We've all been stressed at work before and know it has the potential to derail productivity and reduce happiness in the workplace. 

In episode 35 of the Go1 podcast,  Peter Horwing, CEO of Chart Learning Solutions, joins our host Craig Hamill as they attempt to answer some of the biggest questions about stress at work. What are the different types of stress we experience? How can workplace leaders play a role in reducing stress? And how does time management contribute to managing stress in the workplace?

Here are some of the key takeaways from the conversation. 

Identifying the type of stress someone is experiencing can be a helpful first step in effectively combating that stress. 

Here, Peter Horwing identifies the three primary types of stress: mental stress, chemical stress, and structural stress. He continues by explaining how by understanding and identifying the types of stress, it becomes much easier to identify solutions to that stress, while also increasing resiliency.

Types of stress

One of the major parts of being a leader in the workplace is working to maximise happiness for employees. 

In this section of the podcast, Peter explains that a major component of this is demonstrating understanding and empathy towards employees who may be experiencing stress - even if that stress may not have originated at work. 

Peter also explains that leaders should not be afraid to ask their team members for feedback on their performance as a leader. And that doing so can reduce stress both on the team members, as well as the leader themselves.

Minimising stress as a leader

It's no secret that having effective time management can be a significant factor in reducing stress in the workplace. 

However, time management is not a skill that comes naturally to everyone and can be extremely valuable for leaders to include as part of learning and development in the workplace. 

During this part of the podcast, Peter tells the story of an employee who applied the skills she learned during a time management course to her home life, as well as her workplace, and went on to describe what she learned as 'life changing.' 

Time management and stress

Peter continues by explaining the interrelation of stress management and time management - you can listen to the full podcast and conversation here.

Want to hear more? Browse the full Learning with Go1 podcast library on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Spotify to help expand your knowledge of all things L&D. And hear how other organisations are navigating through this ever-evolving landscape.

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We've all been stressed at work before and know it has the potential to derail productivity and reduce happiness in the workplace. Episode 35 of the Go1 podcast tackles the questions: how can we recognise when ourselves or coworkers are becoming stressed? And what can we do to combat it?

Stress Awareness and Management: The Importance and Strategies to Combat

How can workplace leaders play a role in reducing stress?

Employee training is beneficial for companies of all sizes, but to what extent? According to the Association for Talent Development (ATD), companies that offer extensive training programs have 218% higher income per employee than companies without any formal training. Not only that, a strong training and development program can increase employee retention rates and encourage innovative thinking.

With this in mind, we’ve surveyed employees in the UK to find out exactly how they like to learn to provide HR professionals with true insight into how they can adapt their training programs to fit the needs of their employees.  

From Gen Z to Baby Boomers, people of all ages want to learn

Our survey found that people of all ages want to learn. In fact, nearly 4 in 5 (78%) employees are happy to learn new skills whenever they can during the working day. A further 59% are willing to learn outside of work hours to improve their job performance. Although people shouldn’t have to use their spare time to learn, it goes to show how important learning and training opportunities are to employees. 

More than 3 in 4 (76%) employees agree that learning during working hours is key to developing their growth and skills, but how do people’s approaches to learning differ with age? 

Our survey found that 65% of employees feel empowered in their role when offered training opportunities. HR and L&D professionals both play a key role in establishing a supportive, empowered environment and should provide employees with the tools, training, and authority they need to excel. See how this feeling of empowerment compares across generations below.  

But, not everyone has been given the right training to perform to their potential

Most employees like to feel a sense of pride in their work, do their jobs well, and advance within the company. Without training, it's harder for employees to do this, which may lead to them feeling undervalued and unable to achieve their goals. This can result in a higher employee turnover, as our findings suggest, with nearly 2 in 5 (39%) having left a job because not enough training opportunities were provided.

According to our survey, 38% of employees have not received regular training or development opportunities from their employer and 39% don’t think their performance reviews are effective in helping their development.

The younger generations are leaving their jobs due to a lack of training

Our survey findings show that people want to learn, but they will leave their job if they aren’t getting enough support. This is more apparent in younger employees, with 3 in 5 (60%) of 16-24-year-olds admitting they have left a job due to limited growth opportunities. 

Here’s how employers can improve their approach to training and development

Instead of a one-size-fits-all approach, HR professionals and L&D managers should look into personalising training so it’s tailored to each employee’s personal needs and goals. 

Our survey found that more than 2 in 5 (42%) of 25-34-year-olds think employers should hold regular one-to-one sessions with each team member to review development, and 37% of employees aged between 35-44 believe employers should provide more time and budget to help them develop their skills. 

It's clear from our findings that adults of all ages are eager to learn. And the UK has a workforce that is willing and ready to improve its skills. It’s vital that HR leaders, as well as their employers, adapt their training methods and solutions to best empower their workforce, making skill development more effective and attainable for their employees. It's also now down to employers to take active responsibility in ensuring they retain staff. After all, employees are a company’s biggest asset, and investing in talent is essential to business growth and success. 

Keen to elevate your workplace's learning culture? Download our Cultivating Learning eBook developed in partnership with the Emerging Stronger team, thought leaders in the L&D space. You can also book a demo with a Go1 team member to look into how we can adapt to and answer your organization's unique learning needs. 

Survey data was conducted by Censuswide on behalf of Go1. 2,057 workers (18+) were surveyed between 10.05.22 - 13.05.22. Censuswide abides by and employs members of the Market Research Society which are based on the ESOMAR principles.

We've pulled together key learning and development statistics along with tips you can use to help engagement, and motivate your employees to learn new skills

How employees like to learn

We've pulled together key learning and development statistics along with tips you can use to help engagement, and motivate your employees to learn new skills.

Are you a visual learner or an aural learner? Perhaps, you learn best by doing. Well, according to several studies, the answer may be ‘none of the above’. This revelation may surprise those who grew up believing they had a particular learning style. However, the science is unequivocal. 

As we discussed in our previous article, an overwhelming body of evidence from leading neuroscientists and education professionals proves that learning styles are a myth. Still, not everyone is convinced. After publishing our article, we put the question out to you in a poll on LinkedIn, with a resounding 76% of respondents saying that learning styles are valid, compared to just 24% who believe they are a myth.

So, we’ve decided to delve deeper into the topic by posing the question: if not learning styles, then what? What should L&D teams be using instead of learning styles? With this in mind, we’ll analyse four alternatives to learning styles, including task-based design, multiple intelligences theory, learning techniques, and switching between learning styles. 

Before we get started, check out the first article in this series on whether learning styles are a myth or valid for a quick refresher.

Firstly, it’s worth pointing out that there are as many different learning theories as stars in the sky. Accordingly, this is not an exhaustive list, but rather, four alternatives to learning styles that we believe stand out. 

For more insights on other alternatives to learning styles, see our articles on sticky learning, learning in the flow, productivity hacks, and how technology has changed the way we learn. 

Task-based design is one of the best alternatives to learning styles for L&D teams. To explain why task-based design is more effective than learning styles, take the example of a driver’s education class where students learn how to parallel park. 

Typically, this class would involve a kinesthetic element (practising parallel parking) along with visual and aural instructions, such as explanations, diagrams, videos, lectures, and more. Tasks such as these, which involve multiple steps and encompass several learning styles, are where prescriptive learning styles are insufficient. 

As Training Industry explains: “no competent teacher would say to a ‘visual learner’ that all they have to do in order to succeed at parallel parking is to watch an expert performance of the task and they are good to go.” Likewise, you wouldn’t assume that verbal instructions are sufficient for ‘aural learners’ to parallel park competently.

Enter, task-based design. Put simply, task-based design means evaluating the task or skill you want learners to acquire and training them in a manner that mimics performing that task. Ask yourself, “what do I want learners to do at the end of this training that they aren’t doing now?” 

Effectively implemented task-based design combines three vital areas of learning: knowledge, skills, and attitudes (KSAs). To successfully implement task-based design in your training, start by asking the following questions:

What must learners know or understand to complete this task? (Knowledge)

What must learners do to complete this task? (Skill)

What must learners feel or believe to complete this task? (Attitude)

Training Industry offers a helpful step-by-step guide to implementing task-based design, saying, “we should be guided not by the myth of learning styles, but by the reality of how the task will be performed in the live environment. Our goal as designers is to create meaningful practice that closely simulates the live performance of the task as much as possible. If the task is complex, we break the learning into progressive steps that allow learners to acquire the skills gradually until they can complete the whole task.” 

First outlined by Harvard psychologist Dr Howard Gardner in 1983, multiple intelligences theory is another fantastic alternative to learning styles. Gardner’s theory identifies eight distinct types of human intelligence: visual-spatial, linguistic-verbal, interpersonal, intrapersonal, musical, logical-mathematical, naturalistic, and bodily-kinesthetic.

As Very Well Mind explains, Gardner's theory better captures the full spectrum of talents, knowledge, and abilities that people possess. They elaborate, adding, “Gardner theorises that people do not have just an intellectual capacity, but have many kinds of intelligence…while a person might be particularly strong in a specific area…he or she most likely possesses a range of abilities.”

Accordingly, multiple intelligences theory offers a more holistic, nuanced, and multifaceted view of human intelligence than learning styles. Whereas learning styles posit that we have one ‘ideal’ way of learning, multiple intelligences theory suggests that learners have different types of intelligence that they can call on to complete distinct tasks. Or, as The Edvocate puts it: “learners have more than one dimension of intelligence that is best measured within real-world contexts.”

Thus, while learning styles are prescriptive (i.e. everyone has one specific way that they learn best), many researchers believe that multiple intelligences theory better accounts for the varied, non-linear way that humans actually learn. 

Gardner has emphasised that multiple intelligences theory should not be confused with learning styles. As such, while these theories may seem similar at face value, crucial distinctions between learning styles and multiple intelligences theory include: 

Unlike learning styles, where everyone is a specific type of learner, multiple intelligences theory suggests that everyone possesses some degree of each type of intelligence.

Almost everyone can develop competency in each type of intelligence.

The intelligence types are intertwined in complex ways, whereas each learning style is supposedly distinct.

There are multiple ways to demonstrate each type of intelligence. 

Finally, Gardner has outlined several evidence-based dos and don’ts for incorporating multiple intelligences theory into the classroom or office.

According to Gardner, you should give learners multiple ways to access information, individualise lessons, and incorporate the arts into your lessons. On the other hand, he advises against labelling students with a particular type of intelligence, conflating multiple intelligences theory with learning styles, and trying to match a lesson to a student’s perceived learning style. 

As Gardner says: “This notion [learning styles] is incoherent…drop the term styles. It will confuse others, and it won't help either you or your students…When one has a thorough understanding of a topic, one can typically think of it in several ways.” 

While learning styles have been debunked, the general idea of visual, aural, and kinesthetic learning still has merit when applied in a less prescriptive manner. As such, it's worth reframing learning styles as ‘learning techniques.’

Much of the criticism of learning styles centres around them being too prescriptive. For instance, ‘I’m a visual learner and can only learn with visual stimulus.’ Learning techniques redress this issue, offering far more flexibility than learning styles. 

Ransom Patterson explains in a recent article that “while ‘learning styles’ sounds like something that you either have or don’t, learning techniques are much more like a box of tools that you can draw from (and combine) to fit the particular learning challenge.” Examples of learning techniques include reading, writing, observing, doing, listening, and more. 

Effectively, while learning styles posits that you have one set, unchangeable learning style, learning techniques help learners build a variety of different strategies that they can apply to suit any unique situation. 

Or, as a recent study published by Educational Psychologist puts it: “a learning style that might be desirable in one situation might be undesirable in another situation due to the multifaceted nature of complex skills.”

Therefore, we should encourage learners to explore multiple learning styles and techniques, keeping each option in their back pocket to deploy when the situation calls for it. 

Finally, a study by Daniel Willingham takes the idea of learning techniques a step further, arguing that people should switch between learning styles freely rather than following one rigidly prescribed learning style. 

In fact, researchers concluded that “the ‘style’ part of learning styles is best leveraged as a tool, not an inherent ability. Optimal learning occurs when we use visual, verbal, auditory, or kinesthetic learning as a complement to the task at hand.” 

As part of the study, Willingham asked participants to navigate a virtual city. Initially, people who self-identified as verbal learners had better memory for landmarks, whereas those who self-identified as visual learners were better at judging the relative directions of city features. So far, so good. 

Following this, Willingham instructed participants to use their non-dominant learning style to complete the task (i.e. visual learners approached the task with a verbal learning style, and vice versa). The results were insightful, with participants performing far better when they switched to an alternate learning style. Willingham explains that “thinking verbally helped with landmarks, and thinking visually helped with direction.” 

In other words, so-called visual learners were far better at identifying directions when they thought verbally, and so-called verbal learners were far better at identifying landmarks when they thought visually. 

Willingham adds: “even if you’re a verbaliser, if you’re trying to remember sentences, it doesn’t make sense for me to tell you to verbalise (for example, by repeating sentences to yourself) because visualising (for example, by creating a visual mental image) will make the task that much easier. Making the task more difficult is not a good strategy for motivation.”

Therefore, sticking rigidly to one learning style may disadvantage learners, making some tasks more challenging than they need to be. The ‘correct’ learning style depends not on the learner, as previously suggested, but on the task. For example, learning to drive may require a kinesthetic learning style, while memorising a list of words may require a visual learning style. This flexibility is key to getting the most out of learning styles. 

Given this, we should not pigeonhole learners into using only one specific learning style. Instead, they should be encouraged to switch between various learning styles, matching them freely to suit the task at hand.

For more insights, be sure to subscribe to the Go1 newsletter to stay on top of all the latest L&D trends. Or, you can book a demo today to find out how Go1 can help with your team’s learning needs.

We’ll analyse four alternatives to learning styles, including task-based design, multiple intelligences theory, learning techniques, and switching between learning styles. 

What should L&D teams be using instead of learning styles?

An employee may have the exact skills, knowledge, and experience your organization needs. They may be smart, hard-working, and enthusiastic in their role. They’re all great traits to have, however, each can be severely impacted if the employee lacks one other crucial skill: time management.

The importance of time management cannot be understated. An employee may deliver great work, but if they’re constantly missing deadlines it’s going to have a major effect on your business and the relationship with your clients and customers.

What is time management and why is it important?

The concept sounds simple, but what is the definition of time management? It’s organizing time by thoroughly planning workloads so employees can ensure they meet deadlines. Time management isn’t about working harder, it’s about being smarter so employees don’t overwhelm themselves and put themselves under unnecessary pressure.

By managing their time well employees will meet deadlines, improve their efficiency, be more productive, and deliver better work. They’ll also have a greater level of job satisfaction because they’ll feel less stressed, which will aid them with career progression and ultimately lower your business’s staff turnover.

What are some of the benefits of good time management?

We briefly covered some of the benefits of time management skills above, but there are so many more benefits, both to the employee and your business.

Poor time management leads to employees feeling overwhelmed, whereas those with strong time management will have improved efficiency, which in turn leads to better performance. 

This is the most obvious benefit of effective time management, but it’s also one of—if not the—most important. Time management helps employees meet deadlines, which is critical when it comes to meeting client expectations.

When employees experience stress and anxiety, not only do they miss deadlines and deliver poor quality work, but it also impacts their health. As an employer, you have a responsibility to ensure the mental health of your employees is an important consideration. Employees who experience stress are more likely to take sick days and find alternate employment.

With good time management employees have the time they need to deliver work that isn’t just on time, but also of a higher quality.

When employees are on top of their workload it gives them a boost in confidence and allows them to trust their own abilities. This in turn also helps to reduce stress and anxiety due to the body producing dopamine.

When employees know how to prioritize it reduces procrastination and encourages an “eat the frog” mentality. This reduces downtime and helps get things done.

A good work-life balance not only benefits the employee, but when an employee feels rested and has the opportunity to recharge they’re in the best position possible to deliver their best work.

When employees have time to focus and work thoroughly it prevents the need for them to make decisions under pressure. Instead, they can make informed decisions based on all the knowledge they need to make the best call.

What techniques can you use to improve your time management?

Time management isn’t necessarily a skill that comes naturally to employees. However, it is something that can be taught, so employees can learn new organizational skills that can be effectively put into practice in the workplace. For example, time management courses provided by Go1 teach a range of techniques, including:

Making a list of your tasks helps you to visualize what you need to do. It can also help to make separate lists - one which only focuses on today. That way, employees will see a much shorter task list and are less likely to feel overwhelmed.

Prioritize tasks in order of importance and length. Ensure important tasks are done early and try to get unpleasant tasks finished rather than put them off.

Managers should ensure they’re being a leader rather than a boss, but managers should also effectively delegate tasks. By taking on too much responsibility managers face being snowed under, and should ensure they don’t play the role of martyr unnecessarily.

There are plenty of time tracking and task management tools available which means you can use technology to help. Time tracking software allows you to see how long it takes to complete certain tasks, which can help with future planning.

Organize your workspace, put your phone in your drawer and close all social media tabs. Distractions can have a huge negative impact on productivity.

Working on multiple tasks at the same time can lead to mistakes, miscommunication, and the feeling of being swamped. Sometimes it’s unavoidable, but where possible make sure a task is finished before moving on to the next.

Taking time away from a screen is important because it allows for a moment to rest and recharge. Taking a break and coming back to work can also offer a new perspective on something, which can improve productivity.

The above are just some of the techniques employees can use to utilize time better. For more information check out our blog on how to improve time management skills.

What tools can I use to help with time management?

We mentioned above that using technology to help schedule and track time is useful, but exactly what time management tools for work are most effective?

Improve the time management of your teams today

Time management is a critical skill to ensure your business delivers quality results on time, every time.

Go1 offers a range of effective and affordable time management courses, including:

For more information on Go1 and how we can help your team with time management and other important skills, book a demo with a member of our team today.

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Employees who manage their time well are more productive, more efficient, and more likely to meet deadlines. Learn why from the experts at Go1.

The importance of time management in the workplace | Go1

Time management isn’t about working harder, it’s about being smarter so employees don’t overwhelm themselves and put themselves under unnecessary pressure. By managing their time well employees will meet deadlines, improve their efficiency, be more productive, and deliver better work. 

The importance of time management in the workplace

Written by guest blogger Shannon Tipton. Chief Learning Officer of Learning Rebels LLC and co-founder of Emerging Stronger, Shannon's mission is to modernize, upgrade and reimagine workplace learning problems. She believes that by making complex training more interesting, engaging and impactful, training is transformed from being just another organizational event to becoming part of real business solutions. 

Often when preparing to work on a project, we use the term: “right tool for the job”. But what does “right tool for the job” really mean? If you think carefully, this saying can take on a life of its own:

Using a handy tool for a purpose for which it was never intended: Using a knife to dig a hole

Using the right tool, but using it incorrectly: Using a watering can to water the grass in your front yard

Using an incorrect tool but modifying that tool to try and imitate the performance of the correct item: Sharpening a shovel to try to cut down a tree as if it were an axe.

While using tools in this way may be clever or industrious, they are not really the “right tool for the job”. As the saying goes, when you have a hammer, everything looks like a nail. So what does it really mean when we talk about “right” tools to help us get a job done? 

Just as we wouldn’t use a shovel to cut down a tree, it’s important to understand how certain tools are used to best see results. 

Recently, Emerging Stronger team have created a series of tools to help you shape the ground for your learning and development (L&D) efforts: 

Needs Analysis Tool: To ensure you are planting L&D efforts in the right place

Curation Decision Tool: That you are planting the correct plants in the right place

Communication Plan Launch Tool: Making sure people know what we’ve planted and our plan for the harvest

The Power Hour Tool: To share with the family how to maintain the garden

Improve Impact Tool: To determine if this garden is worth planting again next season.

What is remaining is the tool to help keep your community garden growing strong. When thinking about how to best support learning in the workplace, many times L&D takes the burden of tending the fields and forgetting there is a community of people who can work alongside you to keep learning momentum. 

Cultivating learning in workplace communities tool

It's no secret that workplace communities, when appropriately planned and nurtured, can create an environment for people to grow and develop as they work. Together sharing and learning to support performance and growth. 

Just as a successful gardener applies findings from the natural science of botany, taking an approach informed by learning science will help learning in a community to grow and thrive.

Is this the right tool and is this the right time? 

Are you just starting up your community, perhaps just beginning with a small plot of land and are looking for guidance as to what to grow and how? Have you started up your community of learners, and now need to keep it growing strong? Are you starting over because your community dried up? Are you looking to plant new seeds to add depth to your learning initiatives – then yes. Use this tool to cultivate learning, and:

strengthen workplace practices or performance

The purpose of this tool is to help create deliberate action to cultivate learning in workplace communities. As in most cases, one cannot simply drop seeds on hard ground and watch it grow into a delightful tomato patch. There are steps that need to be taken if you truly want to harvest the riches. With this in mind, the tool has been broken into six parts.

As with all things L&D related, “knowing the why” is not to be underestimated. If you are planning a butterfly garden, then planting a pine tree may not be helpful. 

What is your work-related purpose for this community?  Encourage people to take responsibility for their own continuous learning? Support people to learn from their work and each other? Improve performance through practice, reflection and collaboration? Or, perhaps build and sustain motivation through connection, accountability and progress. Knowing the endgame for the community allows you to start smarter.

Part one of this tool will help you determine the driving purpose of your community.

Part of preparing to grow a garden is understanding and improving the growing conditions. The best tomato garden requires sun and rich soil. If what you have is hard clay and shade, and you are determined to grow tomatoes – then you must be prepared to do the hard work of amending the soil or your garden simply will not grow. 

Part two of this tool will help you to ensure you have the right environment for your community to thrive.

Sowing simply means scattering seeds where they have the best chance to germinate.  The sowing process in learning communities is the same. Throwing dirt on the ground and walking away hoping tomatoes will grow will lead to heartbreak. Seeding your community with relevant content, questions and activities will cause strong plants that support knowledge to grow. 

Part three of this tool will show the many different formats and styles of “sowing” activities that can help learning grow.

Every garden needs regular maintenance, or it turns into a weed bed, dries up or becomes infested with pests. Knowing how to water, fertilise, weed and prune the garden is key for it to thrive. This same principles is applied with workplace communities. Leaving the community unattended and uncared for, will lead to negative results.

Part four of this tool will help to identify actions that can be taken to maintain healthy growing conditions to support learning in the community.

The ground has been prepared, seeds have been sowed and the garden has been cared for and nurtured. The garden has thrived and produced results. Now it’s time to gather and use the fruits of your careful labouring. What to do with 10 pounds of tomatoes? You’ve gone through all the labour it wouldn’t be right to let it all die on the vine. 

Part five of this tool will help you to gather and use the knowledge and information harvested in the community. 

Every good gardener keeps a garden journal. A journal gives a written record of the garden layouts, plant successes and failures. Allowing you to take note of plants and soil conditions so success can be repeated, and failures adjusted. This allows for proper planning. Good gardening techniques tell us to vary our approach, planting bulbs in the fall for spring or planting delicate herbs after the last frost. Keeping a calendar and planner will allow you to map how you will proceed.

Part 6 of this tool will allow you to plan your garden as it moves forward. Once you have planned how to prepare, sow, nurture and harvest – moving your plan to action becomes critical. 

Download the Cultivating Learning in Workplace Communities tool now. 

As the nursery rhyme goes: “Mary, Mary, quite contrary, how does your garden grow? With silver bells, and cockle shells, and so my garden grows.” And if you really want to know how to grow your garden, click here to download this step-by-step guide from Emerging Stronger developed for our publishing partner Go1.

This article is Part 3, the final in a series of blogs written by the Emerging Stronger team, each exploring the theme of workplace communities. Be sure to take a look at the other articles in the series, including:

Part 1: Cultivating learning in workplace communities by Laura Overton

Part 2: Applying learning science to workplace communities by Michelle Ockers

Want a step-by-step guide to cultivating learning in workplace communities? Download our latest toolkit from Emerging Stronger for insights on:

Sowing the right seeds to stimulate learning

Learning Architect Shannon Tipton takes us through the journey of finding the 'right tool for the job' when it comes to L&D in the workplace. And outlines the best steps to make the most of the tools to achieve excellent workplace learning results.

Enabling L&D to develop and nurture learning that delivers a rich harvest

Go1’s Customer Success Director, James Frappell, spoke with Laura Overton and Shannon Tipton, Co-Founders of Emerging Stronger and Malcom Taylor, Senior People Development Manager, Met Office, about how L&D professionals can leverage workplace communities and foster learning among employees in a live webinar at Learning Technologies 2022. 

The webinar covered a variety of topics including how the pandemic shifted and fueled the need for workplace tech and tools, how to support learning in the workplace in a remote-first world, the biggest challenges faced in workplace communities and tips for cultivating learning in the workplace.

Collaborative workplace tools: Love or hate them?

The panelists agree the pandemic boosted collaboration due to the increased reliance on workplace tech and tools like Microsoft Teams and Slack as it encouraged collaboration with employees across the globe. While many of the panelists' respective organisations already had these practices in place, there was an ability to test and learn this new way of working that ultimately allowed the workplace communities to think more creatively and freely. 

Viewer question: Which of the following do you do to support learning in the workplace?

When viewers were posed this question, 26% answered running live sessions, 20% chose curate and post content, 14% answered reflecting and commenting, 11% answered posting questions, another 11% agreed on supporting communities of practice, 9% chose tackling challenges together, 6% supported posting nudges and reminders and only 3% answered user generated content.

The panelists agreed that while there are many different ways of supporting learning, there’s no doubt technology is bringing change, and we need to be prepared to test, learn and adapt.

The panelists largely agreed that the most exciting thing about the above ways of supporting learning are crucial in order to get people to practice and reflect. Laura commented how she'd like to see more emphasis on “UGC” and “nudges and reminders” because she’s interested in the evidence of doing these things versus the results achieved. She goes on to explain how it’s important to see how people can incorporate learning practices and take actionable steps versus simply reflecting. 

It’s agreed among the panelists there’s a white space for the application of learnings and treating learning as an actionable experience versus an event. There’s commentary about how some workplace trainings are wasted because people aren’t able to directly apply those learnings day to day.

The conversation also goes on to spotlight what the biggest opportunities are for learning in the workplace. Malcolm comments that there are several challenges that are self imposed, including time, resources, understanding tech, and creating something that's going to help people understand technology. Malcolm also goes on to talk about the importance of trusting your employees when putting tools in place versus hand holding. In regards to UGC specifically, Shannon felt her team excelled more when learning occurred naturally, curation efforts become less and employees would share content that’s more relevant to them, ultimately bringing more positivity. More often than not, workplace learning happens organically versus in a overly controlled environment.

Challenges with supporting learning in workplace communities

For Emerging Stronger specifically, Laura feels the company’s internal mindset and attitude limits the ability for open-mindedness in learning courses because they feel constrained of what they “ought to do” versus “what we could do”. Shannon speaks about how employees need a clear starting point to make these trainings accessible and attainable, and explains how Emerging Stronger developed a cheat sheet that acted as a foundation for employees to grow, learn and apply information and learnings.

Engagement is important especially at the Met Office to get people involved in peer generated content to get people involved. Malcolm feels that they set up a community practice charter with governance in order to keep content fresh, as it often can become stale and forgotten about. 

Tips for cultivating learning in workplace communities

Malcolm feels silo working and inward looking are echo chambers that can be constraining. He explains how looking externally to other organisations to get fresher ideas is vital to “metaphyfing” the issue. At the Met Office, he realizes external focus is useful to cultivate learning and keep content fresh.

The topic around tracking what’s working inside these channels was also discussed. While so much learning is happening in these environments, it’s important to track and use data to drive engagement and learning. At Emerging Stronger, Sarah feels this aspect of workplace communities allows the company to surface what’s going on in the world and cites a case study “Dare to Share”. This study highlights what’s been shared, where they expect people are raising discussions at work, and if those issues are an issue where the workplace needs to intervene, etc. Tracking and assessment is vital as it’s not only proving what the company is doing right, but also to see where improvements can be made. Shannon adds that it’s ok for communities to have a natural end and companies don't have to keep them up in perpetuity.

Lastly, James ends the webinar discussion prompting the panelists to provide practical recommendations for the audience to takeaway on how we can deliver great learning experiences. Laura feels psychological safety is her main takeaway, and creating safe environments to “work out loud” and set up goals for a safe space in these communities. Malcolm stresses having structure at the start to set the rhythm to generate conversation helped the Met Office get their workplace community discussions off the ground.

Throughout Learning Technologies 2022, we ran six panel sessions over two days with an amazing lineup of specialist guest speakers of L&D analysts, researchers, and practitioners. Keen to catch up on all the fun? We've put together a wrap up of the event, including a recording of Ollie and David's session.

We'd love to see you in person (or virtually) at a Go1 or industry event soon. Check out our Events page for more information on what's on.

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Along with our expert panel at Learning Technologies 2022, we explore insights, opinions and tips to effectively foster a culture of learning within workplace communities.

Connecting to the community: Practical tactics for L&D professionals

Along with our expert panel at Learning Technologies 2022, we explore insights, opinions and tips to effectively foster a culture of learning within workplace communities. 

Connecting to the community: practical tactics for L&D professionals

A complicated work request while you're on vacation. Another ‘must do’ task when your workload is already overflowing. Personal questions  that no one at your workplace really needs the answer to. If reading those scenarios made you shudder or roll your eyes, you may be part of the large number of workers that have had their boundaries crossed in the workplace. 

There's no excuse for boundary-crossing to become part of your everyday work life. So, we’re going to guide you through the importance of setting boundaries at work as an L&D manager. In doing so, we'll help you set reasonable boundaries for you and your team, while also offering tips to maintain these boundaries in the long term.   

Why L&D managers should be involved in setting boundaries 

In recent years, we’ve seen a significant rise in the number of workplaces that value learning and development. With all the evidence pointing to the benefits of L&D, this is a level of enthusiasm we want to continue. 

Therefore, involving L&D managers in the boundary setting process has many advantages. Not only will team members experience the benefits, but L&D managers will also be able to set better personal boundaries. When L&D managers lead by example and stick to the boundaries they’ve implemented, it can provide team members with the confidence to address their needs at work and be firm in the boundaries they set — even when it’s something they may have been nervous about previously.

Types of boundaries to set in your L&D team  

There are three main categories of setting boundaries at work: job responsibilities, interpersonal boundaries, and personal boundaries. Let’s look at examples of each of these categories to help define the boundaries you might want to set in your team. 

To set boundaries on job responsibilities, team members must be clear on exactly what their role involves. They should be able to answer the following questions: 

Who decides what you should be working on? 

If any of your team members are unclear on these questions, consider scheduling some one-on-one time to confirm the answers and discuss their job responsibilities. When everyone is clear on the specifics of their job responsibilities, it’s much easier to set and keep boundaries regarding your role at work. That way, if someone asks you to complete a task that falls outside of your role, you can set a clear boundary and tell them that isn't part of your job. 

Interpersonal boundaries are all about the relationships between your team members, as well as the relationships between you as a manager and your team. Examples of interpersonal boundaries at work include: the tone of voice used in the workplace, the attitude of your team members towards each other, limiting work conversation to appropriate topics, and maintaining professional conduct with colleagues you may not naturally get along with.

While reporting breaches of interpersonal boundaries to a manager can be an excellent step to establishing and maintaining boundaries, it may feel uncomfortable for employees to raise these concerns with you as an L&D manager. Accordingly, keeping an eye on your team members' interpersonal relationships is a great place to start. You can also conduct regular check-ins to ensure any breaches of interpersonal boundaries don’t get out of hand. Taking a proactive approach like this can even help stop breaches of interpersonal boundaries before they happen.

Healthy emotional boundaries are a significant factor in creating psychological safety in the workplace and can make all the difference in an employee feeling content at work. After all, happy workers are the best workers, with 13% higher productivity than those who are unhappy at work.  

Many of us dream about having the perfect work-life balance. Personal boundaries separate our work and personal life and maintain that balance. Picture this: one of your team members has booked their dream holiday. They're taking a well-deserved two weeks off. However, they’re concerned about not being available to respond to work messages or missing something important while they're away. To help this team member feel confident in their boundaries, remind them that this is their time off from work and reassure them that they have no obligation to check work emails or messages while away.

Join us as we guide you through your boundary-setting journey as an L&D manager. We'll help you not only set reasonable boundaries, but also keep those boundaries in place.