Learning - For or Against You?
Humans are constantly learning. As children we learn dozens of words, rules, and consequences daily, and as adults we are continually solving problems, gaining how-to’s from a quick video, and adjusting to the people we connect with each day. It is all new data for our brains to take in, categorize, and absorb. So, why does employee development seem so difficult for us to envision? I believe it is because we have an outdated story playing in our minds that ‘training’ only happens in a classroom, when we are paying people overtime, and we often do not see the results.
The challenge is employees are continuously learning without your prompting or direction. They must make choices daily on decisions such as how to interact with a tough co-worker, balance a new family dynamic with their focus at work, or solve a new problem from an angry customer. They are also seeking learning they are interested in – podcasts on cooking, streaming videos on how others build something, or social media feeds of advice and personal insights.
The opportunity is you can engage employees in learning that is embedded into their daily work and interests them, while helping your company achieve its goals. You simply need to know what you need and what they want.
This all starts with a learning strategy. As a part of your people strategy, your learning strategy will answer some key questions that your employees care about:
What skills are needed for your employees to thrive in their roles today and where your company is headed tomorrow?
How are your employees already learning each day? What tools are already embedded in their routine?
What social structures exist in your organization to reinforce behavior? Where do employees go to share their voice, get help from peers, or gain insight from a leader?
Is there a disconnect between your company values and employee culture? What do employees say about the company’s culture?
The goal of assessing these questions is to understand where the gaps are for your organization and how best to leverage learning to accelerate your business goals. When employees see you investing in their development and helping them build the skills to stay relevant in the future, they are engaged and excited to be on the journey with you. People are hungry to learn; the goal is to have them learning what will help them both personally and for your business.