Many of the most successful people had to fight tooth and nail for opportunities to learn new skills and advance up the corporate ladder. That’s often because what they wanted to learn and achieve wasn’t in sync with what their bosses wanted for them. You’re not a data scientist. You’re not cut out for engineering. Sales isn’t what you do. Lines like this are still used all too frequently when employees tell their managers that they want to move in a new direction.
How to Support Employees’ Learning Goals While Getting Day-to-Day Stuff Done
Managers are under tremendous pressure to generate results. You have annual quotas, quarterly goals, and increasing competition. Who has time to let employees go learn skills that may not be relevant for years, or may not serve your unit at all? It’s a tough balancing act, but the ROI for enabling this development is enormous. Start by getting top-level guidance and metrics. Ask the bosses to tell you: How much time do they expect employees to spend learning during work hours? How will your unit’s monthly, quarterly, and annual goals change as a result? What metrics will be used to determine how well your unit is doing at embracing learning and development, and how will that in turn affect your review? Also, hire to train and treat learning as a shared responsibility. Work out plans together. Discuss what there’s time for and what your expectations are. Listen with an open mind. And finally, speak at the skill level, not the role level. If an employee wants to explore a new role in the company, don’t even consider whether you think they would be “a good fit.” Instead, break down the skills necessary to do the job.