By Lisa Friscia
Before doing anything, we have to ask ourselves, what is the knowledge, skills or mindsets we want our people to have and how does this contribute to our organization’s mission and goals? Too often we don’t get the return on investment because we are not focusing on the problem we are trying to solve- and if adults don’t know how the learning connects to their work or can’t apply the learning to their context, there will always be limited return. From there, a few strategies to make this come alive.
1. Move from “one-and-done” to “built-in.”
- Audit your current learning programs: What's a one-off? What’s actually helping people in real time? Look for your bright spots.
- Embed learning into daily work: Create quick guides, tools, and resources that show up where people need them — not hidden away in a course catalog.
- Design for real-time practice: Don’t just teach it — build spaces for people to apply it immediately. Giving people this space can help them to internalize whatever skill or practice they’ve been taught.
2. Create a learning ecosystem, not just more content.
- Centralize knowledge but keep it alive: Build internal hubs where learning is easy to find and regularly updated. An intranet is helpful here but if you don’t have one, a google site or even a notion board is easy enough to create.
- Make learning social: Peer coaching, quick shares, and micro-skill sessions often stick better than a formal workshop. Plus, people love learning from others in the same roles as it feels more applicable.
- Use microlearning wisely: Short bursts usually trump hour-long events. Reinforce over time, not just once. Learning is a bit like painting a wall- you need multiple coats for it to truly stand out.
3. Measure what matters.
- Stop chasing completion rates: Attendance doesn’t mean impact.
- Start asking different questions: How is behavior changing? What skills are people actually using?
- Involve managers early: They should be reinforcing and noticing growth, not finding out after the fact.
4. Tie learning directly to business outcomes.
- Anchor learning to real problems: “We’re building this program to increase client retention,” not “because it’s good to have.”
- Make learning about now, not later: Frame it as performance support, not future development. Who wouldn’t want to learn something that will directly benefit them?
- Make leaders active players: Learning sticks when leaders talk about it, model it, and expect it.
5. Make learning easy to access — not one more thing to find.
- Meet people where they work: Integrate learning into Slack, Teams — wherever their real work happens.
- Go mobile: Learning should fit into the cracks of a busy day, not require a half-day off.
- Fix search: If people can't find it in two clicks, it’s not usable.
6. Change the story we tell about learning.
- Normalize growth and mistakes: Growth isn’t a perk. It’s how we stay good at what we do. This is what the best athletes, comedians and performers know to be true.
- Celebrate application, not just participation: Shine a light on people using new skills to solve real problems. Bonus: this precise praise gives others ideas on how they can implement the learning.
- Tell real stories: Highlight how learning moves the needle — in ways that matter to the business and individuals or else they won’t pay attention.
Want to discuss how to turn your organization into one that's learning based? Book some time with one of our experts here.
