Learning While Working: Working While Learning
When we have a problem is when we want to learn. For example, if we are trying to speed up the process by using a function in Excel and currently don’t know how, this is when we want to learn, to solve our problem.
Another example would be when we want to cook a nice meal and we don’t know how that’s when we want to learn!
When you search for the problem you aren’t then faced with a course on how to make the best pasta. The problem is more urgent than that, it’s what can I do now at this moment to create a dish or write that function.
Engagement Rates
At these moments in time, I would put a bet that engagement rates are far higher than the ones when people are on formal courses.
I have nothing against formal courses, I think they are great for base knowledge, buildings foundations, learning theories and models. However, at work, people generally don’t want formal courses for simple problems. They want the answer.
Further down the line, if they want more comprehensive information about the whole subject, yes a course is a good idea.
How to learn while working?
In my opinion, this is where great things can happen and you can empower people to move faster and overcome problems faster.
Organisations can build places for people to learn and I think these are my top 3:
- Websites (Resources)
- LMS (Courses and short learnings)
- Communal areas
Many use the 70:20:10 model for designing learning and interventions and this is how I see where it fits in while working.
Website
Most companies will have their intranet, this is a great place to build your library, these resources can be infographics, FAQ’s, blogs, videos, stats, graphics, pictures and much more. Anything you can think of that is quick and solves a problem that your employees have.
The key to building the right resources is understanding what problems employees and people have and the way to do this to speak to them and make a note of the problems. My caveat here is to understand the problems so the resources resolve the issue and not create an issue further down the line.
An example of this might be how to follow the sickness policy or write a report for some more staff members.
LMS
I’ve put LMS as a place you can access resources, and I think LMS does play a part in a learning journey, however, if most people have a problem it’s going to be the ‘Google’ search that wins.
This is why you probably want information on the intranet so it can be searched quickly rather than going into the LMS system all the time.
The LMS is probably better at hosting quick video tips and longer format learning where people can access development when at work.
An example might be how to conduct 1–1s and what to do with all the documents.
I think an LMS is important because it can allow you to gamify any learning, keep a record, create leaderboards and create development plans and pathways for individuals.
Some of the learnings might be very short and include infographics which are what they need at the time of their problem. The only downside is if they have to jump through loops to reach the LMS and the search functionality of the LMS.
LMS shouldn’t be seen as formal courses which take hours to complete, it can be a place to branch out and have the ability to curate as well as create learning.
Communal Areas
In my mind, there is no learning material here as such but the ability to watch people work. In the model 70:20:10 — this informal learning makes up 70%. If this is such a big chunk, why are we still fascinated with formal courses, qualifications and certificates?
In my world, it means they are qualified which entitles them to job moves, an increase in wages and more responsibility, however, how much has the behaviour changed? Because in reality, the motivator behind completing the courses isn’t to be better, it’s usually to get more responsibility and move up as a form of progression.
Anyway, communal areas, these spaces are vital because having the ability to watch someone who is very good at what they do gives anyone the ability to watch, imitate, take (mental) notes and use that technique again in a situation in their world.
This can also be completed by shadowing and coaching, however, I do like to believe that being able to watch someone work isn’t aware of the surroundings gives you the fly-on-the-wall approach and best results!
How do we create this in an organisation? Having multiple people work in the same space means that you can get this to happen. The downside is noise! Secondly, recreational spaces allow people to talk and discuss anything around work. Finally, as mentioned before, shadowing someone, getting involved in a project, being mentored and coaching.
If people are against shadowing and coaching etc use the sports analogy of why athletes have coaches. They know their knowledge, but they need that outside influence.
Summary / Conclusion
I’ve gone off on many tangents and hopefully kept you until the end!
However, learning while working requires a ‘Google’ style solution for organisations. The reasoning is because that’s what happens outside of work, so it should work inside work.
For the most part, it will work. An example is — how to complete this function in excel or merge these cells. Google will tell you the answer, however, when it becomes company specific, then what?
That’s where your places come in, ideally, the fewer places the better but my 3 are the company’s intranet, LMS and communal areas to help learn while working and work while learning.
The aim here is to remove barriers so people can continue working, not put them on a course to remove barriers.
To create that Google search style you are going to need quick and simple resources (graphics, videos, soundbites etc) that solve your people's problems. If you can get the search function on your website, that’s a big bonus.
Utilising your LMS is a big plus and if you can make it so there are as few hoops as possible to go through to log-in and have varied resources in there then this is going to help as well. This is also a place where it can be recorded and personal plans can be put in.
Finally, communal areas. Make sure you have these so that people can see how others work, pick up tips and tricks and implement them in their own world. Gives rise to some coaching, mentoring and shadowing.
