The conventional idea of learning as an institutional task is outdated in professional practice. “Learning” in the context of “new learning” is anchored as part of every professional role in day-to-day activities.
Learning requirements and training needs are constantly evolving. To meet this challenge, employees must take over their responsibility and become active designers of their own learning experience.
Learning is becoming an increasingly personal activity – with individual willingness, openness and curiosity. Companies have the task of supporting employees and accompanying them on their own learning journey.
Our understanding of “new learning” therefore takes into account three levels of “learning” – the structural, the collective and the personal.
The structural level must provide learning opportunities, freedom, orientation, goals and framework conditions. This also includes the learning environment or learning platform and learning contents that enable very flexible and individual learning.
On the collective level, it comes down to learning support from the manager in everyday life, visible learning role models in the organisation and dealing with challenges and learning routines. We call all this a necessary learning culture.
Employees must also become personal designers of their learning experience. It is important to take initiative and responsibility for the own competences. This includes recognizing risks and opportunities in the individual’s working environment and building up specific competencies.
”Change does not happen by waiting for other people or another time. We are the ones we have been waiting for. We are the change we are looking for.
Barak Obama