The Truth about Learning in a Fast-Paced Environment

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Written by Bayo Adekola


Photo credit: Hertzler Systems Inc

Have you ever wondered why learning programs are not making as much impact as they should? Maybe there is a disconnect between the environment and learning. We cannot separate learning from the environment. Learning starts in the environment and it is a key part of every learning experience. What do we mean by environment? The environment we refer to within the business world is the "space" in which business operates; this includes the business culture and approach. The focus in this article will be on learning in fast paced environment i.e. one that is dynamic in which things change so quickly.

Characteristics of a Fast-Paced Business Environment

  • Time bound
  • Multi-tasking
  • Multiple stakeholders
  • Strong influence of policy and market dynamics
How do you drive learning in such environments?
  1. Prioritise your learning to always align with business goals and latest direction.
  2. Use regular interactions like meetings, skype calls, webinars, lunch time e.t.c as learning opportunities.
  3. Institute a simple structure for constant feedback and brainstorming without bureaucracy. Constant feedback with constructive brainstorming is always a good learning experience.
  4. Create "learning as you go" concept with short timeframes.
  5. Develop a good knowledge management platform for easy access to relevant and brief guidelines and tools.
  6. Leverage on social interaction tools (closed groups as much as possible) to drive engaging discussion/chat on issues without the meetings. 
  7. In a dynamic environment, learning must be dynamic as well so develop learning content that can be easily updated and cascaded to a wide audience without so many hassles.
  8. Performance evaluations should be utilised strongly to drive learning with a simple learning plan.
  9. Make sure to drive learning from current challenges, new markets, new assignments, policy updates and also from outside the organisation. Learning should be driven by both internal and external interactions.
  10. Have a clear vision to create a learning environment rather than a learning system only.



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