Professional development is a critical aspect of maintaining a competitive and engaged workforce, yet it can be a challenging area for managers to navigate. There are various approaches to encouraging skill advancement, but finding the right balance often requires trial and error.
In many cases, professional development efforts are well-intended but don’t always achieve the desired outcomes. When employees are given the leeway to learn and apply new skills, they may still stick to familiar methods to manage a heavy workload and meet deadlines. Formalized development programs can lead to added stress as team members balance learning with their existing workloads. While these methods are created to drive growth, they may fall short of truly enhancing employee skill sets or preventing burnout.. The State of Learning in the Flow of Work 2022 report by 360learning cites that nearly half of their survey respondents said they don’t have time for structured learning unless their manager lightens their load. Jennifer Moss, author of The Burnout Epidemic: The Rise of Chronic Stress and How We Can Fix It in Harvard Business Review 2021, says that employees’ workloads are so high that there is no time for training except on mandatory topics such as sexual harassment.
Avoiding professional development altogether, however, is not a solution. Failing to address it can leave employees with outdated skills, leading to uninspired work, career stagnation, and ultimately contributing to burnout. That’s why it’s important to take a proactive approach, even if there’s no single formula for success. Here are a few key factors to consider when shaping professional development for your team:
Skill Types
There are two main categories of skills to focus on: technical or role-specific skills and soft skills. Technical skills allow individuals to take on more advanced tasks, while soft skills enhance their overall effectiveness in their roles. A well-rounded approach to professional development will encompass both types.
Levels and Ownership
Professional development can be customized to suit individual needs, role-based group needs, or the team as a whole. Each level requires a different approach to ownership. While individuals should be responsible for their own unique development goals, role-based groups share responsibility for a common set of skills. As a manager, overseeing team-wide professional development becomes your responsibility, including organizing and supporting these efforts.
Time
The most significant challenge with professional development is often finding the time for it. Balancing learning opportunities with the demands of ongoing projects and customer service can feel indulgent. However, consistently deprioritizing professional development can result in a team that falls behind industry standards, ultimately producing less innovative and less competitive work.
If setting aside a specific amount of time each week for development isn’t practical, consider alternative strategies. For instance, lunch-and-learn sessions, incorporating brief learning topics into regular meetings, holding quarterly team seminars, or assigning projects that require new skills can all provide opportunities for growth without overwhelming the schedule.
Buy-In
To foster a culture of learning, it’s important for leadership to actively engage in professional development. This can be done in two ways: first, by pursuing your own learning goals and discussing them openly with the team; second, by providing the applicable development resources. When employees see you prioritizing your own growth, they are more likely to prioritize theirs. Your commitment demonstrates that you value development and will support their efforts to improve.
Resources
To utilize time effectively and achieve the greatest impact from professional development, it’s essential to identify resources that are relevant to your industry, team objectives, and individual development goals.
To do this effectively, managers can invest time in researching specialized tools, courses, and training materials that address the specific areas where employees need to grow. Whether it’s technical certification, leadership development, or emerging industry trends, ensuring that the resources are applicable will maximize the impact of the training.
It may be beneficial to work with an external partner who can streamline the process of finding, compiling, or even creating the right resources. Partnering with a learning solutions provider like TopTalent Learning can be the most efficient way to ensure your team has access to high-quality, relevant resources that will promote their growth.
Ultimately, creating an effective professional development strategy is an ongoing process. By communicating openly with your team and maintaining a shared commitment to growth, you can cultivate a learning environment that benefits both your employees and the organization as a whole.