9 ways to create a learning culture in the workplace

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Michelangelo, the Italian sculptor and painter, who exerted an unparalleled influence on the development of Western art, at the age of eighty-seven, said that “I am still learning.” If a person with so much knowledge and comprehension over a subject says that he still has a lot to learn, well, the rest goes without saying. It is said that you are never too old to learn. Creating a workplace learning culture can improve productivity and boost the quality of work. In this blog, we will be discussing a few tips for creating a perfect learning culture in the workplace.

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Benefits of a learning culture in the workplace

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• Increased employee satisfaction
• Lower turnover rates
• Positive mindset among employees
• Higher success rates
• Sense of belonging, inclined to take up ownership and responsibility.
• A culture of knowledge inquiry and sharing
• An enhanced ability for workers to adapt to change
• Marked increase in efficiency, productivity, and profit

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The advantages of having a learning culture in your workplace is not limited to the above-mentioned points. But, the discussed are the major ones with a proved reflection.

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A few points that have to be kept in mind while creating a learning environment in the workplace is to ensure that:

• The knowledge that is shared must be pertaining to the industry, the business, and the department when you go further deeper. This will ensure more centricity and effectiveness.
• A culture of shared learning must be encouraged.

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10 ways to create a learning culture in the workplace

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The first step in creating a culture of learning in your workplace begins with your leaders. Since they are reinforcing training initiatives, they should be supportive of a learning environment. Otherwise, they should alter the way they see the company and look at it from a different perspective.

Some key steps in creating a learning culture in the workplace are as follows:

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1. Curate a plan

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Failing to plan is planning to fail. You are definitely going down the path of failure if you have not developed an action plan. Now it is not enough that you want learning to happen in the workplace, you must have an idea as to how to go about it, what would be the things that we are sharing, what kind of knowledge must go out and likewise.

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2. Put a ring on it!

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Don't get startled; what we mean by this point is that, make it official. Formalize it so that employees feel committed and obligated. If you formalize the learning and development plans, it will be taken seriously. Make it mandatory for all the employees. But ensure not to come out as hostile. You should know to hit the right balance between encouraging a learning culture and turning your organization into a school.

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3. Recognition, recognition, recognition

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We have spoken time and again about the need to appreciate and reward the achievements of employees. Give ample recognition and also reward the employees if they have successfully learned new skills and acquired abilities. This will not only encourage them to learn more but also motivate other employees to do better. If employees do better, there is a direct impact on rates of productivity so on and so forth. Here is a blog that further details about the importance and necessity of employee recognition.

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4. Listen, they are talking!

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In our last blog, we had mentioned the importance of communication and that the whole essence of communication lies in feedback and the role reversal between the sender and the receiver. As we were saying, it is important to collect feedback to understand if the learning and developmental programs are giving the necessary results, if the objective is achieved and likewise. Surveys, opinion polls and likewise can be conducted to understand and analyse the results.

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5.Promotion in motion

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You have to promote the learning and developmental programs internally to get enough participants. Now, if you own a business, the importance of promotion goes without saying. It is quite normal for employees to be apprehensive about such programs, so, you need to promote the programs internally.

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6. Take the lead

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As mentioned earlier, you are never too old to learn. If you, as the leader, can take the initiative to learn and polish your skills and abilities, it will be a massive encouragement for the employees. This will ensure that they are not belittled or feel unworthy.  This will act as a huge motivation factor.

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7. Hire right

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While interviewing candidates, along with checking their abilities and skills, make sure to notice if they have an open attitude towards learning. Every job is a learning and unlearning process. However, the reality is that it’s easier to prevent and predict than to fix and change. When selection works, there’s far less need for training and development, and good selection makes training and development much more effective because it is not easy to go against someone's innate nature. If you have hired someone who is resistant to change and is adamant about not changing themselves or learning new things, we have a problem at hand.

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8. Identify Skill Gaps and Behavioral gaps

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A skill is easy to learn or rather, the scope is very narrowed. Knowing how to make the coffee machine work is also a skill. We are not undermining anything, but the point being, you cannot teach a person to be honest and hardworking. That is a  behavioral gap and not a skill gap. Understand the difference between the two. A learning culture must enable learning behaviours. Always keep that in mind.

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9. Communicate!

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This might seem silly and simple but trust us, it is the most important. You have to fill communication gaps if any to ensure that the goal and vision have been taken across promptly. We will be talking more about how to fill the communication gaps in our upcoming blogs, stay tuned to know more and widen your knowledge database.

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10 . Measure for success
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Tracking how effectively your training method is functioning can help you assure true learning. Download and examine your LMS's training stats. Employee performance may be measured using metrics like as engagement, completion rates, and quiz scores.

You may also contact students via surveys or polls during or after classes to gather their feedback. Inquire about how much value they felt they received from the training, what went well, and what may be improved. With this knowledge, you may embrace continuous learning by making necessary modifications on a regular basis.

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Conclusion

As mentioned, every organization should hit the right balance. Employees must not feel belittled or unworthy. A good workplace learning culture also means fostering positive learning behavior. Stay tuned to learn more. Happy Reading!