Driving Transformation: How Social Learning Creates Evergreen Value in the Workforce

Although the theory of social learning was introduced in the 1960s and proven in 1977 , this type of learning dates back to the dawn of man—describing how we as humans learn from the people around us and our environment. It's how from a very young age we learn how to “read the room”, how to treat and interact with others, how to compose ourselves in different settings, etc. This same foundational method of learning transcends throughout our lives and also comes into play in our professional careers.

In this day and age the context of the workplace is changing rapidly, however. A majority of our lives have been routed to a screen, making it so our “surroundings'' and interactions with people look very different—with only so much social context distinguishable from behind a technological partition.?

At the same time, digital transformation has become the new landscape of the business world, challenging us to still engage in meaningful ways despite digital limitations. This is creating a disconnect in more ways than one, but especially between employees and employers—as evident by phenomena like the “great resignation” and the “great transformation” that followed.

Maybe the solution for finding symbiosis in the work world again lies in going back to basics, reminding ourselves of the foundational ways we learn, motivate, and engage.

Social learning initiatives are one way that leaders can help reconnect their employees during this major workforce transformation. Learning that also drives social interaction can help bolster and foster a culture that is people-centric—something that will be make or break in the work world of 2023 and beyond. In fact, according to LinkedIn’s 2023 workplace learning report , 83% of organizations want to build a more people-centric culture, with 81% of them doing so through their learning and development (L&D) departments.?

Let’s take a look at the three key ways that social learning can help leaders drive positive workforce transformation and achieve evergreen value within their employee ecosystems.

Relationships: The Building Blocks of Culture?

According to an article by The Harvard Business Review , the recent wave of employee churn has more to do with relationships—or the absence of them—than with economics. The article found that feeling respected by one's bosses, having kind and trustworthy coworkers, and having a sense of belonging are the main factors that influence an employee's decision to stay in a position.?

No matter the job, no one operates in a vacuum. Every individual niche in a company is connected to an entire ecosystem of people—from close colleagues, to larger teams, to global enterprise frameworks. A worker is impacted by what everyone else in their network is doing to a degree, and social learning is a methodology that plays directly into this hand, helping to create a way for people far and wide to connect in meaningful ways.

“Social learning is a way for organizations to demonstrate commitment to their desired culture, both in how people treat each other and how work gets accomplished, ” says Dr. Megan Leasher , an award-winning industrial and organizational psychologist. “It helps employees understand the dynamics of what makes a workplace successful, meaningful, and productive.”?

By creating a community of observation and discussion, social learning creates a sense of respect, trust, belonging, and camaraderie—all key factors that drive better workplace relationships . Learning together can also help drive team collaboration and engagement, reduce skill gaps within teams, and foster new relationships between employees who may not have connected without this common ground shared.?

“People are much more curious and engaged if it's together with other humans and we often retain knowledge better when we've discussed it, reflected on it, and had a conversation about it as opposed to, say, watching a video on our own,” emphasized Nellie Wartoft, CEO of Tigerhall, a Social Learning Platform. “Knowledge becomes better when you discuss ideas, when you share ideas, and when you add on to one another. This makes social learning that much more powerful because it has higher engagement and retention, and it also helps to increase the quality of the content being shared.”

Companies should strive to support employees in sharing what they know. After all, research has found that this leads to greater creativity, more innovation, and better performance, for individuals, teams, and organizations. Better yet, through a social platform of learning, employees can become active participants in shaping their work environment—something that is extremely important in today’s rapidly changing professional landscape.

Leaders that invest in ways to empower relationship-building in the workplace will ultimately help construct a thriving and formidable culture, something that has been proven to drive better business outcomes , attract and retain employees, and distinguish companies from their competitors .?

How Leading by Example Can Support Authenticity?

A big part of social learning is mirroring actions and behaviors demonstrated by role models—in fact, this was the very premise of the scientist's original experiment. In it, learners watched a role model’s actions with a doll and then were given the opportunity to play with the doll themselves. When learners imitated the behaviors displayed by the role model, it was proven that people learn through observation. In the workplace, when employing L&D initiatives, this same principle applies. This makes it vital that leaders understand the integral part they play in shaping each individual’s success in the workplace.

“Effective social learning in the workplace can help employees observe role models on how work gets done, how to collaborate, how to influence, and how to be a good citizen of the organization,” continued Leasher. “Leaders can leverage these learning trends by participating in their own personal learning and encouraging continuing education and growth for their team members.”

When leaders put their money where their mouth is and participate in learning, they show genuine interest in what's happening within the organization, as well as the people in it. This will inspire employees to model this behavior and get involved with the company outside of their individual roles. When you place learning in a social context, an opportunity is created for employees from all different seniority or tenure levels to have genuine, real-time conversations. These conversations can include interests, passions, motivators, and personal anecdotes that help to provide insight into various authentic experiences in the workplace.?

“Advocate for the right social-learning balance between appropriate organizational behavior and individuals being their authentic selves,” continued Leasher. “There can be a fine line between what is appropriate versus what is authentic. It doesn’t have to be one or the other; companies should encourage individuals to be who they are, own their diverse experiences and expertise, and share their innovative ideas—all the while successfully navigating within the culture of the organization.”

A recent survey found that greater job satisfaction is correlated with those who can be authentic in the workplace, with 71% of employees surveyed feeling more confident, 60% feeling more engaged, and 46% feeling happier. This is especially important in the new era of remote work, as people cannot connect in all of the ways that they are used to. Helping employees understand the value of being themselves at work helps leaders to do a very important job, which is to construct an empowering cultural narrative.

“People want to interact with one another and create value, making it important that we uphold a level of social interaction and humanity in the workplace,” says Wartoft. “For employers, it's very important to remember this because although people want to work on exciting projects and technology, they also want to interact with great human beings and feel valued. Learning from your CEO, peers, and people in different countries is incredibly culture-building for organizations.”

When leaders are themselves and participate in organizational initiatives, they model a “continuous learner” attitude. Embracing challenges, taking risks, and learning from failures, instills a sense of resilience and inspires employees to do the same no matter what the workplace transformation brings.

Cultivating Confidence?

Organizational success is contingent upon people’s success—and so guiding employee experiences from onboard to exit is vital. Confidence plays a crucial role in an employee's journey toward fulfillment in the workplace, with 70% of people attributing part of their career success to self-confidence.?

The modern workplace is currently on shaky ground, and employees are getting inundated with new technologies, evolving roles, and dynamic expectations. Through interactions with peers, mentors, and leaders, employees can gain insights that help to validate their knowledge and develop a sense of competence and confidence in the workplace.

“The best way to scale and increase performance is actually by measuring people's confidence. We've seen that confidence has a higher impact on performance, output, and employee happiness, as opposed to measuring if people have a certain skill or not,” continued Wartoft. “Measuring confidence, and that can be confidence in general or confidence in certain areas, can prove to be a better predictor of success for employees in the workplace.”

Confidence, although sometimes assumed to be a fixed trait, is actually a soft skill that can be molded over time . Better yet, confidence can actually serve as a catalyst for the myriad of other skills that an employee possesses—with studies showing that many foundational workplace skills, including work ethic, are actually driven by confidence.

A platform with both social and developmental context allows individuals to simultaneously connect to a broader support network while also accessing the tools they need to lean into the skills that make them unique contributors to an organization. This sense of purpose in the workplace will be key for the changing landscape of the work world and is also something that pays off in spades. According to McKinsey, a sense of purpose-driven work provided to employees is the leading driver of performance and productivity.

“Everything will be about soft skills moving forward, ‘human’ and ‘humanism’ will be premium. Employers need to be thinking how can I bring out the soft skills, the cognitive abilities, the creativity, the innovation?,” says Wartoft. “What we need to focus on is training people and creating an environment that celebrates learning—encouraging individuals to embrace their strengths and take calculated risks.”

When employees feel that their employers believe in them, 97% report that their confidence is boosted . A social learning platform not only provides a way for leaders to show faith in their people but allows them to empower their workforce to embrace challenges and feel confident in their professional development.

Forging a Future of Fortitude?

Sculpting the future workforce is the responsibility of the highest levels of an organization, and through a channel of social learning, leaders can help foster new relationships, model authenticity, and cultivate confidence within their workplace ecosystem.

Humans will always be a company's greatest asset. By investing in social learning initiatives, organizations can unlock the full potential of their workforce, generate people-centric culture, and create evergreen value for both the business and the individuals that make it possible.

Tigerhall is the pioneer of microlearning strategies to boost your Social Learning programs. If you’re having a difficult time coming up with a simple but engaging system for your fast-growing company, let’s collaborate!?Speak to our team today!