From Stagnant Pools to Flowing Rivers: Rethinking Learning in a Dynamic World

This series is all about discovering a way to say goodbye to one-size-fits-all training by creating opportunities within teams and organisations to learn in the flow of work. Ian Perry asked me a great question after the first part of the Flow Dynamic series, which was:

"I wonder what role the line manager plays in this and how much they are the suppliers of skills, knowledge and behaviours and that they provide huge agile potential? How much of the reservoir and traditional approach is because the line manager has delegated (abdicated) development to HR and L&D?"

I have written this part as a way of suggesting how influential a learning leader can be in building that learning aqueduct.

Today's work environment demands that the line manager becomes the catalyst for growth, transforming teams into agile, collaborative, and self-driven learning communities. Let's delve into how their active involvement, driven by psychological safety, sparks resilience, innovation, and ownership—creating thriving, dynamic teams.

From Skill Suppliers to Knowledge Champions: Line managers are evolving, adding a new factor to their role, becoming vital skill suppliers. In doing so they identify team needs and actively seek diverse learning avenues to fill gaps, ensuring the team stays nimble and ready for any challenge.

?Examples:

• A line manager notices a surge in demand for data analytics skills. Instead of waiting, they organise a workshop with an organisation's own expert to upskill the team in data analytics, enhancing their capabilities. You could utilise Microsoft Power BI for hands-on data analytics workshops, and look at accessing the free resources at Microsoft Learn.
• Recognising a need for effective communication, a line manager sources online courses and interactive workshops, fostering better collaboration and communication skills within the team. Tools such as LinkedIn for Learning could be used for curated online courses and interactive workshops.

Knowledge Flows Free: Line managers act as knowledge conduits, guiding best practices, industry insights, and relevant information directly to their teams, fostering a continuous learning culture.

?Examples:?

• In a rapidly changing market, a line manager shares real-time market trends and competitor strategies with the team, keeping everyone informed and adaptable. You could use your existing tools such as Slack channels or Microsoft Teams for real-time communication and updates. Pooling mutually interested parties into communities of interest.
• Instead of waiting for official updates, a line manager curates a weekly digest of relevant articles, podcasts, and webinars, ensuring the team stays ahead in their industry. This is something that a line manager alone should own, this should be something that is encouraged by the whole team. Tools that could be used here include Notion or Trello for creating and sharing collaborative knowledge boards (anyone who knows me, knows that I am obsessed with Trello .

Shaping Culture, Shaping Minds: Active participation in learning and development by line managers cultivates a culture of adaptability, innovation, and social connection, creating a dynamic environment aligned with company goals.

?Examples:

• ?A line manager encourages team members to share their learning experiences and insights during regular team meetings, and cross-functional lightning talk learning lunches fostering a culture of open communication and collaboration. When working at NHS Supply Chain we utilised Microsoft Teams for virtual lightning talk learning lunches where colleagues were able to share their expertise in things such as storytelling for impact, creating SMART objectives, and even using X and Y lookups in Excel. These sessions were recorded and clipped into microlearning that was then hosted on the LMS so people could go back and experience them repeatedly.
• By participating in cross-functional learning initiatives, a line manager breaks down silos, creating a culture where knowledge-sharing is valued and embraced by all team members. This could be something simple as creating a lending library of books, articles, and resources relevant to various departments for employees to explore or organising Internal Networking Events like learning lunches, coffee chats, or team-building activities to encourage informal knowledge-sharing. Online tools such as Microsoft Teams, Slack, or Discord offer real-time communication, file sharing, and collaboration spaces. and Asana or Trello are useful for project management and tracking tasks across teams. You could also look at Knowledge Sharing Platforms like Confluence or Notion which are great for creating and sharing documentation, wikis, and collaborative workspaces.

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Unlocking Agility: Engaged line managers turn teams into Agile ninjas, instantly identifying skill gaps, addressing learning needs, and adapting strategies on the fly.

?Examples:

• When a new project requires a unique skill set, a line manager organises a quick, targeted training session to ensure the team is well-equipped to meet the project's demands. Again, utilising Teams or Zoom would help with distanced / hybrid teams and recordings can be consumed later to support the adoption of knowledge and skills.
• Recognising the need for improved project management skills, a line manager initiates a series of workshops and collaborative exercises, enhancing the team's ability to navigate complex work environments.

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Beware the Delegation Trap: Collaboration between line managers, HR, and L&D is essential to avoid the reservoir trap of one-size-fits-all learning initiatives.

?Examples:

• Rather than delegating all learning responsibilities to L&D, a line manager collaborates with the team and L&D to tailor training programs to specific team needs, ensuring relevance and engagement.
• Recognising the importance of personalised development plans, a line manager works closely with L&D and HR to implement individualised learning paths for each team member, promoting continuous growth. Tools such as 15Five are amazing at doing this.

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Building and being the Learning Aqueduct: Line managers evolve from static reservoirs to dynamic architects of learning aqueducts, creating shared, participatory learning environments for everyone.

?Examples:

• Instead of relying solely on traditional training methods, a line manager introduces a mentorship program, where team members learn from each other's experiences and expertise.
• Embracing the power of technology, a line manager incorporates virtual collaboration tools, turning learning into a collaborative and interactive experience for the entire team.

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Cultivating a Safe Space: Psychological safety, nurtured by line managers, creates environments where open communication, idea-sharing, and collaboration thrive.

Examples:

• During team meetings, a line manager actively encourages diverse opinions and perspectives, creating an inclusive atmosphere where everyone feels comfortable expressing their ideas. Mentimeter, Slido or even polls and emojis in Zoom and Teams can be used for interactive and inclusive virtual meetings, running an in person activity such as dot voting and affinity walls helps to support capturing different opinions and perspectives.
• To foster a sense of trust, a line manager can share their own challenges and mistakes (I mean, everyone makes them!), creating a culture where mistakes are seen as opportunities for growth and learning, this can be continued in project retrospectives and when things have gone well as utilising Virtual Shoutouts by using tools such as Slack or Microsoft Teams you can create dedicated channels for celebrating achievements. Team members can post shoutouts and congratulate each other in real-time. You could record short video messages expressing gratitude and recognition a platform like Loom is super easy to use for this. For in-person activities how about the trusty Bulletin Board or Recognition Wall where achievements, milestones, and shout-outs are displayed for everyone to see, or even the classic ( and underused) handwritten notes or cards to express appreciation and add a personal touch.

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Ownership Drives Empowerment: Active line managers, combined with psychological safety, empower team members to take ownership of their learning journey, fostering a collaborative culture.

?Examples:

• A line manager encourages team members to set their own learning goals and regularly checks in to provide support and resources, promoting a sense of individual accountability.
• By recognising and celebrating individual and team achievements, a line manager reinforces a culture where everyone feels personally invested in the success of the team.

Coaching empowers team members and engages them in their development journey. The personalised guidance provided by line managers as coaches instils a sense of ownership and accountability for learning outcomes, fostering a culture where every team member actively contributes to the success of the team.

?The transformative role of line managers is further amplified when coaching is seamlessly integrated into the learning process. Their active participation in skill supply, knowledge facilitation, and behavioural shaping, combined with coaching, significantly contributes to the agile potential of teams. Embracing the aqueduct model with line managers as skilled coaches leads to a culture of continuous learning, adaptability, and individual empowerment—essential elements for success in the dynamic landscape of the modern workplace. If you're interested in learning more about creating a coaching culture in your organisation, I'd recommend checking out the work that the team at Coaching Culture Ltd. do.

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Line managers, as learning leaders, hold the key to unlocking the next level of team learning. Their dynamic participation, combined with a commitment to psychological safety, drives agility, aligns learning with business goals, and fuels a cultural evolution where teams thrive as self-driven contributors in an environment of continuous learning and innovation. It’s time to bid farewell to stagnant learning reservoirs! Welcome to the dynamic, empowering world of learning aqueducts, where teams, managers and L&D work together to build the future.