Skip to main content

How to promote personal growth and development in the workplace

Over the last few years or so, the self-development genre has only increased in popularity. From Tony Robbins to Gary Vaynerchuk, authors and self-development gurus have acquired a massive following for individuals looking to better their personal development. It should come as no surprise that countless employers have taken note of this trend. You may be asking why these employers are taking an interest in their employees’ personal development. The reasoning is that when employees take the time to focus on their personal growth and self-development, this floods over to their professional life by boosting morale. As leaders start investing and encouraging more personal development of their employees, they are investing in more excellent production capabilities of their business. For this guide, let’s navigate how employees and their employers can benefit from promoting personal growth and development in the workplace.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

How to promote growth and personal development

Embrace employee self-awareness

One of the biggest things employers should implement is encouraging their employees to increase their self-awareness as a part of their personal development. It is important to note that self-awareness is a large part of a personal development process. If you aren’t self-aware of what skills or aspects of yourself that you want to develop further, you will waste a lot of time and energy trying to figure that out. Below are a few ways that you can help your employees become more self-aware to enhance their personal development process:

  • Personality tests – such as Myers-Briggs or Enneagram personality tests.
  • Skills tests – skills tests to see where they may have untapped skill sets. 
  • Behavior tests – tests that measure behavioral patterns.
  • Self-evaluation tests – tests that employees can take that measure a self-evaluation of areas they would like to improve themselves. 

Encourage mentorship programs

Encouraging a mentorship program has been shown to create an overall healthier, happier, and more productive workplace for your employees. Mentorship programs allow more experienced employees at the company to mentor new or less seasoned employees in order to increase their self-development. Most leadership will naturally be a mentor to their employees and their team, but establishing a mentor program ensures that it focuses on mentorship outside of an employee’s day-to-day team. Mentorships not only allow your employees to develop more incredible skills, but they will also allow other employees to keep each other accountable and develop better interpersonal and leadership skills.

Incentivize self-development for employees

Positive reinforcement has been one of the best methods to condition employees to excel in the workplace. Keeping that in mind, most individuals are also motivated by incentives. This sentiment also rings true when it comes to personal self-development, especially in the workplace. Most employees prefer to get rewarded for making an effort to enhance their self-development, and it will motivate them to go the extra mile in the workplace. 

Incentivizing your employees to take time to enhance their growth and self-development does not have to break the bank. Some options to consider when incentivizing your employees to promote their personal self-development: 

  • Lunch and learn – offer this incentive as an option that allows your employees to learn and develop new skills and information while also enjoying a company-sponsored lunch.
  • Courses and certifications – offer incentives for employees to learn new skills, knowledge, and certifications outside of the company with tuition, class, or certification discounts as well as possible partial or complete reimbursement options. Many employees will take the initiative to attend additional schooling if employers offer to pay for their learning and development skills.
  • Job shadowing – Allow employees to job shadow others in other business areas of interest to them. Doing so will help an employee find a more specific area of self-development and growth they want to learn. 

It is important to note that, if budget allows, investing in further education and training of your employees with new skills and knowledge can enable them to grow more professionally within and for the company.  

Image used with permission by copyright holder

There are immeasurable ways to encourage and incentivize the personal development of your employees in the workplace. It is vital to ensure employees have allotted time for self-development and personal growth into their workdays. If you promote that personal development is essential yet do not provide the time for your employee to invest in themselves, you limit yourself and your employees from exponential growth. Encouraging your team to learn and grow on top of their day-to-day tasks can transform the way they approach their work. Therefore, when you implement a professional self-development plan for your employees, you prioritize personal development strategies.

Editors' Recommendations

Amanda Scheldt
Amanda is a self employed content writer with a diverse and multifaceted niche background. After over a decade in the…
Perfect bed sheets and covers to get you ready for the day
A woman holds a pillow while making the bed

No matter what you do for work, fatigue can be detrimental. Instead of fighting the sleepies with endless coffee and energy drinks, you can nip the problem in the bud by making sure you get the best night’s sleep possible—and it all starts with your bed.
Bedskirts and pillowcases can make a difference too, but the blankets that cover your bed are what truly create the experience. The feel of the materials can keep you cool and comfy, or they can envelop you in a warm embrace. Whatever you like, make sure the sheets, quilts, or duvets you invest in look and feel like, well…you.
Here are some of our favorite bed accessories to help keep you comfy while you sleep and alert while you’re awake.

Bedsheets, quilts, duvets—you really can’t go wrong with any one of these great bed covers. They all are made of some of the best fabrics available, which, with the right mindset and vibe, can make slumber just as comfortable as napping on a cloud.
No matter what bed accessories you’re in need of, you can be sure that Amazon has it. These five products, for example, are all available on that site—some with two-day shipping! It makes shopping for your bedroom as easy as ever, don’t you think?

Read more
5 helpful mattress protectors for uninterrupted sleep
Hands hold a mattress protector and pull it over a matress

Your bed is your special place. It should be peaceful, clean, and as comfortable as can be. You might think about updating your bedsheets, or giving your comforter a good clean, but it won’t matter if you’re dealing with something like dust mites or bed bugs.
Instead of waiting for the problem to happen before buying a mattress protector, invest in one now to prevent anything icky from happening in the first place. They guard against more than mites and bugs, too—neither allergens, bacteria, nor liquids will ever reach your mattress with one of these bad boys on. Talk about a peaceful sleep!

There are several helpful features of mattress protectors: it’s a barrier against liquid, can extend the life of your mattress, and even helps prevent allergies. It’s up to you to decide what’s most important for you, but you’ll be surprised to learn just how many mattress cases will check off all the boxes.
Remember not to be too concerned about how these products look on your bed, either; your normal sheets and decor can go right on top! Your sleeping space will be just as cute and comfy as ever, but you’ll know you're keeping everything clean and tidy, too.

Read more
Elevate your sleep with these pillowcases and protectors
A white bed with pillows and a duvet in front of a white wall

A comfy pillow can be the difference between getting a great night’s sleep or no sleep at all, so it’s important to take good care of high-quality pillows. Whether they’re filled with feathers or foam, they deserve a pillowcase (and maybe even a pillow protector) that’s just as effective as they are.
To save you from wasted time and choice anxiety, we’ve found five awesome pillow accessories that are equally stylish and comfortable. Each has its own look and feel to them though, so make sure you look through them all to find your match made in pillow heaven. You never know what small difference can totally transform how you sleep.

Whether you’re in need of something to make your pillow look nice or something to keep it safe from dirt and grime, Amazon will be the best place to look. You can compare a number of brands and products—including the five we offered here—to find the one that fits perfectly with your lifestyle and sleeping habits. You’ll have a few choices to make, like which material or color to choose, but you can’t go wrong with any of the industry’s top brands. Who knows, maybe your perfect pillowcase is somewhere on this list! There’s only one way to find out, so get to clicking.

Read more