To answer the title question: No, it doesn’t. One fantastic and integral part of our industry is that fitness professionals and leaders are always hungry for education and learning. It’s probably what attracted us to the industry and only grew thanks to the Continuing Education Credit requirements of most foundational certifications.
Our appetite for education being what it is and the plethora of learning options being what they are, it becomes challenging to ensure we spend our hard-earned time and money on the right education. Since we all want to grow from the education we invest in, here is the key to success:
TARGETED LEARNING = GROWTH
What is targeted learning? It’s education meets the following criteria:
- Is part of a development plan that makes us crave not only the educational experience, but also the applied learning opportunities that will follow.
- Offered in a manner that fits our preferred learning method: online, in-person, self-directed reading, accompanied by a mentor, etc.
- Meets our level of patience: some of us can handle months of study and in-class practice before we are permitted to apply our newfound knowledge, some of us want to use our new skills asap.
Fitness Professionals
Schedule time every three months to reflect on what continues to get your juices flowing. Which class are you no longer motivated to teach? Which type of client has you feeling annoyed to have to program for?
Alternatively, what type of workout are you loving for yourself? What articles are you reading from beginning to end? What types of sessions are you choosing right away at conferences?
Commit to targeted learning thanks to an honest understanding of your comfort zone and taking steps to grow in your career.
Fitness Managers and Decision Makers
Have development plan conversations with your team. It doesn’t have to be a stuffy/formal meeting based on corporate “best practices”; start with the intention to get to know your staff in your next one-on-one time. Make it an integral part of any expectations conversation and performance review. You can also use the following activity as a team-building exercise at your next staff meeting – have them get in groups of 2 and ask their teammate these questions:
- What are you passionate about right now?
- What are you excited to learn about next?
Fitness Education Providers
Embrace the fact that your program won’t meet the needs of every fitness pro and every club. Great marketing should attract the people who are right fit for your brand and repel the ones who aren’t. Every fit pro who goes through your training program are ambassadors for your brand; attract the ones you want as representatives.
Understand the distinction between learning objectives and learning outcomes and communicate them clearly to your audience. Take a leap past the features of your program and help people see themselves once they’ve acquired the learning. Provide clarity as to how will it impact their confidence, their level of engagement, and their career success.
So What’s Next?
Recruit and Retain the Right Talent for Your Team!
It’s time to learn What Fit Pros Want From Their Leaders! I have created a FREE 4-week email & video series where you will learn the key components to growth and turn-key take-aways that will quickly create staff relationships that will benefit you, your teams, and your business.
By signing up below, you will receive 1 email per week for 4 weeks. Each email will contain a video from me, explaining the week’s lesson, as well as an actionable to-do list so you can easily implement the tasks no matter where you are on your management journey.
I can’t wait to get started with you. Register below & you will receive your first email today.
There are no comments