Every L&D team wants to make an impact. After all, there are few greater joys than watching your learners succeed. However, as with any walk of life, some teams will inevitably be more impactful than others. This success is attributable to many factors, such as organisational alignment, resources, strategy, and adaptability. Whatever the specific reasons, the rest of us strive to catch up and emulate these standard-setting teams. 

With this in mind, we have decided to dig a little deeper and ask: what sets high-impact L&D teams apart? We’ll start by detailing common characteristics of high-impact L&D teams, before analysing the skills that set these teams apart. 

Ready to boost your team’s impact? Start here. 

Common characteristics of high-impact L&D teams

Before we can analyse what sets high-impact L&D teams apart, it is necessary to understand what a high-impact L&D team looks like. Thankfully, when trying to define high-impact L&D teams, a few common characteristics emerge. 

Emerald Works 2020 Back to the Future Report closely observed high-impact learning cultures (HILCs). Following a comprehensive survey of 1,123 organisations, Emerald Works identified the top 112 organisations (10%) as having HILCs. According to their criteria, HILCs are “the top performing 10% of our data sample, These organisations’ learning strategies consistently achieve excellent results in terms of organisational growth, transformation, profitability and productivity.” 

In a similar survey of 60 CEOs and more than 250 L&D professionals worldwide, MIT Sloan identified seven core principles that set learning organisations apart (more on those to come). More importantly, their research discerned the factors that defined these high-performing teams were a willingness to invest in learning and development with a long-term, strategic perspective while also being prepared to adapt over time.

Finally, in an interview with the Advantage Performance Group, Lucretia Hall from Software One was asked to identify the essential components of a high-performing L&D team. From her perspective, two things stood out. Firstly, she emphasised that every team member must work to their strengths. To achieve this, Ms Hall recommends using the Gallup Strengths Finder to help identify different strengths within your organisation.

Secondly, she added that trust is vital, saying, “the other is building trust. This is the foundation of building a high performing team. It's something that all of our leaders are learning and doing. How do you build trust from the get-go with your team?”

As such, becoming a high-impact L&D team requires consistent excellence, paired with a strategic, long-term vision and clear alignment between both individual team members and discreet business functions.

For more insights on high-impact learning cultures, be sure to read our article on creating a sustainable learning culture.

According to Emerald Works, high-impact L&D teams stand out from their competitors in several pivotal areas. However, some of the most significant discrepancies emerge in the categories of alignment, communication, and clarity. 

For example, 94% of HILCs say their L&D activity is fully aligned with their organisation’s strategic goals. By comparison, only 48% of other L&D teams say the same. This represents a massive discrepancy, revealing that more than half of ‘average’ L&D teams are either not supporting or, in some cases, actively undermining their businesses’ wider objectives. 

Similarly, 84% of HILCs say they regularly communicate performance impacts to senior management, compared to just 18% of other L&D teams. Finally, in terms of clarity, 91% of HILCs say their L&D team has an agreed plan for how they will meet business metrics. In contrast, just 30% of other L&D teams say the same. If L&D teams are uncertain about the key metrics they are working towards, it is nearly impossible to maximise their impact.

Collectively, these statistics show that clarity of purpose, alignment on both an individual and a team-wide level, and clear communication are essential to becoming a high-impact L&D team. In other words, you can have the fanciest learning technologies and most engaging learning content, but without these fundamental communication tools, they will not be as impactful. 

Emerald Works’ report reveals a few more trends that set high-impact L&D teams apart. For starters, top-performing L&D teams dedicate 7% more of their budget to learning technologies (28% vs 21%) and create 12% more of their learning content in-house (61% vs 49%).  These teams also use analytics to improve the learner experience at a 5.5x higher rate than the average L&D team. 

Lastly, high-impact L&D teams are far more prepared to be agile. More than one-third of L&D teams (35%) say they encounter reluctance from senior management to encourage new ways of working and learning. Unsurprisingly, this plummets to just 6% among HILCs. 

Ultimately, Emerald Works summarises the skills that set HILCs apart, explaining, “HILCs are just that: more ambitious and better at learning and performing at scale...learning leaders with HILCs are 10 times more likely to outperform others in regard to the four critical levers of business: growth, transformation, productivity and profitability.”

Additionally, MIT Sloan’s research uncovered seven core principles that set high-impact learning organisations apart. These are: identifying a north star to guide L&D decisions, establishing a skills baseline, aligning L&D efforts with strategic priorities, ensuring that the L&D team has the right skills and resources, designing learning to accommodate evolving conditions, creating individualised learning pathways, and staying agile and adaptable over time.

Notably, many of these findings align with Emerald Works’ research, thereby providing an actionable checklist to start upskilling your L&D team. It seems that alignment, agility, and establishing a skills baseline are all excellent places to start if you want to increase your L&D team’s impact. 

Summary: 4 fundamental skills to create a high-impact L&D culture

Ready to increase your team’s impact? Go1 can help. Sign up for a free trial today to access dedicated courses on High-impact communication, Creating a culture of excellence, and many more. 

For more insights, be sure to subscribe to the Go1 newsletter to stay on top of all the latest L&D trends. Or, you can book a demo today to find out how Go1 can help with your team’s learning needs.

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Every L&D team wants to make an impact. So, we have decided to dig a little deeper and ask: what sets high-impact L&D teams apart?

What sets high-impact L&D teams apart?

As our lives increasingly rotate around digital innovation and change, the ability to adapt for the future depends on developing the next generation of skills.  In recognition of this need we are excited to announce our latest content partnership with Simplielearn, a global leader in digital skills training.  

Simplilearn is on a mission to help companies ride the digital wave by creating learning experiences that help re-skill and up-skill teams across cutting-edge technologies. 

“Through our partnership with Simplilearn, we look forward to offering additional certification benefits to learners and providing Go1 customers with the best content to support the development of digital skills across their businesses.” Basem Emera, Go1 Vice-President of Partnerships and Alliances.   

Go1 Content Hub customers have the opportunity to add these 50 Simplilearn digital skills courses covering 11 topics to their subscription. Talk to your Go1 Customer Success Manager about this add on. Courses include:

Artificial Intelligence (AI) & Machine Learning (ML) 

Simplilearn’s high-quality courses are developed by industry experts and feature top industry practitioners, sought-after trainers, and global leaders. 

For more insights, be sure to subscribe to the Go1 newsletter to stay on top of all the latest L&D trends. Or, you can book a demo today to find out how Go1 can help your organization adapt to an even more digital future and develop the next generation of skills.

As our lives increasingly rotate around digital innovation and change, the ability to adapt for the future depends on developing the next generation of skills.  In recognition of this need we are excited to announce our latest content partnership with Simplielearn, a global leader in digital skills training. 

Introducing Simplilearn - Digital skills training for the future 

As our lives increasingly rotate around digital innovation and change, the ability to adapt for the future depends on developing the next generation of skills.

While Australians are feeling the mental and emotional toll of lockdowns, isolation and uncertainty, workplaces are emerging as instrumental in supporting and empowering their team’s mental health.

Organisations that prioritise mental health awareness can have a crucial effect on not only their employees' ability to recognise signs of mental illness, but also for supporting those who need that extra support and treatment.

A special message from Dan Hunt

A 2021 Allianz study has shown that while workplace mental health injuries are increasing, there remains a lack of mental health related discussions in the workplace. Organisations have an opportunity to not only support those who are struggling with their mental health but also create an educated and empowered environment that proactively increases the mental resilience of their entire teams.  

We spoke to Dan Hunt, Founding Director of Mental Health Movement for this year's R U OK? Day, about building a mental health blueprint for workplaces that not only reduces stigma associated with mental health and illness, but also establishes pathways for stronger overall wellbeing.  

Tell us about a conversation or moment when someone asked you ‘R U OK?’  

Tell us about a conversation or moment when someone asked  R U OK?

When going through a stage of heightened or prolonged struggle, it can be difficult to recognise the signs of dips in our mental health. As Dan experienced, having supportive managers and family who genuinely asked him, ‘are you ok?’ meant he was able to take that first step backwards to recognise his struggle.  

The act of checking in on someone has the potential to powerfully alter someone’s path and change a life. Initiatives such as R U OK? Day are an informative way to cultivate that ideal work environment where everyone feels confident and safe to ask such a simple yet impactful question.  

A workplace that has not addressed mental health stigma sufficiently can be a significant barrier to employees accessing treatment. For each genuine conversation around mental health within a workplace or team, an environment is encouraged that helps people take proactive steps towards support. 

For more insights, be sure to subscribe to the Go1 newsletter to stay on top of all the latest L&D trends. 

Why do you start workplaces with awareness and stigma reduction?  

Why do you start workplaces with awareness and stigma reduction?

Actively working to decrease mental health stigma in the workplace can be seen as the foundation of building a mentally healthy workplace.

Stigma reduction not only improves knowledge and supportive behaviours within the entire team, but also increases preventative efforts from struggling employees during the early stages of mental illness. 

When looking at the sustainability of a workplace’s mental health framework, awareness is only the first, foundational step. Building on top of this, organisation’s have the opportunity to develop mentally supportive environments through ongoing education, application and training.

What is the importance of ongoing education for people at work?

There’s no doubt employees are feeling the added pressures of working during a pandemic, with 40% feeling the pressure to work longer hours and a staggering 77% clocking that overtime to complete their tasks.  

Within the context of social isolation and uncertainty, it is no surprise that more Australians are reaching out for support than ever before.  

Considering this widespread struggle, it is concerning to note that 69% of Australian employees have not had a discussion with their employers regarding mental health since the pandemic began.  

Dan Hunt and the team at Mental Health Movement have focused on discovering these pressure points, as well as psychosocial hazards, to create a proactive blueprint for mentally healthy workplaces.

Partnering with Mental Health Movement over the years has included developing high quality wellbeing resources for the Go1 Content Hub. 

This R U OK? Day, we have curated a Talking About Mental Health playlist specifically to showcase content that will assist you in developing the mental health blueprint for your organisation. The playlist includes learning content from Mental Health Movement, as well as other mental health providers. 

If you are already a Go1 customer, you can recreate this playlist in your own LMS or Go1 Platform.  

If you are not yet a customer but interested in the Go1 Content Hub for your organisation's wellbeing and L&D goals, please get in touch with the team today. 

We speak to Dan Hunt, Founding Director of Mental Health Movement, about implementing a stronger wellbeing framework in the workplace.

How do we make 'R U OK?' last in the workplace?

We speak to Dan Hunt, Founding Director of Mental Health Movement, about implementing a stronger wellbeing framework in the workplace. 

Diversity and inclusion is a fundamental part of any successful workplace. L&D professionals have known this for a long time, and thankfully, more and more organisations are embracing the principles of diversity and inclusion in 2021. 

According to LinkedIn’s 2021 Workplace Learning Report, 64% of L&D professionals say their executive team has made D&I a top priority this year. Given this, companies with robust D&I programs are 22% more likely to be seen as industry leaders with high-calibre talent. 

Additionally, Emerald Works finds that 58% of high-impact learning cultures (defined as the top 10% of surveyed organisations) embed the principles of diversity and inclusion into their daily work, compared to just 34% of other L&D teams. These figures show that a well-developed D&I program can take your L&D team to the next level.

Supporting neurodiversity is vital to any successful D&I program. Estimates show that about 18% of the population have neurodiverse learning needs. Therefore, it is vital to support neurodiversity in the workplace to ensure a safe, accessible environment. As ever, L&D teams have a central role to play.

With this in mind, we’ve decided to ask: how can organisations support neurodiversity in digital learning?  We’ll start by explaining what neurodiversity is, before diving into the benefits of a neurodiverse workplace. Finally, we'll analyse how L&D professionals can ensure their programs support neurodiverse learning needs.

The term neurodiversity was coined in the 1990s by Australian sociologist Judy Singer. According to Ms Singer, neurodiversity refers to “the virtually infinite neuro-cognitive variability within Earth’s human population. It points to the fact that every human has a unique nervous system with a unique combination of abilities and needs.”

Ms Singer adds that just as biodiversity is important for a rich and healthy ecosystem and a variety of species is vital to a functioning animal kingdom, so too is neurodiversity essential to provide the full spectrum of human experiences and perspectives. 

As such, there is no single, encompassing definition of neurodiversity. The term can mean different things to different people based on their unique lived experiences. The Autistic Self Advocacy Network explains that the term generally refers to “neurocognitive differences such as autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), dyslexia, Tourette’s syndrome, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, depression, intellectual disability, and schizophrenia.” 

Similarly, the Autism Awareness Centre explains that “neurodiversity is the concept that humans don’t come in a one-size-fits-all neurologically ‘normal’ package. Instead, it recognises that all variations of human neurological function need to be respected as just another way of being, and that neurological differences like autism and ADHD are the result of normal/natural variations in the human genome.”

Put simply, supporting neurodiversity in digital learning means creating an environment that is equally accessible to all, regardless of their unique abilities or needs. 

On a human level, the benefits of a neurodiverse workplace should be apparent. Not only is supporting neurodiversity the right thing to do, but it also leads to a greater diversity of experiences, ideas, and perspectives. Unfortunately, this has rarely been the case.

According to Neurodiversity Hub, 78% of neurodiverse people experience difficulty at their place of learning, with the main challenges being fitting in socially (60%), learning difficulties (55%), and communication difficulties (51%). Further, ​​Autism Spectrum Australia estimates that about 1 in 70 Australians is on the autism spectrum. However, only 40% are employed. 

Many of these biases are evident from an early age, with Neurodiversity Celebration Week finding that 33% of educators believe learning and thinking challenges are sometimes an excuse for laziness, while one-third of parents say they wouldn’t want others to know if their child has a neurological difference. 

These problems are far too common. Yet, when workplaces do embrace neurodiversity, the results can be staggering. For example, James Mahoney, the former head of JP Morgan’s Autism at Work program, told Fortune Magazine, “Our autistic employees achieve, on average, 48% to 140% more work than their typical colleagues, depending on the roles.”

It is worth emphasising that neurodiverse people should not have to overachieve to such a degree just to be afforded the same basic respect and inclusion as their neurotypical colleagues. However, these results are incredibly impressive, providing just one example of the power of a neurodiverse workforce. 

Similarly, a 2019 report by EY found that people with dyslexia often display the most in-demand skills for the workforce of the future – leadership, creativity, and initiative. 

Another study by German software company SAP found that “teams who have colleagues with autism report a rise in patent applications, innovations in products, and an increase in management skills and empathy.” 

Finally, Professor Rob Austin recently completed a study on the best practices of companies with neurodiversity employment programs. Mr Austin explains that teams who embrace neurodiversity in their recruitment process “are claiming an innovation benefit with these employees, because they think differently, ask different sorts of questions and tend to trigger changes in the way companies do things."

While neurodiversity has often been stigmatised and underrepresented in the workplace, teams that embrace neurodiversity tend to achieve incredible results. Not only is this the right thing to do from a diversity and inclusion perspective, but it can also lead to new perspectives, new skills, and greater levels of innovation.

For more information, be sure to read our articles on unlearning unconscious biases, as well as our D&I blog series from guest expert Maureen Frank. 

How can organisations support neurodiversity in digital learning?

With these findings in mind, the question becomes, how can organisations support neurodiversity in digital learning? 

In an interview with Digits, Amanda Kirby, co-author of Neurodiversity at Work and a Professor in the field of neurodiversity, explains how L&D teams should best approach this question. 

“You really need to be starting with the first principles of universal design – so how do you suit the learning preferences of everybody?” 

“It isn’t about doing this for autistic people or this for dyslexic people. It’s about how do you ensure that the way you deliver learning and development is inclusive and fits with strengths and minimises challenges. This has to include people who are visually or hearing impaired.

“Where you can, you should be person-centred. So, in the same way that the best conversations are those when you understand the person you’re talking to, that’s exactly what neurodiversity is all about. Ask your neurodivergent employees what they want. 

“Don’t be afraid of asking and don’t pigeonhole people,” she said. 

As such, a holistic approach is vital. By taking this approach, you can fulfil everyone’s learning needs, rather than viewing neurodiverse learners as an entirely separate category. 

Additionally, Matrix recommends a learner needs assessment can be helpful to support neurodiversity in digital learning. They explain, “it’s important to know the objective of the learning intervention so you can thoroughly investigate the gaps that it will need to fill. A pre-assessment can be immensely helpful in determining a learner’s understanding of the training content. Starting from this information, you can then focus on the content areas most lacking or difficult to comprehend.” 

Finally, Training Magazine recommends taking a learner-centric approach to course design, saying, “making an organisation more inclusive for neurodiverse individuals requires an appreciation of each person within his or her work context and a focus on getting to know employees individually and leading people on a situational basis.” 

If you're ready to start supporting neurodiverse learners in your workplace, Go1 can help. Sign up for a free trial today to access courses on Understanding mental health in neurodiverse learners and Positive Assessments, featuring Nancy Doyle, an Occupational Psychologist who specialises in neurodiversity. 

It is vital to support neurodiversity in the workplace to ensure a safe, accessible environment. As ever, L&D teams have a central role to play. With this in mind, we’ve decided to ask: how can organisations support neurodiversity in digital learning?

With millions of Australians facing extended lockdowns and restrictions, the isolation has made it harder to not only check in with the people in our world, but also to recognise the early signs of someone struggling. 

As we approach R U OK? Day on Thursday 9th September, we are encouraged to genuinely focus on checking in on one another and asking, ‘are they really ok?’  

At any one point, 1 in 6 working-age Australians will be suffering from a diagnosed mental illness, and a further 1 in 6 will be struggling with symptoms of poor mental health, such as fatigue, worry and sleep issues. With the added pressures of the past two years, many employees are showing up to work carrying the weight of struggling mental health. 

Within a workplace, it’s important to develop a culture where everyone can feel confident asking and answering the simple yet impactful question, ‘R U OK?’ Besides the legal responsibility of providing a safe and healthy workplace, regardless of whether in an office or remote, these conversations can make a real difference to anyone going through a challenging time. 

So how can we empower our team to comfortably check in on each other?  

Knowledge is particularly powerful when creating a mentally healthy workplace. By including mental health awareness training as a part of your organisation’s ongoing L&D program, you can empower not only those struggling but their peers as well to recognise the early signs of low mental health. 

Mental health issues can affect anyone, regardless of background, age, gender or income, and symptoms often look different from person to person. Providing education to your teams around not only the normalcy of mental health struggles, but the simple signs to look out for in each other, has the potential to change someone’s life.  

Make it as easy as possible for employees to reach out for extra support when needed. Consider this pathway as crucial as your team knowing where the fire exits are in an office building. Knowing the pathway to support can make an impactful difference, particularly when someone is in a crisis situation. 

Employee EAP and Mental Health Counselling programs are an amazing way to provide wellbeing support to employees. If not available, ensure you have implemented clear promotion for and education around accessible community support options such as those listed below.

Lifeline 13 11 14 
Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636 
The Suicide Callback Service 1300 659 467 
MensLine 1300 78 99 78 
Kids Help Line 1800 55 1800  

With a solid foundation of mental health education, and clear pathways to extra support for anyone struggling, you have already made beneficial steps to creating a mentally healthy workplace. As the year goes on, make time to remind and refresh your teams. Days like R U OK? Day are purposefully developed to help foster an environment within your workplace for conversations around mental health, suicide and suicide prevention.  

In partnership with Go1, R U OK? have masterfully developed the online course below, helping your teams learn when and how to ask 'R U OK?' at work. The course is free and accessible, ready to be integrated into your R U OK? Day plans.  

In addition, make sure you check out the other amazing workplace resources from RUOK?, including Workplace Champion packs and registration for their R U OK? Day webinar on Thursday 9th September 2021.

Looking for comprehensive Mental Health and Wellbeing training?  

Go1 has over 2,000 training modules and resources developed specifically to educate and increase the health and wellbeing of your team. Speak to your Go1 Customer Success Manager today about curating a playlist built to educate and empower.  

Please remember, if you are experiencing significant distress, you can reach out to Lifeline 131 114 or Beyond Blue 1300 224 636 for immediate support. If you, or anyone you know, is feeling suicidal call the Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467 for immediate support. 

With the added pressures of the past two years, many employees are showing up to work carrying the weight of struggling mental health. So how can we empower our team to comfortably check in on each other?

Empower your workplace this RU OK? Day

With the added pressures of the past two years, many employees are showing up to work carrying the weight of struggling mental health. So how can we empower our team to comfortably check in on each other?

Which content partner should you check out? 

Do you wish ever wish you could take an online course and only get the information you needed rather than going through the full course? Chart Learning Solutions has partnered with Area9 to create over 80 Adaptive Learning courses that do just that. Adaptive Learning creates a unique personalized learning journey that adapts to the needs of each learner using intelligent algorithms and probes. With a wide variety of topics, from ethics to career development, these adaptive courses will resonate with all employees, regardless of where they are in their career.   

Check out this video to learn more about Adaptive Learning through Chart Learning Solutions.  

Chart Learning Solutions is a thought leader in the learning and development field and continues to win awards every year for their leadership and sales courses. In addition to their adaptive learning modules, they have over 100 modern and in-depth eLearning courses on the Go1 Content Hub that enable learners to apply what they have learned through step-by-step instructions and exercises.   

Which content partners have joined the Go1 library? 

Omni HR – This South African company brings us global content in leadership and personal development.  Their courses offer comprehensive content through text, videos, and assessments, ensuring learners get a robust experience. 

Proactech – This France based company brings us Microsoft software and personal development courses in French.   

What’s new from our current content partners? 

Stone River - A variety of updated courses in a number of areas, including Java, Google Apps, Node, and Game Development 

Simon Sez IT – New courses on a number of topics, including Python, JavaScript, React, and Asana   

AMC – New compliance courses for Human Trafficking, N95 Fit Test, along with state-specific harassment courses, all for healthcare workers (US specific) 

Health Staff Ed – Nursing Management (Australia specific) 

Allara – A variety of health and safety courses, some specific to South Australia  

Marcom – Updated a large number of their courses, including industry-specific harassment courses (US specific) 

What’s Shannon’s favorite course right now? 

As I go through our library, I often look for courses to assist in my personal development. iAM Learning recently added a quick 10-minute course on Growth Mindset. I always love their content, often very short and to the point. This course was a great refresher for me for a topic I have spent time learning about in the past. A growth mindset is such a valuable thing to be more successful in business and in your personal life and this short course was a great reminder. 

The Go1 Content Insider is your first stop for all things new in the Go1 Content Hub. In this August update, find out the latest and greatest in the world of content!

The Go1 Content Insider — August 2021 edition 

Globally, the skills gap has widened in recent years. Deloitte estimates that the global skills gap will leave 2.4 million positions unfilled between 2018 and 2028, causing an economic impact of $2.4 trillion. Similarly, a recent survey by McKinsey found that nine in ten executives say their organisations either face skill gaps already or expect gaps to develop in the next five years. 

Additionally, 1 in 5 workers admit their professional skills are not up to date, with a further 85% of employees saying they wish their company had offered more new skills training last year. 

As a result, it should be no surprise that many employees want to take matters into their own hands. 59% of employees say that they received no workplace training. Instead, most of their skills were self-taught. Likewise, 42% of employees pursued training on their own following last year’s initial lockdowns. 

Put simply, the global skills gap is a major concern that will have far-reaching consequences. As such, it has become increasingly important for employees to identify their skill gaps so they can access the upskilling or reskilling they need. 

With this in mind, we’ve decided to analyse the best ways to identify your skill gaps, offering six ideas to help you get ahead. 

First things first, it is imperative that you have clearly defined professional goals to help you narrow down your skill gaps. After all, it’s no good identifying ‘cement mixing’ as a skill gap if your dream is to become a librarian. While this might be a slightly exaggerated example, defining your professional goals will help you identify clear, relevant, and achievable skill gaps. 

It might help to write a list of professional goals, accompanied by a list of your current skills and proficiencies and another list of the skills you think will be required to achieve your goals. This can be an excellent opportunity for self-reflection, as well as a chance to take stock of your current skill set. From there, you can narrow down the most pressing skills that you need to develop. 

To avoid getting overwhelmed, try to prioritise these skills in order of urgency and work through your list at a methodical pace. 

Sometimes, we just don’t know what we don’t know. At times like these, it can be helpful to get an outside perspective. For example, you might ask your colleagues to write down your five greatest strengths and weaknesses. Ensure these are constructive criticisms based on your professional output, not weaknesses like ‘plays music too loudly through their headphones’. 

Likely, there will be some overlap between the responses you receive. If so, these common weaknesses are probably skill gaps that you should address. By finding these common themes, not only can you reinforce what you are already doing well, but, more importantly, you can identify what skills you need to work on. 

You could also ask your manager or other senior leaders in your organisation for tips on how you can grow your skill set. Following this, you might collaborate with your manager to create a professional development plan. Remember, identifying your skill gaps doesn't have to be a solo mission. It is usually a good idea to gather a variety of perspectives to ensure you have a well-rounded view of your skills. 

For more tips on identifying your skill gaps, be sure to read our articles on closing the skills gap and what you need to know about the skills gap. 

According to SkillSoft, 81% of roles will change in some way due to digital transformation. Further, 57% of employees are concerned that significant parts of their role will be replaced by technology in the next ten years. As such, employees must focus not only on identifying current skill gaps but also on developing future-ready skills. 

Given this, it is vital to stay abreast of the most in-demand skills. For instance, LinkedIn’s 2020 Workplace Learning Report identified the highest and lowest priority skills for L&D professionals. Leadership management (57%), creative problem solving and design thinking (42%), and communication (40%) topped the list, while at the other end, mobile computing (9%), engineering and coding (8%), and cloud computing (8%) were lower priority skills.

Similarly, SkillSoft found that the following digital skills training would help employees the most in adapting to the transformation of their role: Microsoft Office training (59%) video-based microlearning (50%), collaboration training (48%), Social for Business training (37%), G Suite training (35%), and Adobe Creative Cloud training (34%). 

To identify current and future skill gaps, ensure you stay up-to-date with the most in-demand skills in your field. 

This tip is simple: research a few experts and thought leaders in your field to see what skills they currently have, what skills they want to develop, and what skills they are prioritising for the future. Then, compare these findings to your current skill set. If common skills arise that you don’t currently possess, it’s probably a good idea to add these to your list. 

Ideally, this process should give you a solid foundation to work from, revealing the skills most likely to lead to expertise in your chosen field. 

Ultimately, success breeds success, so it is rarely a bad idea to emulate the experts in your field. 

Surround yourself with relevant information

In general, it's far easier to identify the skills we already have than the skills we lack. Again, we often don’t know what we don’t know. So, immersing yourself in relevant information can be an excellent way to identify your skill gaps. 

Most people probably know the feeling of reading an article or listening to a podcast and thinking, ‘I’d love to learn more about that.’ Following thought leaders and surrounding yourself with pertinent podcasts, books, and articles can be a great way to gain knowledge and uncover new skills that you would like to develop. 

We might be a tad biased, but the Go1 Blog and the Learning with Go1 podcast are excellent places to start on this journey. 

Globally, the skills gap continues to widen. We’ve analysed the best ways to identify your skill gaps, offering six ideas to help you get ahead.

How to identify your skill gaps

At Go1, we believe in creating solutions that make it easy for organizations to learn. One key element to executing these solutions is a focus on personalized and integrative learning experiences. 

We are excited to announce a global partnership with Adobe that will see Go1 equip Adobe Captivate Prime learning management system users with our extensive workplace learning online library.  

A new Content Marketplace from Adobe Captivate Prime will provide its users with in-product access to more than 70,000 titles from the Go1 Content Hub. Users will also have access to topical content bundles, curated exclusively by Go1 for Adobe Captivate Prime, that address the learning needs of popular job functions and skill domains such as Sales, Leadership, and Project Management. 

“Digital learning has seen tremendous growth over the past years and will continue to accelerate well beyond the pandemic. Bringing Go1’s extensive catalog of world-class content to Captivate Prime will offer users engaging learning and development experiences across any digital device,” said Amit Dayal, Vice President and General Manager, Print, Publish and Digital Learning, Adobe. 

Adobe Captivate Prime is a next-generation learning management system that delivers AI-based personalized learning experiences that allow users to embed learning tools into their work. Adobe Captivate Prime LMS is recognized as a leader by G2 and used by millions of learners across large enterprises. 

“More than 3.5 million learners rely on Go1 for a seamless and frictionless experience for their workplace learning needs. With Go1’s Content Hub, Adobe Captivate Prime users will gain access to the world’s top online training providers coupled with an unparalleled learning experience to improve employee development and retention,” Basem Emera, Go1 Vice-President of Partnerships and Alliances, said.  

This exciting partnership means Adobe Captivate Prime users now have ready access to a broader scope of personalized learning options.  

Get in touch if you'd like to learn more about the partnership. 

Go1’s partnership with Adobe to equip Captivate Prime users through AI-based personalized learning experiences

Self-advocacy can be one of the most difficult skills to master in a professional environment. Most people can probably relate to feeling dissatisfied, stuck, or even stagnant in a job at some point. In fact, in a recent survey, a whopping 74% of employees said they aren’t reaching their full potential at work due to a lack of development opportunities. 

There can be several reasons for this feeling. Perhaps your company’s L&D program is lagging behind (or, in some cases, nonexistent). Maybe you aren’t being given enough time to learn at work. Or maybe, professional development just isn’t prioritised in your workplace. However, while these feelings are one thing, challenging the status quo to advocate for your professional development is another thing entirely. 

With this in mind, we have decided to offer some tips to self-advocate for your professional development. We’ll start by looking into what self-advocacy is and why it’s so difficult before answering the question: how can I advocate for my professional development at work?

If you need a quick refresher on the benefits of professional development, be sure to read the first article in this series, how to motivate your team to invest in their professional development. 

What is self-advocacy, and why is it so difficult? 

In many ways, the concept of self-advocacy is self-explanatory. In a professional context, it means speaking up when things are important to you, asking for things you want or need to progress in your career, and setting healthy boundaries and expectations. You know, advocating for yourself. Speaking up to advocate for professional development opportunities is a key aspect of self-advocacy in the workplace, allowing you to learn new skills and progress in your career. 

According to MyWay Employability, “self-advocacy means standing up for yourself and letting people know about your rights and needs. Advocating for yourself in the workplace helps to ensure that you can do your job safely and to the best of your ability. Advocating for yourself also means you are more likely to be treated fairly by others and have an equal opportunity to succeed.”

Forbes expands on this definition, explaining that “self advocacy is a critical part of healthy relationships, long term success, and overall happiness in life. One of the many benefits of self-advocacy that helps establish these three pillars of overall wellness, is that when you feel comfortable advocating for yourself, you can get what you want and deserve out of your negotiations.”

However, these relatively simple definitions belie the difficulty of advocating for yourself at work. 

To exemplify this point, only 29% of employees are "very satisfied" with their current career advancement opportunities. Similarly, 76% of employees are actively looking for career growth opportunities, while Gallup finds that a mere 13% of employees worldwide are fully engaged. 

These statistics reveal two vital points. Firstly, many organisations lack the robust, well-funded professional development programs that most employees crave. Secondly, many employees are in a position where they are unable to advocate for their professional development. There are many reasons for this. For example, organisations may foster a culture where speaking up is discouraged, or employees that do speak up may not be listened to. 

Emerald Works backs this up, finding that many organisations are resistant to change. According to their 2020 Back to the Future report, 36% of leaders have traditional expectations of L&D that are difficult to challenge, while 28% of organisations experience reluctance by senior management to encourage new ways of learning and working. 

Whatever the reason, many people find it difficult to advocate for their professional development at work, thereby stifling their career growth opportunities. 

How to self-advocate for your professional development

With these challenges in mind, it is worth asking: how can I advocate for my professional development at work? 

The first and most important tip is to come prepared. While it is great to advocate for your needs, without a solid justification and measurable statistics, these requests are likely to fall on deaf ears. Our article on the cost of not investing in digital learning is a great place to start, as it shows organisations and managers how much they miss out on by not investing in employees’ professional development. For example, one-third of all turnover is due to either unsupportive management or a lack of development opportunities. And these turnover costs add up quickly. 

While building your case, another helpful tip is to align your goals with the overall goals of your business. As Masterclass puts it, “make sure what you want also benefits your company. The next time you ask for something you want at work, frame it as a win-win for both you and your company.” By putting your requests in terms that executives can relate to, your needs are more likely to be taken seriously.

For instance, if you want your organisation to upgrade their professional development program, you could point out that 94% of employees would stay longer at a company if it invested in their professional development. Likewise, Emerald Works finds that nearly one-third of companies are concerned about the cost of set-up, maintenance, and development for L&D tools. To ease these fears, you could point out that ​​companies that invest in L&D have a 24% higher profit margin than those that spend less on training. 

If these requests still go unmet, it might be time to take matters into your own hands and look elsewhere for professional development opportunities. This doesn’t necessarily mean changing jobs, but thinking outside the box. As Seek explains, there are still many ways to get ahead if your company’s professional development plan is lagging behind. One way to do this is by growing your connections on social media. By building your network, you will be exposed to more perspectives, have more chances to interact with experts, and advance your development by learning from other peoples’ skills. 

You may also want to reach out to a mentorship program to help grow your knowledge and skills. Or, you could lean on resources such as books and podcasts from industry leaders to help advance your career. If you’re looking for a great podcast to aid your professional development, we’d recommend listening to Learning with Go1. 

Finally, it may also be worth talking to other people in your team to see if they feel the same way. If they do, you could encourage knowledge sharing by organising learning workshops within your team. One good way to do this is by organising ‘Lunch and Learns’, where you can take turns teaching each other new skills. Likely, you will all have different skills, perspectives, and experiences to impart. By doing so, you can help to foster a sustainable learning culture within your organisation.

Self-advocacy can be one of the most difficult skills to master in a professional environment. So, we have decided to answer the question: how can I advocate for my professional development at work?

Tips to self-advocate for your professional development

Any effective manager will know that motivating your team can be equal parts challenging and rewarding. Without the proper tools and processes, motivating your team to invest in their professional development can be a struggle. On the other hand, watching your employees develop new skills and go from strength to strength in their careers can be extremely satisfying. 

As such, we have decided to investigate the best ways to motivate your team to invest in their professional development. We will start by looking at the benefits of professional development, before moving on to five ways to empower your team to invest in their professional development. 

Keep your eyes peeled for more, as this will be the first in a series of blogs looking at professional development. Next week, we will shift our focus to the employee’s perspective and analyse how to advocate for your learning if your company’s L&D strategy is lagging behind and how to self-identify skill gaps. 

The benefits of professional development 

In many ways, the benefits of professional development are self-explanatory. After all, who doesn’t want the opportunity to develop new skills, learn new things, and progress in their careers? Still, a deep dive into the statistics reveals exactly how beneficial professional development can be. 

Unfortunately, the current state of workplace professional development leaves a lot to be desired. 59% of employees say they received no workplace training and most of their skills were self-taught, while only 29% are "very satisfied" with their current career advancement opportunities. Although this is a worrying trend, it also provides an opportunity for organisations with high-quality professional development programs to stand out in a crowded marketplace.

The good news is that employees crave professional development opportunities. 74% of people are willing to learn new skills or retrain to remain employable. Plus, 87% of millennials believe L&D in the workplace is important. What’s more, 76% of employees want opportunities for career growth. The message is clear: employees want professional development opportunities, so it is your job to offer them engaging, relevant, and timely learning. 

Finally, a robust learning culture doesn’t just benefit employees, but the whole organisation. For example, 86% of millennials would be prevented from leaving their current position if their employer offered better training and development. To exemplify this point, companies that offer professional development opportunities have 34% higher retention rates. As such, a strong learning culture can save you a sizable amount in retention, recruitment, and turnover costs. 

Further, companies that invest in L&D have a 24% higher profit margin than those that spend less on training. Finally, employees who receive regular professional development opportunities are 15% more engaged. 

Thus, companies with a well-thought-out professional development program are likely to have higher retention rates, better profit margins, and more engaged employees. Who doesn’t want that?

How to motivate your team to invest in their professional development 

Without the proper tools and processes, motivating your team to invest in their professional development can be a struggle. As such, we have decided to investigate the best ways to motivate your team to invest in their professional development.