What this new union tells us about employee development
The announcement that Prince Harry is joining a tech start-up is big news. But that’s the case for more reasons than might be immediately apparent. Taken at face value it seems like a great PR stunt that demonstrates how Harry is building a new career and staking out his independence from the Royal Family. For BetterUp, without a doubt, it gives an insane lift to the company’s brand awareness beyond the tightly-knit coaching and HR community.
But if we dig a little deeper we can see that there’s more in play here.
Coaching, mentoring, and development are no longer “nice to haves”
As digital transformation sweeps across the business landscape, company leadership teams have finally realized that their most important asset isn’t their products, it’s their people. These companies are increasingly investing in systems that provide more effective, ongoing development for their employees.
For BetterUp, as a key player in the coaching space, this is their opportunity to accelerate what had often previously been somewhat lackluster growth.
Leadership teams are finally truly acting on diversity, equality, and inclusion
Spurred on by #BLM and #MeToo, leadership teams have shifted from policies to action. It’s no longer enough to just talk about doing the right things. And, nowhere is this more true than in the tech sector. But this isn’t just about representative hiring. Critically, it’s about how you give everyone in your business an equal opportunity to realize their full potential.
Coaching, mentoring, and development have a key role to play here. That’s because the people who most benefit from these programs are not, as you might think, the select few that are already in leadership programs. Instead it’s those who have historically struggled with development—underrepresented talent—that benefit most from these programs.
For Prince Harry, this is a pressing issue that is clearly close to his heart. By joining BetterUp the Prince is actively demonstrating that he is committed to helping everyone realize their full potential.
Work as we know it has changed
Gone are the days when working in the office is the standard. We have yet to fully understand what the new face of work will look like, but it’s a pretty sure bet that it won’t be the same. And, it will most certainly involve a lot more people working only remotely or in a hybrid model. Helping these people develop simply isn’t possible with traditional approaches like spreadsheets and emails. The only way to truly effect change is to take a technology-first approach. That means using a platform that connects people—wherever they may be working—with others who can support their development.
Here’s to a more inclusive world…
While we at my2be passed on the opportunity to have Prince Harry join our leadership team (we wish!), we actively applaud this move as it amplifies and advances the importance of inclusive development for everyone. That is something that we’re incredibly passionate about. Our mission is to help create a world where everyone has the opportunity to realize their full potential.