If you want to improve your company’s odds of success, develop an environment of continual learning. Business leaders who focus on the advancement of their employees build companies of strength and innovative thinking.

Developing an environment conducive to learning is essential. If you want to increase your business’ future opportunities, consider the following ways you can innovate your company’s learning environment.

Provide Choices

Give team members choice in how they learn. Not every member of your team will learn at the same pace or in the same way. Some employees will be visual learners while others will prefer to absorb information via podcasts or text. When you understand the learning preferences of your staff, you will be able to create learning environments where each member of your team can excel. Entrepreneurs such as Bill Gates think that learning from textbooks is becoming obsolete.

View As A Long Term Project

Look at team learning as a long-term project. Increasing the expertise of your team won’t happen overnight. You can’t expect superstar performers on your company’s teams (sales, marketing, etc.) without offering them the tools to learn and an atmosphere conducive to ongoing education. When you invest in long-term learning opportunities for your staff, you increase the potential for your business to excel over time. 

Have An Inclusive Approach

Patrick Dwyer Merrill Lynch (a former BOFAML advisor) suggests being inclusive in your approach to team learning. He further adds “Opportunities for advancement shouldn’t just be available to specific departments within your company. Look at each staff member’s capabilities and ask yourself whether their skills are transferable to other opportunities within your organization. When you begin to look at each employee’s possibilities instead of their current job description, you realize how important it is to be inclusive in your approach to staff development”

Look Outside The Company

Empower your team to seek learning opportunities outside of those offered by your company. Reward team members with scholarships to local education facilities or online learning institutions. Employees who understand their boss is willing to invest in their potential are much more likely to work hard to prove that their employer’s faith in them was justified.

Develop A Collaborative Team

Develop a sense of collaboration among your team when it comes to learning. Not every team member will learn at the same pace or in the same way, but building an environment of collaborative learning helps your staff to know your company is invested in their success and you want the entire team to grow.

Elon Musk’s employees work in an environment of collaborative learning, they are much more likely to reach out to other staff members who may need additional guidance.

Integrate these tips into your company’s educational structure and you will be amazed at how successful your team members can become. A focus on continuing education and skill advancement will do much more for your team than cracking a proverbial whip or being a berating boss who doesn’t value their employees.