In a rapidly changing business environment, technology as well as society is driving changes faster than people can adapt. Employees need to be upskilled as well as reskilled and for this companies need to invest heavily in learning and development (LD) programs.
Employees need to be prepared to learn today what they will be doing tomorrow. Companies need to find answers to
- how will employees adapt effectively when their work nature is changing in real-time.
- What skills do they need to learn that will support them in future?
- how can companies facilitate this transition?
There are no simple answers to these questions. Companies need to help employees learn in ways that will positively impact them in their work and benefit the company.
The traditional LD department
historically, learning and development is driven by a team of people working in conjunction with the HR department. In a general attempt to motivate the team, the LD department serves to take up the requests of various departments and fulfil their requirements for training the employees. This could be in the form of classroom training, and sometimes certificate programs from universities. Of late, online learning has become very popular as it allows the employee to learn at their own pace and at times convenient to them. However, these measures are not adequate to meet the challenges of today as well as tomorrow
- Content creation lags behind the need for content, making the available content less suitable to the current needs.
- Every learner learns at different speeds, his needs are different and thus a lot of personalisation is required to support meaningful learning and development initiatives.
- It is not just enough to learn the theory. While this may impart new information what is required is coaching and reinforcement and an opportunity to practice the skills safely.
- Employees have very little time for learning new concepts and the learning process can be quite messy as they have to experiment and try out things and make mistakes. Leaders should have the patience to allow such experimentation rather than criticise them.
- Many employees may not think of themselves as lifelong learners and they may not have the skills to apply what they have learnt effectively. Further, any biases in the training programme could lead to even more complications for the leaders.
Solution.
Fundamentally, companies need to address the barriers to learning to meet the challenges of today and the future. we need to understand that learning enables people to adapt and become drivers of change. Even if people are willing to learn, they may not know what to learn and how to learn.
Learning requires two contexts:
- Context: People need time and space to learn. they need timely feedback, opportunities for collaboration and support to convert their learning to improve the work they do.
- Capacity: Each person has different talents, strengths and experiences in how and what they engage with and apply new knowledge and skills. Companies can help learners by providing them with options to learn and apply them in a framework called Universal Design for Learning. (UDL)
Universal Design for Learning.
UDL helps manage the differences between learners – their strengths, interests, cultures, and attitudes by setting firm goals and the flexibility to meet these goals. This learning can spread across the entire spectrum from novice to expert learners.
Learning for novices i guided by external forces and they learn when they are told the reasons for them. For novices, there can be one training program to suit all types and this is meant to be a self-directed learning.
Expert learning adds specific skills and focuses on strategic improvement. Expert learners have the skill and willingness to learn. they can identify ways to leverage their learning to create impact and are always looking to improve their skills. These types of learners are best suited to the rapidly changing workplace.
Expert learners help improve outcomes.
Employees who are skilled learners can innovate and focus on continuous improvement. they can identify new emerging skills and generate new knowledge to meet those skills.
Learning improves employee engagement. Learning is a key driver for retention and creating a culture that supports people to learn makes it a common cause for continuous improvement. A visible focus on learning helps attract new talent.
Build a culture of expert learners.
Building a culture of expert learning is complex. However, here are some steps that leaders can take to support a learning culture.
- Adopt a learning philosophy: A learning philosophy should be built into the organisation where the firm believes in the need for continuous learning and the individual responsibility towards learning and the methods by which the firm would support its employees to learn and improve.
- Audit the culture for any barriers to training: Make sure that the behaviours, practices and systems within the organisation support this learning culture. Provide time and resources for learning and regularly reinforce the value of learning. Incentivise experimentation and knowledge sharing. Link learning development to skills development and promotion.
- Be flexible: Be flexible on when and how the employees learn. Acknowledge variability among learners and provide them with options that best suit their learning needs.
Change is constant and employees need to be capable of adapting to the changes in the work environment. Employees should take responsibility for improving their skills and this would help them anticipate and meet their upskilling needs. Companies should provide the right context and support, expert learning can become the skill that fills the skills gap.
Build a Strong Learning Culture on Your Team
by James McKenna
HBR 2023/06
R2G 