How do we keep our teams learning when budgets are tight?
"A cat in a cubicle working at a computer, digital art" / DALL-E
The past few months have been a rough time in terms of job security. Many clients, colleagues and friends have either had their positions eliminated or seen their teams shrink. Fears of a recession, lagging stock prices, price increases and inflation worries are causing many businesses to pause and pull back growth and spending plans.
One of the first things to go in a spending crunch are “cost centers” - non-revenue generating parts of the business that can sometimes been seen as “non-essential”. Of particular interest to me (and to readers of this newsletter!) is how learning and development teams fare during these lean times.
An important thing to remember is that developing a learning culture in your organization doesn’t require a big budget. There are many small, inexpensive and effective things you and your teams can do during periods of disruption that will pay dividends in the long run. Here are a few ideas:
Create Peer Coaching Groups
Organize groups of 5-7 employees together to meet on a monthly cadence for one hour. The agenda is simple - ask people to bring their a challenge they’re facing, and encourage the group to break off into pairs and triads (groups of three) to coach each other through their issues. Developing bonds of peers helps build a sense of belonging and also enhances the levels of trust across teams that don’t normally interact. If you need a teaching guide to help people with the skill of coaching, I highly recommend The Coaching Habit.
Create Learning “Office Hours”
Sometimes people have a quick question, or might not know about existing resources to help with their people management or communication challenges. Set aside an hour per week for people to pop into a Zoom call to ask questions and get mini-trainings on whatever they’re interested in. If you’re struggling with attendance, you can focus these these by team and see if you can get invited to different team meetings to give a quick five minute plug to let people know this resource exists.
Take your Facilitation skills “on the road”
It’s amazing to see the impact that a skilled facilitator with a fresh set of eyes can have on a project or team goal. Offer yourself as a “guest facilitator” to help different teams resolve long standing challenges or simply break old habits for team meetings, check-ins or standups. Doing so will help you get a better understanding of what other teams are working on, and put you in a great position to go back to those teams later with offers for skill building sessions they might want in the future.
What kinds of “zero budget” ideas are you bringing to the table this winter? Reply back and let me know!
(not so) Quick Reads:
If you’re looking to add some structure to your people management approach, I highly recommend the book “The Effective Manager” by Mark Horstman. His step by step guide to people management is research-based, simple to follow and exceptionally clear in its approach. If you’re a people manager (or an aspiring one) this guide is a fantastic way to enter 2023 in a more organized, structured and…effective way. If you read it, let me know - I’d love to to chat with you about the tools and recommendations.
Virtual Public Speaking
When presenting on video calls, do you ever think…
I don’t know where to look. Do I look at the camera? At my slides? I've been doing this for months and it still feels awkward to me.
I have no idea if anyone is paying attention. I feel like my ideas are strong but I don't know how to engage the virtual audience in discussions. Whenever I ask a question all I hear is crickets.
I feel nervous even though I know what I'm talking about. I used to present in meetings all the time in person, but now when I'm working from home I don't have the same level of confidence sharing in hybrid meetings.
We have officially launched our “Virtual Public Speaking Skills” Online Class!
This self-directed, online video class is perfect for experienced presenters looking to "level-up" their virtual communication techniques. By the end of the course you'll be confidently preparing for virtual meetings, "dominating the mechanics" of virtual presentation software, engaging with your audience in quality two-way dialogue and wow-ing each and every virtual audience you find yourself in front of!
Want a Workshop or Coaching for Your Team?
Oak and Reeds offers training on hybrid communication, managing remote teams, interviewer skills, change leadership and more.
All our trainings can be conducted virtually using Zoom or in person.
Interested in scheduling a training for a team? Click the link below to set up some time to chat with Dave Collins about your training and coaching needs: