Creating a Supportive Learning Environment

A year ago, I looked around, and I thought to myself, "We did it! I don't know how exactly or when it happened, but we have built a learning culture!!"

I was soooooo proud of everyone in the hotel when I walked around on a Thursday afternoon. No matter where I went, there was a learning activity happening. But not just learning for the sake of it. Not just a quick traditional one during the briefing that will most likely be a refresher that everyone already knows and is bored of. No, I am talking about authentic learning!

Passing by the stewarding area, I noticed that the service team was in there, so I checked it out. The stewarding Supervisor was conducting training about breakages. I stood there and listened. He presented actual data and a business case for the reduction of breakages. He explained the current cost, why breakage happens, how it can be reduced, and how the cost impacts the colleagues. I was impressed by his structured and logical approach and how the team received it. There were good conversations and questions; together, they identified practices that caused the problem and found solutions. When the training finished, I said to the Supervisor, "Well done. You executed it very well!" We continued talking, and I found out that nobody had asked him to do it; they just figured within the Stewarding team that it was time to address the issue since the cost had gone up.

Then, I went to a restaurant where cigar and whiskey training was taking place by an external company organised by the Beverage and Restaurant manager. These guys plan, organise, or facilitate weekly in-depth training for the F&B service teams to increase beverage revenue. They have implemented up-selling training (not a program) that helps and motivates colleagues to sell more individually.

Subsequently, I walked down to another restaurant where the Chef was conducting food training for the service team. They had the dish prepared to taste, which helped them describe it and build vocabulary to sell. The partnership between the culinary and service team was just beautiful to watch!!!

It is also essential to understand that colleagues in our hotel were not scared to tell us what they were unsure of and what training they would require to perform better. I regularly received valid requests, or colleagues came to my office asking how to create a group on Outlook email, connect one system with another, or help them map out their career opportunities.

Isn't that the most beautiful learning environment/culture????

A learning culture is defined; as one in which employees continuously seek, share and apply new knowledge and skills to improve individual and organisational performance. I think we have smashed that one!!!

But how did that happen?

Firstly, as part of my role, I have put a robust training plan for every position. This included a detailed training plan for the first 90 days of joining incorporating mandatory, system, compliance, role-specific, leader and managerial tasks/role-related, and L&D-led training.

Secondly, a departmental training structure has been implemented, ensuring continuous competency development. The number of training these guys produce monthly is insane, in a good way!

Thirdly, every month leaders & managers received a short (20min) leadership training to prime their brains to re-evaluate inherent and ingrained ways of thinking about people management and employee engagement. The GM is exceptionally supportive of this. As every L&D professional knows that learning is emergent from within a person, the only way to achieve change is to challenge their current way of thinking and expose them to different practices. One will click, and there will be a behavioural change!

Lastly, they received regular nudges from me to engage in online learning, and I also sent a short learning material every morning on the hotel WhatsApp group. It may be a short video, picture, practice, message etc... The team tops this by randomly sending "Did you know?" videos from separate departments to ensure that cross-departmental learning occurs. So there is learning all around!!! We did many more things, but these were the key drivers of our learning culture.

However, the critical factor to a learning culture is the managers! Without them, none of this would have happened. Without their passion for developing their teams, training would be non-existent or done half-heartedly with no positive or tangible outcome.

Creating a learning culture is easy, but you need the right people to build it. I was so very proud of these guys!!!!

To learn more about how to create a supportive learning culture, listen to this podcast on Spotify.