In this article we take a look at some of the techniques the best performing teams use for continuous skills development.
Are you interested in keeping your organisation ahead of the game? Then investing in the continuous skills development for your people is crucial. Fortunately, there are several tools and techniques for creating the culture of ongoing learning and growth.
There's a number of ways to build in Continuous Learning
For ongoing learning and growth in your organisation, your employees buy in is crucial. Engaged employees are more likely to seek out opportunities for growth and development, and to remain with the organisation for the long-term. Don't think engagement from a training perspective as something that has to occur only in a formal classroom setting. In fact, if you do - you may be setting yourself up for a struggle.
An effective plan will include a mix of opportunities like seminars, on-the-job training, mentoring colleagues, and self-paced learning. Of these, self paced learning is both the least executed but is likely to be the most effective whilst contributing to an embedded, organisation-wide learning culture. Let's look at how.
An example of self-paced learning on TeamAssurance as part of an individual's IDP.
Just as you can provide opportunities for employee input and feedback, or recognise and reward employee contributions to improvement, you can foster community and culture among employees through dynamic skills development programs.
Individual Skills Development Plans
An essential tool for identifying areas for development and setting goals for improvement is an individual development plan (IDP).
An IDP is a roadmap that helps employees to identify their strengths and weaknesses, set development goals, and create an action plan to achieve those goals. An effective IDP should be tailored to the employee's individual needs, aspirations, and learning style.
Creating an IDP is a straightforward process that begins with a self-assessment by the employee. The employee should reflect on their strengths, weaknesses, and career goals. After that, they should discuss their IDP with their manager, who can provide feedback and guidance.
The manager should work with the employee to identify areas for development and set achievable goals. The IDP should be regularly reviewed and updated to ensure progress is being made. On TeamAssurance - where training records and on-the-job activity is recording in real-time - these reviews are much more meaningful and backed by data.
An employee's skills profile alongside their pending and past activities.
Employee development is not a 'set and forget' process simply dictated by compliance. This is where skills management systems like those found on TeamAssurance effectively support the organisation and the individual.
The interconnected skills matrix (pictured above) - with visibility of training, processes owned, and certification statuses - ensures that training is delivered in a timely manner, eliminates any compliance issues, and keeps everyone accountable.
The Coach's Role Within Continuous Skills Development
Mentoring and coaching are powerful tools that can provide guidance and support to employees as they develop new skills. A mentor is generally a supervisor or manager (part of Tier 2 and above) but can be any experienced employee who can provide advice, guidance, and support to others. Human to human interaction is so critical for developing beneficial bonds in the workplace, and deeper understanding of our ways of working. Coaches also play a crucial role in establishing the organisation's culture and passing on expected behaviours.
That's why having staff at the frontline get involved in mentoring colleagues should be part of any development pathway. It expands their own skills and perpetuates the cycle of keeping business knowhow as an asset.
Mentors can help employees develop skills that are not typically taught in the classroom, such as effective communication, best practices, and on-the-fly problem-solving. Don't forget - coaching sessions should be tailored to the employee's individual needs. It's not always a plug-and-play scenario - you should take time to match up the right mentor and mentee.
Geographical limitations don't need to be a barrier to organising fit for purpose / 'fit for person- mentorship either. either - sessions can be conducted in-person or online.
A Continuous Improvement Mindset
A structured approach to learning that focuses on improving processes, increasing efficiency, and enhancing quality can also help empower employees. This type of training can help people develop skills such as problem-solving, critical thinking, and creativity. It's a great tool for developing the skills that are essential for success in today's rapidly changing business environment.
Workshops, seminars, and e-learning are all effective tools for delivering continuous improvement training. Workshops and seminars can be conducted in-person or online, and can be tailored to the specific needs of the organisation. Furthermore, E-learning allows employees to learn at their own pace and on their own schedule.
Internal job rotation / secondments are also great ways to develop employees' skills. Internal job rotation involves moving employees between different departments within the organisation.
Committing to Continuous Skills Development
Creating a culture of ongoing learning and growth requires a long-term commitment from the organisation and its leaders. It is not a one-time event but a continuous process that requires ongoing effort and investment. However, the rewards of a culture of skills development are significant. A skilled, engaged, and motivated workforce can be more productive, innovative, and competitive.
Therefore, it is essential for organisations to prioritise the ongoing development of their employees as a key component of their long-term success. Ongoing learning and growth can be achieved through tools and techniques like individual development plans, mentoring and coaching, and continuous improvement training.
A culture of skills development is not only good for the organisation's bottom line, but also for its employees who can achieve their career aspirations and lead fulfilling professional lives.
A C.I. framework to maximise employee potential
By investing in your employees' development, you can create a workforce that is better equipped to succeed in today's rapidly changing business environment. But optimising your approach to continuous skills development requires the right data always aligned to strategy.
The illustration below outlines how we designed an interconnected TeamAssurance platform to enable all personnel to easily access the training they need to better themselves and achieve individual mastery.
The platform that avoids the locally optimised and disconnected 'Point solutions' (digital or analog) that do not help sustain either lasting business performance or maximising individual employee potential.
If you'd like to explore the opportunities offered by digital aids to Lean tools contact us for a demonstration.
