Make Learning Part of the Job (Not an Extra)

As a manager, one of your biggest responsibilities is to support your team’s learning and development. But the real magic isn’t in a one-off workshop or a shiny new course. It’s in making growth an integrated part of their work lives.

Here are three simple ways to do that—without adding a ton of complexity.

1) Host regular “learning meetings”

A learning meeting is exactly what it sounds like: you set aside a small amount of time for your team to learn and talk through a new concept, framework, or skill.

Nothing fancy. No big production.

Just a consistent space where learning is normal—and expected.

A few ideas to keep it easy:

• Pick one topic per meeting (something relevant to current work)

• Keep it short (15–30 minutes is plenty)

• Rotate who brings the idea (so it’s not always on you)

• End with one question: “Where could we use this this week?”

That last part matters. A collective, conversational approach helps people actually retain what they’ve learned—because they’re connecting it to real situations, not just listening and moving on.

2) Reinforce learning with small nudges

Even great conversations fade if we don’t revisit them.

After your learning meeting, send a quick nudge to keep the idea alive. Think short emails, a Slack reminder, or even a one-liner in your team chat.

The goal isn’t to nag. It’s to make it easier for your team to use what they learned.

Examples:

• “Quick reminder: today, let’s try asking one clarifying question before jumping into solutions.”

• “If you’re drafting an email today, re-read the ‘clear is kind’ tip from our learning chat.”

• “When you’re stuck, try the 2-minute reset we talked about—then tell us if it helped.”

These little prompts encourage people to apply learning in real-world situations, which is where growth becomes real.

3) Measure progress (without making it weird)

If you want learning to stick, you have to pay attention to what’s changing.

Measuring progress doesn’t have to mean formal tests or complicated scorecards. It can be as simple as:

• A quick check-in survey: “What was useful? What didn’t land? What do you want next?”

• A short reflection question in your next meeting: “Who tried it? What happened?”

• Tracking real-time changes in habits, behaviours, and outputs

You’re looking for proof that learning is showing up in the work:

• Fewer repeat mistakes

• Faster handoffs

• Better client communication

• Stronger confidence in decision-making

When you measure what’s improving, you also show your team that learning isn’t just a nice idea—it’s part of how you operate.

The bottom line

If you want a team that grows, don’t treat learning like an “extra.” Build it into the rhythm of the week.

A short learning meeting.

A small reminder.

A simple way to track what’s changing.

That’s how development becomes culture.

Until next time,