How can you foster a culture of learning in transition management?

During this learning assessment, I recommend asking questions such as: - Who is responsible for learning? - How do you find out about learning/training opportunities? - How much time do you devote to learning/training on a weekly/monthly/quarterly basis? - Would you describe learning as proactive or reactive? If learning is seen as the responsibility of only one area (e.g. "Learning & Development is responsible for all learning and training efforts), and is primarily a reactive (aka, punitive) measure, greater efforts will be needed to help the organization understand the role that everyone plays in a learning culture.

It’s also useful to find out how people learn in your organisation. Does learning happen mainly on the job, by experimentation and trail and error? Do you have a strong feedback and coaching culture where managers play a key role in supporting their team members? Do people learn from each other through informal peer-to-peer support or is it all about formal learning like courses, elearning, seminars or books? Understanding what people see as “learning” is really important to help you figure out the type of support and resources will be most useful.

Part of this involvement should also be helping the team understand how the change will ultimately benefit them and why the change is taking place. People will be more resistant, and will be less receptive to learning, if they cannot understand the value of the change.

Change management is a crucial process that prepares and supports employees during business process transitions. Its success depends on its ability to ensure employees are comfortable with new processes, leading to increased productivity. Effective change management improves communication, collaboration, and knowledge-sharing among employees. It also helps identify potential risks and issues during transitions by conducting thorough assessments and involving stakeholders. The effectiveness of change management depends on effective planning, communication, and implementation.

Remember though that as people move through change they have different needs depending on the stage they are at: 1. Awareness - understand why the change is happening 2. Desire - understand what’s in it for them, acknowledge the change 3. Knowledge - learn how to change (this is where learning is key) 4. Ability - the ability to apply the the change 5. Reinforcement - get recognition and support to sustain the change This means while it is important to engage your team in the change from the start, don’t start with learning and training until people are on board and open to change.

In very few situations should there be a "one size fits all" learning initiative. Whenever possible, the learning associated with a change should incorporate multiple touchpoints and opportunities. Ideally, these would remain sustainable after the change has taken place as resources for current staff and/or training materials for new staff. The most successful change initiative on which I worked included the following learning touchpoints: 1) Formal, classroom training 2) Independent opportunities for practice 3) Peer-led support 4) eLearnings 5) Formal procedures 6) Informal job aids and reference guides While not every staff member used every resource, they were available and accessible to everyone.

To enable this, create a safe environment, role model the level of sharing and openness you expect of your team members and most importantly don’t be afraid of bad news. That means being cognisant of how you react and respond when a team member has made a mistake. Focus on drawing out the learnings from the experience.

If you want to make feedback a part of your team culture, spend time as a team discussing how each team member wants to receive feedback. We all have different preferences for giving and receiving feedback and by spending time learning about each others preferences we can provide more targeted and meaningful feedback. Remember, this also depends on local culture, so especially if you work in a multi cultural team, it is critical to understand differences.