Flux Academy: your path to personal and professional growth
At Flux Partners, joining the team isn’t just a career move – it’s a step into a culture where personal and professional growth are deeply intertwined. A cornerstone of this journey is the Flux Academy, a dedicated program designed to support and accelerate your development from day one. Rob Tönissen, Managing Consultant and Coach at Flux Partners, plays a pivotal role in the development and execution of this program.
What is the Flux Academy all about?
The Flux Academy is a learning program aimed at boosting both personal and professional growth. It is built on three key principles: learning through practice, learning by working together, and learning by formal intervention. These principles are inspired by Jennings’ 70:20:10 model. “Seventy percent comes from hands-on experience, 20% from collaboration, and 10% from training and workshops,” Rob explains.
Learning through practice
Hands-on experience is key at Flux. The focus is on learning through practice – tackling new challenges and responsibilities in projects. “We encourage everyone at Flux to step outside their comfort zone and take on new tasks,” Rob shares. “The Academy is designed to get employees moving, helping them discover new things through hands-on experience.”
A practical example of this is developing presentation skills. “If presenting in front of a group makes you nervous,” says Rob, “you can gradually build up this skill through the Academy.” It starts with discussing your challenges and creating a personal development plan that outlines how you’ll work on it in real-life situations. “We provide a supportive space where you can experiment and grow at your own pace,” Rob emphasizes.
Learning by working together
‘Learning by working together’ is about leveraging the collective knowledge and experience of the team. “There’s a lot of knowledge transfer happening within our teams,” Rob explains. “We believe that by working together and learning from each other, we can achieve more.”
One of the ways this happens is through Flux Friday sessions, where colleagues come together to discuss challenges they face at work. “It’s a safe and open environment where employees can share their experiences,” Rob says. “It’s a valuable opportunity to gain new perspectives, explore problems from different angles, and learn from each other’s successes and mistakes.” These open exchanges help employees not only hone their problem-solving skills but also strengthen their team cohesion.
Additionally, Flux Partners regularly hosts “specials” during Flux Fridays, where team members showcase their projects and share insights. This fosters even deeper learning and sparks fresh ideas across the organization.
Formal learning
“When people think of development, they often think of formal training first,” Rob notes. “Workshops, courses, and training programs are important, but at Flux, they’re just the beginning.” Formal learning is valuable, but it’s only a stepping stone to deeper growth. “Real development happens when you put what you’ve learned into action, reflect on it, and keep learning from those experiences,” he adds.
This is why Flux encourages applying new knowledge and skills directly into practice. “The key is making sure that what you learn becomes a part of your daily routine,” Rob continues. By integrating formal learning into everyday tasks, Flux ensures that training leads to real-life impact and continuous development.
A strong start with Flux Academy onboarding
The journey with the Flux Academy starts right away with an extensive 100-day onboarding program, designed to smoothly integrate new employees into the organization. “It’s a structured process that combines group sessions, one-on-one check-ins, and setting personal development goals,” Rob explains.
At the halfway point, during the 45-day check-in, new employees are introduced to their personal development plan. “This is when we start setting development and talent goals,” Rob says. “This ensures that new employees not only get off to a good start but also have a clear path for future growth.”
Driving growth with development and talent goals
“A development goal is about defining a specific area you want to work on,” Rob explains. This could involve improving a particular competency, like project management. “If you’re not naturally inclined toward budget management, for example, you can set a goal to become more attentive to it and work on it during future projects.”
In addition to development goals, the Flux Academy encourages setting talent goals, which focus on what you naturally enjoy and excel at. “A talent goal is about something that energizes you, something you love doing,” says Rob. “By identifying and discussing these goals, you can develop strengths that benefit both you and the company.”
This approach ensures that employees grow in areas where they may need improvement, while also nurturing their natural talents to create value for the organization. “We want employees to do what they’re great at and what gives them energy,” Rob emphasizes. Together, the organization and the employee look for ways to incorporate these talents into Flux Partners, enabling everyone to thrive in their careers.
Flux Academy: growing together toward a successful future
The Flux Academy is the foundation for every employee’s personal and professional growth. By blending hands-on experience, collaboration, and formal training, the Academy strikes the perfect balance between theory and practice, individual strengths, and teamwork. At Flux Partners, we believe that when you grow, we all grow.