Learning agility – just another hype?

Those really interested in the needs of their clients and work in the L&D sector should enthusiastically learn new things continuously: people are always different, groups are characterized through dynamic processes. And thanks to digitalization and the consequent globalization, the markets of our clients and the working environment of their employees are changing in an increasing pace.

Learning agility as a core competency of the future

A core competency to move in this environment successfully for the long term, is to learn new things quickly: whether it is to use a new gadget, or apply new techniques, processes or mental constructs – to master it you always need to change behavior.

It is not only important to acquire new knowledge and skills: rather, it is necessary to show openness and self-initiative, have capacity for self-criticism and critically question existing or new assumptions, models or approaches. Furthermore, you need to be able to create your own learning process and then work self-organized within it. This cluster of competencies is then called “learning agility”.

Learning means investing energy

If you stop for a moment and think about the scope of this “competency for the future” it becomes clear that it is connected with a high investment of mental and emotional energy. You have to motivate and organize yourself, at least co-create the learning process as well as question things – and train, train, train new behaviors!… and you need to do so over and over again. That means the demands on professional development are growing. This is true for employees as well as trainers!

Stretching improves flexibility

To be agile means to be quick and flexible: Trainers that have been doing primarily the same things for the last five, ten or more years, need to ask themselves how flexible they still are mentally and emotionally. If we want to support our participants effectively, we have to be at least as flexible as is required of them. We are their example: In yoga or pilates the instructors also show how to do the exercises. Then they help here or there through corrections, supporting hands or similar – and the more enthusiastic the instructor is, the more fun it is to follow her and try to do the same.

Motivation and Enabling

For us as trainers this means that we need to enjoy constant development and experimenting with new technologies, methods and approaches.

Furthermore, effective development programs need to demand and support the learning agility of the participants. This happens when we

1. use different methods that involve participants in different ways intellectually, emotionally and physically
2. create a process out of singular interventions (like offsite seminars or online workshops) that allows preparation, implementation at work and time for joint reflection
3. provide room and tools for the participants to co-create their own learning process self-responsibly

If you have any questions or are interested, please get in touch: management@dextraining.de, Munich/Germany: +49 89 329 74 037, Cologne/Germany: +49 221 169 18467