Learning Disrupted? Try Learning in the Flow of Work

Over the past year, I’ve seen firsthand that necessity is the mother of invention – or at least of adaption. As tens of millions of workers transitioned to a virtual work environment, organizations have been challenged in new ways. With in-person instruction and development facilities (that many organizations invest in heavily) sitting empty for months on end, it’s become increasingly clear that training and development will also need to evolve with the times.

While the Coronavirus pandemic dramatically accelerated the transition to virtual working and learning, it did not forge it. This trend has been emerging for some time. Deloitte has been exploring the concept of “Learning in the Flow of Life” to address the changing needs of the workforce for some time (see our podcast on the topic from January 2019), and a few government agencies have even begun incorporating the concept into their own models (see the recent “Moving the Needle Webinar” featuring Jim Woolsey, President, Defense Acquisition University).

The idea is simple: Create digestible learning content that is easy to find and always available. Learners can access content as they need it, when they need it, as often as is convenient for them, and know it is relevant and up to date.

Let’s talk through some key advantages:

Efficiency, efficiency, efficiency

• Content is available when learners are available. We no longer have to force busy, distracted, overworked people to complete trainings when at inconvenient times
• Learners can skip the content they already understand and focus only on what is adding value for them, personalizing the learner experience and allowing them to customize their education to their individualized needs
• No more dusty, outdated curricula. This agile content development model makes it easy to update, refresh, or supplement content as needed to ensure information is accurate and relevant

Effectiveness

• Learning in the flow of everyday life and work improves knowledge retention
• Because learners can review and revisit lessons as they become applicable in daily work tasks, information learned can be reinforced through experience almost immediately

It blurs unnecessary lines

• Separating our “work” from our “growth” is an unnecessary and outdated concept
• Learning that happens in the natural flow of everyday work and life allows learners to blur that line; learning and performing simultaneously
• If it helps you succeed in your job… does it matter what you call it?

This approach may be familiar to many of you and new to others. I’m curious – how have you seen aspects of learning in the flow of work emerge in your own experiences? Leave me a comment below.