One of the best ways to see growth within your company is to see growth in your employees, which is why their professional development is so important. At Alliance Solutions Group (ASG), we believe in active learning, which, to us, means always being in pursuit to grow both personally and professionally. Creating a culture where active learning is encouraged and supported is vital to ensuring you have the best employees on board who are enthusiastic about their work. Here are five ways you can build active learning in your culture:
- Better Book Club
The Better Book Club (BBC) is a web-based platform designed to promote active learning through reading books. At ASG, employees can preview and select books to read and see what their coworkers are reading, too. When they are finished reading a book, employees will write a short book report to share their thoughts on the book with coworkers; employees can even receive monetary rewards for reading new books. Book club meetings held once a month encourage dialogue about the book and allow coworkers to learn from each person’s perspective and insight on the book. The BBC is a great way to foster new ideas among your team and allow for healthy discussion about what each person has learned.
- Support Conference Attendance
Attending professional conferences is a great way to learn about new trends and products in your industry. These conferences provide a wealth of professional growth from networking to learning about a new tool for project management; the opportunities for learning at conferences are endless. Conferences can be expensive, so it’s important that, as a manager or CEO, you support your employees by helping them get there as much as possible; paying for registration, travel or both, is a great way to show support. Your employees will hear brand new ideas and gain inspiration from several of the panelists they hear from, and when they get back, their enthusiasm can increase morale.
- Utilize Online Courses
Creating a web-based platform with courses designed specifically for your employees is a great way to allow them to spend time during their workday on their professional growth. At ASG, we use Litmos and various courses include leadership, effective communication, customer service and more. New programs can be added at any time and accessed by all employees. Showing your team courses that will benefit them in the current role and beyond will encourage them to take the initiative to learn more.
- Encourage Innovation
Employees want to know they are in a company that values their ideas and provides opportunity for growth. Whether it’s monthly brainstorms or smaller team meetings, encouraging your team to be thinking outside the box and sharing their ideas will make them feel valued. Not only will it make the employee feel good, it will bring ideas you might not have thought of before. This allows everyone in the room to learn from each other and create something new together.
- Lunch and Learns
A classic professional development workshop that never goes out of style: lunch and learns. These are a great way to introduce a new tool to your whole team at once, so any and all questions can be answered with everyone present. Provide a meal to entice your team to join, and then get to work teaching them about the new tool or program being implemented. This allows team members to ask questions and bounce ideas off of each other if needed.
Active learning is important for your employees and the growth of your company, so it’s important to provide an environment that supports active learning. Are you looking for an L&D specialist to move your company in the right direction? Get in touch with our experienced recruiters today and let us find the staff you need.
