How to Help Your Leaders Learn in the Flow of Work  

Leaders and managers are crucial for a successful organization. Their role goes beyond supervising employees; they drive a thriving workplace and require skills and confidence. However, leadership development programs can disrupt the natural workflow because learning activities are often disconnected from daily tasks and responsibilities.

Learning in the flow of work aims to unleash employees’ fullest potential by embedding learning into everyday activities. This means learning is seamlessly integrated into the natural rhythm of work, striking while the iron is hot and capitalizing on opportunities for learning as they naturally arise during regular work activities.

This blog explains the importance of learning in the flow of work for individual and organizational success. Learn how to integrate learning into daily tasks to boost the impact of leadership development, transform individuals, and enhance your organization’s effectiveness.

The benefits of learning in the flow of work

Let’s start by better understanding the term ‘learning in the flow of work.’ Josh Bersin coined this term back in 2018, noting that “The urgency of work invariably trumps the luxury of learning.”

As leaders are increasingly time-poor, learning in the flow of work tackles this challenge by offering learning when needed. It’s now widely recognized as a valuable aspect of the overall learning approach in organizations. 

Here’s why.

• Improved efficiency. Integrating learning into the workflow minimizes disruptions and optimizes time management. Leaders can acquire new knowledge without setting aside dedicated learning periods, making everything more efficient.
• Offers the ability to apply practical skills to real-world scenarios. Putting new skills and knowledge into practice right away helps leaders hit the ground running. Learning by doing makes the experience more impactful.
• Greater flexibility and adaptability. Leaders in a continuous learning environment become more adaptable. They can navigate changes in the industry or within the organization better, promoting agility and resilience.
• Increased trust. Only 46% of employees report trusting their direct manager to do what is right. More troubling, only 32% say they trust senior leaders in their organization. Incorporating learning into daily tasks can enhance overall employee engagement. When leaders actively participate in ongoing development, it sets a positive example for the rest of the team, promoting a culture of growth and learning.
• Tailored learning experience. Learning in the flow of work allows for personalized development. Leaders can focus on skills and knowledge relevant to their roles.. 
• Improved problem-solving and decision-making skills. The immediate application of learning in real work scenarios enhances leaders’ problem-solving abilities. They can address challenges more effectively, drawing on freshly acquired knowledge and skills and making the right decisions.
• Strengthen the leadership pipeline. Continuous learning contributes to developing an efficient leadership pipeline within the organization. 
• Enhanced organizational performance.  A workforce where leaders constantly learn and grow leads to better innovation, productivity, and overall success for the organization.

Learning in the flow of work: How to make it work for leadership development

Learning while working helps leaders or groups integrate learning into their daily routines, This means they learn the ropes while turning new behaviours into habits.

James Clear, the author of Atomic Habits, emphasizes this principle. He states that we often believe we achieve our goals through effort, but our daily habits shape our success. His book reinforces the significance of altering habits to make daily incremental improvements.

We’ve taken a lot of his ideas and woven them into our leadership program to help our participants develop habits and routines supporting their leadership goals, specifically;

1.  Identify learning opportunities.

Kickstart the journey for targeted growth. Pinpoint areas where leaders can enhance their skills, knowledge, and capabilities.

This targeted approach ensures that the learning experiences are directly aligned with the challenges and requirements of leadership roles. Next up, take a look at your organization’s goals and match up learning opportunities with what you’re aiming to achieve. This way, you’re carving out a clear route for growth and success.By conducting a thorough evaluation of current leadership skills, you canIdentify gaps between existing skills and those needed for future success. Encourage open communication with individuals about career aspirations. This will help you evaluate the leadership pipeline, identify potential gaps, and develop targeted learning opportunities to address succession planning needs.

At LIW, we create our programs using the Design for Impact D4I® methodology. This ensures we match learning with business goals and allows us to spot chances to integrate learning into our development programs. 

But don’t take our word for it. A leadership development program participant says, “This was the best training that I’ve had to date. I feel like I took away actionable ways for me to improve as a leader.”

2.  Offer leadership learning events.

According to Bersin, 83% of employees prioritize career advancement opportunities above all else in a job today. However, this doesn’t mean asking employees to allocate specific time for training sessions or other learning activities that divert them from their regular tasks.

Why not set up short daily huddles where leaders can share insights, discuss challenges, and provide quick tips? This allows for continuous learning in the natural flow of the workday without disrupting productivity.

Alternatively, integrate learning into project debrief sessions by encouraging leaders to reflect on what worked well, what could be improved, and any lessons learned. This builds a culture of continuous improvement and knowledge sharing within ongoing projects.

For all leadership programs, ensure that corporate knowledge is easily understandable. LIW simplifies information, communicates clearly, and uses different interactive learning resources to improve understanding and retention among participants.

3.  Leverage microlearning.

Instead of traditional lengthy training sessions, microlearning breaks down the learning content into brief, targeted segments. These bite-sized modules address specific aspects of leadership, allowing leaders to absorb information quickly and immediately apply it in their roles.

As microlearning is accessible on various devices, it’s convenient for leaders to engage with the content at their own pace and on the go. It aligns with their busy schedules, enabling them to fit learning into their daily routines.

And because microlearning is short and sweet, it’s easy for leaders to pick up new ideas and put them into action right away. Videos, quizzes, and simulations keep things interesting and interactive so leaders stay engaged and excited to learn.

GPStrategies’ eBook, ‘Mandatory Mindset Shifts: Designing Journeys for the Modern Learner,’ echoes this approach to learning. Rather than traditional top-down mandated learning at set times and places, they propose offering on-the-spot learning, like microlearning, driven by individual or business needs. This involves creating personalized learner journeys that follow adult learning theory principles, avoiding cognitive overload, and offering support within the workflow precisely when required.

LIW excels at microlearning. Our Pod Sprints is a blend of micro-learning with an agile methodology to encourage experimentation. Pods consist of 4-6 leaders who experiment in their roles during a 2-week sprint and support each other through focused 30-minute stand-up and retro sessions. This format offers a powerful way to regularly practice learning at work, supported by coaching, with minimal disruption to routines. 

4.  Make use of technology and data.

Did you know that one of the top five trends driving success in 2024 is leveraging technology to improve, speed up, and make in-the-flow leadership development better and more accessible to leaders at all levels? 

Support leaders with learning in the flow of work and reinforce knowledge seamlessly within their daily routines with the following:

• • Mobile learning apps. Enable leaders to learn at a time that suits them, providing flexibility and convenience in accessing educational content from various locations and devices.
  • Collaborative learning platforms. Share online content internally with collaborative learning platforms where leaders can chat, exchange ideas, and work together with colleagues, no matter where they’re based.
  • Video conferencing and webinars. Virtual meeting technologies allow for  real-time interactions with experts and thought leaders, enabling leaders to participate in live discussions, workshops, and webinars about topics like conflict resolution and managing change without geographical constraints.
  • Virtual knowledge libraries. Create a shared learning environment with accessible virtual libraries containing relevant leadership resources and articles. Leaders can explore these materials during downtime or as needed, Although there are many different tools out there, to really make them work for learning in the flow of work, leaders first need to be motivated and have a plan for their development journey.

Cue LIW!

Our interactive learning experiences always start with context, helping Leaders figure out what they need to focus on, getting them motivated and ready to learn.

5.  Provide real-time feedback.

Establishing a straightforward method for monitoring progress and providing immediate feedback is crucial to ensuring learning becomes a routine part of daily activities.

Picture this. 

A leadership development initiative (in a mid-sized healthcare organization) is introduced for mid-level managers. However, the program lacks a structured approach to integrate learning into daily tasks, with no clear way to track progress or give quick feedback.

Meet Emma, a healthcare manager who is learning about effective team collaboration and communication. Without a simple way to track progress or get immediate feedback, Emma sticks with her usual leadership style, not actively using the new techniques she’s learned.

As a result, Emma has a tough time bridging the communication gaps in her team, causing some hiccups in project deadlines and productivity. Without quick feedback, she’s not sure where she needs to improve, and holding back the team’s success.

In addition, leaders can leverage feedback from performance reviews to identify areas for career progression. By seeking input from peers, colleagues, and the C-Suite, team leaders can understand their strengths and areas needing development.

Finally, leaders can also measure their progress by setting and working towards specific training milestones. Clear markers and real-time feedback show them how much they’ve improved, getting constructive input right after learning activities.

6.  Offer coaching opportunities.

Coaching significantly helps individuals improve their performance. Whether through individual, group, or peer coaching, promoting the practice of asking questions and listening enhances the ability to learn more about themselves.

LIW leadership programs offer leadership learning, followed by coaching afterward, either in a group or peer coaching environment. This helps participants put what they’ve learned into action and make real changes in how they lead.  

“I found the ‘doing to learn’ approach make it easier to absorb and apply learnings into real-life situations. I was able to quickly put into practice the new skills and behaviours I developed with the 1:1 support of a coach.” –Regional manager from a global logistics company

Top tip: Explore the ideas in Sir John Whitmore’s ‘Coaching for Performance‘ book. It  really hits the nail on the head when it comes to coaching techniques  It’s been updated this year to take into account the latest challenges businesses face, showing just how valuable coaching remains. If you’ve read it before, consider giving it another go.

Build a continuous learning environment with LIW

Leaders and managers these days aren’t just doing their jobs; they’re also constantly improving their skills, adapting, and growing in real time.. 

But it doesn’t have to be hard. 

Create a company culture where learning is seamlessly integrated into the workflow. This way, leadership development becomes more effective. It enables leaders to apply their new skills and insights right away, making a meaningful impact on their teams and organizations.

LIW has a proven track record and deep experience designing solutions that capitalize on learning in the flow of work, but we are always looking to evolve our thinking, so if you have any feedback or comments we would love to hear from you, Contact us.  

Further reading: 

What is learning in the flow of work? Definition, best practices & examples

Companies Have Been Neglecting Their Leadership, And It Shows

Leading in the Flow of Work