Not everyone’s potential is easy to see or clear-cut. Some employees’ potential may naturally shine through everything they do, making it blindingly obvious that their skills are worth developing further.
But is that to say that the development of those employees who aren’t as naturally skilled should be overlooked?
Of course not! Every employee deserves training. You simply can’t tell what lies beneath unless you give all employees the same chances.
And you never know – you might be pleasantly surprised!
So, to make sure everyone in your company has the same chance to reach maximum-awesomeness, here are some top tips to make sure everyone gets the training they deserve:
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Recognise the potential in everyone
Just because someone is a perfectionist who always ‘gives 110%’ doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll be the one to succeed. Some naturally talented individuals may only be giving 50% yet will be making far more of an impact. It’s important to recognise the potential in everyone – the perfectionist with a great work ethic and the laid back star worker both have the potential to become better, more productive employees. The trick is offering them the correct training.
Recognise those with breadth versus depth
Do you have an employee who can turn his hand to anything and get good results from whatever he sets his sights on? Are there some who have one passion or specialisation and who excel at that?
Make sure you can see the difference between these employees, as they’ll need different training to reach their potential.
The all-rounder might need your direction to hone his skills more thoroughly, while the employee with a specialisation may need to focus their development in other areas. There’s little point having a fantastically skilled employee who knows your products inside-out but who can’t sell them.
What’s the employee’s long-term goal?
Or to look at it another way, what skills do you hope to develop in them? The kind of training required by someone hoping to become a manager will be very different from the training needed by a new employee just starting out in the field.
There’s no point asking a new starter to sit through management training unless they hope to one day become a manager; similarly, not all managers will need to learn the very basics of the business. Make sure the training is set at the correct level for employees and they’ll find it far more useful!
Encourage ownership of training
Yes, sometimes training is essential and employees won’t have a choice of whether they take it or not – think compliance training or fire safety. But not all training will be like this.
It’s great to encourage an informal learning culture within the organisation, whereby employees are able to pick and choose which training programmes they take from a repository, or request external training where appropriate.
Granting an employee’s training wishes in this way not only shows them they are valued, but lets them take charge of their own training and development. Once employees are actively involved in their training, as opposed to passively going along with what is required of them, you’ll see an uptick in their productivity and skills.
And since employees are able to select the kind of training they desire, you might find their skills developing in ways you never expected. Who knew that Emily, one of your salespeople, was interested in becoming an after-sales account manager?
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It’s clear that everyone deserves training, whether they are high-fliers or ‘newbies’ just starting out. Creating an informal learning environment that allows your learners to forge their own unique learning journeys can be a real benefit to them, but it can also help you capture organisational knowledge.
If you want to set learning free withing your organisation, download our handy tip sheet by clicking the button below!
