Published: 7.18.23

Today’s environment is ever-changing and increasingly competitive. The high-quality services and products for which companies used to be known are still vital to long-term success, but additional differentiating factors are equally important if a business is looking to be a leader in the market. One way companies can continue to distinguish themselves from their competitors, both for Clients and employees, is by creating a sustainable culture of growth and development.

Defining a Culture of Growth + Development

Building a sustainable culture of growth and development requires companies to be thoughtful about how they support employees and encourage both short- and long-term learning and growth. A culture of growth and development is one that encourages and supports employees to learn new skills, develop their talents, and take on new and challenging projects.

 

Companies that support employee development create environments that are more engaging, are more motivating, and help employees feel more valued. In a culture with consistent emphasis on growth and development, employees are more engaged and more equipped to face challenges, leading to better outcomes and performance.

The Br8kthru Way: How We’ve Built a Sustainable Culture of Growth + Development

A positive, encouraging environment is essential for any initiative to be sustainable long-term. For opportunities for growth and development, consider ways to incorporate learning and training into everyday activities, or to support individuals as they embark on learning on their own. Also encourage employees to seek out the opportunities that support their personal and professional goals, so they stay excited about the learning over time. This will help build a culture of growth and development, rather than throwing numerous opportunities at team members with little support or guidance, which can lead to feeling overwhelmed by or “burned out” on learning.

 

At Br8kthru, one of our core values is Continuous Improvement, so having systems and processes in place to support a culture of growth and development is important to our team. Here are the activities we’ve incorporated into our company culture so growth and development are sustainable over time:

Guided Growth with Professional Development Plans

To tell employees to improve or learn new skills is too open-ended a request. Instead, encouraging employees to chart a course for their development by way of a professional development plan (PDP) helps narrow the focus. Team members collaborate with managers and peers to choose skills they’d like to build for their development, then break the development down into smaller steps to make meaningful progress toward their goals.

By collaborating with their managers on creating their PDPs, individuals can be sure that their PDPs are aligned with personal goals, their roles, and business goals over time. We use SMART goals, which are goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound, to help set team members up for success while providing structure for their growth and development.

In addition, encourage team members to take time to work on their PDPs, such as a day when they’re light on meetings, so they feel they’re making meaningful progress.

Accessible Learning with Professional Development Stipends

One of the ways to make learning and growth sustainable is to make it accessible. By providing team members with a professional development stipend, organizations can ensure team members are able to prioritize their learning, while demonstrating that they value the investment individuals are making in their growth.

Br8kthru encourages team members to use their professional development stipend on professional association memberships, trainings, books, courses, and more. We stay flexible in how we define professional development, so team members can prioritize the activities that will align with their goals in their current role and in their career. We’ve found this leads to higher satisfaction and stipend utilization.

Establishing Organizational Commitment with Team Trainings

Team Br8kthru has regular training opportunities for the whole team to come together on a relevant topic. Not only does this build skills among team members, but it demonstrates the importance of growth and development at the organizational level. Learning together also provides team members with an opportunity to learn from one another, which can make the process more engaging overall.

 

At Br8kthru, recent trainings we’ve had as a team include our Core Values — Collective Accountability, Continuous Improvement, Empathy, and Michelin-Star Standards — and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). At the service area level, teams have taken trainings together on topics such as the transition from Universal Analytics to Google Analytics 4, how best to create a holistic SEO strategy, and more.

By aligning your training to your organizational goals and company culture, the team will continue to build a shared understanding of the business, which will contribute to a stronger culture and outcomes over time. Similarly, specific team trainings can build rapport and skills.

Creating Opportunities for Development with Year-Round Feedback

Growth and development includes getting feedback, both positive and negative, for individual team members to act upon. When you provide feedback all year, rather than solely at end-of-year reviews, team members are more likely to take constructive feedback and incorporate it into their work, or to feel the benefits of positive feedback. If you wait to provide feedback, the learning moment may have passed, which could lead to frustration or confusion over time. That said, feedback is most effective when it follows individual preferences. From written or spoken feedback, public or private praise, aligning with preferences can help individuals be more receptive to feedback, positive and constructive.

Whether you use 360° Feedback, when multiple people have opportunities to provide anonymous feedback to team members, or another system, it’s important to provide balanced, ongoing feedback to motivate team members to continue to improve. At Br8kthru, we provide regular feedback during scheduled one-on-ones, in the moment when applicable, and through 360° reviews. In addition, there are multiple avenues to recognize team members for their contributions to our work, while being mindful of the fact that different people prefer to receive feedback differently.

Reap the Benefits of a Culture of Growth + Development

Culture change can be challenging, but rewarding. Whether your organization has a sustainable culture of growth and development or not, taking the time to build systems and processes to encourage short- and long-term learning can benefit individuals and organizations. In an increasingly competitive landscape, culture is becoming more of a differentiator for organizations, both as Clients seek out partners and as individuals seek out — and stay with — employers. By actively taking steps to build a sustainable culture of growth and development, your organization can differentiate itself from others, while building up employees for better results long-term