In today’s fast-paced business environment, the only constant is change. Companies that survive and thrive will be those that adapt and evolve. The secret to lasting success is not just about having the right products, services, or strategies, but about cultivating a culture of continuous learning. In fact, continuous learning is just another way of saying continuous improvement.
To adapt and evolve though requires a clear understanding of what a learning environment looks like and how it can become embedded into everyday thinking and decision making. From a global perspective it’s a mindset of organizational excellence and improvement in pursuit of a shared vision and purpose. At the local, everyday level, it’s the practice of capturing “teachable moments”, not just to improve individual performance or isolated parts, but to improve the entire business system. Learning is the foundation for all lasting organizational growth for the simple reason that all growth requires change and all change requires learning something new. As playwright and Nobel Prize winner George Bernard Shaw put it “Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything”.
Fostering a culture of learning requires careful deliberation to determine what needs to be learned and changed in service of an organization’s overarching values and goals.
The Importance of a Learning Culture
A learning culture is one where an organization fosters a mindset of challenging assumptions and cultural norms. It is an all-inclusive environment dependent on focused leadership and clearly defined outcomes that benefit every stakeholder, not just end user customers[1]. By definition, it’s a place where everyone feels psychologically safe to ask questions, challenge assumptions, and learn from their mistakes.
In a traditional business model, employees may view learning as a task that’s separate from their day-to-day work and something that only happens in formal training sessions or workshops. However, a true learning culture adopts learning as a way of life – an integral and vital part of every discussion and meeting. It’s woven into daily operations where questions like “What incorrect assumptions are we making?”, “What are we missing?”, and “Do we have enough proof to support our current business model?” are frequently asked. And most importantly, it’s a place where people are valued as creators not consumers.
The power of this approach is immense. According to the 2020 LinkedIn Learning Report, companies with a strong learning culture are 92% more likely to innovate, 46% more likely to have employees engaged in their roles, and 34% more likely to be ahead of the competition. These metrics speak volumes about how embedding learning into an organization’s DNA leads to tangible business results, from increased employee satisfaction to improved bottom-line performance.
Learning as the Gateway to Lasting Change
But how exactly does learning drive change and sustainable growth? The key lies in the ability to respond to changing conditions and evolve in response to new challenges. It’s not enough for a business to simply wait for disfunction to happen; variance must be viewed as a constant threat. In this sense, learning isn’t just about gaining new skills. It’s about developing a watchful, proactive mindset attuned to the reality of outside and inside threats and constraints.
Organizations that prioritize learning recognize the value of systemic thinking – the ability
to quickly shift and adapt. Systems thinking employs cause-effect analysis related to the flow of work as dependent events. Effects, both positive and negative, can always be traced back to a system or lack thereof[2]. Famous economist and business consultant W. Edwards Deming noted that “94% of problems in business are systems driven and only 6% are people driven.”
Systems create automated feedback loops that constantly assess results and challenge tendencies toward inertia and inefficiency. As systems evolve and gain a foothold in every day productivity feedback loops enable leaders to keep pace with changes in technology, market preferences, and competitive dynamics, ensuring that strategic fit with the business environment remains strong. In other words, learning allows companies to stay relevant and agile, which is critical to achieving and sustaining long-term growth.
How to Foster a Learning Culture
- Believe in People and Create Clear Learning Zones
A learning culture starts at the top. Leaders, by definition, are tasked with making everyone else’s lives better – to bring out the best in their people and help them reach their highest potential. None of this can happen without prioritizing learning over performing and inviting people to contribute and participate without fear of repercussion. Eduardo Briceno’s 11-minute Ted Talk delivers and powerful overview for how to do this – constantly toggling between the Learning and Performance Zones.
Leaders should also be willing to embrace failure as part of the learning process. In a culture of learning, mistakes are not seen as weaknesses, but as valuable opportunities to improve[3]. When leaders model this behavior, it helps to break down the fear of failure among employees, encouraging them to experiment and take risks.
- Promote Knowledge Sharing and Collaboration
A learning culture thrives when there is an emphasis on idea sharing and collaborative problem solving. In many organizations, silos, entitlement, and cultural norms can hinder the flow of information. But businesses that prioritize idea sharing and collaboration create an environment where knowledge is shared freely. This not only breaks down silos but creates space where teams can (and usually do) find new solutions for old, stubborn problems.
Regular team brainstorming meetings, mentorship programs, and three-week lookahead meetings employing software like Jobtread, BuilderTrend and Slack can facilitate the exchange of ideas and experiences that greatly improve upon customer experience. Continuous learning equates to continuous improvement and can be quantified on bottom line net profit over time.
- Provide Learning Opportunities for All Levels
A robust learning culture offers growth opportunities to employees at all levels, from entry-level staff to senior management. Such an environment ensures that every individual has the tools they need to grow, develop new skills, and increase the velocity of value delivered to all stakeholders.
However, learning shouldn’t just be formalized programs; it should also be embedded in everyday thinking, encouraging employees to solve problems creatively, work on cross-functional projects, or participate in stretch assignments. Recognizing and capturing informal learning opportunities helps develop real-world skills.
Learning is a give and take initiative counterbalanced by teaching. Many leaders in the building industry become too immersed in the day-to-day demands of the business and often miss the many teachable moments that emerge every day. Some of the best learning happens organically in the daily conversations fostered in an environment where learning is prioritized.
- Two Learning Types
When bridging the gap between performance and learning, it’s critical to remember that there are two types of learning, both of which are necessary to growth and productivity:
Proficiency is about becoming more skilled at a specific task or operation. It requires “how to” training and mentoring that frequently employs “if – then” rules to help paint a vivid picture of the desired outcomes and then, clear instruction on how best to arrive there.
Creativity is about thinking and behaving proactively. This skill requires an environment of expectation, vision, and safety. The construction industry offers unlimited opportunities for creativity that are too often overshadowed by the daily demands of the business.
A learning environment is one of discipline that yields an abundance of rewards, but it takes very intentional and focused leadership to capture it and capitalize on it. In his book Think Again, author Adam Grant notes that great thinkers maintain what he calls “confident humility”. “They don’t boast about how much they know; they marvel at how little they understand.”
Always wishing you the best!
[1] Every business function must be end-user (customer) focused for an organization to have maximum impact. Being distinct in delivering a positive customer experience is an indispensable function for ensuring all other stakeholders benefit.
[2] This is assuming the right people are deployed in the right positions.
[3] It is important to recognize that one of the main characteristics of such an environment is a very high standard for excellence and productivity. Mistakes, while important and valuable for growth, are never acceptable when repeated.