Boost Productivity: Proven Tips for Learning in the Flow of Work

Introduction

In today’s rapidly evolving workplace, the role of Learning and Development (L&D) has become more crucial than ever. As organizations strive to keep pace with technological advancements and shifting market demands, personalized learning has emerged as a key strategy to enhance employee development and drive organizational success. By tailoring learning experiences to individual needs and aligning them with broader business objectives, companies can foster a culture of continuous improvement and adaptability. This approach not only boosts employee engagement and performance but also ensures that learning initiatives are directly contributing to the organization’s strategic goals. Through insights from industry leaders and practical examples, we will explore the transformative power of personalized learning in the modern workplace.

Show’s Introduction

Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to yet another insightful episode of the Digital Adoption Show, your go-to podcast for inspiring stories of execution and growth. I’m your host, Tamanna Chanana, a Senior Growth Marketing Manager at Whatfix. This is the second episode of our L&D Upscale mini-series, which focuses on the transformative role of learning and development in today’s dynamic workplace. Join us as we engage with L&D experts to explore innovative strategies and insights driving employee and organizational development.

In today’s episode, we will talk about maximizing productivity through learning in the flow of work. With great excitement, I would like to introduce two distinguished guests who stand at the forefront of the learning and development landscape, ready to share their knowledge and experiences with us.

Guest’s Introduction

Andrew Jacobs

Joining us today is Andrew Jacobs, the CEO of Learn Learning Services. Andrew is a distinguished L&D professional with over 25 years of experience in the learning field and is determined to improve the quality of effective workplace learning. He brings immense expertise in people and team management, learning strategy, learning design, coaching, and mentoring.

Fran Harrison

Alongside Andrew, we have the pleasure of welcoming Fran Harrison, a learning technology strategist at QA Limited. Fran is a seasoned professional with a wealth of expertise in facilitating lifelong learning across various stages of life. Her background encompasses diverse fields such as learning technology, diversity and inclusion, project management, and leadership development.

Andrew and Fran, we are thrilled to have you both here. To begin with, why don’t you both tell us a bit about your journey in the L&D space?

Fran’s Journey

Fran: I actually started life pretty much exactly 30 years ago in the learning sphere. Initially, I was teaching in a school. I started out as a school teacher and then moved through advisory work in schools. At that point, learning technologies were beginning to become a thing, so I moved into that sphere almost by accident. Many people seem to fall into learning technologies early on. I’ve also worked in a postgraduate university, handling learning technologies and medium-sized project management for e-learning projects. About four and a half years ago, I moved into the private sector and now work with QA Group as a learning technology strategist. Here, I work at the development stage of various learning activities, ensuring quality control and more.

Andrew’s Journey

Andrew: I’ve been in L&D for nearly 30 years now. About 15 years ago, I realized that we were doing learning and development wrong. There was a lot of smoke and mirrors, with the same concepts being repackaged without taking full advantage of technology. So, I spent a lot of time understanding how we can do learning development better—strategy, design, delivery, evaluation, and so on. Understanding how to use technology for the best results has been a key focus.

Episode’s Theme

Today, our conversation will revolve around three pivotal questions that aim to uncover the essence of learning in the flow of work in the modern workplace.

Question 1: Identifying Real-Time Learning Opportunities

Tamanna: To begin with, our first question for today is how do you identify real-time learning opportunities within employees’ daily tasks? Fran, let’s start with you.

Fran: For me, the most important way is to take as many approaches as possible. Whenever I’m brought in to develop something, the first thing I do is consult. I don’t start by asking what we need to learn or what we are trying to achieve. Instead, I ask, “What’s the problem? What does it look like now? Why is that a problem for you? What should the solution look like?” We don’t talk about what needs to happen to get there until we’ve thoroughly thrashed out exactly what’s happening now and what needs to happen in the future. Particularly when introducing new changes, it’s crucial to sit down with stakeholders, unpick their problems, and focus on solving those rather than just rolling out a platform or technology.

Andrew: I think one of the problems is there’s a disconnect between the learning function and the workplace. Learning should be integrated within the business, not just aligned with it. We focus too much on the way we supply stuff rather than on the performance piece. This requires a mindset shift to think about performance as the ultimate goal of learning and development. We’re not there yet, and we need to challenge learners, making them a bit uncomfortable, but also ensuring that the solutions address the actual problems.

Key Strategies for Identifying Learning Opportunities

Consultation: Start by consulting with stakeholders to understand the problems they face. This helps in designing learning solutions that address real issues.
Problem Identification: Focus on identifying the current state and desired future state before discussing learning needs.
Customization: Tailor solutions to solve specific problems rather than implementing generic platforms or technologies.
Integration: Ensure that learning is integrated into the daily workflow and business processes.

Question 2: Translating Insights into Actionable Improvements

Tamanna: How do you translate these insights into actionable improvements? And what strategies do you use to address these skill gaps?

Andrew: I apply something called the three A’s to how we approach learning. The first A is awareness—raising awareness about something people might have forgotten. The second A is acquisition—teaching people new information, but only what’s necessary. We often oversupply information that isn’t needed. The third A is application—giving people the opportunity to practice and try things out in the workplace safely.

Fran: That’s a great approach. It’s about delivering just enough and just in time. Deliver training close to when it’s needed, use drip feeds and reminders, and ensure the learning sticks. Personalization is key. Understanding the specific needs and preferences of your audience can make training more effective.

Translating Insights into Actionable Improvements

Awareness: Raise awareness about existing knowledge and practices that employees might have forgotten.
Acquisition: Provide new information that is directly relevant to the employees’ roles and responsibilities.
Application: Create opportunities for employees to practice new skills in a safe environment, reinforcing their learning through real-world application.
Just-in-Time Learning: Deliver training when it is needed, rather than all at once, to ensure it is retained and applied.
Personalization: Tailor learning experiences to individual needs, preferences, and learning styles to maximize effectiveness.

Question 3: Evaluating the Effectiveness of Learning

Tamanna: What metrics and KPIs do you find most valuable when evaluating the effectiveness of learning in the flow of work?

Fran: It’s important to vary your metrics and not just focus on individual performance. Look at organizational performance, team performance, department performance, and even competitor performance. Listen to your learners; they know a lot about how your learning delivery works. Analyze content performance—engagement rates, bounce rates, and which items are truly adding value.

Andrew: I agree. We need to collect data from learning activities and workplace activities. Use a logic model to identify input data (how people join and interact with learning), output data (completion rates, assessment scores), and more importantly, outcome and impact data. We need to measure what actually changes as a result of the learning. Did sickness absence decrease? Did performance improve? These are the data points that truly matter.

Evaluating Learning Effectiveness

Vary Metrics: Use a variety of metrics to evaluate performance at different levels—individual, team, department, and organizational.
Content Performance: Analyze how different pieces of content perform in terms of engagement and impact.
Learner Feedback: Collect feedback from learners to understand their experience and identify areas for improvement.
Outcome and Impact: Measure the actual outcomes and impacts of learning initiatives on business performance.
Continuous Improvement: Use data to continuously refine and improve learning programs.

Conclusion

Final Thoughts

Tamanna: We’ve had a great discussion today. Do you have any final thoughts on personalized learning and organizational development?

Fran: Lean into personalized learning and move away from the idea that everyone needs to be in a room at one time. Recognize that people learn differently and create environments that support individual growth.

Andrew: I echo Fran’s sentiments. Additionally, fostering a culture of continuous learning, supported by leadership, is essential. Providing diverse learning opportunities and supporting employees in their personal development journeys will cultivate a robust learning culture.

Closing Remarks

As we wrap up this insightful episode, a heartfelt thanks to our guests, Andrew Jacobs and Fran Harrison, for their invaluable contributions. Their perspectives on personalized learning and boosting employee development have highlighted the importance of customizing learning to meet individual and organizational needs, embracing technology, and leveraging data analytics.

To our listeners, thank you for joining us. We hope today’s discussion inspires you to innovate in your L&D strategies, enhancing professional development within your organizations. Stay tuned for more episodes in our L&D Upskill series, where we’ll delve deeper into the transformative world of learning and development. Thank you all.