Fostering a Culture of Learning thats Built to Last

Berry Lumpkins, Director - Global Organisation Development at NKT

Berry Lumpkins, Director - Global Organisation Development at NKT

As learning and development leaders, we strive to make an impact. Some of us try calculating this using complicated ROI models and frameworks, which I've seen first-hand blow up in my colleagues' faces over the years. I have a slightly different take in that I strive to create sustainable longevity by making learning part of the culture that isn’t always rooted in ROI calculations.

Even better is to create a movement in our respective organisations that is 'built to last' – something that outlives our tenure in our role and isn't often as easy to measure with dollars and cents. Here are the four best strategies I’ve learned from my career in how to embed a culture of learning that is ‘built to last’.

1. Opportunities to Learn and Grow for All – Start with an assessment of how your people feel about the opportunities available to learn and grow, both formally and informally. You may be able to extract this from your existing engagement survey framework. If there is a broad perception among your people that there aren't sufficient opportunities to learn and grow, that's a challenge to tackle right up front. Celebrate opportunities and success stories as widely as possible to show your company 'means business’ about this topic. Spotlight formal programs internally and externally, celebrate talent moves on your intranet and ensure you take significant actions for key talents. Optimism and pessimism are contagious, so the more you highlight these actions with your people, the more the word will spread.

2. Build Leaders’ Capability to Talk Learning and Development – Every organisation is on a journey on this topic, and it's about understanding the 'as-is and to-be'. We shouldn’t assume our leaders across the company are equipped to proactively speak about the future with their people. Ask yourself, 'What percentage of our leaders can have a meaningful conversation with their team members about the future?’

Build their muscle in this area boosted with tools, resources and ongoing skill-building as part of your strategy – and help them ask great questions. Additionally, it helps them understand the wide spectrum of development opportunities beyond sending someone on a course or program. Think short-term assignments, parental cover, shadowing, and mentoring; there are so many more ways to build capability through experiences rather than formal learning.

3. Tone from the Top – It may seem cliché, but anyone who has been lucky enough to work in an organisation where your C-Suite proactively talks about learning, development and growth knows first-hand what a difference this makes in your culture. When you can get to a place where your most senior leaders ask questions like 'So what did we learn?' about successes and setbacks and play their part in publicly developing themselves and others, it's a very special place to be. I am currently in only the second organisation where I’ve had this luxury, which is incredibly powerful.

If you don't have this kind of culture, challenge yourself to find one key executive you can ask to start thinking this way. When setbacks happen, encourage them to respond with 'So what did we learn?'

4. Latch onto Signature Initiatives – This is a strategy that I have capitalised on many times. All of our businesses have those 1-2 strategic priorities that, if everything else gets deselected, these won't. Find a way to get 'learning' in the mix and make it part of the rollout plan.

For example, if your version of HR transformation includes taking out 30 percent of administrative or transactional activities, how about replacing it with a capability-building toolbox for the respective HR partners? They can reposition their role from order takers to trusted advisors and coaches with the respective leaders they partner with. Or you have a strategy to drive 'One Commercial Organisation' – try to bring in learning as a catalyst to have 'one way of selling'.

Be patient – shaping and re-shaping culture takes time and perseverance. My career journey has taken me to many dynamic and diverse industries and cultures, but ultimately, it's about figuring out your company's context. Take the time it takes to figure out where you've landed and how things work there, and hopefully, these strategies can help you build something that stands the test of time.