Lifelong learning offers all kinds of benefits, from enhancing your brain health to improving your sense of connection to others. Keeping your promo skills sharp, from pursuing education and certification to regularly reading industry news, can give you a competitive edge. Whether you’re a one-person promo shop, part of a team or you lead a team, continuous learning is a necessity.
How can you make it part of your culture? A blog post from ClearCompany outlines some ideas. Keep reading this issue of PromoPro Daily for some best practices for continuous learning.
Conduct a skills gap analysis. This allows you to clearly see what skills your promo company has and what you may be missing. The ClearCompany blog suggests using tools like focus groups, performance reviews and surveys to gather insights from your team. When you know what skills you need to boost, you can focus your learning and development efforts in those areas.
Get clear on your goals. Consider what goals will bring you joy while aligning with your company’s needs. If you lead a team, the blog says you can build personalized learning paths for each member of your team. Help them tie their goals into both individual and business success.
Use technology for support. According to ClearCompany, this is the secret to seamless, scalable continuous learning. Learning management systems host a variety of educational content, from courses to training materials, so that you can personalize the learning experience for each of your staff members.
Recognize and reward learning. When learning is encouraged and celebrated, it becomes part of your company culture, the ClearCompany post says. Use promo to commend employees who earn industry certification or learn a new skill. Branded office items or engraved plaques are a great way to acknowledge employees’ achievements.
Watch and adapt. Learning means changing. Make sure you track your own experience with learning and development while also monitoring your team members. Are employees applying their new skills? Do they feel more engaged? The post recommends asking for feedback from your employees and refining your initiatives to be sure they remain relevant and impactful.
As we approach a new year, think about how you can prioritize continuous learning. Maybe it’s seeking a mentor, pursing promo industry certification or completing a course to gain a new skill. Embracing a learning mindset can give your career a boost and bring you greater fulfillment.
Compiled by Audrey Sellers
Source: A blog from ClearCompany, a talent management platform that helps businesses recruit, onboard, recognize and retain employees.
