Learning at Speed

Learning at Speed Plot Summary

Introduction

In an era of exponential change, the ability of organizations to learn at speed has become the decisive competitive advantage. The accelerating pace of disruption creates both uncertainties and opportunities - the fastest learners seize these opportunities and win, while those unable to adapt quickly enough struggle to remain relevant. This is the reality facing modern organizations, where the window for reskilling and upskilling employees is rapidly shrinking as technological advancement and market disruptions accelerate. The traditional approaches to Learning and Development (L&D) are proving inadequate for this new world. Despite billions spent annually on training, organizations continue to struggle with low engagement, minimal knowledge transfer, and negligible performance improvement. What's needed is a fundamentally different approach - one that treats learning as a strategic business function capable of solving real challenges through iterative cycles of testing, feedback, and improvement. This approach, inspired by successful startup methodologies, focuses on connecting the right learning resources to the right people at the right time to drive measurable performance improvements - eliminating waste and maximizing impact in the process.

Chapter 1: Why L&D Must Embrace the Lean Learning Mindset

Traditional L&D functions often operate like failing startups, creating products (training programs) that few people want or need. Despite the staggering $350 billion spent annually on training worldwide, surveys reveal that 75 percent of managers are dissatisfied with their company's L&D function, and only 25 percent feel training programs make any measurable improvement to performance. The disconnect occurs because learning initiatives frequently lack alignment with genuine business challenges and fail to consider the context in which knowledge is applied. Learning culture drives this context, representing not just how a company learns but what employees collectively do before and after learning experiences. Three common learning cultures exist in organizations today, each with significant limitations. Compliance-driven cultures view learning as a regulatory necessity, focusing on completion metrics rather than behavior change. Process-driven cultures extend beyond compliance but remain centered on the delivery of training rather than performance outcomes. Skills-driven cultures focus on building capabilities but often disconnect learning from immediate business needs and real-world application. Lean Learning represents a radical alternative to these approaches. Rather than designing lengthy training programs disconnected from business realities, Lean Learning helps teams quickly acquire essential knowledge, apply it in performance-shaping moments, and continuously iterate based on feedback until business challenges are solved. It cuts waste by removing steps that don't add value, focusing instead on delivering precisely what's needed when it's needed to drive measurable performance improvement. The mindset shift required for Lean Learning begins with loving the problem rather than becoming attached to solutions. When organizations fall in love with their solutions (like Blockbuster did with its retail stores), they miss opportunities to evolve as needs change. By contrast, companies like Netflix focused on the problem - delivering entertainment conveniently - enabling them to pivot from mailing DVDs to becoming the leading streaming service. This problem-first approach opens up countless solution possibilities and establishes a foundation for continuous innovation. A bias toward action represents another crucial mindset shift. Organizations must prioritize speed of execution over perfection, recognizing that actions and results speak louder than beautifully crafted courses or strategies. This approach accelerates learning through rapid feedback loops - the more actions we take, the faster we discover what works. Buffer exemplifies this mindset by creating a landing page in hours to test demand before building their entire product, reducing risk and accelerating learning in the process. The Lean Learning mindset also embraces failure as a learning opportunity. Organizations must be open to experimenting, failing fast, and using those failures to improve. As Jeff Bezos noted, "If you decide that you're going to do only the things you know are going to work, you're going to leave a lot of opportunity on the table." This mindset builds a culture of iterative innovation that drastically reduces the time needed to solve business challenges.

Chapter 2: Finding the Right Business Problems to Solve

Successful learning strategies begin with identifying the right problems to solve, much like successful startups focus on addressing genuine market needs. Dollar Shave Club's meteoric rise to a billion-dollar acquisition stemmed from identifying a real problem in the razor industry - overpriced products and cumbersome buying experiences. Similarly, L&D must identify genuine business challenges rather than defaulting to solutions before understanding the problems they aim to address. The Jobs-To-Be-Done (JTBD) framework, pioneered by Clayton Christensen, provides a powerful lens for understanding these problems. According to this framework, when people "hire" a product or service, they're essentially hiring it to help accomplish a specific job or resolve a particular problem. Applied to workplace learning, this perspective shifts focus from generic learner demographics to the specific progress employees want to make in particular circumstances - the "job" learning resources need to fulfill. This framework yields several critical insights for L&D practitioners. First, it emphasizes focusing on the job rather than learner demographics, enabling solutions that work for everyone facing a particular challenge regardless of role or department. Second, it clarifies that learning experiences are not the job itself but rather the "product" hired to accomplish the goal. Third, it acknowledges that multiple learning approaches might satisfy the same job, encouraging creative problem-solving beyond traditional course development. To discover these jobs-to-be-done, L&D professionals must employ customer discovery techniques. This process, pioneered by Steve Blank, involves systematically validating assumptions through stakeholder interviews before investing resources in solutions. These interviews should target three key groups: job executors (those who would use the learning resources), job beneficiaries (those who benefit from improved performance), and job sponsors (those funding the initiative). Effective customer discovery interviews explore the four forces influencing behavior change: push (dissatisfaction with current situations), pull (attraction toward desired outcomes), anxiety (uncertainty about change), and habits (resistance to changing established behaviors). By understanding these forces, L&D can design learning experiences that overcome resistance and drive meaningful change. Questions like "What event prompted you to want to solve this problem?" and "What would happen if you didn't solve this problem in the next three months?" reveal the push forces, while "What does success look like?" helps identify pull forces. This investigative approach represents a significant departure from traditional L&D practice, where training solutions are often prescribed before problems are fully understood. By investing time in problem discovery, organizations dramatically increase their chances of developing learning initiatives that drive genuine performance improvement.

Chapter 3: Creating an Effective Learning Strategy with the Learning Canvas

Transforming complex business challenges into actionable learning strategies requires a structured approach that breaks problems into manageable components. This process draws inspiration from first principles thinking - the method Elon Musk used to revolutionize industries from space travel to electric vehicles. Rather than accepting conventional wisdom or reasoning by analogy, first principles thinking breaks problems down to fundamental truths and rebuilds solutions from the ground up. The Learning Canvas provides a practical framework for applying this thinking to workplace learning. Adapted from the Business Model Canvas and Lean Canvas used by startups, it captures the essential elements of a learning strategy on a single page, enabling rapid development and iteration. This visual tool transforms what might have been a 50-page strategy document requiring months of work into a collaborative blueprint that can be created in hours. The canvas consists of nine building blocks organized around three key questions: Why are we doing this? How will we do it? What results will we achieve? The "Why" section captures the problem to be solved, who it affects, and the value proposition for both individuals and the organization. Problems are articulated as "job stories" using the formula: "When [situation], I want to [motivation], so I can [desired outcome]." For example: "When I have one-to-ones with team members, I want to have better career development conversations, so I can retain our best talent." The "How" section details the approach to solving the problem, including the mindset, knowledge, and skills required, key partners and stakeholders needed for success, and the learning resources that will deliver value. Rather than defaulting to courses, this section encourages consideration of the full spectrum of learning options. The "What" section focuses on measurable outcomes, metrics that will track progress, and the costs involved in implementation. By completing the Learning Canvas collaboratively, teams develop a shared understanding of business challenges and potential solutions. The canvas forces clarity about assumptions being made and enables rapid testing of those assumptions with minimal resource investment. When a learning strategy fails to deliver expected results, teams can easily revisit and adjust specific components of the canvas rather than scrapping entire initiatives. This approach represents a radical departure from traditional learning strategy development, which often begins with solutions (like implementing a Learning Management System) before clearly defining problems. The Learning Canvas ensures that every element of the strategy connects directly to business challenges, creating alignment between learning initiatives and organizational goals from the outset.

Chapter 4: Building a Dynamic Learning Ecosystem for Modern Workplaces

Modern workplaces demand a learning approach that extends far beyond traditional training programs and content libraries. Today's employees don't wait for formal learning opportunities - they proactively seek knowledge from diverse sources, with research showing that 79 percent of online learning resources used by employees come from outside their L&D function. This reality requires organizations to recognize that effective learning occurs within an ecosystem - a network of knowledge, skills, experts, and tools both inside and outside organizational boundaries. A dynamic learning ecosystem brings together diverse learning elements to support performance at the moment of need. Open learning resources form the foundation of this ecosystem, leveraging existing industry insights, how-to guides, thought leadership content, and specialized learning media rather than recreating content that already exists. With knowledge being created faster than any L&D team can match, incorporating these resources enables employees to access the most current information available. Collaborative learning and knowledge sharing represent another critical component of the ecosystem. Approaches like peer-to-peer learning networks (similar to Google's "g2g" program where 6,000+ employees teach colleagues), knowledge bases that capture tacit knowledge, hackathons that foster cross-functional collaboration, and cohort-based courses that combine social learning with online flexibility all enable valuable knowledge transfer between employees. These methods help organizations address the "leaky bucket" problem where knowledge walks out the door when employees leave. Job aids and performance support systems provide just-in-time assistance that minimizes the need for memorization and recall. From simple checklists and templates to sophisticated digital performance support tools embedded within workflow applications, these resources deliver precisely what employees need exactly when they need it. This approach proves particularly valuable when tasks are complex, procedures change frequently, or activities happen infrequently enough that people forget the steps involved. Coaching and mentoring provide human support that technology alone cannot replicate. As Dr. Atul Gawande noted in his TED talk on coaching, even elite performers benefit from skilled guidance that helps them identify improvement opportunities they cannot see themselves. Organizations like Allen & Overy have replaced annual performance reviews with ongoing coaching conversations, creating more meaningful development dialogues. Reverse mentoring programs, where younger employees guide senior executives on topics like digital skills or diversity issues, further enrich this ecosystem component. Online courses still play a valuable role but can be created and delivered more efficiently using modern tools. The creator economy has spawned numerous platforms that enable rapid content development without extensive production resources. Personal learning budgets complement these resources by empowering employees to purchase learning experiences aligned with their specific needs rather than forcing one-size-fits-all solutions. This ecosystem approach represents a fundamental shift from designing isolated courses to creating strategic learning experiences that are faster, cheaper, and more effective. By connecting employees with the right resources at the right time, organizations can dramatically accelerate their learning capabilities while building knowledge that compounds as people learn from what others learn.

Chapter 5: Shaping Performance in the Moments that Matter

In today's on-demand economy, people expect immediate access to knowledge and services. This expectation extends to workplace learning, where the critical factor isn't just what employees learn but when they learn it. Performance improvement happens in specific moments that matter (MTMs) - intent-driven instances where employees need knowledge to execute tasks effectively and are most motivated to learn. These moments fall into two categories: micro-moments (occurring during workflow tasks) and macro-moments (happening throughout work life, like onboarding or promotion). By designing learning experiences specifically for these moments, organizations connect learning directly to performance, creating "aha moments" where employees immediately recognize the value of what they're learning. This approach addresses the problem of inert knowledge - information that's learned but never applied - which research suggests affects up to 80 percent of traditional training. Six key factors influence these moments that matter, each requiring careful consideration when designing learning experiences. The physical environment can significantly impact learning effectiveness, with different settings (remote work, factory floors, retail spaces) requiring different approaches. Environmental elements can also serve as triggers for learning, such as QR codes placed near equipment that surface instructional videos when scanned. Technology represents another critical influence, with digital adoption platforms and performance support systems providing contextual guidance within workflow applications. The best learning technology makes knowledge acquisition almost invisible by embedding it into everyday tools and workflows. In-app smart suggestions can even eliminate the need for searching, delivering relevant information precisely when needed. Time context determines how learning must be delivered. If someone needs information while on a call with a client, short, searchable resources prove far more valuable than comprehensive courses. Understanding typical time availability enables appropriate resource design - if data shows employees typically learn in 15-minute increments, hour-long courses will likely go unused. Activity context shapes both learning needs and delivery methods. A sales representative handling an objection during a client call benefits more from live coaching than from a product demo course. The cognitive intensity of the activity also influences how learning should be delivered, with more demanding tasks requiring more concise, easily processed information. Organizational culture determines whether employees can apply what they learn. Without psychological safety to try new approaches and potentially fail, employees won't step outside their comfort zones. Research shows that organizations supporting learning through informal socialization mechanisms and high-quality manager relationships see significantly more voluntary learning behaviors and knowledge sharing. External factors including market forces, technological advancements, and regulatory changes influence what employees need to learn and how quickly. During the COVID-19 pandemic, for example, organizations suddenly needed to support remote management skills - not six months later, but immediately. Responsiveness to these external drivers can determine whether learning initiatives deliver value or become irrelevant. By designing learning experiences with these six influences in mind, organizations can connect employees with knowledge precisely when it matters most, dramatically increasing engagement and application while driving measurable performance improvement.

Chapter 6: Testing with Minimum Valuable Learning and Achieving Learning-Challenge Fit

Successful product development rarely begins with fully featured offerings. Airbnb started as a simple website advertising airbeds in the founders' apartment during a design conference, while countless other successful companies began with minimal viable products that tested core assumptions with minimal investment. This same approach can revolutionize workplace learning through what might be called Minimum Valuable Learning (MVL). MVL represents the smallest learning experience that quickly delivers meaningful impact - not a minimal viable course, but rather the minimum version of a complete learning experience that connects the right resources to the right people at the right time to drive the right impact. For example, rather than developing a comprehensive leadership program, an organization might start with a focused coaching session addressing a specific management challenge, gathering feedback to inform future iterations. This approach offers several significant advantages over traditional L&D methods. By minimizing uncertainties and risks, MVL allows organizations to test assumptions before committing substantial resources. It increases learning speed by avoiding scope creep and enabling rapid adjustments based on feedback. MVL helps win stakeholder buy-in by demonstrating value quickly rather than requiring faith in long-term initiatives. It focuses efforts on learning that matters most by forcing clarity about desired outcomes. And despite seeming counterintuitive, starting small actually accelerates momentum by creating early wins that build confidence and appetite for change. Common pitfalls when implementing MVL include overbuilding (adding unnecessary features or production values), over-minimizing (cutting back so much that no value is delivered), and ignoring feedback (becoming attached to solutions rather than problems). To avoid these traps, organizations can use the Learning Experience Bullseye framework to systematically map potential learning experiences across four dimensions: impact, moments that matter, target audience, and learning resources. Once potential experiences are mapped, they can be prioritized using the ICE scoring method popularized by growth hacking expert Sean Ellis. This approach evaluates options based on potential Impact, Confidence in success, and Ease of implementation. The highest-scoring option becomes the MVL to test first, with others potentially explored in future iterations. Testing the MVL represents the first step toward achieving Learning-Challenge Fit - the point where learning positively influences individual performance to solve a specific business challenge. This process is captured in the Learning Flywheel, where two integrated loops drive continuous improvement: the Learning Experience loop (where employees learn, practice, receive feedback, and share knowledge) and the Learning Experience Design loop (where L&D teams ideate, build, and test solutions). With each turn of the flywheel, both employees and L&D teams learn and improve. Employees develop knowledge and skills while applying them to real challenges, and L&D teams gather insights that enhance future learning experiences. Initially, the flywheel requires significant effort to start turning, but momentum builds with each iteration, eventually creating a self-reinforcing cycle of continuous improvement. Several factors can accelerate this flywheel, including appropriate learning technology, strong alignment between learning and business strategy, psychological safety that encourages experimentation, meaningful recognition systems, and well-designed forcing functions that motivate action. By applying these accelerators while minimizing friction points, organizations can rapidly achieve Learning-Challenge Fit, connecting learning directly to performance improvement.

Chapter 7: Marketing Learning: Scaling Your L&D Impact Organization-wide

Even the most effective learning experiences fail to drive organizational impact if employees don't engage with them. This challenge parallels the marketing problems faced by consumer brands - it's not enough to create great products if no one knows they exist or understands their value. The mattress company Casper's billion-dollar success demonstrates that even seemingly mundane products can create tremendous demand through effective marketing, and the same principles can transform how learning initiatives are positioned within organizations. The L&D marketing funnel provides a framework for understanding how employees progress from awareness to engagement with learning resources. This A2R2 funnel consists of four stages: Awareness (recognizing a problem exists and solutions are available), Activation (committing to a learning experience), Retention (staying engaged until performance improves), and Referral (becoming advocates who share their learning journey with others). Different marketing tactics drive progress through each stage. Building a strong learning brand represents a fundamental marketing strategy. This goes beyond logos and visual elements to encompass the full identity of learning within the organization. An effective learning brand clearly communicates who it serves, why it exists (through a compelling mission, values, and story), and establishes a consistent name, visual identity, and tone of voice that resonates with employees. This brand identity helps learning initiatives stand out in the crowded attention marketplace of the modern workplace. Social media provides powerful channels for connecting with employees where they already spend time. By creating profiles for the learning brand on platforms used by employees, sharing valuable content, and fostering engagement through questions and discussions, L&D teams can build awareness and create ongoing touchpoints that keep learning top-of-mind. Consistency in posting and strategic use of tagging and hashtags further extends reach and impact. Influencer marketing leverages the natural social dynamics within organizations by partnering with respected individuals who have established credibility with their peers. These internal influencers don't necessarily hold formal leadership positions but have earned trust through their expertise and helpfulness. By empowering these individuals to share learning resources and co-create content, organizations can dramatically extend the reach and perceived value of learning initiatives. Search engine optimization ensures learning resources appear when employees actively seek information. By conducting keyword research to understand how employees search for solutions and optimizing content accordingly, L&D teams help employees discover relevant resources precisely when needed. This approach reduces time spent searching and increases engagement with valuable learning experiences. Product positioning communicates why specific learning resources matter to employees by clearly articulating the problem being solved, how the learning experience addresses it, and the benefits of resolving the issue. This context-setting helps employees quickly understand the value proposition and increases the likelihood they'll commit time and energy to the learning experience. Strategic calls to action and nudge marketing techniques provide the final push toward engagement. Value-focused CTAs that emphasize benefits rather than actions, social proof showing others' positive experiences, and well-designed notifications that remind and re-engage users all help convert awareness into action. These techniques work most effectively when they create win-win situations that genuinely help employees while advancing organizational goals. By applying these marketing strategies, L&D teams can dramatically increase engagement with learning resources, extending their impact throughout the organization and building a culture where continuous learning becomes embedded in everyday work.

Summary

The essence of Learning at Speed lies in a fundamental truth: connecting the right learning resources to the right people at the right moment drives the right impact. This approach transforms L&D from an order-taking function into a strategic driver of business performance through iterative cycles of discovery, experimentation, and improvement. Rather than producing generic training programs disconnected from real needs, Lean Learning builds the organizational capability to rapidly identify business challenges, design targeted interventions, test assumptions, and continuously refine until measurable impact is achieved. The significance of this approach extends far beyond incremental improvements in learning efficiency. In a world where change is exponential and adaptation is survival, an organization's speed of learning represents its most sustainable competitive advantage. By embedding Lean Learning principles throughout the organization, companies build not just better training programs but fundamentally more adaptable cultures capable of continuous reinvention. As markets evolve, technologies emerge, and challenges arise, the fastest learners will continue to thrive while others struggle to keep pace - making Learning at Speed not just a methodology but an essential capability for organizational success in the twenty-first century.

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Nelson Sivalingam

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