Maybe you recognize it. For days, the MT has been coming up with the best visions and new organisational goals in a cabin on the moor and is coming back to business with enthusiasm. But the plans often end up in vain, because they are forgotten just as quickly as they were chalked on the whiteboard. Because the organisational goals were not in line with practice, or were not understood and supported by the employees.
Almost every organisation is built on turnover, productivity, which is why achieving targets is usually high on the agenda of management, MT and managers. Quite logical. Because if they lose sight of these aspects, the organisation will not last long.
An employee usually has other interests. In addition to the monthly paycheck, personal growth, career prospects, happiness at work, autonomy and meaningful work are also playing an increasing role. And that's not even talking about the work-life balance, which, especially among the younger generation, can be a decisive factor in choosing an employer — or not.
In the long run, work that is only about achieving organisational goals and does not meet the needs of the individual employee leads to less motivation, engagement and ultimately dropout. On the other hand, if employees are mainly focused on their own growth without paying attention to the bigger picture, the organisation goes off course.
An optimal balance must therefore be found. It is therefore important to build a good bridge between the two perspectives. That is certainly possible. Personal development and productivity growth are not necessarily opposites; they can actually reinforce each other.
If you ensure that the learning and development processes contribute to both the employee's personal growth and the organisational goals, you have the right connection. Then you keep the organisation future-proof and, at the same time, the employees remain sustainably employable and satisfied.
So win-win for everyone! But how do you go about this?
Of course, it's great to brainstorm with your feet on the table at the MT, but don't build castles in the air. When determining your organisational goals and strategy, be as close to practice as possible by testing the ideas with a workplace delegation before you give a final slap on your policy.
Ask your Works Council or internal ambassadors for their opinion on time and, above all, do something about it. Check that the ideas aren't too wild. Are your plans okay, but are they just not quite in line with the employees' current knowledge and skills? Then you have a great basis for continuing to work with the learning and development environment in the company!
Involve your employees in time in the plans you have in the shorter and longer term. You mainly do this by communicating a lot and clearly. You can do that in many ways and at times. Written or oral, online or live, during a larger staff meeting or department meeting.
Harness the power of repetition. In this way, you keep the organisational goals alive and prevent the focus on them from disappearing. Sometimes it takes a while for information to really arrive and people need time to process something, especially when it comes to complex issues or a major change such as a reorganization. Use the language of your employees as much as possible in your information provision, take into account their level and nationality.
If you want to ensure that development contributes to both individual growth and organisational goals, sufficient time and attention must be paid to personal development, professional knowledge, collaboration and leadership. This requires effective managers and supervisors.
Managers have a lot of impact on the atmosphere and effectiveness of a team. They are also important carriers of the learning and development culture within a company. That is why you should also regularly check the fleet at this level: how do managers carry out the mission and vision of the organisation, do they know how to motivate and stimulate their people in their development, or can they also use new knowledge and skills themselves?
Give employees as much ownership as possible over their development. This can be done in various ways. For example, by explicitly putting learning and development on the agenda and recording it in a Personal Development Plan (POP) during the (usually annual) performance review. But making a personal development budget or an easily accessible Learning Management System (LMS) clearly available, where you can easily choose from a wide range of training and training courses, also puts the employee in control.
To ensure that the new knowledge and skills are well anchored within the organisation, it is smart to make targeted agreements with employees who are going to follow a course or course. How are they going to use their new knowledge or skills with regard to the organisational goals, and do they want, for example, as buddy or mentor also show their colleagues around, so that the new knowledge can spread through the organisation like an oil slick?
Talent development is a must if you are employer branding want to strengthen and keep your employees on board. But don't set the bar too high. Keep the process enjoyable and achievable by setting realistic goals. Cut courses into smaller modules, and make sure that every step achieved is positively rewarded. It does not always have to be redeemed in euros, even a heartfelt compliment, a flower or a pat on the back work wonders.
Clear career prospects can be very motivating for employees to invest in their development. A mix of learning opportunities and flexible learning paths ensure that almost every employee has the opportunity to develop in their own way. Ensure that employees experience recognition and meaning by emphasising how they can contribute to organisational goals through their developed competencies.
Are you looking for an accessible, flexible learning and development environment and a convenient communication platform? Then Pluvo could just be the solution for your organisation. With Pluvo, you make a direct connection between the growth of your employees and the organisational goals, so that both reinforce each other.
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!
