Creating a Learning Culture Definitions A Cambridge Programme for Industry’s report1 provides a useful distinction between ‘training’ and ‘learning’: Learning is the process by which a person constructs new knowledge, skills and capabilities, whereas training is one of several responses an organisation can undertake to promote learning. ‘Development’ is the ongoing growth of the individual, primarily through learning in whatever guise it takes. This report will consider the broader topic of ‘learning’.

Why develop a learning culture? In recent years a ‘learning culture’ has become increasingly desirable in the workplace, for a multitude of reasons.2 An organisation which prioritises learning can provide a service that is constantly being improved, thus benefiting the customer and creating a competitive advantage. Consumer expectations are higher than ever, requiring organisations to obtain ever-increasing knowledge and expertise. It is widely recognised that for an organisation to be sustainable in the present climate, it is essential that it is equipped to adapt on a continual basis – and change is only useful if it is informed by learning. It is not only organisations that need to learn to be ‘change-able’, but the individual staff members. As one CIPD paper argues, “the capacity to adapt is the greatest gift of learning”3. Learning and change are interdependent. Martyn Sloman writes in the Change Agenda Focus on the Learner that people are an organisation’s most important asset: Committed individuals who understand the organisation’s objectives, have the requisite skills, and operate in an environment where they have the opportunity to take the appropriate discretionary behaviour, create powerful business advantages which can be very difficult for a competitor to duplicate. The advantage of a learning organisation is having a motivated and committed workforce, who appreciate the investment that is being made in them.

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Reynolds, J., Caley, L., and Mason, R. How do people learn? The Fifth Discipline Fieldbook lists ten main reasons for building a learning organisation. See also Martyn Sloman’s Training in the Age of the Learner for factors which have created the climate in which learning is viewed as a necessity for survival in the marketplace. 3 Helping people to learn: strategies for moving from training to learning 2

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Thus developing a ‘learning culture’ reaps the following benefits: • • • • • •

‘Upskilling’ of staff as an ongoing process, Empowerment of the individual in their taking responsibility for their development Lower cost of training – more in-house training, coaching, on-the-job learning rather than expensive training courses Better use of existing skills of staff, both in the use of the skills they already have, and by sharing skills with other members of staff An attractive environment for staff, due to the prioritisation of learning, resulting in higher job satisfaction and lower staff turnover Better relationships within teams where staff share learning

Transition to a learning culture As with any change to an organisation’s culture, the transition to a learning culture must be managed well. Within the changes that may occur at a strategic level, individuals will need to be educated about what the change means for them; one useful way of articulating the requirements of employees within a learning culture is listed in Appendix 1. 4

The Change Agenda Focus on the Learner draws from case-studies of twelve organisations desiring to shift from focusing on training to focusing on the learner. The paper argues that three activities are major contributors to bringing this about: • • •

Line managers being trained to coach staff Emphasis on competency frameworks Modular training.

Coaching focuses on asking the individual questions and facilitating them to improve their performance, rather than telling them what to do and a coaching culture exists where “commitment to improving the organisation is embedded in a parallel commitment to improving the people”5. Andrew Mayo’s comprehensive list of the activities of an ideal manager-developer is useful here (see Appendix 2). Competencies can be described as, “the behaviour that employees must have or must acquire to input into a situation in order to achieve high levels of performance”6. Staff need to be aware of the skills and behaviour that is necessary for them to fulfil their job requirements, and being made aware of shortcomings should encourage learning to close the gaps. Modular training not only means that staff are absent from their usual work for shorter periods, but is proved to maximise memory retention.7 4

Sloman, Martyn, Change Agenda – Focus on the Learner Clutterbuck, David, and Megginson, David, ‘How to… create a coaching culture’, People Management 21 April 2005, p.44 6 Quick Facts – www.cipd.co.uk 7 For example, Lara Ashworth’s article in People Management, 5 May 2005, p.42

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Methods of Learning When the CIPD surveyed 750 people8 in 2002 about their most preferred method of learning, just over half cited learning ‘on-the-job’. Although classroom learning was joint second, it was a long way behind. It is important not to lose sight of this, so that everyday learning is treated with more significance and managed better. Technology is an essential ingredient in the development of learning within the workplace, and in particular, the internet has opened up easy access to courses and sharing learning. E-learning is worth mentioning here specifically, as it is a relatively new method, which appeals because it allows individuals to take responsibility for their learning and learn at their own pace. However, as one CIPD survey of training managers highlighted,9 it is early days and there is much room for improvement; elearning still works best when blended with other forms of learning.

Personal Responsibility Sloman10 argues that the movement in training and development circles is increasingly focused on the individual’s responsibility for learning, where individuals start to question, “What difference could my learning make to my performance, and as a result, to the performance of the business?” Providing access to learning, without going through HR, is one way in which individuals could take ownership of their learning, for their own benefit, as well as that of the organisation. Creating an obligation within job descriptions and appraisals would further encourage this.

Measuring learning If individuals are to take more personal responsibility for their learning there is an increased onus on the organisation to measure whether learning is taking place. The following are tools to aid this: •

Learning objectives need to be set from the start. These should always include 11 one or more of the following : • A defined increase in knowledge or skills • Achieving a qualification • Building a network • Experiencing some particular situations

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‘Who learns at work?’ CIPD survey Sloman, Martyn, Training in the Age of the Learner, p.56 10 Sloman, Martyn, Training in the Age of the Learner p. xiii: “Interventions and activities that are intended to improve knowledge and skills in organisations will increasingly focus on the learner. Emphasis will shift to the individual learner (or the team), and he or she will be encouraged to take more responsibility for his or her learning. Efforts will be made to develop a climate that supports effective and appropriate learning.” 11 Taken from Mayo, Andrew, Creating a Learning and Development Strategy, p.165 9

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Seeing a measured cultural change Improving perceptions of employees or customers

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Personal Development Plans are crucial in objective setting. PDPs need to be owned by the individual and referred to and updated regularly.

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Learning logs are a way of recording less formal learning.

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Learning reviews with managers and peer groups are a way of reminding oneself what has been learned.

Measurement of learning also needs to occur at an organisational level. Corporate strategies need an accompanying learning strategy to highlight new skills and expertise that are required to fulfil the plan effectively, and this requires a system of measurement. Furthermore, to create a true learning culture, learning must not be for the sake of the individual alone, but for the team and the wider organisation, as Fifth Discipline Field Book points out: Learning in organisations means the continuous testing of experience, and the transformation of that experience into knowledge – accessible to the whole organisation [my emphasis], and relevant to its core purpose12 Creating a climate in which staff naturally share their learning is a significant part of building a learning culture.

The cost of learning Although it may appear that spending more time and money on learning will have significant cost implications, it should instead be viewed as an investment. Indeed recent research has shown the monetary benefits a business can gain from through becoming a learning organisation13. Furthermore, Ian Cunningham argues that: we frequently hear from organisations that say they don’t have the resources to develop their people… [but] we have found that people gain the greater part of their development by learning from experience. People learn from their 14 colleagues, from their manager, from doing demanding work and so on . The move towards a learning culture encourages learning from everyday work situations and, if anything, move away from reliance on expensive training courses. Any cost incurred in bringing about a learning culture is outweighed by the benefits of a workforce seeking out learning to satisfy the needs of the ever-changing work environment and demands placed upon them.

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Fifth Discipline Fieldbook, p.49 For example, Jack J. Phillips’ article ‘Measuring Up’, People Management, 7 April 2005, p. 42 14 People Management, 5 May 2005, p.44 13

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Appendix 1 Taken from Andrew Mayo’s Creating a Learning and Development Strategy, p.94 Every employee needs to be able to: •

Articulate good learning objectives

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Understand their learning style

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Understand how the learning cycle works

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Be aware of the range of learning modes available and how to make the right choice for their need

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Be a good ‘coachee’

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Be able to give and receive feedback constructively

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Be a sharer of knowledge and a user of other people’s knowledge

Appendix 2 Taken from Andrew Mayo’s Creating a Learning and Development Strategy, p.88. The ‘ideal’ manager-developer is characterised by:

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Ensuring that business goals have supporting learning goals as needed Ensuring all staff assigned to him/her are trained in managing their own learning Ensuring each person has a personal development plan that is realistic and agreed Providing time and money for agreed development plans to be implemented Ensuring pre- and post-discussions re learning events for team members take place Providing and receiving constructive feedback Ensuring systems of working, include systematic learning from daily work Ensuring knowledge and experience is shared within the group and with other appropriate groups Sharing what is happening in their own job Being a role model – of the company values, and of good management Being available as a coach and guide where this is needed Using work opportunities to develop others; delegating wherever possible Showing concern for how the team functions as a team Permitting risk-taking and focusing on learning if things go wrong Safeguarding budgetary allocations put aside for learning 5

Bibliography Honey, Peter – 101 ways to develop your people, without really trying! (Peter Honey Publications, Maidenhead, 2003) Honey, Peter – Learning Log (Peter Honey Publications, Maidenhead, 2000) Mayo, Andrew – Creating a Learning and Development Strategy (CIPD, London, 2004) Reynolds, J., Caley, L., and Mason, R. - How do people learn? (CIPD, London, 2002) Senge, Peter M. et al – The Fifth Discipline Fieldbook (Nicholas Brealey Publishing, London, 1994) Sloman, Martyn – Training in the Age of the Learner (CIPD, London, 2003) Sloman, Martyn – Focus on the Learner – Change Agenda (CIPD, London, 2003)

www.cipd.co.uk Articles:

Work-based learning by Ian Cunningham (CIPD, 2005) Helping people to learn: strategies for moving from training to learning (CIPD, 2005) Who learns at work? (CIPD, 2002)

People Management – issues from 24 March 2005 – 28 July 2005

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