How To Implement Learning In The Flow Of Work In 6 Steps
In a time of fast-paced business processes and countless distractions, it's increasingly challenging to foster a continuous learning culture within your organization. But it's also more necessary than ever, given that skills gaps keep growing as we try to keep up with lightning-fast technology advancements. Integrating learning into the daily tasks of your workforce seems to be the only way to balance their responsibilities with the need for knowledge enhancement. In this article, we share 6 steps to implement learning in the flow of work so that you fully leverage this L&D strategy.
Simple Steps To Build A Workflow Learning Strategy
1. Identify Opportunities For Learning
The first step when creating workflow learning opportunities is to actually figure out where they can fit into the daily routine of your employees. A few obvious choices would be during onboarding or while preparing for new projects. Yet, routine tasks could also be a viable alternative since such an addition could greatly improve them. During this process, keep in mind that learning should seem effortless and natural rather than an interruption or distraction from the work that needs to be done. For optimal results, we suggest analyzing workflows and gathering employee feedback to discover processes and tasks that can be optimized.
2. Curate Your Content Accordingly
This is the moment to launch an in-depth analysis of your existing learning content. It's possible that the materials your employees need to enrich their knowledge base are already at their disposal but just need to be "repackaged" in a different format. If you need to create training content from scratch, make sure that it directly addresses employee skills gaps as well as industry trends. For maximum efficiency, opt for visual content, such as images, articles, videos, or even simulations, as they are more successful in capturing learner attention. Don't forget to make it bite-sized so that employees can quickly find answers to their queries.
3. Encourage User-Generated Content
You don't have to be the only one creating suitable training content for a shift towards learning in the flow of work. Your employees can also be a great source of practical knowledge and insight, which you can leverage through user-generated content. Encourage your team to gather secrets, tips, best practices, and experiences that they believe would benefit their colleagues. Then, they can make them into videos and written tutorials or even create forums where they can interact more informally. Apart from supporting a sense of community and collaboration among employees, fostering user-generated content can also be a great way to reduce costs related to Learning and Development.
4. Optimize Technology To Enable On-Demand Learning
Leveraging the right kind of technology is of utmost importance when implementing a learning-in-the-flow-of-work experience that is fully on-demand. It's better not to add additional tools and equipment solely for the purpose of workflow learning, as that doesn't support its seamless integration into your employees' routines. Instead, add the content right into existing platforms—such as Learning Management Systems or knowledge hubs—that your staff is already familiar with and is used to checking on a daily basis. If necessary, replace clanky software with hard-to-use interfaces and complicated log-in procedures. For workflow learning to function successfully, employees must have unhindered access to information.
5. Involve Leadership
Leadership plays a critical role in the success of a new learning strategy, especially one as dynamic as learning in the flow of work. One of the ways upper management can support this shift is by green-lighting the expenses needed to modify and/or develop content, upgrade equipment, or invest in new technology. But, most importantly, they need to support and encourage employees so that they make the most of this learning strategy. They must explain the importance of focusing on employee development and outline the benefits that this will bring to employees individually and to the organization as a whole. Finally, they must make concessions when it comes to workloads and schedules, as focusing on learning could lead to a temporary dip in productivity.
6. Leverage Analytics
Keeping track of metrics and analytics is crucial for any new process or learning strategy that you implement within your business, and learning in the flow of work is no exception. Start by identifying the metrics that are of highest significance, such as employee performance, learning progress, knowledge gaps, etc., and monitor them monthly or quarterly. This way, you will get quantifiable information about the impact of workflow learning on the efficiency and productivity of your company. In addition, comprehensive data analysis will help you identify aspects of your learning strategy that are not producing the desired results so that you can make the necessary adjustments.
Conclusion
Workflow learning can change the way your employees view corporate training, turning it from a mandatory activity into a pleasant habit. However, for this to happen and for your company to enjoy all the benefits this learning strategy can bring, there are a few tips you need to know. In this article, we shared the steps that will help you implement learning in the flow of work as successfully as possible. View these steps as the starting point from which you can make modifications to develop a learning strategy that perfectly suits the needs of your workforce.
