There are many things that play into an organization’s overall success. Some are obvious: cultural values, strategy, systems and processes, leadership structure, communication and transparency… the list goes on. But one element of an organization’s strategy that is often undervalued and overlooked is the emphasis and commitment to continued learning.
Technology is constantly evolving. The platforms and systems that were the de facto standard one year ago may no longer be as relevant, and as a result, you need to be constantly training and learning every single quarter, diversifying your team’s knowledge, and upskilling.
At CloudKettle, we are committed to continuous employee development and learning. To ensure our teams are properly supported and can be successful in their ongoing education, we collectively create and deploy training and progression plans for each employee that are formalized and agreed upon between the direct report and their manager every year.
So…where do you begin? Here are some simple yet effective steps that will guide you and your team in creating a successful learning strategy:
Steps for Creating a Successful Learning Plan
- As part of your team’s annual goals, create an agreed-upon learning plan in Q1 with your direct reports
- Identify the learning goals or objectives to be achieved
- Determine what resources, support materials or courses are needed to achieve success
- Map out the learning schedule for the year, including target completion dates for each quarter in your plan
- During your weekly or bi-weekly status meetings, ensure you allocate time to review training/learning milestones and any roadblocks that may impact your team members from meeting their target timelines
- Finally, build in formal evaluation during quarterly, semi-annual and annual reviews
Now that we have the basics for getting a learning plan in place, let’s dive in a bit further into some of the tools and resources we use as part of our ongoing learning and development.
Salesforce Training Tools
At CloudKettle, we work in the Salesforce ecosystem. Salesforce is a large and complex platform, and the skills required to work within the Salesforce ecosystem are not necessarily something that most of us would learn in school. BUT…the tools and resources to learn Salesforce are available on the internet for FREE. Yes, for free.
Salesforce’s free online platform is called Salesforce Trailhead. You simply sign up and start getting hands-on learning experience immediately, allowing you to gain exposure to what it’s like to work within Salesforce. Not only is it a fun way to learn highly sought-after and in-demand skills, but Salesforce Trailhead can also identify guided learning paths allowing you to explore which career is right for you. There are even Trailheads specifically on the topic of Sales Leadership. You can amass badges and credits which ultimately set you on the path to certifications and credentials that can establish you as an expert in your field.
Interested in learning more about Salesforce but not sure where to start? Check out these two blogs that will guide you through real-life examples and experiences from CloudKettle employees:
The First 30 Days Learning Salesforce
A Guide to Your Dream Salesforce Career
By keeping up with the latest technologies, your team members develop important soft skills, such as communication, collaboration, and leadership. These skills are essential for success in any job, but they are particularly important in Technology and Sales environment, where teamwork and collaboration are critical to achieving success.
Continued personal growth helps to build a culture of learning and development within your team and the organization as a whole. When employees see that you are committed to their growth and development, they are more likely to be engaged, motivated, and loyal to the company. This, in turn, can lead to higher levels of productivity, greater innovation, and a more positive work environment for everyone involved.
