How Skills Development Drives Innovation & Agility

More and more organizations are prioritizing skills development to drive innovation and agility in their workplace. Almost every industry has experienced unpredictable transformations over the past couple of years. Rapid developments in technology have created skills gaps that many organizations are struggling to navigate.

It’s likely that the skills your employees needed a few years ago aren’t relevant anymore. Gartner says that only 20% of employees have the skills needed for both their current role and their future career. What’s more, an analysis by McKinsey & Company found that 90% of today’s employees will need to reskill by 2030.

Learning Organizations

Employers must turn their attention to learning and development. In the 90s, scientist and thought leader Peter Senge introduced the concept of a learning organization. The vision focuses on creating agile learners that think holistically and adapt quickly. The idea is that these organizations can adapt to unpredictable situations better – and if there’s one word to describe the past few years it’s unpredictable.

A Deloitte study found that learning organizations are 92% more likely to innovate. If your company wants to remain competitive, you’ll require a team of flexible and adaptable employees. Let’s look at five ways that skills development can drive innovation and agility in your organization.

1.     Allows Learning While Working

Unfortunately, people rarely have the capacity to leave work and pursue further studies the traditional way. This is where learning while working comes into play. Employers should be offering employees online courses, team training, and other methods of skills development alongside their work. This forces employees to take ownership of their time management, balancing daily tasks and their learning commitments.

With self-directed learning, new skills weave their way into everyday work activities and drive innovation. Employees don’t need to leave their jobs to upskill. Employers aren’t losing talent and having to spend time and money on hiring. It’s a win-win.

2.     Empowers Managers

Achieving an innovative and agile workplace starts with management. Your organization must invest in training its managers. They require the skills to effectively respond to internal and external changes, make quick but informed decisions, and offer ongoing support. Employees need to know that they have someone to turn to who can help guide their learning journey and keep them on track.

When an organization offers managerial skills development, they are better supporting the team. After all, it’s managers who know individual employees best. They understand what skills are most relevant and necessary for everyday tasks. Skilled managers will better assess company needs and offer development solutions based on their knowledge of company values and employee qualities.

3.     Encourages Teamwork & Collaboration

Innovation relies on teamwork. Every individual in your team has skills and ideas to bring to the table. When you encourage collaboration, these diverse ideas and individual expertise nurture workplace innovation and agility. Create a work environment that supports teamwork. As Steve Jobs said, great things in business are never done by one person.

One method of achieving such collaboration is to introduce team training. Some competencies, particularly soft skills, and digital knowledge, are relevant to everyone. Rather than having everyone complete the same course on their own, turn it into a team activity. There should also be the opportunity to share training insights and help each other nail the new skills in a practical setting.

4.     Increases Flexibility

Flexibility is a key skill set to have in today’s workforce. Employers need workers who can learn how to use new technology as it emerges. Employees must be comfortable learning how to navigate the digitalization of certain roles. We’re also adopting new methods of communication and trialing different working hours and workplace expectations.

Regular skills development trains your employees to adapt to change quickly. They feel encouraged to take on challenges and go beyond their professional comfort zones. When an employee can respond proactively to change, rather than having it interrupt their workflow, productivity and innovation prevail.

5.     Fosters Creativity & Critical Thinking

Constantly challenging employees to make personal growth improves critical thinking abilities. Environments focused on learning and development also foster creativity. As technology advances, it’s vital for employees to possess such skills. Digitalization may replace some roles, but it cannot fully imitate human creativity.

By giving your employees the opportunity to practice these skills, they experience identifying and addressing real issues. This makes them more agile. When the time comes to tackle an unexpected hiccup, they’re more likely to produce a quick, innovative solution.

Lead by Example

Employers can’t just fire and hire talent when they notice skills gaps in their organization. Instead, they should invest in their employee’s learning and development.

Lead by example. Show your team that learning and development are your company’s main priority. Keep up with market shifts and industry trends. When everyone is constantly growing, innovation and agility will flow through the workplace.