Humans are naturally wired to learn. When people participate in activities that fill their natural need for transformative learning, they are more confident, are less likely to be depressed and are more likely to tackle challenges with a positive attitude. Plus, in today’s high-tech world, continuous learning is necessary to stay on top of constantly changing technology. Help spark a learning-focused culture among your team members and you’ll see impressive results.
A team that is regularly expanding its knowledge base is more motivated, has a wider skill set and is more productive. Here are seven ways to foster a culture of learning:
Create a formal process to share new knowledge
Show your team members that learning is a required part of their job by setting up a system that allows them to easily share what they have learned. Employees keep learning, and they help educate each other.
Reward learning
Acknowledge when employees have worked hard to learn something new. Hand out gifts for employees, such as a phone power bank or journal, to recognize their new skills and motivate others to keep learning.
Welcome risk taking
Encourage employees to take tolerable risks and support them even if they fail. Make sure to reiterate the importance of trying again. Learning from mistakes is an important part of growth.
Get out of the office to learn
Support learning opportunities outside the office, such as conferences, external networking and team-building activities. Provide team-building gifts, such as hats or T-shirts, to generate excitement during the out-of-office events.
Regroup as a team
When large projects are finished, meet with the whole team to discuss what was learned and what could’ve been improved. Remind team members of these lessons when the next project begins.
Ask for input
Make sure employees know their opinions are important. Make it clear that their ideas are always welcomed and taken into consideration.
Start mentorships
When new employees are partnered with seasoned team members, they are more likely to ask questions and feel like a part of the team. Be sure to show appreciation to mentors with an employee thank you gift like a notepad.
Putting these ideas into action will help create a learning-based culture within your company. Encouraging learning among staff by using gifts as rewards will ultimately produce a better team.