Professional development doesn’t stop once you hire the right employees. It’s an ongoing process that you need to revisit frequently. Why? Because just like you, your employees need to know that they’re not only valued but that you’re also invested in their professional success. Being a boss means helping your staff do their best for the company as a whole and individually. If you’ve been looking for ways to foster community in the office, you’ve come to the right place. Here are ways to improve personal development efforts for your entire staff.
Development or Training?
Although some people like to classify these two together, they aren’t the same. Training is when you or your employees learn something new or develop new skills to take on added responsibilities or a different role. On the other hand, development entails enhancing the skills your staff already possess. It’s more like helping them reach their professional goals by providing them with on-the-job refreshers or showing them ways to maximize their potential.
Say you run a small business that employs ten drivers. While your fleet is smaller, it still requires the same attention as a larger one. However, as a business owner, your attention is usually pulled in different directions throughout the day. It would be best if you had a way to track your drivers and how they’re operating your company vehicles. That’s where GPS tracking comes in. In addition to holding monthly meetups to discuss any issues your drivers encounter, you could also use GPS to help them complete their routes faster and safer. As you can see, this is a perfect example of personal and professional development. You’re already aware of their capabilities; you’re simply enhancing their role and making it easier to monitor their performance and help out if needed.
Learn More in Less Time
If you want your employees to pay attention, you must make it worth their time, especially if you are trying to cultivate increased productivity among remote work individuals. Successful development of socials offers value. It’s not about telling them that they’re doing their job. On the contrary, you’re supposed to thank them for a job well done and offer even more ways to make their days more straightforward and less stressful. Set the stage by providing micro-learning sessions. These sessions should only last about 30 to 45 minutes to start. That way, you can understand how your program is received. If things go well, ask whether they would like longer, more in-depth sessions.
Ideas to Try
Everyone has their unique way of digesting new material. The best way to personalize the experience is by asking everyone what they would like to do. Some might say they want to learn or improve their communication skills, while others might want to revisit specific training techniques they still haven’t mastered. There is no right or wrong at this point. It would be best if you made staff members feel valued every step of the way. No one wants to feel obligated to sit in on a boring company huddle only to be told they need to do better at their job.