The importance of continuous learning and development (L&D) for employees in today’s working world cannot be overstated. Thanks to rapid technological advancements, a hyper-competitive business environment, evolving market dynamics, geopolitical headwinds and economic uncertainties, companies need to create a vibrant internal culture that rewards lifelong learning.

Salient Strategies for Continuous Learning

A continuous learning culture is imperative so that employees can adapt swiftly to industry changes and ensure sustained success for their organisation. In doing so, companies must address the learning needs of multiple generations – Gen X, millennials and Gen Z. This is not as easy as it seems, since each generation has its unique learning issues and preferences. Accordingly, it is important to create inclusive learning programmes, thereby accommodating diverse learning styles and career pathways of employees.

For instance, while senior staffers prefer conventional classroom learning methods, Gen Zers and other young cohorts are inclined towards digital, gamified and/or experiential learning methodologies. In such scenarios, a one-size-fits-all approach to learning won’t work. Therefore, companies must implement personalised learning solutions geared to optimise higher levels of engagement and effectiveness.

In this dynamic learning ambience, feedback mechanisms and double-loop learning are indispensable. With feedback and measurement mechanisms, companies are well-placed to pinpoint internal inefficiencies, emerging market trends and areas for greater growth. It also aids in tracking the impact of learning on business outcomes. Further, feedback helps in encouraging diverse viewpoints that can spur innovative ideas and avoid organisational inertia.

Coming to double-loop learning, this helps individuals and companies correct personal or organisational errors built on current rules and assumptions, termed single-loop learning. To elaborate, single-loop learning engages with problems via a reactive perspective, whereby an employee may modify his/her decision as per the feedback but maintain the same fundamental approach to work based on static assumptions.

Conversely, a double-loop requires a person to step back from an immediate feedback loop and question underlying assumptions and current mental models. A double-loop learning approach facilitates more adaptive and innovative approaches that assist an individual or organisation to move forward faster. The significance of following double-loop learning is best exemplified by the case of a top mobile brand. The firm failed to react in time to emerging challenges in the mobile market with the rapid rise of a new generation of phones. Within a few years, it slipped from its leadership position. In essence, companies should deploy ‘feedforward’ thinking, rather than a feedback mindset.

Rather than dwelling on past mistakes, feedforward thinking refers to a future-oriented approach aimed at improvements and solutions. Examples of feedback and feedforward will help readers understand the latter better.
Feedback: “Sheila, you hardly paid any attention in yesterday’s team meeting. This will hurt your prospects in the long run.”
Feedforward: “Sheila, if you are 100% focused in upcoming team meetings, it will boost your prospects to rise faster in this company. A simple way to do so is by switching off your mobile during meetings.”

Changing Career and Learning Trends

New-age employees, particularly Gen Zers, prefer to prioritise learning, first-hand experiences and direct exposure over job titles and remuneration. By offering real-time learning opportunities, companies could make L&D programmes a part of their talent retention plans. If younger employees are provided ample opportunities to work on diverse projects and roles, it will help in both attracting and retaining top talent. One only needs to consider gig economy trends to understand that long-term career plans within a single company are slowly declining. Instead, continuous learning with diverse work openings is gaining greater traction among the youth.

Keeping these trends in mind, companies could create a strong learning environment to enable business growth. Investments in L&D programmes can drive employee reskilling and upskilling, which is imperative in the age of automation and AI-driven innovations and disruptions. Constant talent development means companies should balance managerial growth, technical training and leadership programmes customised to meet the business needs of both employees and employers.

Novel Learning Models, Mentorship and Reverse Mentorship

In this context, following the 70-20-10 learning model will lead to healthy dividends. To clarify, the 70-20-10 rule highlights that people imbibe 70% of their knowledge from challenging assignments and on-the-job experiences, 20% from peer learning and mentorship and the balance 10% from formal training and coursework. Overall, rather than traditional classroom-based learning, the focus should remain on hands-on experiences. By hiring skilled training specialists, companies could build a shared knowledge base that aligns their workforce with the common leadership vision as well as the 70-20-10 rule.

By integrating the learning of Gen Zers with the mentorship and experience of senior employees such as baby boomers, Gen X and millennials, companies can create a well-balanced learning ecosystem. Besides mentorship through structured programmes to promote faster knowledge transfer, companies should employ reverse mentorship models. Reverse mentorship will help young employees tutor the older ones on how to gain digital mastery. As a result, senior employees could become more proficient in managing new-age tools and techniques rather than constantly depending on youngsters to perform such work.

In this way, workplace training could make employees across all levels future-ready by promoting an ethos of continuous learning and development. When an entire organisation deploys a learning-oriented mindset backed by feedback loops and measurement mechanisms, better business outcomes are bound to emerge sooner rather than later.