For a company offering any kind of professional service, continuous learning is one element in the training and welfare of employees that should not be overlooked. If the key to a great business is innovation (among other things) – then continuous learning and improvement should not fall far behind.
Continuous learning and improvement refers to the state of keeping up to date with new skills, knowledge and trends on an on-going basis. This is not to be confused with lifelong learning – this term refers broadly to any learning for the individual, as a lifestyle choice. Staying competitive in any industry entails adapting, innovating and changing along with the tides. To do that, continuous learning is required, to keep up with the times and to stay relevant. This keeps a company competitive, and promotes the evolution of knowledge and technologies against the onset of an ever globalising marketplace.
Creating and maintaining a culture of continuous learning
The benefits of continuous learning are endless for both employee and employer, but often intangible. For many of us, learning comes when required, like hitting a problem at work and seeking a solution. This often feeds into resistance to continuous learning and continuous improvement, which is why building a culture can be extremely difficult, what more maintaining it. However, this is not to say that it is impossible. Here are some ways to jumpstart and motivate employees toward continuous learning.
1. Align personal development with company goals
As far as possible, it must be clear to employees how the training provided relates back to improving their skills and getting career opportunities. In this way, employees also understand that their roles and the work they do directly impacts the company’s goals and vision, allowing for a broadened perspective on the work, as well as better engagement. This motivates the employee to take the learning more seriously and sincerely, tying it to the benefits available now and later.
2. Support from management
Employees are more inclined to pick up on continuous learning and continuous improvement if company leaders are invested in this growth. It can be hard for employees to practice continuous learning if it seems like management would approve of delaying or putting aside daily tasks. An open support for continuous learning and improvement would quickly resolve this, and promote it as well.
3. Integrating learning management systems
Learning management systems allow for ease of continuous learning for both employees and employers. An entire library of material is made available for all in a company, which can be accessed even on the go. Strengths, weaknesses and progress can be tracked, which then makes catering the right learning materials even easier. When learning becomes simpler, streamlined and easy to access, the roadblocks to continuous learning are quickly removed, therefore motivating employees to pick it up and maintain it.
Start your continuous learning journey with TDS
TDS is equipped to help you find solutions to jumpstart your continuous learning culture. We carry an intelligent learning management system we call the 8EYOND Learning Management System that is designed to cater the right learning materials for users based on their strengths and weaknesses. For employers or trainers, consider the 8EYOND Training Management System to track the progress of learners, and for ease of improving learning materials. For a more robust and holistic approach, you may opt to upgrade to 8EYOND Suite, which covers the best of both worlds.
If you are ready to take your first steps into building the right environment for continuous learning and continuous improvement, speak to us today.