‘Continuous growth’ is a new organisational framework taking the entrepreneurial community by storm. It is a challenging time for businesses, as they navigate periods of recession and trade-related increases in essential operating costs. Many organisations have faced severe challenges, with several falling short of their goals. However, businesses focused on long-term survival are wisely looking both inward and outward to foster robustness and change.
In the business world, ‘growth’ has always been highly valued. Yet, in the context of ‘continuous growth,’ it adopts a more holistic, non-financial meaning. Continuous growth embodies a company philosophy of constant education, re-evaluation, and reinvention. But how can you effectively implement this philosophy in your business? And how can it improve your business outcomes?
Leadership’s Role in Fostering Learning
Fostering a company culture of continuous growth is not difficult, but it requires understanding from all levels of upper management. Leadership must create an atmosphere of learning and curiosity by leading through example.
Therefore, department heads should actively engage in continuous growth strategies and adopt new frameworks for their teams. Their role in your business presents a prime opportunity to highlight the benefits of ongoing personal development.
Clear Communication and Expectations
This is where transparency becomes particularly important. As a business, you should not leave anything to the imagination when it comes to new directions or new employee expectations. From the outset, you should be clear about precisely what you mean by continuous growth and what changes concern employee expectations and KPIs.
This is also the point at which it may be wise to run continuous growth frameworks past your business’s legal counsel. Encouraging employees to learn and grow in their roles is one thing, but basing performance and appraisal results on their learning could open up some issues.
Accessible Learning Resources
With this in mind, learning and growth should also be made as accessible as possible for employees, not just in relation to the Equality Act 2010, but also to ensure that all employees are equitably able to reach their full potential. Technology will play a massive part in this, particularly in the field of cloud collaboration.
Recognition and Rewards for Learning
Continuous growth is an excellent mindset for a business. Still, not so much so for an individual employee within the company – that is, unless recognition and rewards are folded into the framework. Self-improvement and reinvention are excellent for the CV, but long-serving employees need to see benefits that don’t require them to interview elsewhere. Small rewards for growth milestones could be a good incentive, as could transparent progression pipelines for newly-educated staff.
