When it comes to running your business, there are few things as important as inclusive, well-executed training programs that instill in your employees a desire to be life-long learners. Inspiring your workers to constantly improve their skills and shoot for higher goals is vital towards your company’s long-term success, and something that managers shouldn’t be afraid to splurge on.
So how should today’s executives and small business owners alike go about nurturing a culture of training and learning? What are the common mistakes made, and where should those who don’t know where to begin turn to for advice? A brief review of the values of instilling a love of learning in your employees shows just how vital a culture of continuous training is to business success.
Managers are needed from the get-go
Right from the start, executives and small business owners should understand the importance of their managers when it comes to building a culture of learning. Employees who don’t have someone to look up to, and perhaps more importantly, someone to keep them efficient and on-track, aren’t likely to value training sessions or appreciate learning opportunities. It’s up to you, then, to recruit a team who can build and nourish a friendly culture of training for years to come.
There are plenty of things that only skillful managers can accomplish when it comes to nurturing a positive business culture. Identifying gaps in worker’s progress, for instance, acting as business and life coaches, and keeping everyone’s work coming in on time, for instance, are but some of the vital roles good managers play in building this culture.
Your managers in charge of hiring, too, should be told to be on the lookout for employees eager to learn. Not everyone is a high achiever, and many employees don’t see the need to attend training programs or adapt over time. Such workers should be shunned, and your managers should instead know to seek those life-long learners who will embrace learning opportunities with gusto.
Your employees simply won’t be able to learn if they’re not guided along by wise and empathetic bosses. From preschool to universities, students hate professors and teachers who are needlessly cruel or instill harsh guidelines, and workers are no different; you’ll need empathetic managers and executives ready to guide your lower employees along the route to success, and to serve as role models as to why learning and training are important.
Take lessons from the right people
It never hurts to look at success stories when trying to chart out your own business’ aspirations. Google, for instance, is famed for its ability to push employees to new and better places, giving them the tools they need to reinvent themselves and discover new innovations. Looking at your competitors, too, can be helpful; what’s the competition doing that you’re not, and is that factoring into the results seen in the marketplace?
A strong emphasis should be placed on forming teams of likeminded individuals who can push themselves higher than they would otherwise be going solo, too. Lumping your employees together in groups that have positive chemistry and helping them learn alongside one another will go a long way towards keeping them engaged in the training process.
Successful businesses with strong learning cultures understand that a high value placed on training and discovering new things must be ubiquitous in the office. Managers should keep an eye out for employees who belittle others for going out of their comfort zones, and use positive quotes to give constant encouragement to explore new fields and learn new techniques or skills. Furthermore, your employees will need tools to learn – make sure you’re providing them!
Just like children in school turn away from their favorite subjects when they’re bullied by their peers, your employees will shun learning opportunities if they feel alone and unsupported. Consider making the necessary investments to retrain your employees with outside programs, for instance, and even take into consideration the idea of helping them go back to school. While costly in the short run, businesses with their eyes on long-term success understand the crucial importance of investing in your workforce early.
Training your employees to love learning will take some investments, but is worth it for any business hoping to succeed. A positive culture of training and learning can be yours in no time, if you’re committed enough and take the right steps. There are those who shun rapid adaptions, preferring to instead to stick to their old ways; such businesses are on their way out. Instead of embracing old, outdated models, your company should be eagerly tugging at the leash to meet a successful future head on. Training programs, empathetic managers, and a love of learning instilled in everyone is the best way to make that future a reality.
