Personal development: you hear the term everywhere, but what is it really? It is quite a broad term. It ranges from working on yourself to grow as a person, to increasing your self-awareness and making better use of your potential. Knowing what you can do, what gives you energy, how to improve, but also where your limits lie. If you take a good approach to your personal development, you will become “the best version of yourself”. Another hip, maybe a bit bland expression, but no less true.
An employer that wants employees not only to perform well today, but also to be ready for tomorrow's challenges, consciously invests in their personal development. That is not a luxury, but a must. This is because such an investment not only increases the motivation, job satisfaction and loyalty of employees, but also the strength and future-proofing of the entire organisation.
Surely you are such a smart employer and have therefore set aside a nice budget for the development of your employees. But with buying a high-tech Learning Management System (LMS), hiring a guru as a lecturer or very expensive huts on the moor, you're not there alone. Above all, you will have to motivate your employees to take their development opportunities, or (better still) even embrace them. But how do you do that?
Of course, we have a few practical tips to get your employees excited about their personal development.
Almost everything stands or falls with good communication. This also applies to personal development. Therefore, after the introduction of an LMS, appointments during a performance review or an inspiring workshop, do not suddenly fall into deafening silence. Make personal development a recurring topic of conversation.
Put learning and development on the agenda of the work meetings regularly, place flyers in strategic places and provide pop-ups and enthusiastic emails as soon as a new training or useful chapter has been introduced. This way, you can literally and figuratively keep your employees on track!
Most people are certainly willing to sit down at school or behind the laptop to gain new knowledge and skills. But then it must be clear what it can bring them. So make sure you have a clear answer to the question “What's in it for me?” If that is clear, the motivation to learn will follow almost automatically.
The ROI (return on investment) of taking a course or training really doesn't always have to be paid out in euros or a promotion. If you are able to explain to an employee well that learning a new way of working means that work can be done more pleasantly, easier or safer, someone also comes to that. The prospect of better health or more peace of mind is also a positive incentive to get started with a course or workshop.
Learning and development doesn't have to be boring. In fact, it is precisely unexpected, surprising teaching material that lingers the longest and can often be retold exactly years later. So it's a good idea to make the content of lessons and training courses very diverse and, above all, fun.
Cut long lessons into attractive knowledge snacks, give spicy subject matter a funny twist, and alternate written chapters with surprising video material. If you use online teaching methods, gamification very easy to install. But you can also do it live learn by playing: classroom or practical lessons can easily end with a fun pub quiz or skill battle.
Nothing is more motivating than being able to choose for yourself. Therefore, ensure sufficient personal control during the evaluation interview, by having the employee record his or her development wishes in a personal development plan (POP).
If, after determining the spot on the horizon, the employee can then choose from a wide range of teaching materials and training and, if possible, further color their development at their own pace, the learning and development process feels completely “unique”.
Every employee learns in a different way. Some people like to listen to podcasts or prefer to have their head in the books, others go for interactive training courses or short quizzes. Fortunately, there are many ways to acquire knowledge and develop, so you can take this into account.
Alternate classroom lessons with e-learning, flip a classroom or take students out to work for a practical lesson. You also lower the learning threshold by offering the course material at different levels. And if people of various nationalities work in the company, ensure an adequate translation of the course material. Offering different class dates and times can also offer just that flexibility, so people are more likely to sign up spontaneously.
In short: stimulating the personal development of employees is not a luxury, but an investment in the future of your organisation. And that doesn't have to be a difficult task! If you make learning fun, personal, and accessible, you'll soon find that your employees' motivation and engagement grow naturally.
Pluvo helps your organisation make learning accessible, personal and fun. With our e-learning solutions, you can effortlessly create trajectories that really touch and stimulate employees.
Experience the power of Pluvo for yourself! Click here for a demo or call +31 (20) 560 5001.
As an educational expert specialising in online learning, I have been writing blogs for Pluvo for 5 years. My focus is on powerful learning solutions for organisations. Universal Design for Learning and inclusive learning are my passion; I believe that education should be accessible and fun for everyone.
I've been combining my 35 years of HR experience with copywriting for over 15 years. And even then, I learn new things over and over again. That's what makes writing blogs for Pluvo so incredibly interesting!
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