The last few years have radically changed us. As we continue to grapple with new technologies, different generations of workers, evolving societal expectations, economic volatility, and, of course, the lasting impact of Covid-19, we have witnessed firsthand how almost everything can change. overnight, especially companies and our way of working.
Amid all this, one clear priority remains for both companies and workers: staying ahead of change and future-proof. A time to come that depends on the ability of each individual to learn new skills and reposition quickly.
Change management is where the leaders of learning and people should focus their efforts on the coming months and years. Because supporting employees with an agile learning and development program is the best insurance a company can take out against the unexpected.
Learning increases the value of your people and your company today and tomorrow. Studies have found that companies with positive learning cultures have more agile teams, are more adaptable, and grow faster. And for the best results, we need to find ways to spread learning in continuous spaces that allow for continuous learning.
“In the workflow” is a phrase often heard in business circles. learningbut that sounds so true. The best learning happens when people can access it while doing their daily work, whether it’s through a messaging app like Slack or Teams, on social apps they use often like YouTube, or even through reality headsets. Virtual at work.
Valuable Tips for Agile Learning
Preparing for the future is about communicating the urgency of learning today and delivering learning that can keep up with change. Because? Because many of the changes that I have mentioned are accelerating. Rapid and scalable learning is quite a feat to achieve. Some good starting points to consider include:
Making learning relevant to each person
This means considering your goals and how learning can support those goals, acknowledging your prior learning and current interests, and understanding your current role and business skills needs. Life experiences, extra-work needs and the generation to which they belong must also be taken into account.
Offer a wide range of learning opportunities
Informal and formal learning can be complemented by in-depth skills development through skills academies and daily knowledge updating through videos, podcasts, blogs, etc.
Reinforce learning through experiences
Theoretical learning is best remembered when it is reinforced with experiential learning, such as volunteering or extension tasks. Also, it allows you to develop a skill from several different angles, so you can deepen your understanding.
Tracking all forms of learning
What gets measured gets managed. Understanding what kind of learning is popular, what skills are being developed, and where the gaps are can help you build a learning strategy that meets the needs of your staff and your business.
Looking at this list, it’s understandable that you may feel overwhelmed. However, companies (and learning teams) should not go it alone. Calling on specialists from the learning ecosystem can lighten the load. To achieve broader social and industrial change, entrepreneurs need to partner with different entities, such as other companies, universities, and government agencies.
Change is inevitable, but we can master it. Businesses and individuals can emerge stronger from change as long as they see it as a stepping stone to something bigger and better, and develop the skills to level it up.
As we go through a period of immense change, staying on top of our skills is the only way to be ready for each pivot. Also, on an individual level, knowing that you have the necessary skills to face tomorrow will give you the confidence that you can sail whatever wind blows against you.
Debora Mioranzza Débora Mioranzza is the Vice President for Latin America and the Caribbean of Degreed, the platform for the improvement and requalification of the workforce.