Taking a learning approach to management

Managers play a crucial role in creating a space for ongoing change in performance or performance potential. Performance shift can only result from experiences and interactions with new or different ideas, which is how some define learning.

Some would argue that learning does not happen if permanent change does not occur, but rather it is merely observing information with no intention of doing anything with it. Learning in the workplace is no different to learning in any other learning environment. One of the primary roles of universities and alike is to equip graduates to obtain viable employment. The workplace learning role extends that notion by keeping knowledge current and adapting to never-ending changes and intensified developments in all areas. Hence, creating conditions that lead to learning is one of the critical components of people managers.

Fostering the learning environment is closely aligned with an increased need for private and public sectors to adapt to change. Pressure on business to reduce costs, maximise profits and provide more value for money transfers onto employees who are expected to adapt, acquire new knowledge and skills and remain flexible. The idea that people have a job for life and a career managed by their employer is fading quickly. Although people need to be responsible for managing their career a continuously learning new skills, they hardly can do it without support from their managers. Supporting people in managing their learning to maximise their potential to develop new or enhance existing skills will benefit managers around improved performance and engagement.

Learning in organisations is a two-way street. You invest in people so they can participate and contribute more. Organisations with a learning culture have increased focus on learning and development, encourage managers to become coaches and are more intentional when identifying skills needed for employees.

We hear so often that one style does not fit all. Yet, there is a disconnect between theory and practice. Applying theory to practice does not need to be complicated. For example, one can simply leverage the Honey and Mumford learning styles to understand how our co-workers learn and make the learning process more impactful. The theory specifies that individuals’ orientations to learning are expressed in four learning styles - activist, reflections, theorist and pragmatists - and each of us will prefer to learn to use one or two of these different learning styles. Instead of asking people directly how they learn, determining one's learning preferences could start with the learning style questionnaire, such as Mint Human Resources. The Honey and Mumford learning style is underpinned by constructivist learning theory, which proposes that an individual builds knowledge over time, adding new information to the existing knowledge. Therefore, delivering the same information or learning to a team is most likely to be understood or utilised differently by each team member. It is like a new modular that needs to fit into an existing modular structure, but each person already has a unique structure, and they will fit further information (modular) where and how they find it the most appropriate.

Honey and Mumford's learning styles can explant how an individual conceptualises new information. Whereas Fleming and Mills’ VARK sensory model - Visual, Aural, Read/Write, and Kinesthetic - can be put to good use when thinking about delivering learning information that makes sense to co-workers that suit their unique way of learning.

Although everyone may have preferences, they can still learn in multiple ways. It may happen that you won’t absorb the material better, but it can make more sense, be more enjoyable, and the information can stick for longer.

Learning often fits within HR as one of the side functions, focused on when everything else was attended to. Regardless of its position within an organisation, managers have a duty to create space for their team members to gain new or enhance existing skills, so underperformance discussions rarely happen. To do that, they can follow four steps:

1. Identify individual learning styles, not just for the organisational purpose but to also help you as a manager relate information in a more impactful manner and for the employee to understand themselves better and enjoy learning.
2. Apply a coaching approach to help employees develop their own personal development plans.
3. Make personal development a regular segment in one-on-one discussions to check on progress and support required.
4. Review the personal development plan periodically and celebrate achievements.

References:

Honey, P., & Mumford, A. (1992). The manual of learning styles (3rd ed.). Berkshire: Peter Honey Publications.

Fleming, N. D., & Mills, C. (1992).?Helping students understand how they learn.?The Teaching Professor, 7(4).?Madison, Wisconsin, USA:?Magma Publications.

Learning Theories. (2022, February 1). Constructivism. https://www.learning-theories.com/constructivism.html??