Learning Cultures
Learning cultures within organizations can offer measurable business impact. Organizations that value learning reap the rewards of greater employee engagement, satisfaction and retention, increased efficiency, and better customer service. They're more innovative and adaptable—and more likely to realize long-term success.
So how do you create a learning culture?
Invest time, money, and resources in learning. Obvious? Yes. But it's also absolutely imperative. Developing a strong learning culture is a business strategy that requires a formalized, focused effort. A clearly-defined learning function should lead the charge, identifying the knowledge and skills the organization needs most, as well as the resources, systems, and technology required to deliver that knowledge effectively.
Get buy-in from leadership and management. A learning culture requires leadership and management to drive change. Leaders and managers should take an interest in developing their employees and show that the organization values learning.
Promote knowledge-sharing. Since 70% of learning happens on the job, encourage coaching, mentoring, collaboration, and learning through stretch assignments. Social learning can have a powerful impact.
Empower employees to take charge of their own learning. Give employees a voice in developing their learning road maps. Make sure they know what resources are available to them and how to access those resources. Provide freedom to discover.
Show, don't just tell. Send consistent messages about learning's value to the organization—align your actions with your words. Offer employees an incentive to learn new things and develop new skills. Recognize and reward their efforts.
Measure, measure, measure. A number of tools exist for measuring learning and its impact (You can find some of them here). Use them so you can communicate the value of learning in concrete terms.
Learning Cultures Resources
- Blog: An e-Learning Tale of Two Companies: "Are you normal?"
Learning Reimagined, November 10, 2010
by Kieran King
It's not a matter of whether or not e-learning works. It's not a matter of whether or not employees will find it valuable. It's a matter of the way in which learning lives within a company. - Research: Integrating Learning into Enterprise Portals: A Look at IBM
This research paper focuses on best practices for integrating learning into enterprise portals to overcome the challenges of "siloed" training. - White Paper: The SkillSoft Learning Growth Model
Learn about the predictable stages all companies go through as they progress from their initial e-learning implementations to enterprise-wide, strategic e-learning. - White Paper: What Usage Can I Expect?
There is no blanket answer to this question for all organizations in all situations, but we've seen certain trends repeated across our global customer base and this paper explores those situational dynamics. - Webinar: Proven Strategies for Launching a Successful e-Learning Program
These tips on understanding the business context for learning, setting program goals, supporting your program, and measuring and evaluating results can help you ensure a successful e-learning program launch.
