Investing in your team is important. According to the 2023 LinkedIn Workplace Learning Report, opportunities to develop and grow skills are a high priority, especially for younger employees in the workplace. It should come as no surprise that 93% of the organizations surveyed in the same report shared that offering learning opportunities is their primary retention tool.
As leaders, we are quick to recognize the need to help employees build their skills but may struggle to do so because of (perceived) barriers such as lack of time or budget constraints. But growing skills is still possible, even if you have limitations. Here are 4 quick tips that can help you jumpstart your team’s personal and professional growth and development:
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Turn to Ted
Resources like TedTalks or podcasts are a quick and easy way to hone in on specific skills. Consider sharing a link at your next team meeting. Build in the time to watch it together or ask the team to watch on their own and then come prepared to the next meeting to share their thoughts.
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Start a Book Club
Books are an easy way to focus your team on developing specific skills or just creating an opportunity to bond together. A few of our favorite team reads at CIS are:
- Lean Customer Development - Cindy Alvarez
- Why Simple Wins - Lisa Bodell
- The 3x5 Coach - Dave Baney
- The Five Dysfunctions of a Team - Patrick Lencioni
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Webinars & Online Courses
There are TONS of budget-friendly trainings, courses, and webinars available online. Maybe you want to focus on a specific professional skill or maybe you just want to do something fun to get your team engaged, (ask me about the super fun Black American Sign Language lecture). Either way, online options reduce the travel expense and allow more of your team to participate.
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Passion Projects
Sometimes the skill building doesn’t have to be about work. Employees in the last several years have made clear the desire to have more work/life balance. Our teams are full of people with creativity and skills that we may not get to see at work. At CIS, our passion projects provide colleagues with time away from the office to pursue their passion and then share with the entire company. We’ve found giving teammates time to explore their passions and build their skills translates into happier and healthier teams.
Do you have a great skill building strategy that you use with your team? Let us know what’s working for you!
Did you know our Consulting Services Team can come to your campus and offer professional development for your whole team? Learn more here.
