By the Workforce Capability Development team, National Library of Australia
Tips to help your team connect with learning
If you supervise someone or manage a team in the APS, you have an important role to play in continuous learning.
Here are some suggestions to help your team learn better!
- As a team, take some time out to reflect on the past week (or a specific project/task your team has been working on) and consider any lessons learned.
- What worked well?
- What didn't work so well?
- What surprised the team?
- What would you do differently next time?
- Choose a relevant learning resource available from your agency’s Learning and Development area (or another relevant resource) and ask everyone in your team to complete it.
Then in your next team meeting discuss the resource as a group. Here are a few questions to get the conversation started:- What are your initial thoughts about this resource?
- What are some key takeaways?
- How might we apply this learning in our team?
- Take some time to chat with the people you supervise about how they will make time for their learning. This is a great opportunity to dust off their learning and development plans and chat about their progress.
- Make space and find opportunities for your team to practice what they are learning. Arrange for your team members to help other teams working on projects related to what they have learned. Ask other team members to cover their usual work to allow time for this practice.
Tips to connect with your own learning
One of the best ways to support your team to connect with learning is to demonstrate how you prioritise your own learning. Here are some suggestions to get started on your own learning journey.
- Take some time to reflect on your own learning. What can you do now that you couldn’t do three months ago? Revisit your own learning and development plan. How are you progressing? What would you add to your plan?
- If you are looking for some ideas, you could refresh your skills in giving and receiving feedback or conducting a coaching conversation. The APS Academy offers a free Coaching and Developing Others eLearning course.
- If you are looking for some ideas, you could refresh your skills in giving and receiving feedback or conducting a coaching conversation. The APS Academy offers a free Coaching and Developing Others eLearning course.
- Take some time to explore some of the available learning resources available from your agency’s Learning and Development area. You can also explore the APS Crafts and resources on the APS Academy website.
- Listen to an episode of the Work with Purpose podcast. This series explores the important role the Australian Public Service plays in supporting the Australian Government’s priorities for the future.
Other resources to check out
Have a look at these resources for supervisors to encourage and embrace learning:
- 6 ways managers can support employee training (quadmark.com)
- The Manager’s Role in Reinforcing Learning - Training Industry
- Information on Learning and Development Strategy | CIPD
The APS Academy would like to thank the National Library of Australia’s Workforce Capability Development team for contributing this article and their support for Continuous Learning Month.