WHAT PRIORITY DO YOU GIVE TO THE PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL GROWTH OF YOUR STAFF?

Robert K Greenleaf, the mild-mannered Quaker AA&T executive whose seminal book Servant Leadership turned corporate America on its head in the latter part of last century, asserted that you are not doing your job as a leader unless at the end of the day every working day you do not fail to ask yourself, How did those whom I lead grow through my leading today?

I know, in the crazy busyness of your working day as a Principal you sometimes do not even get to see many members of staff on a given day because you are tethered to your office chair by yesterday’s emails, let alone today’s, or your responding to a behavioural or reputational crisis of some kind or another, or talking down an irate parent who is on the verge of going to the media about an alleged slight to her highly-entitled son or daughter.

But that doesn’t change to fact that you are the Head Teacher and the Head Learner of your educational establishment, with a thousand or so enquiring minds thirsting for knowledge delivered with professional aplomb and boundless enthusiasm by your hand-picked top-of-the-ladder teachers. Yet that top-of-the-ladder team are professional learners as well as teachers, and you have a primary responsibility to ensure that their personal growth and professional development is being constantly fine-tuned, nurtured and enhanced. Their personal and professional growth and development are in your hands.

Former US Navy SEAL and CEO of EXCELR8, Brent Gleeson, offers 8 Compelling Reasons Employee Development Is Every Leader’s Priority (in Forbes, 27 Sep 24). Whether on the battlefield, in the boardroom, or on the sports court, training and development are cornerstones for achieving excellence, Gleeson contends, emphasising that This is a fact. The psychology of growth and resilience is evident in elite Navy SEAL training - notably the most challenging military training in the world, which requires endless rigorous physical and mental conditioning, he continues. He goes on to note that training and development are the foundation of success for both high-performing companies and championship sports teams – and by extension, in high-performing schools and other educational institutions - that prioritise constant learning, development, and improvement. The desirability of this constant learning, development and improvement are reflected in Mahatma Ghandi’s famous statement that you should live as if you were to die tomorrow, but learn as if you were to live forever.

This focus on personal professional growth and development isn't just philosophy; it's measurable, Gleeson affirms. According to Gallup, staff members who have development opportunities are 3.6 times more likely to be engaged at work. Similarly, LinkedIn’s 2023 Workforce Learning Report states that 93% of employees say they would stay longer at a company that invests in their careers, underlining how essential excellent professional development programs are for staff retention. Furthermore, research by the Association for Talent Development (ATD) shows that commercial companies offering robust training programs see a 218% higher income per employee than those without, which means the company is generating higher revenue!

Gleeson then shares extensive research that his consultancy, EXCELR8, conducted over years of work with organisations worldwide – which has uncovered eight core pillars of talent development. He then outlines what he calls the power of employee development, from individuals and teams to the broader company and customer experience.

 Individuals: Building the Foundation for Excellence

1 - Enhanced Skills and Knowledge

Like Navy SEALs who must develop mission-critical skills under pressure, your staff need the right training to excel in their roles, Gleeson asserts. Personal and professional development programs equip them with the knowledge and competencies necessary for effective performance, allowing them better to handle tasks, solve problems, and achieve their goals, he adds, pointing out that just as championship teams train relentlessly to master plays and tactics, your staff can benefit from targeted training that helps them improve their skills, enhancing their overall capacity to secure even better results for students from high-quality contemporary pedagogy and enhanced teaching and learning strategies.

2 - Increased Confidence and Motivation

Importantly, Gleeson understands that – in a highly relational occupation like classroom teaching - professional training isn't just about building skills — it's about building self-confidence and drive. High-growth companies, as well as high-performing schools - often face rapidly changing environments and need members of staff who are motivated to take on challenges, willing to embrace and try out innovative classroom practices and investigate innovative and more strategic assessment procedures. Investing in their professional growth – providing not only funding but also time for them to engage in new learning - empowers them, making them feel more competent and motivated. Like Navy SEALs, who undergo extensive training that builds mental toughness and confidence, Gleeson avers, staff members who are well-trained feel equipped to conquer new obstacles, enhancing engagement and commitment.

3 - Improved Job Satisfaction and Retention

We are all aware that when your staff feels valued, supported and encouraged, morale is high and their performance lifts. Gleeson’s illustrative example is a high-performing sports team - where every player feels valued and has opportunities to grow—these athletes are more likely to stay and perform their best. Similarly, when staff in organisations like yours have access to professional learning opportunities, they report higher job satisfaction and are more likely to stay at your school – increasing the likelihood you will retain your best teachers. With 68% of workers viewing professional learning as an essential part of their job, providing avenues for growth cultivates loyalty and reduces staff turnover, helping companies retain their top talent, Gleeson enthuses.

Teams: Developing Synergy and Adaptability

4 - Adaptability to Change

Elite teams, whether in military units, fast-growing tech companies, or sports leagues, succeed because of their adaptability, Gleeson attests, continuing, SEAL teams, for example, are trained to pivot strategies quickly in response to rapidly changing combat conditions. In other organisations, training and development programs prepare teams to adapt to changing technologies, processes, and industry trends. According to Gleeson, when staff members continuously update their skills, they not only remain competitive but also help their teams maintain high-level performance in dynamic, changing environments.

5 - Enhanced Team Collaboration

You know at the end of a Staff Day on which the whole staff has been involved in well-presented, highly relevant and stimulating professional learning, there is a real buzz in the Staff Room. Shared highly effective professional learning experiences foster unity, Gleeson remarks. In high-performing schools, like the corporate organisations featured in Harvard Business Review studies on leadership, Gleeson adds, increased collaboration is a natural outcome of well-implemented development programs. As Gleeson reminds you, whether it's a SEAL team synchronising on a complex mission or a teaching team aligning on implementing a new teaching unit, whole-staff or whole Department team training promotes mutual support, clear communication, and seamless coordination.

6 - Better Problem-Solving and Innovation

Another benefit that continuous learning confers on a team of staff is that it promotes innovation and encourages more effective group problem-solving. Gleeson uses Tesla as his example, where teams are encouraged to think creatively and take ownership of their own work, pretty much as you expect your teaching department or teachers in each primary grade to do. When employees are trained to approach challenges with a solutions-based mindset, it drives better performance and encourages outside the square thinking, Gleeson claims, noting that in SEAL teams, where quick thinking is vital, training teaches members to remain calm under pressure and tackle complex problems effectively.

School, Students and Parents: Aligning Mission with Performance

7 - Higher Parent and Student Satisfaction Ratings

Gleeson invites you to imagine a sports team that performs so well that it draws fans from all over the world. Think Matildas. The Australian Men’s and Women’s Cricket Teams. Similarly, highly and regularly-trained teachers deliver high-quality student learning experiences and other important student support services, leading to exceptional parent and student satisfaction - which in turn drives growing community support and strong word-of-mouth recommendations to other parents and students. Just as SEALs are trained to excel in every aspect of their missions, staff members who receive thorough training can consistently meet or exceed parent and student expectations, building stronger relationships and enhancing the school's market reputation.

8 - Alignment with Organisational Goals

Staff professional learning programs that are intentionally aligned with the school’s strategic objectives ensure that members of staff understand and embrace the school’s mission and can contribute meaningfully and assuredly towards its goals for student achievement and parental satisfaction. Especially when members of staff have significant input into the proposed professional learning programs that are to be offered, so that they have a sense that what they are embarking upon in their professional learning activities is relevant to their own stage of professional development and appropriate for the new direction that the school wishes to take. Like high-growth companies that align every team's objectives with the company's overarching vision, training ensures that employees' efforts are purposeful, Gleeson explains. This alignment of the school’s mission and teachers’ skills allows school leaders to drive performance improvements and achieve better results across all fronts.

In essence, the principles of training, development, and accountability that drive elite military units, world-class athletes, and successful companies, Gleeson concludes, can be applied across all organisations. Including schools, one might add. By prioritising individual personal and professional growth, as well as adaptability, meaningful collaboration, and strategic alignment, any organisation – indeed any school - can cultivate an environment where individuals thrive, teams operate at their peak, and parent and student satisfaction soars.

And the result, in Gleeson’s eyes?  Sustainable, ongoing personal and professional growth for all teachers; a school that displays a culture of excellence; and the legacy of a reputation of constant, consistent high performance.

Worth striving for, wouldn’t you think?