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8 Fun Professional Development Ideas
How can you possibly make professional development fun? We'll show you with these 8 engaging ideas! Read on to learn more.
How can you possibly make professional development fun? We'll show you with these 8 engaging ideas! Read on to learn more.
Professional development allows people to grow and learn in their careers. It's about taking the time to reflect on your experiences, skills, and goals and then using that knowledge to make changes in the way you work.
Professional development can be done through various activities: reading books, taking courses or workshops through a training management system, or even just talking with other people in your industry about what they've learned.
But what does that mean for you? Is it worth investing in for your team?
An organization that wants to elevate the employee experience has to offer growth and development opportunities.
Why? Well, for starters, 70% of employees are somewhat likely to leave their current position for an organization willing to invest in their growth. And turnover costs companies roughly $11 billion each year. 😱
But that's enough of the scare tactics. 😉 Let's look at the benefits!
At the company level, the benefits of development training look a little like this:
And on a personal level, professional development training can help your employees:
By investing in professional development experiences for your employees, you’re setting them — and your company — up for success! 🙌
Yes, of course! Professional development doesn't have to be a chore.
As a leader, you know how important it is for your employees to grow and learn new skills. But sometimes, professional development can feel like an obligation or an interruption to the workday—and it's easy for your employees to feel that way too.
Good thing we have a few tips on how to make it fun. 😉
Professional development is a key part of being a leader, but keeping your employees engaged and excited about it can be hard. Here's how to make professional development fun for your employees:
A vision board workshop is an excellent, hands-on way to spur growth!
In a vision board workshop, participants are given the opportunity to reflect on their goals and aspirations for themselves, their company, and their industry. They then use this reflection to create a visual reminder of what they want from life and work.
As far as career development activities go, vision boards provide clarity for a career path, allowing your employee to understand themselves better and help you better understand your employee's needs!
Where to get started 👉 Manifest your goals in this guided Vision Board Workshop!
It's not enough to have all the knowledge in the world: you need to be able to apply it quickly and effectively, no matter what situation you're in. That's where improv comes in.
Improvisation is about taking an idea, making it yours, and putting it out there for others to react to—and that requires quick thinking, active listening, flexibility, and creativity.
Improv classes help you develop these skills by giving you a safe space to fail without fear of judgment. You'll learn to listen closely to what other people are saying so that you can deliver it without hesitation when they ask for more information or clarification.
And because they know they're not going to get stuck with something they didn't want from the start, participants will be more likely to open up and share their ideas—which means more innovation!
Where to get started 👉 Get creative in Think Faster, an improv workshop designed for corporate teams!
Communication skills are a massive part of professional development because they allow you to express yourself clearly and effectively. If you can't communicate what you need to say and why, it's hard to understand your own goals and how to meet them.
Communicating effectively is also the key to building relationships with coworkers. If you can't explain your ideas clearly, then other people won't be able to understand them and effectively work with you. And if you can't communicate your emotions clearly, then it's hard for other people to know how you're feeling and how best to support you through workplace challenges.
Where to get started 👉 Become an effective collaborator in our Communication Skills Workshop!
Emotional intelligence (EQ) is a term used to describe how you relate to yourself and others. It's what helps you manage your own emotions, understand other people's emotions, and work effectively with others to meet shared goals. And empathy is perhaps the biggest indicator of high EQ!
If you're not empathetic, it's easy to slip into thinking that your way is the only way. By exercising empathy, especially with the people you work with, you can understand how others are feeling and why they do the things they do. And this can help you better connect and become a stronger team player!
Where to get started 👉 Learn about your team when you book Empathy at Work, featuring empathy-focused icebreakers designed to get your team talking, sharing, and connecting on a deeper level.
Conflict management is the ability to identify and resolve issues between parties, intending to create an environment where all parties feel comfortable solving puzzles and other workplace conflicts. Professionals need to practice conflict management because it helps them interact with others in a way that benefits everyone involved!
But practicing these problem solving skills isn't always fun, especially if your conflict resolution exercises look like a weird pop quiz sent by the HR team.
To make conflict management skills stick, it's best to gamify it! Make it an interactive experience in your work community, where everyone can participate in the discussion process. On top of folks developing their own understanding of conflict resolution, your team will understand how to resolve conflicts together!
When it comes to fun professional development activities, hosting an activity centered on leadership is vital!
Empowered leadership, people who understand how to lead, can make an organization come out on top. Leaders play a huge part in the employee experience, and leaders that know how to focus on the whole person (vs. only output) are the ones you need on your team.
Plus, by developing leadership skills, your company is better preparing itself for future employee succession. Threes cheers for a bright future!
Where to get started 👉 Create caring, empathetic leaders in our Mindful Leadership Workshop!
There are plenty of online learning opportunities, but remember that you can also find the perfect professional development session at a conference!
Conferences or business trips are great for networking and can equip your team with unique industry knowledge that spurs their growth.
The best part about a conference is your team gets the opportunity to create their own schedule and attend seminars catered to their needs. Plus, in the downtime, you'll have plenty of chances to bond more!
Although it's not always the most cost-effective solution, an annual conference for your team's professional development is worth it.
Where to get started 👉 Search for conferences based on your industry to find one best suited for your team! For HR leaders, here's a handy list of the Top HR Conferences in 2023!
Of all the fun professional development activities, skill sharing is one of the best ways to have your staff members help each other with professional growth!
Setting up a skill-share program between your employees is one of the best professional development ideas. It helps your employees connect with workplace leaders, creating a stronger community among all involved.
When a team member learns from a team leader, they get the unique opportunity to learn from someone who aligns with their interest, values, and career trajectory.
Where to get started 👉 Ten Thousand Coffees offers all you need to set up the ideal skill-sharing program for you and your colleagues!
At Confetti, we care about your team's development and employee experience as much as you do! That's why we're here to help you find the most fun ways to inspire professional and personal growth. Book directly from our Professional Development collection or shoot us an e-mail at [email protected] to get started. 🥳
Aside from the ideas mentioned above, a few more professional development ideas include:
Making career development fun is relatively simple! It's mainly about making your professional development activity engaging and relevant to your group.
For example, we flip the typical conflict resolution training on its head in Conflict Resolution Water Cooler by taking a more personal, interactive approach through peer-to-peer conversation.
The 3 most important soft skills anyone interested in professional development should focus on are emotional intelligence, communication (including active listening), and conflict resolution. These are 3 skills vital to anyone in any career across any industry!
