How do you balance the needs of employee learning and development with the demands of work?

Start by aligning learning objectives with organizational goals, ensuring they support immediate work needs. Incorporate flexible learning solutions, like e-learning modules or microlearning, that employees can access at their own pace without disrupting their work. Encourage a learning culture by integrating short training sessions into regular work schedules, such as during team meetings. Foster collaboration between managers and employees to prioritize learning opportunities based on project timelines. Provide support and resources to apply new skills directly to current tasks, reinforcing their value. Regularly evaluate and adjust the balance to meet both developmental and operational demands.

We also need to distinguish between Knowledge, Skills and Attitudes. > Knowledge can be easily gained through workshops, or even Google and GenAI. > Skills development needs longer term practise and guidance. Coaching and mentoring programs would be more suitable. > Attitude is the hardest to change, because it involves an employee's personal motivations, mindset, biases and experiences. Coaching could help but ultimately, trainees have to choose to change for themselves. Ultimately, the best solution may be to acknowledge that a person isn't the right organisational fit. Being clear of these outcomes will help in choosing the right L&D programs for the organisation's strategy. Fit the shoe to the foot, not the foot to the shoe.

Balancing employee learning and development with work demands is pivotal at Learnerbly. Our approach includes empowering employees with a personal learning budget to invest in their preferred development opportunities whenever they need. We also offer unlimited learning leave, ensuring flexibility to pursue growth without compromising work commitments. Regular check-ins help align individual learning goals with job responsibilities, fostering a culture where continuous learning fuels both personal development and organizational success. We also encourage people to share their learnings whether it be on Slack or during All-hands or team meetings to create a vibrant culture of learning.

> Identify key learning needs that directly contribute to employee and organizational success, and align training initiatives with overall business goals. > Offer a variety of training formats, such as online courses, workshops, and on-the-job training, to accommodate different learning styles and schedules. > Foster a culture that values lifelong learning by encouraging employees to take ownership of their professional development and providing ongoing support and resources.

Another important segment of L&D will be skill set audit. Where we are as a company in terms of skills needed to perform a task effectively and efficiently. Important details to this will be the employee's skill set. They matched the audited skill set versus the expected skill set for each position. In this way, we can approach and address the skills gap accordingly with training plans and create an organizational plan for development.

Offering a variety of learning options and formats is key. Don't make the mistake of defaulting to an eLearning module for every single learning topic simply because it's the path of least resistance. I'm willing to bet that some of your learning topics can be delivered in a much quicker and more interesting way, like with short-form video, audio and podcasts, blogs, and lists. These are effective and portable options to reach learners, allowing them to access content anytime and anywhere. This flexibility ensures that learning can happen on the go, fitting seamlessly into busy schedules and making it easier for employees to stay engaged and informed.

Make learning social - with Learnerbly for example you're able to integrate your learning requests into Slack which inspires your colleagues to see what you're learning and encourages them to engage too. Make time for learning too - we offer unlimited learning leave so that you do not have to struggle with 'finding time'

Think about how technology augments the learning experience. Is it about providing the right resources in the flow of work? Or perhaps it is embracing new AI coaching tools which enable you to provide coaching at scale as well as provide nudges/feedback based on previous learning the employee has undertaking. Reinforcing the learning and providing the opportunity to apply it at work is important and technology can play a big role in this.

Keep in mind that technology should enhance learning, not the other way around. Try to avoid becoming too fixated on overanalyzing technology and features, as it could impede progress. Instead, look at the goals you set initially -- then use the tools in front of you to create and deliver engaging learning opportunities for your teams.

I agree, there must be a level of evaluation and measurement of L&D programs. Once you can quantify the increase in retention, engagement, and / or decrease in learning gaps; L&D becomes better for the organizations bottom line. Then becoming less likely to be cut from offerings.

Some learning cultures are great at embracing celebration with things like learning levels of achievement, gamified learning, badges, and acknowledgement & reflection. Achievements should always be celebrated! Here are some options that come to mind: virtual recognition parties, "graduation" ceremonies, rewards programs, "wall of fame" for graduates, learning showcases, and video testimonials from learners about how they applied their new skills on the job. Think of past moments when you were celebrated for achieving something big and draw inspiration from that.

To balance the needs of employee learning, consider integrating microlearning modules that fit into busy schedules. Encourage cross-departmental projects to foster diverse skill development. Additionally, leverage technology to offer personalized learning paths that align with individual career goals. Regularly review and update learning programs to ensure they remain relevant and engaging. Lastly, create a supportive environment where continuous learning is celebrated and rewarded.