Recently, I was asked to give some short closing thoughts at a National Trainers Initiative online summit. The theme of the summit was “Why a Culture of Learning is Key to Creating Great Clubs,” which is a statement I WHOLEHEARTEDLY agree with! Today, I’m bringing you what I shared then, including what a culture of learning feels like, and my three top tips for getting it started.
Hello friends! I’m so happy I can be here with you today, irony of ironies, I had to step out of a training to join! The learning never stops, which dovetails nicely with the theme of this very summit, Why a Culture of Learning is Key to Creating Great Clubs.
In my work on the Program Quality team here at BGCA, we talk a lot about this culture of learning and improvement. When people come to a consultation with me asking “how do I get started,” that’s one of my very first recommendations. In my humble opinion, culture building work is as important as any training schedule or learning focus. What does a culture of learning look and feel like?
A culture of learning says we will try new things, even if they don’t work out the first time.
A culture of learning feels safe and supportive.
It puts us on an even playing field, because everyone always has something to learn.
It welcomes new perspectives while honoring what has come before.
A culture of learning is humble and curious.
It models how we want young people to approach their world.
A culture of learning invites everyone in to participate.
I think we can agree that this sounds like a place where we want to work. So how do we create it? There’s no one right answer or list of boxes to check off. The best things are always complicated like this. You’ve heard a lot of great ideas today, but here are three of my top tips to build a culture of learning.
Clearly articulate the WHY it matters.
This goes beyond just the mission, or why we want to work at Clubs. It’s the specific why does how we show up in the room with members have an impact? An easy way to do this is through the Weikart Center’s Quest model, which you have seen if you’ve taken Program Quality training with my team.
Briefly, Quality Content are the programs and activities Clubs offer, while Quality Instruction are the staff practices, standards, and behaviors that create developmental experiences for youth. When Clubs offer Quality instruction and content, youth will be more engaged, attending the program more regularly, participating and engaging with content. The more youth are engaged, the more increase we will see in skill and belief development, whether academic, social emotional, or others. When youth practice these skills afterschool, they are more able to apply them to new settings, such as managing emotions during a stressful test, getting along with others, or applying public speaking skills to a job interview, the types of outcomes we want to achieve. Club staff have the most control over the first aspect of the Quest model- Quality Instruction and Content. That’s why a focus on learning about and improving the types of programs and activities and the practices and overall experiences staff provide youth and their families are so important. This simple model can help staff understand why.
Model the learning process yourself.
I often coach folks to literally say aloud things like “We are trying something new, and we will likely need to change some things about it. We want you to help us learn and figure out how it will work best.” Often just saying the words will help staff feel the permission to be creative and take the kinds of risks that we want them to. Also consider creating space in staff meetings or other conversations where you share something you’ve learned recently, and ask others to share theirs too. Prioritize attending training or webinars whether through BGCA or other organizations, putting it on your calendar and then protecting that time. If you have the chance to hold training at your Club for staff, get engaged, don’t just sit in the back trying to multitask. Let them see that you are all in, and they will want to be too.
For those of you in leadership, spend time in Clubs with staff and youth that isn’t only business.
Sometimes the only time YDPs see us is when we are leading training or when we come to do an assessment or walk-through. That can create a power dynamic, even a false sense of anxiety, that isn’t conducive to learning. Plan regular time to just pop in with donuts, or bring a bunch of drinks from Sonic with that good ice on a hot day. Send emails or handwrite notes to shout-out goals met or other types of small wins. The whole goal is to be a friendly, supportive colleague who truly understands them, and is a partner in the work. A bonus to this is that you’ll also get a better sense of what is happening day-to-day in your Clubs’ programs and activities, and what challenges staff are facing so you can better plan the kinds of support they may need. You’ll also identify staff who have strong skills in some areas, and will be able to empower them to help train or coach their colleagues.
We are so grateful to you for your commitment to not only your youth but your staff and I will speak for all of my BGCA colleagues when I say it is our honor to learn alongside you. It is so exciting to know so many people who are leading out on building strong, positive, supportive cultures. You are making a difference, I hope you know it and feel it and stay the course.
Become a National Trainer so you can facilitate BGCA-created training sessions for your staff. Learn more about creating a Culture of Learning in this ClubX Blog post:
How do you build a Culture of Learning? What kinds of training and professional development have worked well for your staff? We want to know! Comment below, on the BGCA Youth Development Facebook page, or email ClubXBlog@bgca.org to share.
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