Motivation among an entire workforce forms the foundations of any successful corporation. If employees are not fully engaged with their role(s) and contribution to the wider business, they are less likely to be productive, which can cost leaders time and money long term.
Especially in the run-up to Christmas, as mindsets begin to shift away from commercial processes and into holiday mode, the need to motivate employees to carry out their roles effectively is paramount for businesses in most professional sectors.
When it comes to ensuring that employees at all levels are up to speed, leaders should be utilising experiential learning methods to develop the skills of employees both old and new, as well as improving engagement on an organisational scale.
But, how can experiential learning methods achieve this? We've listed three ways they can be utilised to motivate individuals:
Developing and implementing new processes based on learning
Experiential learning programmes are always a fantastic opportunity to build and develop the skills that employees already possess. While it can be difficult for staff members to find the time to implement new processes and insights in their day-to-day roles, training programmes are a perfect opportunity to take a step back and reflect.
They can also be a chance to implement new processes and mindsets within the company. As innovation continues to dominate the modern professional world, leaders should be looking to introduce new ways in which to train their staff. Whether it is e-learning, virtual learning, microlearning or anything else, there are always new methods for businesses to trial.
According to a study conducted by Ceridian, 91% of high performers reported that working for an employer that offered learning and development opportunities was important to them. In addition, creating new and challenging methods in which to test employees can prove to motivate them to be able to succeed and be the best they can be.
Working collaboratively with other colleagues
Experiential learning methods are a fantastic opportunity to promote collaboration in the workplace on an organisational scale.
Exploring typical workplace scenarios together in a risk-free environment allows employees to gain valuable insights from their colleagues and improve while developing secure communication networks.
Group discussions, simulations and activities are all effective ways in which to promote collaboration, as they encourage individuals to work together to solve problems quickly and efficiently.
Reviewing their own performance
As opposed to traditional learning methods, experiential learning allows individual employees to reflect on their strengths and weaknesses.
After attempting a specific scenario or task as part of a workplace training programme, employees will be able to look back on the decisions they made, ultimately assessing whether or not they made the right choice concerning the progression of the business.
With traditional lectures and seminars, there is no clear indication of whether or not an employee has taken the information on board. In contrast, with experiential learning, business leaders are able to see how their workforce is performing in specific areas when analysing the results of a specific activity.
The knock-on effect of this is that when employees come to undertake tasks in real-time, they are able to reflect on how they performed and take steps to improve.
It cannot be denied that employee motivation is crucial to achieving success on an organisational scale. Without a workforce that is dedicated and passionate about what they do, progression will likely begin to stall, thus affecting operations long term.
Fortunately, experiential learning serves to ensure that all employees are developing their skills in the best way, allowing them to improve and communicate with others to ensure business continuity.