Learning new skills and knowledge is essential for team performance and innovation. However, not all team members may be willing or eager to learn, especially if they face barriers such as lack of time, motivation, confidence, or support. How can you manage team members who resist learning and help them overcome their challenges? Here are some tips to foster a learning culture in your team.
The first step to manage team members who resist learning is to understand why they are reluctant. There may be different reasons for different individuals, such as fear of failure, lack of interest, low self-efficacy, or perceived irrelevance. You can use various methods to identify the root causes, such as surveys, interviews, feedback sessions, or observation. By listening to your team members and empathizing with their concerns, you can gain insights into their learning needs and preferences.
In my experience, the best way to understand the root causes of a problem is to have a one-on-one meeting or engage in a development dialogue. To take a holistic approach, we first need to understand the career aspirations of the individuals and then work with the team members to identify any gaps in their skills, training needs, and development plans. Once we have agreed upon a plan, we discuss each skill, competency, and training in detail. Another common reason for not attending training is that team members fail to see its benefits or consider it a waste of time.
Learning often requires us to push beyond our comfort zone. This can be uncomfortable and even threatening for some people. Learning will usually result in us making a change to our practice in some way. Change makes people feel insecure, especially if they aren't used to it. Creating a culture where change is commonplace and modelling the process yourself will give team members reassurance that some self-doubt is natural but that the end result of learning will leave them better equipped to fulfil their responsibilities.
I have found observing team members in their daily tasks a good approach to identify patterns of resistance. I also collect feedback from peers or supervisors who work closely with them. The external perspective can reveal behavioral cues and resistance indicators that individuals might not express directly. This holistic view aids in developing targeted strategies to address specific concerns and barriers to learning. Engaging open conversations in a safe environment of what people have learnt and how they have applied their learning, the positive impacts of challenges overcome enables to foster trust and understanding.
The next step is to communicate the goals and expectations of learning to your team members. You should explain why learning is important for the team and the organization, how it aligns with their personal and professional development, and what benefits and rewards they can expect from it. You should also set specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) learning objectives and milestones for each team member, and monitor their progress and performance regularly. By providing clear goals and expectations, you can increase their motivation and accountability for learning.
In my team we identify topics and share it with each team member to research and present the topic during the "Learning Moment" a 30 minutes timeframe on Friday Team Meetings. Every person gets opportunity to present key findings and others can pitch in with their knowledge as well. This has increased ownership, accountability and interests for all.
The third step is to offer flexible and personalized options for learning to your team members. You should recognize that different people have different learning styles, preferences, and paces, and provide them with various choices of learning methods, formats, resources, and tools. You should also allow them to learn at their own time and pace, as long as they meet the deadlines and standards. By offering flexible and personalized options, you can cater to their diverse needs and interests, and enhance their engagement and satisfaction with learning.
Create individualized learning plans based on team members' strengths, interests, and career aspirations. Tailoring objectives to align with their personal goals fosters a sense of ownership, making learning more meaningful and relevant. Facilitate a peer mentoring system where team members can share experiences and insights. This collaborative learning environment promotes mutual support and creates a sense of camaraderie. Peers can encourage each other, provide guidance, and celebrate achievements, enhancing the overall learning culture within the team.
The fourth step is to create a supportive and collaborative environment for learning in your team. You should encourage a growth mindset among your team members, where they view learning as an opportunity to improve themselves and their work, rather than a threat or a burden. You should also foster a culture of feedback, where they can give and receive constructive and respectful feedback on their learning outcomes and processes. Moreover, you should promote a culture of collaboration, where they can share their knowledge and skills, learn from each other, and work together on common goals. By creating a supportive and collaborative environment, you can boost their confidence and competence in learning.
The final step is to recognize and reward achievements in learning among your team members. You should celebrate their successes and milestones, and acknowledge their efforts and improvements. You should also provide them with tangible and intangible rewards, such as bonuses, promotions, recognition, praise, or opportunities. By recognizing and rewarding achievements, you can reinforce their positive attitudes and behaviors towards learning, and inspire them to continue learning and growing.
When you observe a colleague completing a task in a way you know to be inefficient, I find it's best not to step in and say "Don't do that, do this". Instead, ask them why they made the choices they did and what they noticed happened as a result. Ask them how well they think their approach worked and what alternative approaches might have worked better. If they can't come up with anything, then ask "What do you think would happen if you did it like this?". In this way, we are trying to coach them towards a better system, rather than simply instructing them.