How to design a development programme for growth

Growth is often closer than you think. One or two different questions, a slightly different focus or approach, and it could be there for the taking, writes Simon Merrell of Merrell People.

Simon Merrell. (Picture by Simon Pizzey).

At the top of The Gallup Q12 engagement survey sit two questions: In the last six months, has someone at work talked to you about your progress? And, in the last year, have you had opportunities to learn and grow? 

Believe it or not we have a natural tendency towards growth. It is often a satisfying process and can leave us feeling ready and confident to achieve our goals.

For organisations the need to grow and learn comes with the need to adapt and deliver results.

On the face of it, this should bring about mutual benefit.

Some of the difficulty comes in choosing how to invest scarce resource.

Here is a useful starting guide. 

Harness the mutual benefit 

Two things typically happen when it comes to learning in organisations.

Organisations can deny the opportunity to learn. Sometimes for good reason, i.e. the job needs to be done. The second is that the organisation determines the development that needs to take place. Again often for good reason, e.g. …