Investing in learning and development for your employees shows that you care about their professional growth, and ensure that your team stays updated on the latest industry trends. However, sending people off to take courses online or at local colleges can cost time and money that your business can’t spare. Not only is it financially costly, it means that at least one member of your team needs to spend time to go to the course, take it, and then commute back. There is a better way; internal learning and development sessions.
5 tips to host an internal learning and development session
1. Decide what needs work
Every teams have their weaknesses. Before deciding what learning and development program you should implement, find out what your team’s weakness is. Start by looking at your different departments and finding which ones are performing poorly, then analyze which skills need improvement. For example, your marketing team needs a fundamental understanding of analytics so they know which campaigns were worth running and why. You could also start with a general refresher, like an introductory marketing course that goes over the basics so your team can brush up on their skills.
2. Narrow down your program choices
Choose your program based on good research, but also look at the logistics. Here are a few questions you should ask before you begin your research;
- How much time can your team (or trainees) spare each day? Do you want it to be a one-day course, something they can take in their free time, or something longer?
- Do you want the course to be online, or in the office?
- Do you want to teach it yourself, or do you want a program that comes with a facilitator?
- Do you want to develop a learning and development program in-house?
3. Do your research
When you know what topic you want to cover, and what logistics you’re looking for, you can begin your research. Look into programs that have a good reputation, cover the topics you want, and are within your price range. If you’re in the Philippines, check out People Dynamics.
4. Prepare a space
Unless you decide to go with an online course, your team will need a space to meet and learn regularly. Even if you do choose something online, you may want to set aside a space in the office they can watch the training videos and listen to lectures in private. This designated space could be a meeting room or a conference hall, depending on how many people you want to send through the program.
5. Implement
Once everything is set up, execute the lesson plan and measure the results! You may want to give your team some incentive to complete the learning and development course with flying colors.
What are your tips? Let us know if we missed anything in the comments below. We’d love to hear from you!
About the Author: Jocelyn Pick
