We know that cultivating a culture of learning is fundamental to the success of any company, and Productsup is no exception. To unlock our team’s full potential, we invest time and resources in developing our unique skills with ongoing internal and external training, as well as personal development initiatives.
Each year, everyone at Productsup receives an individual learning budget for courses, workshops, conferences, subscriptions, and more. People use their budgets for various learning initiatives, such as language courses, books, in-person conferences, LinkedIn Learning, Oreilly subscriptions, professional memberships, and personal coaching courses. Personally, I used my individual learning budget to further develop my coaching skills.
But learning can be even more successful when it’s shared. In late October 2023, we brought the Productsup team together for our first-ever Learning Day, a new annual initiative supporting knowledge-sharing and connection-building across the organization.
Empowerment through learning
The Productsup Learning Day was dedicated to expanding knowledge, kicking off insightful discussions, and strengthening company-wide connections. We united our diverse workforce across geographies through a virtual environment where everyone could learn and share their expertise.
We set the stage for an enriching and educational experience with three distinct topic clusters – technical skills, commercial trends, operational tactics. These were designed to cater to diverse interests and aspirations across all teams. Whether you were diving into the technical intricacies of our platform or learning how to deliver the perfect elevator pitch, our Learning Day had something for everyone. Take it from the facilitators and participants:
What was your Learning Day highlight as a facilitator?
Anne Groos, Product Designer: "It was wonderful to receive so many positive reactions from my colleagues who attended my session. They enjoyed learning and working with our platform’s A+ content story builder and had fun in doing so. I believe introducing new features in a playful and active way allows for exploration without any obligations and makes it easier to understand how it works, what it can do, and what value it can bring to our customers."
Leon Gerritsen, Lead Data Scientist: “I loved getting so many interesting questions from the workshop participants about AI and how we apply it at Productsup.”
How did you like the Learning Day and what value did it bring to your daily work as an attendee?
Anna Klymenko, Technical Writer: “The Learning Day absolutely exceeded my expectations. The organization was great and the process of signing up and attending the sessions was easy. The choice of the topics was also terrific. It was helpful to look at some of our features and solutions from the use-case perspective – the things that aren’t obvious when you don’t work directly with the customers. Thanks to all of the presenters for sharing their knowledge and making their presentations interactive and informative.”
Meet the team behind the event
As part of Productsup’s talent development team for our remote-first company, my aim was to make the Learning Day more than just an extended version of an online meeting. In a world filled with screens, presentations, and calls, I wanted this day to be a real standout – a time for us to learn, connect, and actually enjoy ourselves. Because learning can work best in groups, the event had to be dynamic and interactive.
Thanks to our incredible colleagues who became learning day facilitators, I am delighted to say that we exceeded all our expectations. The facilitators made the learning sessions interactive and engaging, using a wide range of activities like fun case study discussions, riddles, quizzes, and storytelling. For instance, we played Pictionary in the project management session.
I had the pleasure of planning the event with some of my amazing colleagues.
Maryna Bondarenko, Internal Communications and Culture Lead: "Facilitating and participating in Learning Day was a blast. It went by in a flash. I walked away feeling happy and re-energized after spending time with colleagues I don't see very often. Devoting a whole day to refining our skills and expanding knowledge is a testament to how Productsup values growth."
Stefanie Mogdanz, Talent Development and Onboarding Manager: “I had the opportunity to experience our first global and virtual Learning Day from various perspectives, which was both exciting and inspiring. I learned a lot as a project group member, as a session participant, and as a first-time facilitator designing a workshop for a virtual audience. Coming together with colleagues from different teams, to create content with them and for them, is a great wonderful way to foster personal and professional growth.”
Learning Day was a remarkable journey of discovery, connection, and growth. We've witnessed the power of knowledge, the strengths of our diverse teams, and the dedication of those who worked behind the scenes to bring this event to life.
The seeds sown on Learning Day will continue to bear fruit, not only in the form of improved technical skills and strategic thinking but also in the connections forged and the sense of belonging that has grown across our whole organization.
“I was pleasantly surprised by how efficient, interactive and beneficial the event was. It exceeded all of my expectations.”
Thank you to all our participants, facilitators, and the organizing team for making Learning Day such a success.
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