By Kristi Hedges
To create a culture that encourages employee growth, managers need to make learning an expectation—not an option. Managers need to encourage continual learning with supportive behaviors that, in turn, will shape their company culture.
Be a vocal role model
Managers should frame learning as a growth opportunity, not as a quid pro quo for promotion.If you talk about learning as being enjoyable, you set a playful tone that encourages people to be adaptively authentic—and open to trying new behaviors.
Celebrate growth and lean into failure
If you want your team to be excited about and find purpose in their work, encourage them to be curious and experiment. A successful learning environment celebrates growth for growth’s sake. You can also support learning by not hiding failures. One technology company I advise began instituting mandatory post-mortems for all of its product releases and major programs, no matter the results.
Make it easy for people
People usually take on development opportunities on top of their regular workload, so the easier you can make it for them to find the right program, the better. When someone is attending a program, lighten their workload to reduce stress and allow them to be present.
And make it easy for participants to apply the learning. It’s more valuable to let people apply what they’ve learned to their own projects first. This gives them the opportunity to determine what lessons are relevant before sharing them with the rest of the team.
Foster new experiences
Research shows that to be inspired, we need to transcend current thought and become aware of new or better possibilities. As the adage goes, if you keep doing what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always gotten.
Frontline managers have the largest and most immediate influence. If you’re a manager who wants to grow your team, demonstrate that you’re committed to growth yourself.
Kristi Hedges is a senior leadership coach who specializes in executive communications.