How to ensure people feel they are learning, growing and developing: Strategy #3.3 – Provide opportunities to learn from/teach others.

We have previously published a series of people leadership strategies around the themes of people feeling supported, valued and safe; creating a ‘team environment’; supporting learning and growth; empowering staff and building autonomy; ensuring clarity of roles and expectations; and creating meaning and purpose.

Practical Ideas Guides

We are now going to explore the actionable steps that you can take to enable the suggested strategies and actions. This is one in a series of 31 posts providing specific descriptions of the actions in practice. (There is one practical idea guide for each people leadership strategy)

So, this post focuses on the theme of supporting learning and growth. In a previous post we have talked through 6 overarching strategies to support the learning and growth of your team:

3.1 Plan for and support development

3.2 Provide new challenges and responsibilities

3.3 Provide opportunities to learn from/teach others

3.4 Champion experimentation and improvement

3.5 Provide coaching and developmental feedback

In this post we take a deep dive into the specific strategy of:

3.3 Provide opportunities to learn from/teach others

Social learning (learning with and through others) is one of the most powerful and inexpensive methods of development that not only builds individual capability and performance but also creates connectedness and stronger relationships between colleagues. So, here are some of the actions that can be taken to put this leadership strategy into practice:

1. Ask individuals to teach others about an area they are ‘expert’ in.

Every team member brings unique skills, experiences, and knowledge. Encouraging people to share their expertise not only helps the whole team grow but also builds confidence, recognition, and a sense of belonging for individuals.

1. Identify each person’s area of expertise

Use one-on-one development conversations or team planning sessions to help each person clarify what they’re known for or passionate about.
You might ask:

“What’s something you do really well that others might learn from?”
“What kind of problems do people often come to you to solve?”
“What’s one area you’d enjoy teaching others about?”

Capture these as part of each person’s development plan.

2. Match expertise to learning needs

As a team, identify areas where people would benefit from learning more – such as tools, systems, processes, planning skills, or interpersonal skills. Then look for overlaps between what someone can teach and what others want to learn.

Example: One team member is great at managing difficult stakeholder conversations – another wants to build confidence in that area. Pair them up for a mentoring chat or short role-play session.

3. Create simple sharing opportunities

Keep it informal and lightweight. The goal is learning, not presentation polish. Options include:

Mini skill shares: 10–15 minute segments during team meetings (“lunch and learn” style).
Peer mentoring: Pair people up for focused learning on a specific topic.
Micro projects: Have someone lead a small improvement task related to their area of expertise.

Rotate these so everyone has the opportunity to both teach and learn over time.

4. Reinforce and celebrate

Acknowledge people who share their knowledge – highlight the impact it’s had on others or the team. Small moments of recognition (“Thanks for that tip on managing our shared inbox – it’s really streamlined things”) help reinforce a culture of shared learning.

5. Make it ongoing

At least once a year, refresh the “who knows what” map of your team. As people develop new skills, give them fresh opportunities to showcase and share. Over time, this builds a strong learning culture and increases team resilience.

2. Ask a team member to learn more about another area of the business and share insights with rest of the team.

Teams often only see a small slice of how the organisation works. Helping your team learn about other parts of the business builds context, strengthens collaboration, and improves decision-making. You might work through these steps:

1. Identify which areas would be valuable to understand

As a team, shortlist 2–3 areas of the business that would help you work better – e.g. finance, operations, customer service, HR, or a key project team. Ask the team:

“Where do we depend on others?”
“Where do misunderstandings or delays usually happen?”
“Which relationships would make our work easier if we understood them better?”

2. Assign each area to a team member

Match people to areas they’re curious about or have touchpoints with. Keep the expectations realistic – this is not a research project, just a light “learn and share” activity.

3. Set up introductions and access

As the leader:

let other teams know what you’re doing and why
make a few introductions
give your team permission to spend a small amount of time exploring

This removes unnecessary awkwardness and helps your team feel supported.

4. Give team members simple ways to learn

Allow people to choose 1–2 light-touch options, such as:

attending a team meeting or planning session as an observer
shadowing someone for an hour or half a day
interviewing a team lead or practitioner
reviewing a business plan, process map, or dashboard
taking a site visit or virtual walkthrough

Keep it practical, not overwhelming.

5. Have team members share their insights back

In a team meeting, ask each person to give a short, structured reflection. These guiding questions help them focus on what matters:

What does success look like for that team?
What are their core activities?
What challenges or constraints do they face?
What are their top priorities over the next year?
What surprised you or shifted your understanding?
What insights or ideas can we apply to our work?
How can we work with them more effectively?
Are there relationships we should nurture or reset?

Encourage quick, conversational sharing rather than formal presentations.

6. Turn insights into small improvements

After the sharing, ask the team:

“Is there one thing we can start doing differently based on what we learned?”
“Is there a relationship we want to strengthen?”

This helps convert learning into action without creating more workload.

3. Ask each person to profile their role so other team members can learn about what it is like to have that job (even have a teammate shadow them for a day).

Understanding what teammates actually do day-to-day strengthens empathy, reduces friction, and helps people collaborate more effectively. As a leader, you can create simple, low-effort ways for people to learn about each other’s roles. Things to consider include:

1. Introduce short monthly “role profiles” in team meetings

Make this a standing item – just 10–12 minutes per meeting. One person shares insights about their role using a simple structure you provide. This builds confidence and avoids people feeling unsure about what to include.

4. Encourage buddying up, mentoring, being co-coaches, seeking advice from industry specialists.

Peer relationships are one of the most powerful ways to build capability and confidence in a small team. As a leader, you can create simple structures that help people support each other, learn from each other, and feel less alone in their challenges. Steps you could undertake include:

1. Introduce a light-touch “buddy” or mentoring pair structure

Once per year – often during development planning – identify natural pairings where two people could benefit from connecting regularly. This might be:

two team members with complementary strengths
someone newer paired with someone more experienced
two people working on similar challenges
a team member matched with a specialist from another area

Make the expectations simple and achievable.

2. Provide a clear, low-pressure rhythm

Suggest they engage in a monthly 30–45 minute catch-up. Framing it informally (“over a coffee”, “walking meeting”, “phone chat”) makes it feel safe and easy to sustain.

Provide simple prompts they can use:

What’s been a recent challenge for you?
What’s working well right now?
What’s one thing you’re trying to improve?
Have you faced something like this before?
What’s one idea or insight you’re taking away?

This keeps conversations focused without becoming overly structured.

3. Encourage pairs to share learning – not private details

Remind people that they can share themes and insights with you or the team (e.g., “Everyone seems to be struggling with X process”), but they should avoid sharing private stories or personal comments. This reinforces psychological safety and builds trust in the buddy system.

4. Look beyond the team for mentoring opportunities

For development needs that require fresh perspectives or specialist knowledge, help team members identify:

mentors in other departments
senior leaders who are willing to share expertise
external industry specialists
peers in partner organisations

You may need to make initial introductions or clarify expectations so both sides feel comfortable.

5. Celebrate the learning that emerges

Every few months, invite pairs (voluntarily) to share:

a useful idea they gained
a new approach they’re trying
a challenge they solved together

This reinforces the value of the practice and normalises ongoing peer learning.

5. Suggest to individuals that they participate in a community of practice, action learning team, special interest forums, Linked In discussion groups.

A powerful way to help team members grow is to encourage them to connect with others who do similar work in different teams or organisations. These networks can give people fresh ideas, practical tips, and a sense of belonging to a broader profession.. Things to consider include:

1. Introduce the idea during development planning

As part of your annual development conversations, ask each team member:

“Who else inside or outside the organisation does similar work to you?”
“Where could you learn from other practitioners facing similar challenges?”

This helps them think beyond the team and consider broader learning sources.

2. Suggest practical types of communities they could join

Make the options concrete and match them to their role or interests. For example:

Internal communities of practice (common in larger organisations)—e.g., project managers, executive assistants, data analysts.
Cross-agency or cross-organisation groups in non-competitive sectors (e.g., government, NFPs) focused on shared challenges such as grants management, community engagement, or service design.
Industry or professional associations that offer events, webinars, networking, or discussion forums (e.g., HR institutes, accounting bodies, architecture associations).
Online communities such as LinkedIn groups, moderated forums, or action learning networks.

Keep expectations realistic – 1–2 engagement points per quarter is usually enough.

3. Help remove barriers to participation

Your support can make a big difference. You might:

make introductions to peers in other teams
approve small amounts of time for participation
share relevant events you hear about
invite them to a session and attend together the first time

This signals that professional learning is valued, not “extra work.”

4. Create a simple feedback loop

During mid-year or quarterly check-ins, ask:

“What have you learned from the groups you’ve been part of?”
“What idea or practice should we adopt as a team?”
“Is this group still useful, or do we need to look for something different?”

This encourages reflection, reinforces accountability, and helps bring new capability into the team.

5. Celebrate and integrate insights

When someone shares something useful from an external network:

acknowledge their effort
ask them to share a brief summary with the team
consider testing new approaches in small ways

This turns external learning into collective learning.

6. Establish a regular program of individuals researching interesting topics or concepts and then presenting and exploring with team members.

Encouraging team members to explore new topics and share insights builds curiosity, capability, and innovation. When structured well, it also strengthens collaboration and keeps the team aware of emerging trends or opportunities. You may want to work through the following steps:

1. Identify topics of interest as a team

Run a short brainstorming session with the team to identify areas to explore. Ideas could include:

Emerging technologies or tools relevant to your work
Organisational initiatives or processes
Industry trends or best practices
Frameworks, models, or methods that could improve team effectiveness

Record all ideas and rotate responsibility for who investigates each topic.

2. Assign research responsibilities

Allow individuals to nominate or be assigned topics based on interest or expertise. Keep the expectations realistic:

1–2 hours of research per topic
Short, focused outputs (slides, summary notes, or a visual aid)

Encourage them to not just gather information, but also think about relevance to the team.

3. Schedule regular sharing sessions

Integrate learning into existing forums rather than creating extra meetings. Examples:

10–15 minutes during a monthly team meeting
Quarterly “knowledge spotlight” sessions
Short “lunch & learn” sessions

Make it clear that the goal is discussion and learning, not a formal presentation.

4. Focus on application

During or after the session, ask the presenter and team to explore:

How can this insight improve the quality, efficiency, or impact of our work?
Are there small experiments or changes we can try?
Does this open opportunities to collaborate differently or solve a current challenge?

This ensures research is practical, actionable, and connected to the team’s goals.

5. Encourage reflection and rotation

Rotate topics and presenters so everyone has a chance to contribute.
Keep a running list of lessons learned or ideas generated for reference.
Check in periodically to evaluate which topics were most useful and adjust future sessions.

7. Encourage site visits – customers, stakeholders, best practice organisations.

Seeing how others operate provides insights, sparks ideas, and helps your team improve its own work. Site visits can be used to learn from customers, stakeholders, or organisations that demonstrate best practice. You may want to work through the following process:

1. Identify opportunities for site visits

As a team, brainstorm where a visit could provide value. Consider:

Customers or users: Observe how they interact with your products or services. Ask questions, watch processes, and note pain points.
Stakeholders or partners: Suppliers, regulators, or community organisations that affect your work. Understanding their perspective can improve collaboration.
Best-practice organisations: Teams in non-competitive organisations who excel in areas relevant to your work. Visiting them can provide practical ideas or inspiration.

Focus on a few visits that will provide meaningful learning rather than trying to do too many at once.

2. Prepare for the visits

Encourage team members to set clear objectives for each visit:

What questions do we want answered?
What processes or approaches do we want to observe?
What challenges or opportunities might we discover?

This ensures the visit is purposeful, not just observational.

3. Conduct the visits

Encourage active observation and note-taking.
Ask thoughtful questions and seek to understand context, rather than just collecting data.
If possible, capture photos, diagrams, or examples that can be shared later

4. Report back and reflect

After the visit, ask team members to share insights with the rest of the team:

What stood out as particularly effective or innovative?
What challenges did they notice that we also face?
What ideas could we adapt to improve our own processes?
Are there relationships we should strengthen or actions we should take?

This consolidates learning and links it directly to your team’s work.

5. Encourage small, practical applications

Not all insights need to be major changes. Encourage the team to identify 1–2 simple actions to experiment with as a result of each visit. This reinforces the value of learning while keeping it manageable.

8. Give people responsibility to lead a post project review and share the learnings with others.

Post-project reviews are a powerful way for individuals and teams to capture lessons learned, improve future performance, and develop leadership capability. Often, these reviews are skipped or assumed to be the project manager’s responsibility. Assigning someone else to lead the review can create a meaningful learning opportunity. You may want to consider the following steps:

1. Identify the facilitator

Choose someone who participated in the project, but not the project manager.
This could be a junior or mid-level team member ready for a stretch opportunity.
Make it clear that support and guidance are available.

2. Provide a simple review framework

Give the facilitator a structured set of questions to guide the discussion:

To what extent did the project achieve its objectives?
What worked well? What didn’t work so well?
What lessons did we learn?
What would we do differently next time?

This keeps the review focused, manageable, and non-intimidating for the facilitator.

3. Schedule and conduct the review

Set aside a short session with the project team shortly after project completion.
Encourage open discussion and reflection.
Make notes of key learnings, actions, and ideas for improvement.

4. Share the learnings

Ask the facilitator to present the main insights to the broader team.
This could be a short update in a team meeting or a summary document shared via email or a shared platform.
Highlight practical takeaways that can be applied to future projects.

5. Emphasise the benefits

Provides a stretch opportunity for a team member to lead, reflect, and communicate learnings.
Builds a culture of continuous improvement within the team.
Ensures knowledge is captured and reused, preventing repeated mistakes and reinforcing good practices.

What Next?

Having read this practical guidance, some questions you may want to ask yourself might be:

Are there one or two ideas emerging for me that I might want to put into practice?
What is the smallest thing I could do that might have a positive impact?
How will I hold myself accountable for following through on my actions?

Good luck!