Training Industry Magazine - Winter 2025 - 27

To foster a strong learning culture focused
on internal mobility, skills development
and clear career paths, train leaders on
the following strategies:
Get to know team members.
When leaders get to know their team
members on a deeper level, it helps
foster many of the elements of a positive
learning environment, including a sense
of
belonging,
connection
to
others,
and feeling valued and accepted. Talk
to employees about their strengths,
goals, frustrations and motivations. Ask
about the kinds of experiences they
are looking for. Understand that people
evolve, so it's important to keep the
discussions with employees going for
as long as they are part of the team.
This signals to employees that their
development is important to you, and
that they are valued as individuals. It also
reinforces their long-term relationship
with the company.
Make clear the link between
learning, skills development
pathways and career growth.
Show your team members obvious paths
to advancement and growth. Prioritize
learning and talk about upskilling and
reskilling and aligning these opportunities
to personal aspirations and organizational
goals. Share stories of internal mobility.
Don't reserve discussions of development
goals for certain milestones (e.g., the
end of the onboarding period or the
one-year mark).
Instead, engage in proactive conversations
with your employees about skills they
would like to learn and which career paths
or other roles interest them. Retention
increases when employees have clear
career goals and understand the skills
they need to achieve those goals. Clear
career paths also incentivize employees
to keep contributing at a high level.
Provide resources as well as
guidance and support.
Don't limit learning opportunities
to traditional experiences like
workshops or online courses. On-thejob
apprenticeships and temporary
gigs, projects or assignments can
help employees grow and build
organizational resilience and agility
at the same time. Ensure employees
know how to use available learning
opportunities meaningfully - simply
providing access to a large library
of courses isn't an effective learning
strategy. Imagine a teacher handing
you a pile of books and saying, " Here
you are, now go and learn! "
Development works best when managers
help identify the right resources
and sequence them to align with an
employee's goals, strengths and needs.
Supporting employees as they gain and
apply new skills is essential.
Help people conduct their
careers in ways that suit them.
One of a leader's most important
responsibilities is to help employees grow
in ways that align with their goals and
allow them to increase their impact within
the organization. Not everyone aspires to
climb a traditional, vertical career ladder or
move into management. Some may thrive
by excelling in their current role, while
others may prioritize roles that leave time
for personal pursuits.
Growth is not about ambition or
promotions - it's about expanding one's
impact over time, as Kim Scott describes
in " Radical Candor. " To support this,
talk with your team about their desired
growth
trajectory
and
whether
it
aligns with their current opportunities.
These conversations not only help you
personalize development plans but also
ensure employees don't feel stuck or
limited to vertical advancement. Lateral
moves, for example, can help employees
build new skills while meeting business
needs. By embracing diverse growth
paths, you foster a culture where
every employee feels supported and
empowered to succeed.
Clearly outline and share internal
mobility policies and procedures.
Prioritizing continuous learning is an
important step in establishing a strong
workplace learning culture. Having laid
the foundation, one of the most important
things leaders can do to impact internal
mobility is to encourage and create
transparency. Many employees don't
feel encouraged to pursue internal
roles and don't feel they can discuss
options with their manager. It should
TRAINING INDUSTRY MAGAZINE - WINTER 2025 I WWW.TRAININGINDUSTRY.COM/MAGAZINE
be crystal clear where employees can
find information on job openings and
the steps required to reach desired
positions or change roles.
Talk to your employees about their future
and make sure they know who else within
your company is a resource for new
opportunities - and encourage them to
reach out. And a cautionary note: Don't
be a talent hoarder! Focus on helping
your team succeed and advance, even
if it means your top performers moving
elsewhere to have impact in other roles
within the organization.
Don't be a talent
hoarder! Focus
on helping your
team succeed
and advance.
Conclusion
As a training professional, remind leaders in
your organization that prioritizing a strong
learning culture that supports internal
mobility isn't just a retention strategy: It's
a demonstration of your commitment to
the growth of your team and the success
of your company.
When you invest in
understanding employees' goals, provide
clear pathways for development and
foster a culture of continuous learning,
you are fostering a workplace in which
employees feel valued, motivated and
empowered to succeed.
By embracing diverse growth
trajectories, encouraging mobility and
prioritizing skills development, leaders
can not only retain valuable employees
but also drive innovation, agility and
long-term success.
Julia Phelan, Ph.D., is the co-founder
of To Eleven, an innovative education
consultancy firm that partners with
individuals and organizations to design
and implement effective
learning
experiences grounded in science,
human behavior and evidence-based
principles to move all learners forward.
Email Julia.
27

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Training Industry Magazine - Winter 2025

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Training Industry Magazine - Winter 2025