How Do You Develop Learning Agility Through Training?

In my last post I had covered why learning agility is the top skill we need right now as individuals, teams, and a business to be able to thrive in a VUCA world.

However, developing learning agility overnight is a tall order. And for teams that are already overwhelmed with staying up to date with technical skills they need for the here and now, it may seem a bit much to expect them to start working on yet another skill, that sounds a bit less tangible than a functional skill. So how do we make it easy for our learners to acquire this skill?

An understanding of the various dimensions to learning agility can help us address the need through training either by sprinkling them throughout the learning experiences we are developing regardless of the format or modality or by designing and developing a series of exclusive Microlearnings around each of these, which can be progressively rolled out throughout the year.

Read this blog to know the 10 popular microlearning platforms for corporate training in 2024

Learning agility is a combination of various agilities/dimensions – People, Results, Mental, and Change. Developing training for different dimensions of learning agility requires a thoughtful, deliberate approach to address each aspect effectively. Here are some practical ways L&D managers can develop training for each dimension:

1. People Agility: self-awareness, ability to learn from experience, demonstrating EI, handling interpersonal relations effectively, and ability to stay calm under pressure.

• Role-playing exercises: Simulate scenarios where employees interact with diverse personalities and practice communication and collaboration. We tend to do this in ILTs, but replicating these scenarios in eLearning can help learners think through various situations in a risk-free environment. Click here to read why scenario-based learning is an ideal fit for sales training.
• Feedback workshops: Conduct sessions where the focus is on effectively giving and receiving feedback, emphasizing empathy and understanding. Again, these can be small nuggets in the flow of work, during regular team meeting.
• Diversity and inclusion training: Provide eLearning modules that raise awareness about biases, cultural differences, and inclusivity in the workplace. Including self-assessment and reflective questions on learners’ own attitudes and behaviors can help them take actionable next steps for improvement.

2. Mental Agility: ability to solve problems through a fresh perspective, ability to understand complex, abstract concepts, ability to cope with ambiguous situations and being able to articulate one’s reasoning with others.?

• Problem-solving simulations: Create real-world scenarios where employees must think critically and solve complex problems under time constraints. These can take the format of standalone gamified quizzes or added into eLearning courses to make them highly interactive and engaging.
• Deep work and stress management workshops: Offer sessions that teach techniques for managing stress, improving focus, and maintaining mental clarity. Short videos, infographics on each of these topics, worksheets for evaluating current and future states can be made available as downloadable resources.
• Brainstorming sessions: Facilitate group sessions that encourage creative thinking, idea generation, and adaptive thinking strategies. For maximum impacts, use them in a flipped classroom format, with the self-study component being made available through eLearning and the face time reserved for ideation and application of skills.

3. Results Agility: ability to produce results under challenging circumstances, ability to drive results in teams, ability to instill a “can-do” attitude in oneself and others

• Project-based learning: Assign projects with clear objectives and timelines, allowing employees to practice setting goals, prioritizing tasks, and delivering results.
• Metrics-driven training: Use data-driven insights to evaluate performance and adjust training approaches to improve outcomes. Data can tell a story that learners will be willing to listen to.
• Performance coaching: Provide personalized coaching to help individuals understand how their actions contribute to organizational goals and how to adjust their work strategies based on feedback.

4. Change Agility: exhibit curiosity, willingness to try new ideas, experimental, adapt readily to change through building the required skills quickly

• Change management workshops: Educate employees on the stages of change, strategies for coping with uncertainty, and embracing innovation. A structured approach towards change management can be very effectively taught through eLearning, especially if you combine it with a case study approach that can be weaved through the entire training, with opportunities for learners to decide how they would respond at different stages of the change management process.
• Scenario planning: Develop training scenarios that simulate various change situations (e.g., mergers, new technologies) and guide participants through adapting their strategies and mindset. This can be integrated into any type of training and is very popular in eLearnings.
• Resilience training: Offer sessions that focus on building resilience, developing a growth mindset, and managing emotional responses to change.

By utilizing a combination of these modalities, L&D managers can effectively enhance employees' learning agility across all dimensions, fostering a more adaptable and responsive workforce.

Before Rolling Out Trainings

Here’s a very simplified self-assessment survey you can roll out to your learners to help them reflect on their capabilities across different dimensions of learning agility. Doing this will encourage them to see where they stand, provide the emotional connect and motivation to start investing in developing this ability:

People Agility

1. I am aware of my strengths and weaknesses.
2. I actively seek feedback and use it to improve my performance.
3. I treat others with respect and consideration, even under pressure.
4. I remain calm and composed during times of change and uncertainty.
5. I learn from my experiences and apply those lessons to future situations.

Results Agility

1. I achieve my goals even when faced with challenging circumstances.
2. I motivate and inspire my team to exceed their usual performance levels.
3. I am confident in my abilities and help build confidence in others.
4. I maintain a high level of performance and productivity under pressure.
5. I effectively prioritize tasks to achieve the best results.

Mental Agility

1. I approach problems with an open mind and consider multiple solutions.
2. I am comfortable working in complex and ambiguous situations.
3. I can explain my thought process and reasoning clearly to others.
4. I enjoy tackling new challenges that require innovative thinking.
5. I can adapt my thinking to different contexts and perspectives.

Change Agility

1. I am curious and eager to learn new things.
2. I actively seek out new ideas and ways of doing things.
3. I enjoy experimenting with new approaches and learning from the outcomes.
4. I regularly engage in activities to build and enhance my skills.
5. I am enthusiastic about change and see it as an opportunity for growth.

Looking at the various dimensions will help you to decide on how you can foster this skill in your workforce through formal training.

Embrace innovation in eLearning assessment design and implementation to inspire real change - Click here to read more

How would you rate yourself on learning agility? How would you rate your teams? In what ways are you addressing the need for developing learning agility through training? Share your comments!

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