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All the motivation in the world won’t help an employee improve without training. What every organization needs is an effective development strategy to bridge the gap between what an employee can do now, and what he or she needs to be able to do tomorrow. Here’s what to look at:

• The gaps. Talk with employees about their career goals and professional interests. Identify what they want to achieve, and pin down what they’ll need to learn in order to get there.

• Objectives. Develop a step-by-step list of what the employee needs to do. A detailed plan will be make each step easier to confront and master.

• Resources. You probably can’t supply everything the employee will need in order to achieve his or her goals. Work together to find training courses, professional organizations, mentors, and coaches that will provide necessary knowledge and support.

• Time frame. When should you and the employee expect improvement? Big goals will take time, so break them down into milestones that the employee can achieve one by one without getting discouraged by slow progress.

• Measurement. Completing a training program isn’t the same as demonstrating results. Develop criteria you can both use to measure the success of your efforts and guide you in pursuing future challenges.

—Adapted from the Employment Crossing website