08/15/2025

How to Nudge Reluctant Employees into Development

Every employee, even the most content, can benefit from development

One of the questions I hear most frequently from managers and leaders is: "What should I do about employees who aren’t interested in growing and developing?"

It is something with which I struggled as a manager, and I'll be honest, I'm not proud of some of my responses. Sometimes, I’d just let it go and let them be, acknowledging that they were performing well in their roles. (Because, after all, don't we all need those Steady Eddies and Edwinas? And I had rising stars who might benefit more from my attention.) Sometimes, I'd impose my aspirations on them. Sometimes, I would quietly judge their lack of ambition, tucking it away as a data point for future succession planning discussions.

However, over the years, I've come to a more nuanced understanding of what’s behind the "no thanks, I’m good" response from content employees. And leaders who want to future-proof their teams and organizations need to do the same.

Please select this link to read the complete article from SmartBrief.