Learning in the Flow of Work: The Future of Workplace Learning
Apr
05
As technology continues to evolve, the way we work and learn also changes. One of the emerging trends in eLearning is “Learning in the Flow of Work.” This approach to learning is designed to integrate seamlessly with the work process, enabling learners to acquire new knowledge and skills while working on real-world tasks.
In this article, we will explore what Learning in the Flow of Work means, why it matters, and how organizations can adopt this approach to improve employee performance.
Learning in the Flow of Work (LIFOW) refers to the process of acquiring new knowledge and skills in the context of work activities. The focus of learning can vary from timely relevant learning (TRL) to intense learning, depending on the individual’s current tasks, role, and level of experience.
Timely relevant learning (TLR) is a type of learning that takes place during an individual’s daily work activities. It concentrates on acquiring knowledge that is directly applicable to the current task, problem, project, or required field of expertise. In simpler terms, TLR addresses problems or tasks they need to solve right now in the most efficient way and with minimal disturbance to workflow.
A few such activities could be configuring software, debugging code, replacing printer cartridges, and so on.
Intense learning involves time-consuming learning and development (L&D) activities that are geared towards acquiring expertise in a specific area of knowledge or skills, advancing one’s role, or boosting one’s overall proficiency.
Some examples of intense learning could include mastering how to run successful Google Ads campaigns, completing courses on leadership to shift into a leadership role, or even undertaking more substantial endeavors that require months of focused effort such as learning to drive a truck or mastering the art of coding.
In the current flow of work, you can’t avoid big chunks of learning activities; not everything can be covered with small pieces of learning materials.
Although it’s called “Learning in the Flow of Work,” it doesn’t always have to be directly tied to an individual’s current work-related tasks. It is a versatile approach to learning that should be adapted to various situations and contexts.
A process of employee development in Learning in the Flow of Work.
Employees who join a company require initial training that could be either onboarding or industry-specific. This training should be intensive and focused on accelerating the learning process and achieving a fundamental shift in expertise. Learning the process of the company, using tools, and so on.
Additionally, offering TRL activities can help polish the employee’s skills and competencies relevant to their role. The new knowledge is more likely to be retained when applied when needed.
As employees progress in their careers, they might want to get new challenges and continue growing. This could happen by getting more responsibilities, promotions, specialization, or even changing job roles. To support this stage, it’s necessary to provide needed training. Training activity could vary based on the requirements.
Such activities could repeat to help employees learn new skills and acquire knowledge to achieve proficiency and competence.
It’s important not to view the concept as a silver bullet solution. Instead, it should be considered a concept and a shift in approach to learning. And it is essential to recognize that you will still need to utilize all available learning and training methods and put in the effort and do the heavy lifting to achieve meaningful results.
Why is Learning in the Flow of Work Important?
This approach enables you to better understand what type of learning is necessary, when it is needed, and how to deliver it effectively.
By utilizing the concept, you can identify weak areas in your learning process and allocate your budget toward training that will bring actual results.
Furthermore, this approach helps shift the mindset of many CLOs (Chief Learning Officers), HRs, and learning consultants who believe that buying a learning solution and a LinkedIn Learning subscription without proper planning and creating learning paths is sufficient for employee training. It isn’t enough.
To truly support your employees’ growth and development, investing time in building learning paths tailored to their areas of expertise, roles, and career aspirations is essential. By doing so, you can help your employees achieve their full potential and enhance their overall job satisfaction.
By understanding and applying the concept of Learning in the Flow of Work at your company, you can realize various benefits such as cost savings, improved productivity and engagement, improved employee retention and satisfaction, improved employee communication, and much more.
The benefits of applying the Learning in the Flow of Work concept are:
1. Increased employee productivity
Learning in the flow of work offers employees timely and relevant information, training, tutorials, and guidance. This helps them solve problems and challenges more effectively, increasing productivity.
2. Enhanced employee engagement and motivation
Personalized and meaningful learning opportunities increase employee engagement and motivation. When employees can apply what they have learned directly to real-work situations, they are more likely to stay engaged and motivated.
3. Boosted satisfaction and improved employee retention
Learning in the flow of work empowers employees to take charge of their own learning journey, leading to increased satisfaction and retention. Employees are more likely to stay with an organization when they feel their career development is supported and aligned with their goals.
4. Strengthened alignment and communication
Learning in the flow of work aligns learning content with business objectives and strategies. This alignment improves communication and feedback among employees and managers, creating a shared understanding of expectations and outcomes.
5. Driven innovation and growth
Learning in the flow of work exposes employees to new ideas and perspectives, stimulating creativity and curiosity. This, in turn, drives innovation and growth for the organization while also improving employee skills and knowledge.
6. Cost savings
Learning in the flow of work minimizes the need for expensive formal training sessions, which can be time-consuming and disruptive. Employees can learn at their own pace, and organizations can reduce costs associated with traditional training programs.
A History of the LIFOW Concept
The concept has a long history, rooted in the fundamental understanding that applying new knowledge immediately increases the likelihood of retaining it.
In this study, they experimented with students. They tested how different learning activities affect their abilities to make inferences and exhibit a deep understanding of what they have studied.
The main conclusion is that applying just acquired knowledge (retrieval practice) leads to the largest recall in memory compared to studying it again and mapping the concept or explaining it to another person.
How to Implement Learning in the Flow of Work in Your Organization?
Since Learning in the Flow of Work is a conceptual approach and its implementation can vary depending on the organization, there is no one-size-fits-all implementation process. However, to help you get started, I will identify some of the enablers and blockers that can impact the success of your implementation.
By understanding these factors, you can tailor your approach to LIFOW to fit your organization’s unique needs.
Enablers of the Learning in the Flow or Work
1. Learning Culture
A culture of learning is essential for Learning in the Flow of Work to succeed. Organizations should prioritize continuous learning and provide employees with the necessary resources, time, and support to learn and grow on the job.
Managers and leaders should also lead by example and demonstrate a commitment to learning, creating a culture where employees feel comfortable seeking out learning opportunities.
For example, allowing employees to spend 1-2 hours a week learning something relevant to their role, tasks, or career path can significantly improve their performance and satisfaction. But more importantly, you will give them time to learn because not everyone has it after work.
2. Technology
Technology is a critical enabler for Learning in the Flow of Work. Organizations must invest in the right tools and systems that seamlessly integrate learning into the work process.
This could include a learning management system (LMS), learning experience platform (LXP), competence management system (CompMS), mobile learning app, or any other tool that could provide easy access to learning resources and materials or can help address required learning.
An even better solution would be integrating your learning solution with work-related software or channels, such as Slack, MS Teams, Salesforce, etc., to tailor employees with relevant and recommended training within the environments where they spend most of their work. And if you may, I would call it tools not as dull as old LMSs.
Organizations should curate and create relevant learning resources that apply to employees’ work. This could include videos, articles, simulations, and job aids that help employees acquire the skills and knowledge they need to succeed on the job.
With content authoring capabilities in the Valamis Learning Platform, organizations utilize user-generated content. Each employee can easily create learning modules and share knowledge.
As mentioned earlier, developing career plans and learning paths that align with employees’ aspirations can be a powerful way to guide their professional growth. By linking these plans with skills and competency management solutions, organizations can effectively steer the trajectory of their employees’ development, facilitating upskilling and, when necessary, reskilling.
4. Foster user-generated content
User generated content is particularly important in knowledge management for non-office work types such as manufacturing, construction, retail, logistics, etc. Areas where the required skills and knowledge are often tacit and hard to transfer through traditional learning methods.
In such cases, creating learning materials that are specific to the organization and its employees is the only way to.
Encouraging employees to spend time creating video materials about crucial aspects of their work can not only save time for their colleagues but also save the company money.
5. Leadership Support
Finally, leaders should demonstrate a commitment to learning and support the necessary investments in learning resources and materials. They should also communicate the importance of learning to the organization and provide employees with the necessary support and guidance to learn and grow on the job.
This also encompasses the aspect of performance support. It’s crucial to cultivate a culture of understanding that performance may initially drop as employees dedicate time to learning. However, this investment in learning will eventually pay off as they become more proficient with their tasks and gain new skills and knowledge.
6. Analytics and Metrics
Organizations should use data to monitor employee learning progress, identify gaps, and track the impact of learning on job performance.
This data can help organizations continuously improve their learning materials and processes and ensure employees gain the necessary skills and knowledge to succeed.
By leveraging technologies like xAPI and skills management solutions, commonly called CompMS, companies can gain valuable insights into their employees’ learning progress and identify skills gap. With this information, organizations can make data-driven decisions on optimizing their training programs and ensure that their employees have the necessary skills to excel in their roles.
By prioritizing these enablers, organizations can successfully implement Learning in the Flow of Work and improve employee performance.
Learning in the Flow of Work represents a significant change in the way organizations approach learning. Some employees and managers may resist this change, feeling that it disrupts their work processes or that they do not have time to learn.
Organizations must communicate the benefits of learning and the importance of continuous learning to overcome this resistance.
2. Inadequate Technology
Suppose organizations do not invest in the right technology or overinvest in various unaligned and not integrative ones. It can block adoption and even lead to significant monetary losses.
For example, if the LMS is challenging to use or does not integrate well with commonly used systems, employees may not use it or use it only when they have to, like through mandatory training.
Additionally, if the learning materials are not easily accessible or difficult to navigate, employees may become frustrated and waste valuable time trying to find the necessary information.
Organizations must choose the right combination of technologies that are cost-efficient, reliable, scalable, and fit their needs and the needs of their employees.
3. Lack of relevance and wrong timing
For learning to be effective, it must be relevant to employees’ work.
If the learning materials and resources do not align with their job duties, role, or career path, or they are not up-to-date, employees may not see the value in investing their time and effort into learning.
Without proper learning materials, employees may feel discouraged and disengaged from learning, leading to a lack of motivation to learn.
For example, our developers at Valamis have expressed frustration with the outdated React courses on LinkedIn Learning. They pointed out that instructors’ concepts and best practices are no longer relevant. They are from 2016, even though the course was marked as updated in 2022. As a result, L&D and HR specialists have begun searching for alternative learning solutions with more up-to-date materials.
Timing and type of learning are also critical factors. For instance, if an employee requires a simple how-to guide, receiving a vast learning course would be frustrating. Similarly, significant training activities should not be replaced with short learning courses. Organizations should consider situations where coaches or mentors are required, and webinars or seminars should also be conducted.
Organizations need to ensure that learning activities are timely, applicable, and relevant to employees’ work to be effective.
5. Lack of time at work for learning
Employees who are busy with their day-to-day work may find it challenging to take time out to participate in learning activities. This can result in learning being deprioritized, which can lead to a lack of development and growth opportunities for employees.
Additionally, when learning is viewed as an extra task on top of an already heavy workload, employees may feel overwhelmed or stressed, which can negatively impact their ability to absorb and apply new knowledge and skills.
Organizations must find ways to incorporate learning into employees’ daily work routines, making it easily accessible and not seen as a burden.
6. Pressure from management
Pressure from management can create a work environment that prioritizes immediate results over long-term growth and development, which can negatively impact learning outcomes.
Fear of making mistakes and facing the consequences from management can discourage employees from spending time learning, taking risks, and trying new things, which are important for learning and development.
They may prioritize completing tasks assigned by management over learning activities, even if those activities are essential for their professional growth.
7. Lack of feedback and progress tracking
Without feedback, employees may not know if they are on the right track or need to adjust their learning approach. This can lead to frustration, demotivation, and a lack of engagement in the learning process.
Similarly, without progress tracking, employees may not see the results of their learning efforts. This can make it difficult for them to stay motivated and committed to their learning goals. They may also have difficulty identifying areas where they need to focus their learning efforts, which can lead to a lack of progress and a feeling of stagnation.
Final Thoughts
To conclude, Learning in the Flow of Work is an approach and mindset shift to learning that can aid in making organizational learning effective. However, it is important to balance work and learning activities appropriately.
As Stephen Covey said, The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule but to schedule your priorities.
Incorporating learning into everyday work can create a culture of continuous learning and improvement, but it’s just one step towards a larger goal.
