Workplace learning

Deep insights, pragmatic advice

Workplace Learning
A Major L&D Challenge

David Wilson
September 2011

© Copyright Elearnity Limited All Rights Reserved Deep insights, pragmatic advice

Agenda

• What is Workplace Learning?

• Understanding the Learning Ecosystem

• Key Challenges for L&D

Europe’s leading independent Corporate Learning Analyst



What Learning do you
do in the Workplace?


What’s a good
model for
learning in the
Workplace?


Learning through ....


Learning through ....

Informal Formal


But what do we do in reality?

What does it mean for L&D?
• Role, Strategies/Activities,
• Investment, Impact, etc


Learning Ecosystem Model

Now

Future



C
Learner

What is your
Learning
Ecosystem?
Developed
e-learning
Now &
SME

Future


Workplace Learning Examples

• Resolving a new customer issue for the first time
• Becoming more productive in using a new system
• Running a meeting better
• Checking some facts before a meeting
• Fitting in better with the team and increasing team
performance
• Researching information for a proposed strategy
• Checking what other people have asked previously
• Asking a customer how you could have done it better
• Analysing quality information on a process
• ...
Thinking about how I do my job better


• Understanding L&D’s Role
• Developing Strategies
• Impacting Performance

What is your
Learning
Ecosystem?

Now &
Future
C
Learne
r

Key Challenges for L&D

• What role should L&D play?
– Owner, Deliverer, Facilitator, None?
– Is L&D trying to formalise the informal?

• L&D has a habit of delivery
– Is L&D looking for delivery solutions for workplace
learning?
– L&D typically measures activity and satisfaction
– Business outcomes are always harder

• L&D has processes for managing structured
learning, how or should we manage workplace learning?
– Is it less valuable because it is not managed by L&D?


In the Corporate Workflow

• Need to reflect on the genuine context for workplace
learning before we can understand how L&D can support it

• Cannot consider workplace learning at a theoretical level:
Have to look at specifically in the detailed context
– Of the individual
– Of the task
– Of the work team and work flow

• What are the trigger points for workplace learning?
– Team, feedback loops, needing to find something out,
– Reflecting on what you or someone else has done


Role of L&D?

• Should be a facilitator of learning
– Enabling people within the organisation to facilitate in their
own right
– Looking at new opportunities

• What does this mean?
– Expanding opportunities for explicit learning and learning
feedback within work processes
– Diversifying content and learning channels to increase
flexibility and allow just-in-time learning support
– Focusing more on enhancing performance rather working
smarter


Impact of Coaching?

• Can you have great workplace
learning without coaching?

• Coaching is your key enabler
and aggregator
– Accelerate and strengthen
feedback loops
– Link from work to learning
support

• Also provides a bridge to C
Learner
formal and collaborative
learning approaches


Comment on IT Training

• Has many of the same behaviours of broader L&D, but ...

• Often less guilty of focusing on generic capabilities
– Heavily driven by delivering specific business projects
– Potentially greater hard alignment with specific realities and
activities (e.g. specific application task skills)

• But lack the individual feedback mechanisms to understand
workplace deficiencies and needs
– Tendency for one-size-fits-all solution strategies
– EPSS/Simulation could play a greater role here


In Summary

• Workplace learning is key to enhancing “on the job”
performance

• It happens anyway, but there is a real potential to enhance
and accelerate it

• L&D needs to rethink its role and strategies to maximise
the potential and connect with what already happens

• Focusing on delivery can lead to bad answers

• L&D can’t manage the workplace, but it can facilitate more
explicit learning opportunities


Work Based Learning
Business Unit by Business Unit

Performance
Management

C
Learner
C
Learner

Now Future


Formal Learning
Eco System

Learner

Learner

Internally

Developed
e-learning
Developed
e-learning

SME
Now Future


Workplace learning

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