Organizational Learning Techniques

Louder for the people at the back 🎤 Many organisations today seem to have shifted from being institutions that develop great talent to those that primarily seek ready-made talent. This trend overlooks the immense value of individuals who, despite lacking experience, possess a great attitude, commitment, and a team-oriented mindset. These qualities often outweigh the drawbacks of hiring experienced individuals with a fixed and toxic mindset. The best organisations attract talent with their best years ahead of them, focusing on potential rather than past achievements. Let’s be clear this is more about mindset and willingness to learn and unlearn as apposed to age. To realise the incredible potential return, organisations must commit to creating an environment where continuous development is possible. This requires a multi-faceted approach: 1. Robust Training Programmes: Employers should invest in comprehensive training programmes that equip employees with the necessary skills for their roles. This includes on-the-job training, mentorship programmes, online courses, and workshops. 2. Redefining Hiring Criteria: Organisations should revise their hiring criteria to focus more on candidates’ potential and willingness to learn rather than solely on prior experience or formal qualifications. Behavioural interviews, aptitude tests, and probationary periods can help assess a candidate's ability to learn and adapt. 3. Partnerships with Educational Institutions: Companies can collaborate with educational institutions to design curricula that align with industry needs. Apprenticeship programmes, internships, and cooperative education can bridge the gap between academic learning and practical job skills. 4. Lifelong Learning Culture: Encouraging a culture of lifelong learning within organisations is crucial. Employers should provide ongoing education opportunities and support for professional development. This includes continuous skills assessment and access to resources for upskilling and reskilling. 5. Inclusive Recruitment Practices: Employers should implement inclusive recruitment practices that remove biases and barriers. Blind recruitment, diversity quotas, and targeted outreach programmes can help ensure that diverse candidates are given a fair chance. By implementing these measures, organisations can develop a workforce that is adaptable, innovative, and resilient, ensuring sustainable success and growth.

Building a learning culture is something you need to plan for, but it's not something that needs to cost a lot of time or money. A learning culture is an environment where continuous learning is encouraged and supported. It's where learning is part of everyday work, not just something done in formal training. If you are not sure whether your organization has an effective learning culture, start with some simple analysis. 🤔 Examine your current strategy. Does it clarify what a learning culture looks like in your organization? Is there a clear plan for shaping it? 👂 Bring in other voices and ask people for feedback on the existing culture. ⚖ Consider whether existing learning and development initiatives are aligned with the organization's strategic objectives. Does spending reflect this? Or does it reflect a more ad hoc approach? ✍ After analysis, the next step is to create a new plan or update the existing one, ensuring there is a learning and development plan for all roles, right across the organization. In this, it's ESSENTIAL to clearly define responsibilities for learning. ❓ As with any plan, you will have to consider resources and priorities. Be aware that building a learning and development culture doesn't have to be overly time consuming or expensive. 💵 When considering costs, take into account how people and teams can share knowledge and learn from each other, without paying through the nose for external supports. So, leverage internal expertise where you can... ...If machine operators are struggling with meeting OEE targets, figure out who has the knowledge internally to spend a couple of hours a week with them to mentor them on this. ...Or if office workers are struggling with time management, perhaps managers can coach them to develop these skills as part of their weekly one to one's. ⏰ When considering time, remember that micro learning can be built into existing platforms rather than taking days out of work for formal training.  📜 When considering content, don't make the mistake of focusing solely on technical skills. Make sure plans are holistic and include topics like leadership development and interpersonal skills. Include employees' learning interests that align to the organizational plans. 🚨 🚨 🚨 🤵 Leaders and managers- you play a key role in shaping a learning culture. You are in a prime position to promote learning that is aligned with organizational goals, people's needs, and make learning social and fun. 👩💼 You can set the tone by encouraging curiosity, supporting continuous development, and leading by example. Leaders are always learning too, and it's important to show this example to your team. #learninganddevelopment #learningculture #leadership #continuousimprovement #employeeengagement

What can hunter-gatherer children tell us about learning at work? Research for my next book on self-directed learning keeps surprising me. A study from Washington State University explored how cultural traits are preserved for millenia in hunter-gatherer communities where children pick up complex skills much earlier than their peers in modern, urbanised cultures. The study reminds us that because urban living is recent compared to human evoloution “Our bodies and minds are adapted to this intimate, small group living, rather than to contemporary urban life." That got me thinking about organisations: we need people to absorb the skills, values, processes that fit the culture. However, rather than let it happen naturally we try to accelerate the process with formal learning; sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. What can we borrow from more natural learning environments? 🧑🧑🧒🧒 Broad informal learning networks of 25-35 people - create onboarding circles with rotating buddie so newbies learn from many voices 🌱 Egalitarian knowledge sharing communities - treat everyone as a 'teacher'; run short demos in team meetings 🤼 Learn from varied - encourage cross-functional shadowing, micro-apprenticeships 👀 Subtle, non-verbal learning - have people observe real work and reflect 🔎 Autonomy to explore and practice - protect 10-15% 'practice time' for safe experiments Of course, people learn formally and informally at work but if the culture screams "You're not safe!" even the best workshop on psychological safety won't stick. What are the best (or worst) examples you've seen where people learn naturally at work? Which of these elements were in place or what got in the way? #LearningCulture #SelfDirectedLearning #OrganizationalLearning

How do you create a culture of learning within your organization? This question is something that all leaders need to consider and take steps to work towards. When this is in place, it sets your company up for long-term success. People will continue to grow their skills and improve their performance, retention will increase, and future leaders will develop. Here are 9 ways to build a culture of learning: 1. Participation from leadership. Leaders need to encourage learning and development and be active participants. When leaders partake in this and show enthusiasm for it, it spreads throughout the organization. 2. Provide multiple opportunities. Have various learning opportunities that include virtual learning, in-person training, micro-learning, conferences, books/articles, and coaching. 3. Peer sharing. A great practice is to have your team members share their expertise with others. This furthers the learning for the people receiving information as well as the person teaching it. 4. Mentoring and coaching. Have a mentoring program within your organization. This is a great opportunity to build relationships and for team members to learn from experienced colleagues. Offering coaching is one of the best ways to improve performance and make it sustainable. 5. Welcome feedback. Build a culture where feedback is valued and given often. Teach people at all levels how to give and receive feedback. 6. Focus on leadership development. Identify and offer training for current and future leaders. Utilize leadership coaching as a part of this program. 7. Empower team members. A critical part of growth is being put in new situations where you are out of your comfort zone. Empower people to have autonomy of a project, lead others, and make decisions. 8. Treat challenges as opportunities. Build a growth mindset at the organization by viewing challenges and setbacks as opportunities for learning. 9. Recognize and reward growth. Show appreciation and celebrate people for their active participation in their development. You may choose to offer bonuses or other incentives for meeting training objectives. Comment below on what has been successful for you or your organization in building a learning culture. #learninganddevelopment #growth #professionaldevelopment #humanresources

Recently, I had a conversation with an ex-colleague, someone I’ve known for years who has seen Learnig & Development (L&D) evolve alongside me. We talked about old L&D programs we designed, facilitated, or attended. Which of them truly made an impact? Which ones faded away despite the initial hype? With time and experience, we can now see what worked and what was just a trend that never took off. One thing was clear: learning that sticks is learning that adapts. We reflected on leadership development programs—some were transformative, and others were too generic. The best ones focused on self-awareness, coaching, and continuous practice rather than one-off workshops. From our memories, we naturally shifted to what works now, and here is the list that we put together as a result of brainstorming: ♦️Personalized & Adaptive Learning One-size-fits-all training is a thing of the past. Tailored learning paths based on individual skills, progress, and preferences help employees access the most relevant content at the right time. ♦️Gamification & Microlearning Attention spans are shrinking, and engagement is key. Gamification elements—such as badges, challenges, and rewards—combined with bite-sized learning modules make training more interactive and digestible. ♦️Soft Skills While technical skills remain essential, there’s a massive focus on leadership, emotional intelligence, adaptability, and communications skills that AI can’t replace. ♦️Online In-class training Employees lack the time for full-day classroom sessions and often get distracted—checking phones, answering calls, and multitasking. Online group training is changing this dynamic. Instead of losing an entire day, employees can dedicate just an hour a day to focused learning, making it easier to prioritize and absorb the content. ♦️Continuous Learning Culture The traditional approach of one-time training sessions is fading. Organizations are fostering a culture of continuous learning, encouraging employees to upskill regularly rather than reactively. Which of these (or other) trends do you see in your organization? #learning #development #trainingtrends

As leaders, we may not often realize it, but every day we oversee the world's largest learning laboratory: our business workplace. The real question is, how effectively are we at using it? Very few of us would argue that the most successful organizations are those that prioritize continuous learning and development. Understanding this, you may ask, "how can I leverage or make this a competitive advantage?" By transforming our workplaces into "learning laboratories," we can create an effective environment for team members who want to continuously grow, innovate, and enhance their skills. This approach not only benefits the individual but also drives organizational success. If you want your team(s) to be high-performing (meaning they're self-starting, inquisitive, always looking to improve, and highly autonomous) there is no better way than developing your workplace into a laboratory for learning on-the-job. A workplace/laboratory built for learning promotes a culture of innovation. When team members have the freedom scale to explore new ideas and approaches without the fear of failure, they are more likely to become solutions-driven. This can potentially lead to the development of new products, services, and processes that sustain your organization allowing it to keep its competitive edge. If you're thinking positively about this, consider that you get those highly skilled, and innovative team members in addition to increased employee engagement and retention! A workplace that values learning and development creates a positive environment where employees feel valued and motivated to contribute their best. Team members who know their personal and professional growth are supported by leadership are more likely to be satisfied and remain loyal to the company. The main idea behind the creation of a learning environment is to build more collaborative teams. When employees are encouraged to share their knowledge and learn from one another, it strengthens team dynamics and improves communication. This collaborative spirit is crucial for learning how to effectively execute operationally, overcome challenges, and achieve organizational goals. So, what does a "learning lab" look like inside your organization? Here are three simple steps to begin: 1. Encourage a growth mindset across your organization. 2. Provide access to learning resources. 3. Create opportunities for practical application. Commit fully to these steps and watch your people excel and the first elements of your learning lab come together. The way we learn as a society is constantly evolving. Today, new jobs are emerging that have no historical precedent or textbooks to refer to. Learning and expertise are developing around us at an unprecedented speed. Remember, everyday you preside over a "ready made" environment to grow and develop your people. As leaders, we own that responsibility, let's not let it go to waste. #CEOs #Leadership #Learning #Execution