The goal of any learning ecosystem is to cultivate a positive culture of learning. Research unequivocally demonstrates its profound impact on an organization’s success. Conversely, enterprises afflicted with inadequate learning cultures foster conformity and stagnation, leading to attrition of their top talent, struggles with customer retention and eventual loss to their competitors.
An ATD study found high-performing organizations are five times more likely to have a strong learning culture than their lower-performing counterparts. Additionally, these organizations are twice as likely to recognize the contribution of their learning department in achieving organizational business goals. Another report by Deloitte reveals that learning culture plays a significant role, accounting for 46 percent of overall improved business outcomes, including innovation, time to market, market share and employee productivity. And the Center for Creative Leadership found that learning agility is a key trait of the most successful leaders with the longest careers.
Learning and failing go hand in hand
Whether you know it or not, your organization already has a culture of learning. Every organization does because humans are biologically wired to learn, and we do so daily. Sometimes this learning occurs in the formal experiences that make up your learning ecosystem, like a training event, but often it occurs in the flow of work. In fact, employees state that they spend 40 percent of their time learning at work and 80 percent of that learning occurs outside of training programs.
Building a learning culture extends beyond the learning team’s workshops and learning and development programs. While these initiatives are essential, the true essence of a learning culture resides in the beliefs and attitudes of individuals. Two crucial questions define this culture: How do we support people in their learning, growth and improvement? And, equally important, how do we respond when mistakes or failures occur?
The connection between learning and failing is undeniable. A positive and dynamic learning culture cannot exist without an environment that embraces risk-taking and acknowledges mistakes as opportunities for growth. Harvard University’s Dr. Amy Edmondson, coined the concept of “psychological safety,” which is critical for building high-performing teams. She defines psychological safety as, “a belief that one will not be punished or humiliated for speaking up with ideas, questions, concerns or mistakes.” According to Google’s global study, psychological safety is what distinguishes their most successful teams from the others. Psychological safety is also at the heart of change, innovation, inclusion and belonging.
A positive learning culture thrives through the collective efforts of all community members rather than being confined to a single department or program. While having advanced learning opportunities and technology is beneficial, creating a safe environment for risk-taking and learning from mistakes is essential for fostering a positive learning culture.
What does a learning culture look like?
A learning culture promotes and rewards learning for individuals, teams and the organization as a whole. Learning is embedded in the values, systems, priorities and resources. A learning culture is one of three important elements to consider, along with the learning climate (how employees perceive workplace practices and processes that relate to their learning) and learning orientation (the organization seeks to enhance its capability through development and adaptation).
A helpful metaphor is to see your organization as a collection of orchards, with each department or function responsible for producing high quality fruit, or output in the form of marketing, finance, facilities, product/service, etc. Each orchard is overseen by that function’s leader, who should be focused on creating the right environment for that orchard to thrive.
The individual trees represent each employee with their roots embedded in the soil. If that soil is rich with nutrients (like psychological safety), the trees can grow and produce both quality and quantity. Your organization’s success relies on this crucial foundation. But if that soil is toxic, employees will struggle, often showing their distress through absenteeism, poor performance, health challenges and ultimately attrition. Even with ample sunlight and water, a tree in toxic soil will never achieve its full potential. The same is true for your organization.
To create a learning culture, leaders must assess the soil in their organization and how individuals genuinely treat each other when facing risks and mistakes. Consider the following questions:
- Do individuals feel comfortable admitting they lack knowledge or seek help when needed?
- How is a mistake or failure handled? Is there an environment of encouragement to reflect, learn and try again, or does it result in teasing or shame?
- Are mistakes met with negative consequences such as sidelining, demotion or termination, or do individuals take responsibility for rectifying errors?
- Do people openly acknowledge their mistakes and take ownership of resolving them, or do they blame others?
- Do managers and leaders share personal stories of taking risks or recovering from failures?
The soil’s significance in fostering change, innovation and productivity quickly becomes apparent. While trees may tolerate poor soil for a time, employees will not remain in a toxic environment. Instead, they will uproot themselves and seek opportunities elsewhere. If your organization experiences disengagement or high turnover, it may indicate an issue with psychological safety. Turnover tends to concentrate within specific departments or under particular managers rather than being evenly dispersed.
How to foster a learning culture
A recent study by CIPD found that 98 percent of L&D practitioners wish to develop a positive culture for learning, but only 36 percent feel like they’ve developed one. The learning function has the power and responsibility to accelerate the growth of every member of the organization, from the top executives to the most recent new-hire or frontline worker. But it can be challenging to know where to start.
Any orchard owner will tell you that there are things that help trees thrive. Some elements foster and expedite growth, akin to fertilizers and deep root hydration. These components, commonly linked to a culture of learning, encompass training events, online learning resources, skill enhancement, knowledge sharing, leadership development and more. The breadth, depth, accessibility of learning opportunities and the quality of these programs are how you demonstrate your learning culture to current and future employees. Invest in a wide range of learning opportunities that serve all layers of the organization. Review and evaluate programs regularly to keep them fresh and aligned with current and future needs. Foster a positive learning culture that rewards all forms of growth and improvement. Facilitate on-demand learning through online courses and resources, and leverage technology to support speed of scaling.
Positive learning cultures prioritize learning as a core value. Effective leaders believe in learning, invest in it and lead by example. They consistently recognize and reward learning achievements. Consider the following questions:
- Do managers and leaders serve as role models by demonstrating a commitment to their learning and growth?
- Are learning programs available to employees at all levels, from newcomers to top executives?
- Is time dedicated to learning encouraged, supported and integrated into the fabric of “real” work?
- Are progress and improvement acknowledged and rewarded through both informal and formal performance evaluation processes?
The combination of these elements constitutes an organization’s authentic learning culture. To reap the multitude of benefits identified by research, prioritize creating a learning culture. Investing in this endeavor will yield substantial long-term dividends.
Implementing these approaches creates a thriving growth culture where learning is valued, supported and easily accessible to all employees. To quote Martha Soehren, chief talent development officer at Comcast, “There are 10 seeds in an apple. But how many apples are in a seed? You must help your employees learn and grow so they become the talented workforce you need tomorrow.”
6 strategies for learning leaders
L&D professionals obviously play a vital role in creating a learning culture as they develop and sponsor learning strategies and offerings. Here are some helpful tips:
Serve as authentic examples and models of an ideal learning culture. HR and L&D teams are pivotal in shaping the organization’s overall health. When these teams thrive, the rest of the organization follows suit. Modeling a positive learning culture is essential at all levels, as it cascades throughout the organization and significantly impacts the employee experience.
Integrate critical components of learning culture into offerings from onboarding to executive training. Focus on providing the knowledge and skills individuals need to contribute to the collective effort of building a learning organization. In particular, programs should focus on cultivating a growth mindset, creating psychological safety, effective coaching, giving and receiving constructive feedback, emotional intelligence and effective goal setting.
Align systems and processes with a positive learning culture, particularly in performance management. Recognize the importance of measuring and valuing growth and improvement alongside outcomes. Allocate at least 30 percent of evaluations to reflect learning and improvement efforts, incorporating them into rewards and recognition. Consistently and visibly value “walking the talk” through reviews and rewards to reinforce the desired learning culture.
Track relevant metrics such as employee engagement, psychological safety, goal progress and achievement and attrition of top talent to help identify areas that require intervention to drive positive shifts.
Be a role model by continuously modeling lifelong learning, seeking feedback, and investing in your own growth and development. Attend talent conferences, read talent publications, and stay updated on the latest developments to demonstrate your commitment to ongoing improvement. Deeply listen to the needs of your organization and proactively build solutions that will help solve current and future business challenges.
Invest in leadership development, especially for managers. They have the most direct impact on the daily experience of each employee as their words and actions make up a large majority of the soil and create the real culture of your organization. All your efforts to build a culture of learning can be undermined by a manager’s lack of support or violation of your organization’s values for learning. Their actions will ultimately resonate louder than those of your top executives so giving them the knowledge and skills to be great managers will pay off with great ROI.
The vital role of senior leaders
While it’s often assumed that a culture of learning is owned by the learning or talent team, in truth different groups play important roles in the learning culture of your organization. The healthiest and most vibrant organizations have senior leaders who themselves have a growth mindset and believe in the power of learning. They talk about their mistakes, insights they’ve gained and their quest for improvement.
They not only promote learning but participate in it. Top leaders might kick off a new program and authentically attend some events as eager learners. The key here is humility — the best leaders never assume that they have nothing left to learn because they sit at the top of the organization. In fact, the most successful leaders are often the hungriest learners.
A senior leader’s attitudes and actions cascade through the organization, making it much easier for the talent team to get traction. Senior leaders can also create a learning culture by empowering learning leaders with autonomy and resources to deliver quality programs.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, senior leaders must hold managers accountable for the health of their teams. All the above efforts fall flat if managers are not evaluated and rewarded based on how their orchards of employees are flourishing or struggling. High-performing organizations do not disregard the damage of poor managers or ignore the growing signs of discontent. You need to take immediate action when you see high levels of absenteeism, illness, complaints, and turnover. Allowing poor managers to remain in their roles undermines not only your efforts to create a positive learning culture but also the credibility of the leadership team.
Establishing a positive learning culture is paramount for your organization’s sustained success. While expansion and new products are valuable, nothing surpasses the power of a learning culture because it’s core to attracting and retaining top talent, driving innovation, engagement, productivity and customer loyalty.
