Spotlight on learning
When training or coaching managers I often find myself talking about getting off the hamster wheel. Taking time out from our busy jobs to stop, reflect and consider what else and how else you might move forward to make valuable improvements.
Reflective time is key to assimilating the huge amount of learning we are doing all the time. Capturing what is working or not working for us, considering what else we could be doing or what alternative perspectives might bring us a different result.
All too often people turn away from more formal learning opportunities when they are busy and the pressure is on. There are times when managers will ask team members to cancel training and prioritise tasks and deadlines. You can often see this mirrored in workshop attendance and cancellation numbers.
What is the message here?
Is learning and improvement just a nice to do thing when you have the time? Are we really ok to support a fixed mindset, a fixed approach to working? Are we happy to keep doing what we are doing, making the same mistakes and not learning from them? As managers and leaders do we really want to give the message that you stop needing to learn when you get to a certain paygrade or level? What do we really want for our individuals and teams? Surely, we want progress, energy, innovation, flexible and adaptable individuals who are engaged and skilled to meet the challenges?
I ask managers, what happens if you never develop your team and you just focus on getting the daily tasks done? What will the result of that be in 6 months, 1 year, 5 years? How will that impact on the energy, enthusiasm, motivation, competence, skill level, innovation and performance of your team?
Being in the business of learning and development I have immersed myself in this profession for many years and seen incredible results from people taking the time to focus on their personal and professional growth. I also see, sadly too often, businesses wanting to provide training without the recognition of the learning that goes on before and after these formal events. The real learning takes place after any injection of knowledge or skill, it happens on the job, with feedback, through conversations with others and by having the environment that supports reflective thinking and conversations.
Managers lead the way
My advice to managers is always to lead the way with learning. As a manager, you are influencing your team, you are setting the scene and supporting the culture within that team. Through your words and actions you can help to support your team in recognising learning every day, share that learning, focus on what might enhance what they are doing and how they are doing it. At River we take a Strengths based approach to learning and support our clients in developing strategies that will build a sustainable learning culture. As a manager you can highlight the learning on offer within the team, can engage others in their own growth and development and start to make a real difference to performance.
