Building a Culture of Engagement in Learning Initiatives

A lot of time and money goes into corporate training—but not nearly enough comes out of it. In fact, companies spent $130 billion on training last year, yet only 25% of programs measurably improved business performance. Having run countless training workshops, I’ve seen firsthand what makes the difference. Some teams walk away energized and equipped. Others… not so much. If you’re involved in organizing training—whether for a small team or a large department—here’s how to make sure it actually works: ✅ Do your research. Talk to your team. What skills would genuinely help them day-to-day? A few interviews or a quick survey can reveal exactly where to focus. ✅ Start with a solid brief. Give your trainer as much context as possible: goals, audience, skill levels, examples of past work, what’s worked—and what hasn’t. ✅ Don’t shortchange the time. A 90-minute session might inspire, but it won’t transform. For deeper learning and hands-on practice, give it time—ideally 2+ hours or spaced chunks over a few days. ✅ Share real examples. Generic content doesn’t stick. When the trainer sees your actual slides, templates, and challenges, they can tailor the session to hit home. ✅ Choose the right group size. Smaller groups mean better interaction and more personalized support. If you want engagement, resist the temptation to pack the (virtual) room. ✅ Make it matter. Set expectations. Send reminders. And if it’s virtual, cameras on goes a long way toward focus and connection. ✅ Schedule follow-up support. Reinforcement matters. Book a post-session Q&A, office hours, or refresher so people actually use what they’ve learned. ✅ Follow up. Send a quick survey afterward to measure impact and shape the next session. One-off training rarely moves the needle—but a well-planned series can. Helping teams level up their presentation skills is what I do—structure, storytelling, design, and beyond. If that’s on your radar, I’d love to help. DM me to get the conversation started.

Two of the biggest problems I hear about in leadership development: 1/ “Learning doesn’t stick.” 2/ “We don’t have a culture of learning.” BOTH of these problems can be solved. The key is to create a “learning ecosystem.” I’m not saying it’s easy...It’s certainly not something you can do overnight. But, these 7 tactics can go a long way: 1/ Hold a monthly community of practice Get your audience together each month (on Zoom). Use the call to: - reinforce key learnings - forge peer connections - give everyone a chance to ask Qs & share challenges - facilitate practice 2/ Create a Resource Vault Store learning resources in one live folder. Keep your docs updated in real time: - Insert new examples - Take & apply real-time feedback from learners - Create new resources based on what learners need The goal here is to make the vault a place your learners return to often. 3/ Send Weekly Behavioral Nudges Weekly behavioral nudges: - are a simple way to double or triple the value of an existing assessment or training program - can take a one-and-done program/assessment and add a year-long tail of exercises and key insights Nudges = STICKY learning 4/ Give Every Learner Access to a REAL Coach Use message-based coaching to: - expand the number of employees you can offer coaching to - meet employees at the exact moment that they need help 5/ Create a Peer Learning Network Peer learning tech enables collaboration in new ways. (And in ways that in-person can’t) Example: One leadership development team at a big tech company used a simple Google doc where learners shared questions, insights, and examples from over a dozen locations. As their doc grew… - themes emerged - ideas intersected - they had a running record of key info 6/ Deliver Microlearning in the Flow of Work Micro-learning: - makes learning available on-demand (open book test) - helps increase repetition to build habits - brings learning into the flow of work 7/ Trigger Organic Conversations You might: - use conversational guides (between peers or between learners & managers). - use prompts in your peer learning network - hold breakouts in your community of practice The idea is that over time, your learners will naturally use the language and ideas from your learning in their daily conversations. ____ Apply these 7 tactics (or even just a few) and you'll be well on your way to creating a learning ecosystem. One that will: 1/ take in new topics and spit out behavior change 2/ generate more feedback than you can collect 3/ solidify a culture of learning What other components do you include in your programs? #leadershipdevelopment

Many leaders overlook a crucial point... They often assume: 1. L&D is all about completing training modules. 2. Skills gaps will close without clear alignment. 3. Success is measured by participation rates alone. But the truth is... Achieving real impact requires much more: - Building a culture of continuous learning. - Regularly assessing and closing skill gaps. - Highlighting success stories to drive buy-in. - Prioritizing critical skills tied to performance. - Communicating value with clear ROI metrics. - Tracking KPIs to measure L&D effectiveness. - Aligning training with strategic business goals. - Using targeted programs to address skill needs. - Mapping learning to measurable business outcomes. L&D drives results with ongoing commitment. It involves: ➠ Investing in sustainable, outcome-driven learning. ➠ Encouraging alignment between teams and goals. ➠ Nurturing accountability in training programs. ➠ Cultivating a culture of measurable growth. Effective L&D isn’t a cost—it’s a growth engine. What do you think is the most important factor here? Follow Jonathan Raynor to never miss a post. Reshare to help align L&D with business goals.

I am a member of The Learning Forum hosted by Brian Hackett and one of our working groups is focused on defining and discussing what it means to have a "culture of learning" at companies. I've often either led or been a part of HR and L&D functions that helped define what this means. Here's a short write-up of what I think is necessary to create a culture of learning -- first, you must be a learning company -- and how critical it is in today's business environment to be a learning company. Let us know how you define and drive a culture of learning at your company. Becoming a Learning Company  Companies that have a culture of learning intentionally reward curiosity, see failure as a learning opportunity, and require their leaders to be talent developers. These are the attributes that drive organizational adaptability and innovation — the building blocks of becoming a learning company.    A learning company recognizes the importance of establishing a curious mindset, sees psychological safety as core to their willingness to take intelligent risks, establishes feedback loops that operate in all directions, and encourages deep collaboration and knowledge sharing. When learning becomes fundamental to the company’s DNA, it shapes how the company interacts with challenges, mistakes, and opportunities.     For a company to become a learning company, leaders must create a culture of learning that becomes ingrained into the company’s identity. And there must be a recognition that learning exists on a continuum. We often conceptualize learning as distinct activities (training, reading, experimenting), but in a true learning company, these behaviors integrate into an interdependent system of development and growth. When learning is not embraced as a core value, defensive routines inevitably arise, adversely affecting the collective capacity to adapt, which impacts company performance.    Declaring learning as important is not enough to create a learning company. That transformation comes through direct modeling from leaders, creating psychological safety, establishing feedback mechanisms, and making learning visible in everyday actions — these are the most powerful catalysts in the journey to becoming a learning company. Why? Because when people see peers and leaders demonstrating curiosity, admitting mistakes, and actively seeking feedback, their desire to belong will influence their motivation to learn. It's particularly impactful when learning behaviors are celebrated across all levels of the company, not just from top-level leadership.    The journey to becoming a learning company requires persistent attention to how values are translated into behaviors, how systems enable or inhibit learning, and how leadership demonstrates the vulnerability and curiosity that lie at the heart of genuine organizational learning.