INTHEBLACK May 2025 - Magazine - Page 57
WHAT IS A LEARNING CULTURE?
A learning culture goes beyond giving staff
access to courses and other formal learning
opportunities, says Ockers. “It’s about creating
an environment that encourages and enables
people to be continuously learning, improving
and innovating as they work at an individual,
team and organisational level.”
Empowering employees to direct their own
growth and development is an important part
of a learning culture, says Tahnee McWhirter,
partner at HR agency HumanX.
“If we’re thinking of an organisation as a live
system, a learning culture enables that system
to self-sufficiently grow,” she says. “It can
become a competitive advantage because the
growth is more organic — patching weaknesses
and repping the muscles for the day-to-day
skills needed to get work done.”
With research from Xero showing younger
generations list learning and development
as one of the main reasons they would stay
with an employer, a learning culture can
be an effective tool in talent attraction,
McWhirter adds.
DO A CULTURE AUDIT
For organisations striving to create a learning
culture, Ockers recommends examining how
the current environment either promotes
or inhibits growth.
Leaders can undertake Marcia Conner’s
Learning Culture Audit or Nigel Paine’s
Learning Culture Self-Assessment Tool
to better understand the conditions under
which their people work, she says.
“Be curious and tune into what people
are saying about their current experience,”
she advises. “Do they feel safe to take risks?
Do they trust their leaders and their
leadership team?”
Psychological safety and trust are critical
elements for building a strong learning culture,
she continues. “People need to feel safe
to experiment, to suggest changes and
to speak up, because it’s through those
activities, through practice and continuous
improvement, that real learning occurs.”
HOW TO IMPLEMENT LEARNING
IN THE WORKPLACE
When making changes to encourage greater
learning, McWhirter says to start small.
First, release the “control and command”
structure of learning. “Learning mandated
by HR or leaders and consumed by employees
is not the only way to build skills,” she says.
“Instead, look at a framework that focuses
on the ‘why’ of learning — purpose-built
resources that are curated to meet people
where they’re at. For example, make their
jobs easier, faster, more impactful or more fun.”
Second, break learning into bite-sized
pieces, because if it becomes burdensome
or “more work” it isn’t as attractive
to employees. “Think beyond ‘lunch and
learns’,” McWhirter suggests, “such as short
explainer videos or infographs that incite
curiosity and give learners the opportunity
to self-examine or self-explore.”
Third, recognise that leaders are learners,
too. “Putting expectations on leaders to drive
a learning culture won’t work unless it is
recognised that they also have learning needs,”
she says. “Identify where the gaps are and
invest in time and resources to scale learning.”
LOOK FOR LEARNING MOMENTS
Making “learning moments” a part of
a company’s language is a great way
to destigmatise mistakes and celebrate
wins — and learn from both, says Ockers.
Such occasions might arise during a meeting
or project debrief, when team members pause
to reflect on an outcome. “They might ask,
‘Why did that work so well? How might
we continue to build on that? Or what went
wrong and how might we avoid that in
the future?’” she explains.
These moments build a sense of safety,
demonstrating that mistakes are welcome
and can be leveraged as lessons. They also
encourage curiosity — one of the core skills
highlighted in World Economic Forum’s
Future of Jobs Report 2025 — and are
an essential component of innovation.
BUILD FUTURE SKILLS
Though organic opportunities for
exchanging feedback or engaging in
mentoring or job shadowing may have
decreased with the advent of remote
work, Ockers believes these methods
are still valuable learning tools. Large
organisations such as Schneider Electric
clearly agree, now advertising these and
other development opportunities on their
internal talent marketplaces.
Smaller organisations can do the same,
albeit on a smaller scale. Ockers says leaders
might consider allowing workers half a day
each week to work on someone else’s project
as a “stretch opportunity”. Experiences like
these, which cultivate in-demand skills such
as flexibility, agility and curiosity, lay the
foundation for genuine learning, which benefits
both the individual and the organisation
in the long run. ■
READ
an article on how
to fit learning into
a busy work
schedule
EXPLORE
CPA Australia’s
career development
resources
LISTEN
to a podcast
episode on how
to find career
fulfilment
intheblack.cpaaustralia.com.au 57
