Learning at Speed

If you're not learning at speed in today's world, you're standing still – and in business, standing still means you're on your way out.

1: L&D Should Think Like Startups

Learning and development (L&D) departments can learn from successful startups, which excel by adapting quickly to change. Modern businesses face a rapidly evolving landscape, so the ability to learn at speed is no longer optional; it's essential for survival and growth. Rather than relying on traditional, slow-moving L&D practices, companies need to embrace a startup mindset to stay ahead.

Startups succeed by identifying real problems, acting fast, and figuring out solutions through constant iteration. L&D teams often focus too heavily on pre-planned training programs for issues they assume need solving. This can lead to significant waste—as evidenced by a study revealing that 75% of managers found L&D programs unsatisfactory while only 12% of employees applied the skills they learned. These numbers suggest a crucial misalignment between resources and outcomes, similar to failed startups like Quibi.

To emulate successful startups, L&D teams must act nimbly, prioritize what works, and constantly review their efforts using measurable results. This means investing in lean learning strategies that avoid the "one size fits all" mentality, ensuring learning efforts align tightly with real business needs.

Examples

• Quibi failed by solving an unnecessary problem despite their $2 billion budget, a fate L&D teams must avoid.
• Successful startups like Airbnb began with simple yet targeted MVPs, achieving early impact.
• Spotify embraces rapid change by iteratively developing and refining features using listener feedback.

2: Start with the Real Problem

L&D only achieves results when it addresses the right problem. Companies often skip valuable groundwork by jumping straight into solutions, like workshops or training sessions, without analyzing what challenge really needs solving. A smart approach starts with identifying and focusing on the root problem.

For example, consider a fictional company, FiveADay.com, whose sales team isn't meeting targets. Instead of rushing into generic sales training, the L&D team needs to dig deeper. Maybe the sales team already knows how to sell but lacks detailed knowledge about their products. Drilling down into specifics ensures L&D delivers something of actual value.

This strategic approach is best outlined using a tool like the Learning Canvas. The canvas lays out the specific issue, key stakeholders, resources needed, and how success will be measured. This clarity ensures learning resources target the needs of the individual teams and serve larger organizational goals.

Examples

• FiveADay.com pinpointed poor product knowledge as the real problem, avoiding ineffective sales training.
• A global tech firm reduced waste by asking employees what they needed rather than assuming training plans.
• Targeted onboarding programs helped Google decrease its new-hire ramp-up time significantly.

3: Action, Improvement, Outcome

L&D can only thrive with the right mindset: action, continuous improvement, and measurable outcomes. This three-pronged formula ensures that learning solutions work within today's fast-paced business environment.

Action focuses on speed—building solutions, even imperfect ones, to address current challenges. Continuous improvement means refining those solutions based on how they perform in real-world situations. Finally, outcomes provide evidence; without measurable success, it's impossible to know if training efforts worked.

By placing clear metrics such as increased conversions or task efficiency at the heart of L&D programs, teams can assess meaningful impact. This outcome-driven approach ensures that learning initiatives go beyond mere activity to measurable achievements.

Examples

• Netflix continuously iterates its algorithms, learning rapidly from viewer behavior and improving recommendations.
• Nike's training app first rolled out with basic features to gather feedback before building additional options.
• Feedback-driven updates at Duolingo resulted in higher user engagement and retention rates.

4: Match Resources to Needs

Effective L&D provides employees with exactly what they need, when they need it. There’s no universal solution—use a tailored approach to better meet individual and team requirements.

The diverse range of solutions includes open learning resources like podcasts and how-to guides, as well as peer-driven methods such as mentoring programs. Tech companies like Google use collaborative platforms, enabling employees to share knowledge with each other. Using these varied methods ensures learning journeys are personalized, valuable, and drive motivation.

Timing also matters. Employees are more receptive to new knowledge when it's directly relevant to their current tasks. Align learning interventions with "aha moments," so information becomes actionable and sticks.

Examples

• Google’s "g2g" network lets employees learn directly from in-house experts.
• Spotify curates industry-published articles to educate its teams on music market trends.
• Amazon employs modular, on-the-job trainings focused on skills employees immediately apply.

5: Minimal Resources, Maximum Impact

Adopt the "minimum viable learning" approach. Much like startups launch minimally developed products to test the market, L&D teams should create basic, functional learning tools that achieve enough to launch and improve later.

Imagine creating a simple video tutorial shot on a phone to address an urgent need. Although it’s not flashy, its immediate rollout serves the team and provides insights on improvement areas. Scoring new ideas with an “impact-confidence-ease” tool—where you measure the importance and feasibility of a solution—can help determine which to prioritize.

Starting small doesn’t mean settling for half-measures; it means creating a foundation for eventual success. As feedback and results roll in, iterative improvements transform an initial product into one that best fits the challenge.

Examples

• Airbnb began with a single simple loft rental before scaling globally.
• A small software firm piloted training modules with volunteer teams before rolling them out company-wide.
• Apple tests beta features to get user feedback before full-scale launches, fine-tuning for better results.

6: Measure, Then Improve

Learning only becomes valuable when its effectiveness is measured. Both quantitative metrics (e.g., revenue improvement, productivity boosts) and qualitative feedback (employee enjoyment, clarity) provide essential data for making updates.

Combining "hard numbers" with anecdotal insights gives L&D teams a balanced view. Measuring outcomes lets organizations verify success and refine ineffective resources. Feedback loops create learning ecosystems that feel alive and relevant to workers.

Examples

• Microsoft tied skill development programs to performance reviews, improving measurable outcomes by 30%.
• Surveys revealed happier, more confident employees at a retail company after personalized coaching.
• A large media firm adjusted its creative workshops following worker feedback, improving satisfaction scores.

7: Use Learning Sprints

Learning sprints condense problem-solving into short, focused periods. By dedicating time to quickly build and test solutions, teams can address challenges efficiently.

These sprints mirror those used for product creation in tech settings, featuring roles like a team sprint master and a problem owner. The collaborative effort drives results quickly, avoiding delays that more traditional workflows might encounter.

Examples

• A multinational bank improved sales training in weeks by organizing sprint workshops.
• Tech giants like Facebook dedicate sprint teams to create ad-hoc training tools for new software rollouts.
• L&D sprints at a healthcare startup reduced employee ramp-up time by 35% in three months.

8: Focus on Messaging

Marketing strategies can help organizations promote learning initiatives internally. Messaging matters—employees need to believe in L&D’s relevance and value.

Rebranding L&D programs, humanizing their values, and using key organizational influencers to promote them can win over skeptics. Worker buy-in becomes easier if they view L&D as genuinely beneficial, not just a corporate mandate.

Examples

• An inspiring email from a CEO endorsing new training tools boosted adoption rates by 40%.
• Highlighting workplace influencers during internal campaigns helped build employee trust in collaboration platforms.
• A manufacturing firm used storytelling to convey success stories, motivating staff to engage.

9: Create a Learning Ecosystem

A dynamic culture of continual education ensures businesses don't just survive change—they thrive through it. Create ecosystems full of resources that evolve, update, and grow alongside employees' needs.

This transformational shift turns learning into part of the business's DNA. Employees come to view their development as an on-demand, supportive, and exciting journey.

Examples

• GE cultivated lifelong learning for workers, implementing on-the-job modules across its factories.
• IBM leverages AI-driven recommendations for employee upskilling paths.
• LinkedIn developed a learning hub for career development accessible to workers worldwide.

Takeaways

1. Use the Learning Canvas to methodically approach every L&D problem, ensuring you align solutions to real challenges.
2. Start small with "minimum viable learning" resources and refine based on feedback to avoid unnecessary delays.
3. Leverage continuous measurement—both quantitative and qualitative—to confirm the success of L&D initiatives and improve over time.