Employees increasingly value learning and development (L&D) opportunities their employers provide. Visionary organizations understand the power of creating environments where leaders can purposefully practice new skills before applying them on the job, helping them stand out to top talent.

While many leaders can take courses on conflict resolution, only some have the opportunity to practice difficult conversations with a peer and get feedback before having that conversation with their direct report. Similarly, many leaders can attend a workshop on leading through change. However, not all leaders can exercise the skill through a simulation before facing a significant change.

Interactive learning experiences like these are not just rising in demand among learners; they’re a critical factor in retaining employees. According to a Deloitte report, one in three Millennials and Gen Z (29%) left their roles in 2023 for new jobs based on L&D opportunities.

By incorporating practice, you can set apart your L&D program while setting your employees up for success. 

Understanding the value of purposeful practice

Think of practice as beta testing skills. Rather than jumping straight into a high-stakes scenario to apply your newly acquired skills, it’s better to first purposefully practice. This allows you to learn from mistakes in a low-risk environment before applying the skills on the job. Otherwise, going straight to the application means risking errors that could have been prevented through practice, explains Verity Creedy, VP of product management at DDI. 

Skipping this step and expecting employees to move straight into the application introduces more risk to the organization. In contrast, when someone can practice and incorporate feedback, they're more likely to succeed, says Creedy.

Science supports this, indicating that practice rewires the brain, making it easier to retain information and improve performance and expertise. 

Designing your mix of purposeful learning experiences   

What does purposeful practice look like…in practice? Consider these approaches.

• Promote peer coaching. Data shows leaders want to learn alongside their peers, with 31% seeking peer coaching. Peer coaching can make leadership feel less lonely, says Creedy, and is especially helpful since peers understand the business relevance of what you're trying to achieve. Complement this with premade scenarios to facilitate better coaching conversations. 
• Assign developmental assignments. Find short- to medium-term activities that allow employees to intentionally try skills beyond their daily jobs. About one in two leaders want this experience. For example, someone trying to build a strong team culture could shadow another leader with a high-performing team. 
• Harness formal mentorship programs. Our research shows that four in ten leaders want formal mentorship. Mentorship can act as a form of sponsorship and is especially beneficial for underrepresented groups. For example, although 56% of organizations have a formal mentoring program, 63% of women have never had a formal mentor. 
• Providing digital practice simulations. Use simulations to practice skills in a safe—but realistic—scenario. With tools like DDI’s Leadership Skills Practice^SM employees get instant feedback from a language model on what they did well and what they could improve. “It feels safe to take risks and test skills. It's just you with the technology…No other humans are involved,” explains Creedy.     

Choosing your practice tools to optimize performance

They say practice makes perfect. But what makes for ideal practice?

• It’s purposeful. Ensure experiences are designed to help employees practice specific skills. For instance, rather than practicing general leadership, set up practice experiences to work on coaching.  
• It uses feedback. Effective practice requires effective feedback. With feedback, employees can iterate, improve, and determine their readiness to apply skills on the job. 
• It’s intentionally challenging: Practice must be deliberately difficult to prepare employees for real-world scenarios, as practical applications aren’t always easily overcome.
• It reinforces the why: Make sure employees understand why they’re improving the skill they’re practicing. What's the benefit of this skill for them, their team, and the business?
• It feels safe: Practice scenarios must feel safe. When leaders practice, they might fail (at first), and they need to feel secure enough to fail so they can learn and improve.

Creating a safe work environment for purposeful practice

Even with the right practice tools, it won't be effective if the environment doesn’t feel psychologically safe. Employees are more likely to repeat a practice if it feels safe, and repetition over an extended period is vital to retaining information.

To increase psychological safety in practice, Creedy suggests involving diverse perspectives, being aware of people's preferences, acknowledging and respecting contributions, and preparing people in advance. Creedy also notes that it can be effective when senior leaders talk about how they've improved skills during practicing or participated in practice themselves.

Moving your organization forward—purposefully

When your employees feel their organization is committed to their growth, they’re more likely to keep growing with that organization—and apply the skills they’ve acquired. Take it from the 88% of participants who were more motivated to apply new skills after using DDI’s leadership development programs.

By adding this purposeful practice step, you prepare leaders for success, ensuring they (and you) succeed. Learn more about practice tools and other tips for making your leadership development programs succeed in the Ultimate Guide to Leadership Development.