Three Ways A Learning Culture Can Transform Your Organization
Embracing the skill of learning can help us address some of the most challenging obstacles facing individuals and organizations today. An organization with a learning culture acknowledges that employees must have the skills necessary for the future, not only accepts but also leverages change, and trusts employees to seek new solutions for themselves. Because the landscape of the modern workforce is ever-changing, organizations must constantly adapt and improve. Growth is the name of the game. And if we aren’t growing, we can become stagnant – both ineffective at reaching our goals as well as sitting ducks for our competitors to overcome. When organizations are constantly expected to do more with less, associates are likely feeling strained and under-supported. As it turns out, learning – and the growth that comes with it – is a skill some of us are better at than others, AND a skill, like any other, that one can improve upon with practice.
Growth is the name of the game. And if we aren’t growing, we can become stagnant – both ineffective at reaching our goals as well as sitting ducks for our competitors to overcome.
In the past, investing in learning may have been optional for organizations. But, in today’s constantly evolving world of work, investing in learning and development is not only smart but necessary. Without it, organizations risk their employees’ skills as well as their functions becoming obsolete and ineffective. When this happens, individuals either consider leaving for a job that will provide a learning environment or choose to stay and suffer burnout because the organization becomes dysfunctional. Below I will describe three ways organizations can rise to the challenge of addressing such workplace challenges by leveraging learning.
Leveraging increasingly complex technology. Technology is constantly evolving, which means employees must continually train themselves and adjust their processes accordingly in order to be more efficient. Give yourself a pat on the back if you or your organization embraced new technology over the past year! Many organizations were forced to shift their use of technology because of challenges arising from the COVID-19 global pandemic.
An organization with a learning culture would ensure all employees are being trained on new technology before changes in technology occur. Information Technology teams can plan for these changes by coordinating with learning and development teams to train the workforce. Offering multiple modes of learning to individuals as well as equipping your IT teams with those materials can support your organization’s helpdesk as well as ensure technological changes do not interrupt operations. Modes of learning can include in-person or online, instructor-led sessions, online courses, or instruction pamphlets for changes.
Collaborating with larger, more diverse, interdependent and interconnected teams. The days of a simple “desk job” are over. Associates can no longer only report to their manager – they must be in-sync with each other while constantly adjusting to client needs. Thus arises a need for improved people and soft skills like communication, conflict resolution, leadership, time management, ethics, and stress management. Give this post a “Like” if you want to improve upon any of these skills in the next year!
Organizations typically hire based on the “hard skills” needed to do the job – for instance, computer programming. This is because those skills are the most costly and time-consuming to train. Social skills, therefore, are not prioritized as highly. However, the social skills are often the ones highlighted in organizational values, mission, and vision statements. Imagine how your organization might change if all of your associates were trained on emotional intelligence, for instance, in accordance with your values. Doing so could improve customer relations, decrease office conflicts, and improve inclusivity among your associates.
Becoming generalists, rather than specialists. Certain positions and specialties are expected to increase the breadth of their knowledge to fill-in for coworkers’ absences, temporarily (or permanently) replace open positions because of high turnover, and train new employees. As a generalist, a coworker is more likely to understand the big picture, which can be useful when collaboration both within and across disciplines is a necessity.
A robust Learning Management System (LMS) that offers online courses in relevant disciplines can be a resource for employees who want or need to stretch their skills beyond their job description. Or, a more hands on approach may include setting up a mentorship or job-shadowing program within your organization. Would your organization benefit from setting aside 3-4 hours for individuals to learn through the aforementioned programs each week? Such a practice would demonstrate a proactive approach to change management and workforce planning.
Each of these activities require a focus on continuous learning. In turn, they allow teams and organizations to be agile while adapting to a shifting, global market.
Transforming your organization’s culture into one that is prepared to face the challenges of the modern workforce is no simple task – it is a constant pursuit and one that must be at the forefront of business operations. To accomplish such a transformation, an organization must have a strong vision for learning in addition to concrete strategies that develop and maintain systems and processes, such as individual development plans, learning management systems, organization development staff and instructors, budgets for conferences and classes, and an emphasis on the importance of development in job descriptions. These strategies will teach individuals within an organization to prioritize learning.
To continue discussing how your organization can infuse more learning into your culture and reap the benefits of continuous growth, feel free to reach out!