifts on the weekend of the fitness test to take time off instead of working. Being well rested, I passed the tests. Making that simple change set me up for increased success, paving the way for promotions to positions of increase responsibility both in and out of the military.

When I met with the leaders I led who faced challenges, this lesson allowed me to help them understand how a person’s personal life affected their job performance. We could discuss ways they could appropriately inquire about things happening in their followers lives that might be taking them away mentally or physically from their work. Understanding how those issues impacted the leader’s success or failure helped them become more empathetic to those they led. Modeling the behavior with those leaders taught them how to work their employees. Once these personal issues were identified, the leader and worker collaborated on ways to implement changes.

While this example focuses on personal problems and issues, the same process applies to any area someone is struggling. You may learn through this meeting they need additional training in some aspect of the job, a piece of equipment is not working correctly, or some other issue blocking success. Use this information to develop a plan to improve the situation so those you lead achieve their goal and help the organization succeed.

This is not a disciplinary meeting. As the leader, understand people make mistakes as they learn and grow. There is a big difference between deliberate misbehavior and making inadvertent mistakes. If a person knows the standard, and behaved in a fashion that violated that standard, there may be an opportunity to learn from that mistake, but the consequences conversation must be separate from the learning conversation. For example, miscounting change for a customer and coming up a few dollars short in the cash drawer and deliberately stealing company funds are different behaviors requiring different responses. The two should not be treated the same.

The lessons learned conversation creates new behaviors to help your followers be more competent and independent. Working through the learning process develops them professionally in two ways. First it helps them improve with their specific assigned tasks. Second, you model the behavior to help them become the next set of leaders in your organization. Every leader will eventually leave their organization. These kinds of conversations ensure quality leaders are groomed for the next level.

Investing time with those you lead to help them identify and apply lessons learned as they pursue professional goals is a critical leadership task. Coaching them demonstrates your concern for their personal and profession growth and well-being. Leaders who assist others to achieve their goals develop trust and greater influence. People learn to evaluate their own progress, and develop critical thinking skills. As these people grow, they prepare to move into leadership positions and require less direct supervision. In the beginning, this process requires leaders to invest more time with individuals. As those individuals grow, leaders create more time because they directly supervise less. Most importantly, leaders following this process improve the likelihood their people successfully achieve goals that help the leader achieve his or her goals. In turn, the organization accomplishes its goals and mission. Invest time this week with someone you lead to help them identity and apply the lessons of their profession development goal.

References

• Brown, J. (2006). A leader’s guide to reflective practice. Trafford Publishing.
• McLain, D. & Nelson, B. (January 19, 2024) How effective feedback fuels performance. Workplace. Gallup. Retrieved from: https://www.gallup.com/workplace/357764/fast-feedback-fuels-performance.aspx on 10/14/2026