How To Identify And Create Learning Opportunities To Enable Learning In The Flow Of Work

How To Enable Learning In The Flow Of Work

What Is Learning In The Flow Of Work?

L&D leaders and practitioners, including trainers, have realized one thing in the past few years. No matter how much training is provided to the employees, there is always a chance of learners forgetting crucial information. As per the forgetting curve, it can be as much as 90% of the concepts learned. There are several strategies to address the forgetting curve. One is continuous learning, and another is learning in the flow of work.

So, what exactly is learning in the flow of work? In one of my blog posts, Supporting Learning in the Flow of Work, I mentioned the following:

“The phrase ‘learning in the flow of work’ was coined by Josh Bersin, a Corporate HR and Learning Analyst in the USA. It refers to easily accessible and engaging nuggets of learning during work, which will maximize productivity, reduce burnout, and improve employee morale.”

Learners prefer natural learning methods, such as learning during the course of their work life, from peers or through work experiences. Does it mean that training is redundant? Can we do away with training? Well, the answer is a resounding “no.” It’s not about getting rid of training but rather making learning a more natural and inclusive experience. This can happen if more thought is put into how learning happens.

It’s not about making learners sit through hours of boring lectures or videos. It’s about empowering them and ensuring they feel learning is an intrinsic part of their journey.

Learning Opportunities In The Flow Of Work

Learners feel that they need to take time out for a training session and that training interrupts their daily routine. To overcome this, we can have learning nuggets that aid the employees in their moment of need. Employees face various situations where they require help to perform the task better. In these moments, they need a tip, instruction, or an idea that will help them immediately.

There are various touchpoints or moments of need that a learner may have:

1. A situation where the learner is trying to troubleshoot a problem
2. A situation where the learner wants to know how to perform a task better
3. A situation where the learner feels that he/she has forgotten how to apply the concept and needs immediate help
4. A situation where the learner is about to perform a task such as a sales pitch and wants to perform it well

These and many such situations are actually learning opportunities. When a learner gets the right information at the right time, the chances of remembering it are high. Also, they would take more interest in learning newer concepts. After all, as they say, necessity is the mother of all invention. So, once we identify the need, we can create the right learning interventions.

For learning in the flow of work to create the best impact, it is suggested that learners go through microlearning nuggets or learning pieces that are short and impactful. A platform like KREDO can aid learning in the flow of work by providing the right learning assets at the right time. Learners can download or get the information anywhere and anytime. Learning events can be triggered at the moment of need. The learning assets can be a PDF file, a quick reference card, a microlearning nugget, a video, or even a short game. These learning interventions help provide the information quickly and seamlessly.

Conclusion

To conclude, learning in the flow of work is about helping the learners at the right moment of need. It is about creating the right learning opportunities at the right time so learners can access the information that helps them perform a task better. Learning in the flow of work, as the phrase suggests, is about learning during the course of a task or work. It is not a replacement for formal learning, but a learning philosophy that advocates a more natural way of learning.

At Tesseract Learning, our learning and visual architects constantly innovate and reinvent their approaches to design, develop, and deliver effective L&D programs.

We are leveraging our powerful learning platform, KREDO, to create efficiencies across the training life cycle and deliver optimal learning experiences. Contact me or leave a comment below to learn more about our services and how we can help you.

Tesseract Learning Pvt Ltd

Tesseract Learning works with global organizations improve employee performance through spectrum of digital learning solutions. Solutions include eLearning, mobile learning, Microlearning, game based learning, AR/VR, Adaptive learning amongst others.

Read More