When it comes to improving workplace skills, if you don’t know where the problem lies, how can you be expected to fix it?
If you’re in charge of upskilling the workforce, or if you have made it your personal goal to diversify your skillset yet no progress is being made, it can be tempting to just throw in the towel as frustration builds.
But before you do, consider the real problem at hand. You have a target to meet that is not being met and you don’t know why, yet still you persist. That is your first mistake, as pushing through and continuing, while a sign of resilience, is not what is needed here.
Instead, dissect your upskilling woes by making yourself more aware of the common barriers to lifelong learning and then, once you are armed with that new knowledge, you can really begin the learning process, with wider teams and personal ambitions at the core of your new found action.
So, what are some of the roadblocks that can prevent organisational upskilling?
The growing disconnect
Whether an organisation is large, small or somewhere in between, everyone who is performing a function within it, will have their own motivations and plans for upskilling. The employer might want a diverse workforce skilled in traditional and modern ways of thinking, that can be spread across the company.
A manager might want to upskill with the purpose of further climbing the career ladder or want a training model that encourages development among the teams that are directly under them. And the individual may have a very particular road mapped out with their future in mind, rather than focusing on skills that can be applied to current operational needs.
So, it is not uncommon for leadership and other employees to have very different expectations of how upskilling should be implemented. To ensure that everyone is benefitting from in-house training, while also preventing people from feeling left behind skills-wise, start by asking the workforce about the skills they would actually like to learn, both as part of their current job and skills they may come to need as they advance.
By paying attention and showing the workforce that there is room for growth alongside the organisation’s ambitions, you instill a learning culture that is functional, adaptable and future-focused.
Fear of change
The working world, at least in terms of age, has dramatically increased in diversity, with five generations currently sitting side by side in the workplace and it won’t be too long before the oldest of Gen Alpha join them in a few years.
With life moving at such a rapid pace, it can begin to feel as though everything is changing and for some there can be a natural sense of resistance. Especially if you liked how things were before and see no need for continuous change.
It’s a valid concern, but working life does have to evolve. What’s important is that employers and management respect the feelings of their staff who may be more resistant to upskilling and work to address those concerns while still implementing up-to-date training programmes.
You can’t sit still and neither should you force change in the face of strong opposition, but what you can do is show the value of new upskilling methods, encourage people to offer genuine feedback and give employees a wide exposure to an array of methods – not just tech or materials suited to one demographic. The workplace should blend new and old alike, as age does not mean that an older system or process is now obsolete. In fact, sometimes a simpler solution is what is required.
Reduced resources
Another significant barrier to organisational upskilling is undoubtedly the lack of resources needed to support and maintain growth. If a company doesn’t have the people trained to pass on skills, or the equipment needed to learn and practice, then there are going to be very limited opportunities to expand your knowledge base.
If it becomes apparent that there is a skills deficit, take stock of the resources at your disposal and if they fall below expectations it might be time for increased investment in this area or perhaps have a conversation with the employer about outsourcing training.
For example, if you work in tech and your goal is to improve your knowledge of quantum-related topics, with future upskilling in mind, then you likely will have to speak with an employer about educating yourself outside of the working environment, as not every company will have access to advanced or novel learning apparatus or the people skilled enough to teach it just yet. That being said, make sure to update your resources when you can, lest you fall too far behind.
Weak interpersonal dynamics
Whether we intend to or not, we all learn from each other. Education can sometimes occur by osmosis as you find yourself citing a fact or performing an action that you saw a colleague tackle previously. So, if your place of work does not support strong working relationships, collaborative learning or mentorship, you could find that a weak learning culture has developed.
Bullying – or any kind of negative working atmosphere for that matter– also has the potential to worsen anxiety, lower productivity and reduce the willingness to engage in additional workplace activities, such as group work or growth opportunities. You could even have a case where a highly skilled employee chooses to leave due to the unhappy atmosphere.
To ensure this doesn’t happen, don’t allow people to become siloed or to establish exclusionary groups. Reach out to employees that are struggling and institute a zero tolerance bullying policy that penalises poor behaviour and encourages the establishment of strong and harmonious working relationships.
All in all, there are a range of barriers to lifelong organisational learning and more will be added over time, but as long as you embrace the new, pay homage to the traditional and take into account the needs of the people as well as the wider organisation, you are off to a decent start.
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