3 ways leaders can inspire impactful growth and development

Getting and retaining top talent is essential for team and credit union success.

Training and development opportunities are a key factor in employee engagement and retention. Among Gen Z and Millennials it tends to be one of the key factors in choosing to work for, and stay with, a company. This combined group of workers will account for 65+% of the workforce by 2025.

Providing these opportunities for learning and growth is the first step. As a manager and a leader the role you play needs to go deeper to help ensure the full benefits of training events are realized.

Often we feel there are not enough hours in the day to get through our responsibilities. The thought of adding one more thing to the list can feel overwhelming. However, these 3 support steps can take minimal time, and have significant impact.

Talk through the purpose and intent of the training with your team members before they attend. If it is assigned/mandatory training, explain the purpose, and be sure to include both the personal benefit for them individually, as well as how it will benefit the team, members, and/or the credit union as a whole. Helping people understand the “why” and the benefits of the training can help engage them in the process, especially when it is assigned training.

If it is voluntary training, or training they requested, chat with them about their goals of attending. This can help them visualize what they are looking to gain, and can also give you insight into their long term goals and aspirations which can help you support them in their growth and goal achievement.

Set expectations for what the change in knowledge, behavior or skill will be after the training and how that will be measured. If this is mandated training then you need to have, and share, a clear vision of what you expect in terms of knowledge and/or performance changes after the training event is completed. Be concise to ensure you are both on the same page with expectations. Having these expectations set ahead of time can help with engagement during the training.

In the case of training that a team member is initiating, ask them what they are planning to do or understand differently after the training. What are they hoping to accomplish by attending? Help them formulate specific goals and measurements for success. This will help them clarify what they want to achieve.

Schedule a follow up meeting(s) to discuss learnings and next steps (and do not cancel or rush through these meetings). This is frequently missed completely and/or considered optional. If the training is worth the time and resource commitment, then follow up and support is certainly warranted. You and your team members have established the relevance of the training and set expectations for knowledge/skill development, behavior change, etc, and now your role is to provide ongoing support and accountability.

Training should not be an event, it should be a process. Leadership does not begin and end at providing a training event as a resource. Leaders join their teams on their growth and development journey.

“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, you are a leader.” – John Quincy Adams