LEARNER-DRIVEN LEADER DEVELOPMENTMAXIMIZING INDIVIDUAL, TEAM, AND ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE

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© 2018 Harvard Business School Publishing. All rights reserved. Harvard Business Publishing is an affiliate of Harvard Business School.

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To consistently develop top leadership talent, organizations must foster a culture of ongoing learning.

LEARNER-DRIVEN LEADER DEVELOPMENT: MAXIMIZING INDIVIDUAL, TEAM, AND ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE

IT’S NO SURPRISE: Organizations that make leadership development a top priority outperform their competitors on key financial metrics such as revenue. What’s more, they excel at other crucial forms of business performance—such as attracting top talent and keeping it on board. As just one example, in a 2016 Gallup poll of millennials, 87% rated “professional or career growth and development opportunities” as important criteria in choosing a job.

To consistently develop top leadership talent, organizations must foster a culture of ongoing learning. In such a culture, individuals at all levels, in every corner of the enterprise, continually build the skills,

The learning needs and expectations of today’s leaders have intensified. They face more business complexity, more demands on their time, and more information competing for their attention. Learning professionals can most effectively create a rich learning environment by taking cues from their learners. Drawn from surveys and interviews with today’s busy professionals, here are approaches that will help you engage and motivate your people to learn.

BY JEFF DeSMET AND DORA GAO

knowledge, and expertise essential for adapting to the forces shaping today’s business environment—such as relentless technology advancement and ever-shifting market conditions. Yet creating an environment that supports continuous learning isn’t easy. Why? Just as the world has grown more complicated, so have the needs of today’s learners. Ask any employee or manager about her typical day, and she’ll likely acknowledge that it’s packed with competing priorities, interruptions, and distractions. Even for individuals eager to learn, carving out time for it can seem like an impossible task.

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KEY ELEMENTS OF A LEARNER-DRIVEN EXPERIENCE

Make learning efficient and effective.

Keep employees engaged in the learning process.

Keep learning top of mind for people.

Encourage individuals throughout the organization to make learning a habit.

Enable people to retain what they’ve learned and keep applying it at work.

The learning path should include chances for people to apply their new skills and knowledge. These kinds of learning experiences become even more potent when they also feature opportunities for self-directed learning—employees choosing what, when, and how they want to learn as well as which resources and information they draw on.

Why does self-directed learning matter? Employees today want to learn—and they expect their employers to provide the tools and opportunities for them to do so. They’re also comfortable with taking initiative for their own learning and using technology to find information.

Additionally, employees have unique development needs they’re trying to satisfy, unique on-the-job problems they must solve, and unique ways of approaching the learning process. These needs, problems, and approaches are constantly changing—making it even more challenging for learning and development (L&D) practitioners to know exactly what learners need, and when.

To surmount these challenges, L&D must design more customer-centric development offerings. Findings from Harvard Business Publishing’s forthcoming State of Leadership Development Report of L&D professionals and business line managers bear this out. As many as 76% of our survey respondents said that they believe

leadership-development programs should be informed more by learners’ needs than by initiatives originating in L&D.

The upshot: Employees are already taking charge of their own learning. And L&D professionals can create even more value for their organizations by ensuring that employees get the most from that learning. To do so, L&D must design learner-driven experiences that consistently encourage and engage learners.

Wanted: Deep, Long-Lasting Learning That Fits into a Person’s Day

To achieve those loftier kinds of goals, people need a deep, enduring learning experience—one characterized by “chunked”

content that’s strung together to create a learning path.

76% of our survey respondents said that they believe leadership-development programs should be informed more by learners’ needs than by initiatives originating in L&D.

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LEARNERS win because they can swiftly find the information they need to build the skills and knowledge essential for solving on-the-job problems and attaining their professional goals.

L&D PRACTITIONERS win because they provide the setting and guidance that help learners tailor their own experiences to their needs—rather than having to rely on a one-size-fits-all experience. As a result, employees achieve the deep, enduring learning essential for mastery—L&D’s ultimate objective.

ORGANIZATIONS win because they build a phalanx of talent and gain other essential advantages that few rivals can withstand. Indeed, in our survey, respondents who

said that L&D is critical to the success of their business reported stronger revenue performance over the past three years. They also saw themselves as further ahead of their market competitors. And they expressed more optimism about their organization’s future growth potential than those who did not view L&D as important to the business’s success.

Given the wealth of benefits that learner-driven experiences can deliver, it might be tempting to conclude that every organization is striving to design such experiences in their leadership-development programs. But that’s not easy. Yes, people are willing to devote time to learning if it meets their individual needs. But several hurdles remain, as shown below.

Benefits and Challenges of Learner-Driven Experiences

Well-designed learner-driven experiences create a win-win-win situation.

Not enough time How can employees find the time to take advantage of learning experiences? Some people struggle to block out time to focus on their professional development. Others spend some time outside of work on their development because they feel it’s the only time they have available for this effort. Neither of these approaches can guarantee the kind of ongoing learning that the best leadership development programs foster.

Too many information sources—not all of them trusted

How should employees search for needed information in the bewildering array of sources available to them? And how can they be sure the information they dig up is credible? Though searching the Internet to find quick answers to questions is a common tactic, there’s no guarantee that those answers will pass the credibility test.

Too much choice Will the information employees gather help them seize an opportunity or solve a problem that’s relevant to not only their work but also their organization? L&D has to ensure that learners access content that helps them support their own and the organization’s success. Since L&D practitioners can’t control how and when employees use technology to search for information, how can they ensure that leaders are learning what they need to learn to succeed in their role?

Not enough space to practice

How can learners practice the skills they’re seeking to develop? One participant in our study admitted to us, “I don’t really have a good way to practice without embarrassing myself. I would want … a way to try out [techniques I’m learning] without [experiencing] major repercussions.”

COMMON HURDLES IN SELF-DIRECTED LEARNING

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Yes, employees value immediacy in having their most pressing questions answered in their moment of need. But to help them get the most from their learning, organizations need to combine quick access to information with a personalized learning plan that endures over time—and that meets several key criteria that came to light in our recent research: relevancy, choice, and motivation. (See “About Our Research.”)

Learning experiences that meet these criteria help people ultimately become better leaders—by building new skills and knowledge, putting what they’ve learned into practice, and reflecting on what went well and what could have gone better. As a result, they make learning a habit—a disciplined behavior that includes making time for ongoing learning, no matter how busy an employee may feel. Below, we examine these criteria in greater detail.

RELEVANCY

“Does it relate to what I’m trying to achieve?”

When learning experiences have relevancy, they directly apply to a goal that learners want to achieve. Indeed, our research suggests that people will carve out time for building skills if they think that doing so will help enhance their job performance. As one participant in our research project pointed out, “If [the learning experience] doesn’t directly apply to me, I have a lot of trouble investing my time in it—even if it’s tangentially related. [And I] definitely don’t want to invest my free time.”

While learning-program content format and duration are important, according to our research findings, relevancy is the number one criterion for learners’ choices about which content to select. To enhance relevancy, L&D professionals can provide:

oo Content sources with excellent search capabilitiesoo Ways for learners to easily scan content to determine relevancy—such as pertinent titles, categorization schemes, or content labels

oo Mechanisms for mapping content to learners’ stated interests, tasks, responsibilities, and experience level

oo Recommendations based on employees’ current learning behavior and habits

CHOICE

“Can I make my own decisions about learning content and experiences?”

Today’s employees want control over their learning experiences. And control means having the power to make choices on matters such as which content to focus on, when to learn, and how to learn. To illustrate, learners want content that not only supports their objectives but also reflects their current level of expertise. Content that meets these criteria makes the most efficient use of busy employees’ time. It also further enhances personalization of the learning experience, deepening employees’ engagement even more.

Learners also want variety in the types of learning content they consume and how they use that content. Indeed, their preferences can be as personal and individual as they are, linked to factors including how much control they want over the learning experience or how they like to make use of time. For instance, some participants in our research project found podcasts compelling “because I can listen to them while I am doing something else.”

A Closer Look at the Learner-Driven ExperienceWhen it comes to designing exceptional learner-driven experiences,

providing short bursts of learning is only one piece of the puzzle.

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MOTIVATION

“Does this experience make me want to invest time in learning?”

By designing experiences that tap into employees’ motivations for learning, L&D can help them make learning a habit, keep it top of mind for employees, and further strengthen their engagement in the learning process. Activating individuals’ motivations for learning provides the behavioral nudge or reminder that some people require before they’re willing to invest time in an already busy day to master a new skill or build new knowledge.

Motivations for taking time to learn can take numerous forms. For example, some employees feel most interested in learning that helps them advance in their career or helps them work on skills that intrigue them or that they believe are holding them back in their professional life. One participant in our recent study told us, “I’ve been looking at [managing others] as one factor for getting promoted. …To have a bigger job is to lead a team. …

That sounds really exciting.” Another explained, “I’m very career oriented [and] have been trying to make myself more valuable and build skills I find interesting.” Other employees feel most motivated to learn when they believe that doing so will enable them to tackle an immediate problem or task. For still others, learning is most engaging when they see it as helping them support their team: “I don’t want to ruin things for my group by not having the right skills for the job.”

Learning experiences that tap into employees’ competitive or playful spirit, their desire to surmount a tough challenge, or their desire to make progress as they build a particular skill can also be powerful motivators. Game mechanics offer a case in point. One participant in our study told us, “A big thing for me is levels and leveling up. …With leveling up, it feels like stepping-stones. It’s obtainable. Once you get there, there’s a quick sense of accomplishment.” Another said, “Metrics for what I did during the day, [like] quantifying [my] fitness, motivate me.”

LEARNER-DRIVEN EXPERIENCES IN ACTION

Vanguard’s StoryOne organization that has shifted its leadership development approach to experiment with more learner-driven experiences (LDE) is Vanguard. Distinct from formal, classroom programs, the learning team leverages insights gleaned from learners to create content and put learners more in control of what, when, and how they are learning. Vanguard partnered with Harvard Business Publishing to help accelerate the shift to LDE by finding new ways to deliver world-class content.

The response to Vanguard’s LDE experiments has been encouraging. Adoption rates have been high, the feedback positive, and the team is learning new ways to integrate learning experiences into the workday.

“Learner-driven experiences currently comprise 50% of the learning that we offer,” says Jacob Pantoja, programs manager, leadership development for Vanguard. “Using insights gleaned from our learners, we have built and packaged solutions that most fit into their busy days, we have made it easily accessible, we have nudged them along the way, and the learners have come. We’re confident that Harvard ManageMentor® Spark will help us push this even further.”

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Providing employees with access to world-class, trustworthy, up-to-date content is essential. To deliver the diversity of content and learning experiences that today’s employees desire, a robust, global technology platform is also a must for efficiently delivering learner-driven experiences to employees when and where they need them—whether learning cohorts number in the tens, hundreds, or thousands.

The right content, design, and technology choices can deliver crucial advantages as well. Offering a learning dashboard accessible on mobile devices is a case in point. A dashboard can help learners understand trends they’re experiencing in their development (such as which skill and knowledge areas they’re investing most of their time in learning). It can also encourage learners to track their progress and share it with peers. That can promote the engagement and healthy competition that can catalyze ongoing leadership development across the organization. Learning designs that take advantage of game mechanics can drive learning and engagement even further. For instance, such designs can deploy notifications and other features that encourage effective learning behaviors like getting out of one’s comfort zone or making learning a habit through streaks.

L&D can also use content, learning design, and technology to tightly tailor learner-driven experiences to employees’

needs. To illustrate, development professionals can categorize content by the required time investment: “Do you want a learning ‘burst,’ a lesson, or an entire course?” They can also offer a variety of sortable media types to help learners explore prospective information and select their preferred content—tapping into employees’ desire for choice. But given that learners will do their own searching for information, L&D should also provide guide rails for finding relevant, credible content—such as delivering content that’s tailored to a particular job or skill level.

Additionally, L&D should encourage people throughout the organization to make learning a discipline—for instance, by helping them find the time to grab development opportunities, fit learning into gaps in their workdays, and proactively schedule learning. Through such means, L&D can help employees learn how to learn, by teaching them effective learning habits and behaviors such as consistently building more time into their day for learning, reflecting on their experiences in applying new skills and knowledge, cultivating a curious mind, exploring ideas in greater depth, asking good questions, and prioritizing their learning needs.

Finally, L&D professionals can spell out the benefits of committing to ongoing learning. They should do this for employees as individuals (such as better chances for

L&D’s New Imperative

How can L&D professionals create learner-driven experiences that meet the criteria of relevancy, choice, and motivation—and that foster

the deep learning, practice, and reflection essential for ongoing development for leaders?

By making a compelling personal and business case for continuous learning, L&D can further tap into employees’ motivation.

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promotion and greater employability) as well as for the organization overall (including greater ability to pull ahead of competitors and fulfill a mission). By making a compelling personal and business case for continuous learning, L&D can further tap into employees’ motivation to invest the time and effort needed to get the most from this essential activity.

Creating the conditions that support ongoing learning in an organization will always be a tough challenge. But L&D professionals have a crucial opportunity to overcome

that challenge—and help their organizations pull ahead of competitors as a result. By designing leadership-development programs that provide relevant content; that give employees the power to choose what, when, and how they learn; and that tap into individuals’ motivation to learn, L&D can set the stage for a triple win that few rivals can withstand.

JEFF DeSMET is senior manager, online learning, for Harvard Business Publishing

Corporate Learning. He serves as the group’s lead strategist for adult learning theory

and pedagogy for Harvard Business Publishing’s portfolio of leadership development

solutions, tracking the latest research and innovations emerging in the field. He has a

special interest in individual, self-directed learning. jdesmet@harvardbusiness.org

DORA GAO is a product owner on the product management team for Harvard Business

Publishing Corporate Learning. She is responsible for understanding the needs of

customers and ensuring that they are met by Harvard Business Publishing’s various

solutions. She brings experience in content development and design in the learning

industry. dora.gao@harvardbusiness.org

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

ABOUT OUR RESEARCHIn the past several months, Harvard Business Publishing surveyed thousands of learners to gather insights on what it takes to engage the workforce in learning today. Along with the online survey, we conducted in-depth interviews with twenty aspiring young leaders from leading client organizations. This rich input was complemented by review and analysis of relevant third-party research.

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ABOUT CORPORATE LEARNING

Harvard Business Publishing Corporate Learning partners

with clients to create world-class leadership development

solutions for managers at all levels. Our team leverages

the management insight, thought leadership, and

expertise of Harvard Business School faculty and

authors from Harvard Business Review to create tailored

leadership development solutions. With more than 25

years of practical experience, we create innovative,

technology-enabled solutions that drive meaningful and

lasting business results. Corporate Learning is a market

group within Harvard Business Publishing.

ABOUT HARVARD BUSINESS PUBLISHING

Harvard Business Publishing was founded in 1994 as

a not-for-profit, wholly owned subsidiary of Harvard

University. Its mission is to improve the practice of

management and its impact in a changing world. The

company achieves its mission through its relationships

with customers in three market groups: Higher Education,

Corporate Learning, and Harvard Business Review Group.

Through these platforms, Harvard Business Publishing is

able to influence real-world change by maximizing the

reach and impact of its essential offering—ideas.

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