The Elevare Edge · Issue 17 · June 9, 2026
Developing Your People
I worked with a woman many years ago who had been with a major financial services firm for over 20 years. She was knowledgeable, she spoke well, and she was exceptional at training others. But she couldn't get promoted past VP.
So she made a move. She transferred to another team, thinking a fresh start would change things. Same result. Passed over again.
When she asked why, they told her there weren't enough spots. She didn't have executive presence. She needed to be more strategic.
That was it. No development plan. No coaching. No mentorship. Just a closed door and a vague reason why.
She eventually left the firm. Twenty years of institutional knowledge walked out the door with her.
The Blindspot
Here's what most organizations don't talk about: when you can't develop someone, you default to pushing them out.
It comes in three flavors.
The slow version: vague feedback, no resources, and the message that they're "not quite ready" for the next level. Year after year. They either leave or resign themselves to stagnation.
The fast version: the PIP. Performance Improvement Plan. Officially a development tool. Functionally, a 90-day exit ramp.
The middle version: they stay, but something dies. Trust erodes. They disengage. And everyone watching learns the lesson: invest in yourself, because the company won't invest in you.
The cost calculation most leaders skip:
- Recruitment and onboarding for a replacement: 50-200% of annual salary
- Lost institutional knowledge: immeasurable
- Team morale and retention hit: real but invisible
Message sent to surviving employees: do your job perfectly or get out.
Against that, the cost of actual development? Coaching, mentorship, stretch projects, visibility opportunities. Tens of thousands. Months of real effort.
The math isn't even close.
The INVEST Framework
The woman I mentioned had real gaps. But nobody ever helped her see them clearly or gave her a path to close them. That's the failure.
Here's what should have happened instead.
Identify the gap
Get specific about what's actually missing. Not "executive presence." That's useless feedback. Is it visibility? Strategic thinking? Communication style? Board-level credibility? Comfort in ambiguous situations?
Name the gap so the person understands what they're working toward.
Name it clearly
Tell the person exactly what you see. No vague feedback. No "you'll know it when you see it."
Have the conversation. "Here's what I'm observing. Here's why it matters for the next level. Here's what I see you doing well that will help you close this gap. And here's what we're going to do about it together."
Honest. Direct. Grounded in specifics.
Validate with feedback
Is this gap real, or is it organizational bias? Get input from peers, mentors, maybe an external coach.
Does the person agree with the assessment? What's their perspective? You need alignment before you move forward. Sometimes the feedback is spot on. Sometimes it's noise. Sometimes it's a reflection of who else is in the room, not who this person actually is.
Validation means you both see the same picture.
Enable through development
Design a real plan. Coaching. Stretch projects. Mentorship from someone who models what you're asking for. Visibility opportunities. Board presentations. Cross-functional work.
Set cadence. Monthly check-ins. Real accountability.
This is not a PIP. This is an investment.
Set a decision point
Give the development real time. But set a clear endpoint. "In 12 months, we'll assess progress. We'll decide: is the fit there now, or isn't it?"
No ambiguity. No ghosting. No five-year limbo where the person is perpetually "not quite ready."
Either the person closes the gap and gets promoted. Or you both agree the next level isn't the right fit. But at least you know. And they know.
Track progress
Regular check-ins. Celebrate wins. Adjust the plan if something isn't working. Make it real, not ceremonial.
The Culture Signal
When you develop people instead of pushing them out, you send a message that travels through the entire organization.
You send the message that people matter. That competence and loyalty are seen and valued. That there's a path forward even when the first path didn't work out.
You also send a hard message: we're serious about growth, and we're serious about decisions. When you set a decision point and stick to it, people trust that the system isn't rigged.
The woman I mentioned left because she wasn't developed. But she didn't just lose a job. The firm lost a trainer, a knowledge keeper, and 20 years of relationship.
And everyone left behind learned: don't expect investment here.
Your Turn
Development takes time. It takes resources. It takes honest conversations and real commitment.
It's harder than a PIP. It's messier than a quiet RIF.
But it's the difference between a culture that grows people and a culture that uses them up.
If you're struggling to develop someone on your team, or if you're unsure where to start, I can help.
Want to explore how the INVEST framework could work for your situation? Book a clarity call here: https://calendly.com/rene-madden813/clarity-call
Or get a baseline on your culture right now with the Operational Chaos Scorecard. Five minutes, 10 questions. See where development fits into the bigger picture of what's happening on your team.
Access scorecard here: https://www.elevaredynamics.com/scorecard
To your success,
Rene Madden
Elevare Dynamics LLC
https://www.elevaredynamics.com/
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