4 Battle-Tested Ways to Improve Corporate Learning

Improve Corporate Learning to Improve Performance
Organizations that strive to stay successful and competitive into the future must carefully consider how they manage top talent in a world that is increasingly dependent on technology.

Fifty Percent of Jobs Will Be Automated
Experts say that within the next two decades about half of all jobs will be automated. Companies need to recognize that their competitive edge will depend on the quality of their human talent. As a business leader, your goal should be to develop a workforce that knows how to out-think, out-relate and out-learn the competition.

You need to develop a true learning culture.

Constant Learning is a “Must Have” Skill
The only way a business can stay truly viable in the future is to adapt quickly and effectively. This means that employees cannot rely on the same skills and thinking that got them their jobs in the first place.

Employees must to be able to adjust to changing job needs…in other words, they need to be constant learners.

Four Ways to Improve Corporate Learning
Here are four battle-tested tips to improve corporate learning so your talent is ready for the technology-driven future that seems to be coming their way:

1. Focus on Behaviors Rather than Skills
When practiced and reinforced, skills can be learned fairly successfully. But behaviors require more adaptive thinking and judgment.

• Employees may know how to create an Excel worksheet (the skill), but do they know why they have been asked to create it and what attributes would make it more useful (behavior)?
• When there is value placed on thinking through the purpose of a skill and how it relates to the company strategy, employees can adapt and change with the business.

2.  Put a Real Value on Learning
Employees should know that continuous learning is expected and valued. How do they know?

• Employees observe leaders and high performers actively learning.
• Employees are rewarded and recognized for learning.

Leaders who value learning understand failure is a step toward learning how to do things better.  They recognize and reward lessons learned. And they connect the learning with the overall corporate strategy for success.

RELATED: ASSESS IF YOUR TRAINING INITIATIVE IS SET UP FOR SUCCESS NOW

3.  Ensure Leaders and Managers Are in Sync
Executives must be the champions and models of continuous learning. Managers are the ones “on the ground” who must support their team members with opportunities for development and relevant challenges.

Leaders and managers must understand that learning and continuous improvement are integral to their team’s success.

4.  Assess and Measure Progress
It’s not enough to sense that you are moving in the right direction. You need to know the effect continuous learning is having on the company by measuring your corporate training.

Ask employees, ask managers, ask executives, ask customers.

If corporate learning is on the right track, your learning initiatives should see an uptick in the employee, customer, operational and financial metrics that matter most.

The Bottom Line
Prepare your talent for the jobs that technology can’t do well…the jobs that require clear thinking, creative solutions and adaptive behaviors. Only then will you be ready to out-think and out-learn your competition.

If you want to create a game plan to improve corporate learning, download The Top 10 Training Function Warning Signs to Pay Attention To