Constructing A Tradition Of Studying In Your Group
Successfully build a learning culture
Today everything changes faster than you can keep up. Retraining is becoming a priority for L&D more than ever. And so learning deserves a deserved, decisive place in organizations. This is confirmed by LinkedIn’s Workplace Learning Report [1] 94% of employees said investing in learning and development was one of the main reasons they would choose to stay in a role longer. L & D’s stakeholders will now have a seat at the table not only to offer compliance training, but also to encourage employee engagement and motivation. Today’s time calls for continuous learning and the creation of a culture and environment to support this, rather than a single long course or classroom workshop for staff to complete. Such a cultural change requires a change in mindset at all levels of the company. It takes skilled people who believe in learning and growing at every step.
The Society for Personnel Management (SHRM) aptly defines a learning culture as follows:
A learning culture consists of a community of workers who are taught a “growth philosophy”. Not only do people want to learn and apply what they have learned to help their organization, but they also feel compelled to share their knowledge with others.
6 best practices for cultivating a learning mentality
At Harbinger, we have worked with various organizations that firmly believe in developing a learning culture. Based on our experience, here are 6 best practices that can go a long way when organizations aim to develop a learning mentality in their organizations.
1. Design personalized study trips
L&D stakeholders need to understand that one size is not suitable for all. Designing study trips for a person based on their likes and needs can go a long way in making the entire experience much more relevant to them. It’s not about tracking how many hours employees have spent on learning, but about how they get more involved in the learning process, as it is now personalized according to their needs and goals.
2. Choose the right learning environment
Setting up the right systems and tools for learning is one of the most important building blocks for the success of this journey. When navigating an LMS is difficult, the relevant content cannot be found quickly, or when learning is not available when needed, it can create strong resistance to learning. The learning environment should facilitate learning and facilitate access. Look for a solution that allows for workflow learning, is smoothly navigable, is easily searchable, allows regular communication and feedback, and enables learning in a format that your learners prefer.
3. Create tutorials that are engaging
When you create tutorials that keep the big picture in mind, rather than just ticking the compliance boxes, great things can happen. Effective learning programs are created using appropriate design modalities and keep the learner at the center of everything. Make the most of modalities like microlearning, nudge learning, gamification, videos and more as you shape your learning and see your culture finally change.
When an organization moves towards building a learning culture, its employees can look for learning opportunities at any point. They will no longer just learn what the LMS teaches them. You will discover newer ways and means of learning and enable learning in the workflow. The above best practices will definitely help your company take a giant leap towards cultural transformation. However, it is all the more effective when L & D’s stakeholders lead by example.
4. Make learning a core value
In order for your employees to adopt a learning culture, they need to view it as something that is supported by leadership. Making learning a core organizational value is a great way to display executive buy-in and advocate for employee growth through continuous learning and development.
5. Enable collaborative learning
It is said that the most useful learning occurs on the water coolers in an organization. By that I mean that people learn best by sharing knowledge with one another. Providing an environment where people are motivated and encouraged to share knowledge can help build a strong learning culture.
6. Reward it properly
Rewards play a huge role in maintaining motivation to learn, making them an important element in the entire learning ecosystem. In addition to certificates, badges, and leaderboard features, rewards such as manager quotes and financial incentives should also be considered. Rewards, when done right, can go a long way in supporting and sustaining a culture of learning.
A recent episode of Harbinger’s flagship virtual roundtable series, Power Hour, also addressed the expanded role of CLO and L&D leaders in building a learning culture in any organization. Several L&D experts shared their views on the matter.
Is your organization moving towards building a learning culture? What successes have you seen and what challenges have you encountered? Are your leaders playing a key role in this transformation? I would like to know. You can share your experience through the comments below.
References:
[1] 2019 Workplace Learning Report
Harbinger Interactive Learning Pvt. GmbH.
Harbinger Interactive Learning is a global design and development company that specializes in modernizing e-learning, designing learning experiences and developing custom e-learning solutions.
