5 Benefits of Creating an Agile Learning Culture

Last Updated: December 16, 2021

A majority of organizations expect the pace of change to accelerate – but are existing L&D practices equipped to keep up? We believe agile learning could be the answer and discuss: 

  • What is agile learning?
  • Four benefits of this new learning model
  • Our recommended solutions to get started

 

In a dynamic business landscape, it is more important than ever before to pick up new skills rapidly. Gartner estimates Opens a new window that a typical organization has witnessed five organization-wide changes in the last three years, and 75% of organizations expect this change frequency to multiply.

But is the current organizational learning culture equipped to deal with change and pivot from existing models without missing a beat? 

Research on change success suggests that there continue to be gaps in organizational learning agility, leading to failed transformation projects. For example, only 34% of changes are a proven success, according to Gartner’s findings, underscoring the need for new and adaptive learning models. 

This is where an agile learning culture comes in. By adopting the principles of agility, L&D can help build change-ready organizations, equipped to adapt to new technologies, operational models, and business opportunities to stay ahead of the competition. 

Learn More: Agile Learning Can Help Bridge Skill ShortagesOpens a new window

What Is Agile Learning? 

Agile was originally formulated as a project management approach, replacing a one-time development model with bite-sized “sprints.” Each sprint has its own goals, owners, and timelines. Together, multiple sprints contribute to project completion, and any issues left over from a previous sprint are carried over to the next one. This helps minimize delays to a significant degree, in addition to making the development process more efficient. 

At the core of agile development is the ability to incorporate changes at any stage. Each sprint can embed within itself a new idea or requirement, becoming incrementally better with each sprint. 

The same principles can also be applied to learning. Agile learning replaces traditional L&D with a culture where stakeholders work together on shared L&D goals, proactively contribute insights, and break down learning milestones into employee-specific “sprints.” 

So how can this agile learning model benefit your organization? Let’s find out. 

Learn More: How to Deploy Workplace Learning for Maximum ProductivityOpens a new window

Five Benefits You Can Achieve by Encouraging Agile Learning 

With technology evolving at lightning pace, the lifespan of existing knowledge is becoming shorter. Even experienced professionals are having to relook at their skill set, and those new to the workforce need to look at reskilling and upskillingOpens a new window continually. This is why a culture of agile learning is so important. It can help you by: 

1. Creating an atmosphere of collaborative learning 

Why should you settle for a limited set of learning materials, ideas, and tribal knowledge when you can crowdsource insights from the entire organization? Collaborative learning Opens a new window expands the knowledge ambit by providing your employees with a shared forum for discussion, brainstorming, and professional development. 

In a culture of agile learning, the workforce is more open to approaching their peers, managers, and even juniors with learning problems. This makes problem-solving much faster and ensures that employees retain knowledge for a longer time.

2. Enabling you to gain from data 

Dynamic data on employee learning progress is made easily accessible as part of an agile learning program. Based on this data, the learner may move to a new track or finetune their existing L&D modules for greater effectiveness.

Data also opens the door to gamificationOpens a new window . A collaborative dashboard where learners can view their achievements and appreciate others will help to motivate employees to explore new areas of learning. 

Additionally, learning data is also useful for administrators and HR professionals to keep track of employee development. 

3. Aligning personal goals to organizational objectives 

In a culture of agile learning, the L&D track will be continually updated to strike a balance between individual and organizational targets. Because it follows agile principles, it can be quickly changed in the face of new technology or a fresh business opportunity without upsetting day-to-day operations. 

Therefore, agile learning is at the heart of any growth-focused organization, allowing the company’s L&D practice to be agile enough to keep pace with business expansion. 

4. Making learning a non-linear process 

With agile learning, you don’t assume that the endgame of an L&D course is a certification. Employees must apply any skills learned to their everyday tasks, self-assess for any gaps in knowledge, and address them in future learning cycles. Because it follows a sprint-wise model, adopting a non-linear and continuous learning process becomes easy. 

Continuous learning also ensures that the insights gathered are relevant to the task at hand and can be applied at the moment to solve a business problem. 

5. Breaking down learning into bite-sized, digestible chunks

In an agile learning environment, employees aren’t herded into a classroom or chained to their desktop until they finish a course. Instead, learning is made available anytime and anywhere through mobile support, innovative content formats (videos, digital flashcards, etc.), and social media integrations. 

This translates into greater convenience for the employee, encouraging them to keep working on their professional development even outside the office premises. 

Learn More: How to Enhance Organizational LearningOpens a new window

Getting Started with Agile Learning: The Way Forward

If you’re eager to achieve the benefits of agile learning, there are several solutions available to help build a culture of agile learning at your company. 

We would recommend that you take a look at the Agile Learning Organizational Program by Bersin AcademyOpens a new window . It comprises five unique manuals to train HR, L&D experts, and business leaders on the role of agile learning in driving successful change.

There’s also a more individualized course by LinkedIn called Learning AgilityOpens a new window . And if you’re looking to hold workshops or seminars on learning agility, the Center for Creative Leadership has a dedicated workshop kit Opens a new window for this purpose. 

By leveraging these tools and conducting thorough research, you can re-envision your L&D practice from an agile vantage point and prepare for an era where change, indeed, is the only constant.

Are you ready to adopt agile learning at your organization? Share your insights with us on FacebookOpens a new window LinkedInOpens a new window , or TwitterOpens a new window . We are eager to know!

Chiradeep BasuMallick
Chiradeep is a content marketing professional, a startup incubator, and a tech journalism specialist. He has over 11 years of experience in mainline advertising, marketing communications, corporate communications, and content marketing. He has worked with a number of global majors and Indian MNCs, and currently manages his content marketing startup based out of Kolkata, India. He writes extensively on areas such as IT, BFSI, healthcare, manufacturing, hospitality, and financial analysis & stock markets. He studied literature, has a degree in public relations and is an independent contributor for several leading publications.
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