We all want our staff (including ourselves!) to be up to date with the latest skills, knowledge and understanding that enable us to do our jobs effectively. But how do we ensure that the professional development opportunities we access aren’t just an expensive time-wasting exercise?
Find the ‘hook’
You can only professionally develop someone if they want to engage in the process. This means finding a ‘hook’ that shows them the benefit of getting involved. That might be a payrise, a qualification, a promotion, or just the prospect of not getting sacked for being terrible at their job! The hook will be personal to the individual, so you need to know what motivates them to know how to sell the professional development opportunity.
Reduce the pressure
Professional development shouldn’t be an add-on that makes the staff member think “Not MORE work!” You should choose an option that fits around a staff member’s existing responsibilities, and that might mean delegating to others in the team, or being more relaxed about deadlines while they complete the professional development activity.
Pick the right format
Everyone learns in different ways, so you need to make sure that the professional development activity that you offer is personalised to the individual’s preferred mode of learning. Some people like to learn by shadowing others, some like to go on a course (especially if there is a fancy buffet!), some prefer to read a book or do their own internet research, and some might favour an online course. Being presented with a variety of different options to solve the same skills gap gives the individual ownership over their learning, making them more likely to engage. It also means you are less likely to waste your money on ineffective learning solutions.
Think about the business
It’s all very well offering staff their dream pick of professional development to achieve their goals, but if that turns out to be learning to be a surf instructor so they can quit their job and move to Australia, that’s not going to do much for your business. Professional development needs should be identified through the performance management process, so that they benefit the business as well as the individual. There’s nothing to stop an enthusiastic member of staff coming to you with a professional development idea that hasn’t been identified in their review, but you’ll want to consider this carefully in light of your business needs.
Evaluate success
The most important part of the professional development process is evaluating its effectiveness at the very end. This can mean assessing whether the staff member is performing better, but it should also mean asking the staff member for THEIR opinion on the professional development activity completed. If all they can tell you is that the buffet was delicious, you know that course is probably not one you want to send someone on again!
You might find it helpful to think of professional development as clothes – one identical outfit may look good on one person, but terrible on another! A clingy bodycon dress may make one person feel confident and glamorous, and another self conscious and awkward. And the scruffy look may work for Boris Johnson, but if the average middle aged man rocked up to work dressed like that, people might think they hadn’t been home all night…
