Give people the opportunity just before they are ready for it.  In hospitality we either promote too soon or not soon enough.  The key is to give people the opportunity at a time when they are almost there.  This will push them out of their comfort zone so they are challenged, but just enough so that they achieve success.  

- Sarah Derry for HospitalityMagazine.com.au

It can be a tough line to walk - challenging your employees enough that they feel valued and incentivized to learn and grow, while not pushing them so far that they break and we get employee turnover.  As Sarah Derry suggests, it's particularly important that we keep an eye on this balance.  If we are too cautious and let someone continue doing tasks that have become too simple, we risk letting a good employee walk right out the door because of boredom.  Try this exercise: rate each of your employee's skills on his/her main job tasks.  If someone is ranking at or near the top on all measures, it is time (or past time) to find this individual a new challenge to help him or her climb up the ladder of success.

Looking for additional training to challenge and inspire your team?