Training Industry Magazine - May/June 2021 - 53

MICHELLE EGGLESTON SCHWARTZ

LEARNER
MINDSET

EMBRACING A CULTURE OF
SELF-DIRECTED LEARNING

There may be no " I " in team, as the
saying goes, but there is definitely an " I "
in learning. When it comes to professional
development, learners should be at the
center of their own learning experience -
identifying their learning needs and finding
solutions to close skills gaps. A culture
of self-directed learning empowers
employees to grow their skill sets and
contribute toward business goals.
The desire to learn is universal -
despite myths that suggest learning is
only important to younger generations
in the workplace. All employees want
to learn. And the effectiveness of that
learning is amplified when the training
is delivered in a modality that the
learner prefers, according to Training
Industry research.

LEARNERS SHOULD
BE AT THE CENTER OF
THEIR OWN LEARNING
EXPERIENCE.
Continuous learning is needed to keep
up with the pace of change in today's
evolving business world. The ability to
learn, unlearn and relearn are necessary
skills to remain agile and adaptive - and
they are only growing in importance.
In fact, the World Economic Forum
listed active learning as a top skill to
master by 2025, highlighting the critical
role learning plays in employee and
organizational performance.
The shift to remote work has required
employees to take greater control over
their learning and development. As

challenges arise on the job, employees
seek out information to solve their
problems. To ensure learners are finding
the right information, L&D must develop
a learning strategy that provides
necessary resources to employees in
the flow of work.

endless access to information. With
so many new technologies on the
market, the buying process can
be overwhelming. To streamline
decision-making, L&D should select
tools that fit the unique needs of
their organization.

Here are a few tips to create a culture
that embraces self-directed learning
and empowers employees to grow:

* Provide access to resources: Having
a robust library of learning resources
is great, but if learners don't know
where it is, then it's useless. Ensuring
employees have access to training
content is a necessary step in a
learning strategy. Utilizing learning
experience platforms or learning
libraries can help to organize learning
resources in one central location.

* Promote the benefits of learning: Selfdirected learning requires a significant
amount of initiative and motivation on
the part of the learner. Get employees
excited about managing their own
learning journeys. The effectiveness
of a self-directed learning culture
hinges on the employees' recognition
of the need to learn new skills, as
well as their motivation to close skill
and knowledge gaps. Employees
ultimately want to know how learning
will benefit them. By addressing this
question, L&D can increase learner
buy-in and engagement.
* Increase manager involvement: Selfdirected learning provides employees
with the flexibility to select what they
want to learn and how they want to
learn it. While this is certainly a benefit
to learners, managing your own
learning journey can be challenging.
To maximize learning effectiveness,
managers should be involved to
ensure employees are focusing on
the right skills and helping them apply
new skills on the job.
* Utilize the right tools and
technologies: Technology provides

* Foster peer-to-peer learning: Social
learning is a big part of the learning
experience. Creating opportunities
for employees to connect and
share experiences can provide a
meaningful network of support. These
opportunities could include discussion
boards, communities of practice or
a library of user-generated videos of
employees sharing insights.
A culture of self-directed learning
empowers learners to manage their
learning experience. As the rate of
change continues to increase, lifelong
learning is going to be key to employee
and organizational success. Moving
forward, organizations must prioritize
active learning to develop an adaptive
workforce that is ready to pivot.
Michelle Eggleston Schwartz, CPTM, is
the editorial director at Training Industry,
Inc. Email Michelle.

T R A I N I N G I N DUSTR Y MAGAZ INE - CLOSING SKILLS GAPS I WWW. T RAI NINGINDU S T RY . C OM/ MAGAZ I NE

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Training Industry Magazine - May/June 2021

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