How Do You Create a Learning Culture in the Workplace?
Digital HR Leaders Podcast hosted by David Green EP41: Gianpiero Petriglieri

How Do You Create a Learning Culture in the Workplace?

David Green 🇺🇦 David Green 🇺🇦

David Green 🇺🇦

Co-Author of Excellence in People Analytics | People Analytics leader | Director, Insight222 & myHRfuture.com | Conference speaker | Host, Digital HR Leaders Podcast

Published Sep 22, 2020
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Learning at work is work, and we must make space for it.

Those are the words of Gianpiero Petriglieri, Associate Professor of Organisational Behaviour at the fabled INSEAD business school, in a 2019 article published in MIT Sloan Management Review, and my guest on this week's episode of the Digital HR Leaders Podcast.

This series of the Podcast, which is sponsored by Degreed, explores the importance of skills, re-skilling and continuous learning as well as the shift to on-demand, personalised learning.

As a highly-regarded expert on leadership development and learning in the workplace, Gianpiero provides a compelling perspective to this critical topic. He has chaired the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on new models of leadership, and is listed among the 50 most influential management thinkers in the world by Thinkers50.

Gianpiero’s work explores how and where people develop and sustain the personal foundations and professional abilities to exercise leadership mindfully, effectively and responsibly. His studies highlight the psychological, social and cultural functions of leadership development, and his teaching methods provide an example of how to perform those functions purposefully for the benefit of individuals, organisations and society at large.

His research has appeared in academic journals, media and business journals like the Harvard Business Review, where five of his essays have been included among the “ideas that shaped management” in the last decade.

In our podcast conversation, Gianpiero and I talk about how to embed a culture of lifelong learning, the difference between cognitive and socio-emotional learning, and highlight companies such as Schneider Electric and Lego where learning cultures thrive.

You can listen by clicking on the image below or by visiting the podcast website here.

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In our conversation, Gianpiero and I discuss:

  • Why organisations are struggling to embed a culture of lifelong learning ("To really personalise learning means you need to dwell with the psychology and the culture around you, not just with the mechanics of the skills you need to acquire so that you can reach a goal faster.")
  • The differences between cognitive learning and socio-emotional learning, and why organisations need to make room for both ("The skill you need and how to use it more effectively and at the same time in this context, how do you make sure you have the discipline to use it responsibly.")
  • The role of technology in supporting the development of skills ("Technology is changing from a tool for delivery to a space for a conversation")
  • Examples of companies like Schneider Electric and Lego who have developed culture and environments where learning can thrive ("Every organisation I work with that is really focused on learning, doesn't make a choice between serving the organisation strategy or allowing the individuals to grow. They actually try to figure out how do we bring these two outcomes as close as possible?"
  • The potential impact of the crisis on efforts to build a culture of continuous learning ("Any crisis of this nature which really raises anxiety becomes an enormous challenge to a culture of learning, to a culture of experimentation because what it does is it makes us defensive and less functional")
  • Where the Chief Learning Officer should sit in HR or report directly to the CEO ("I think we will see Chief Learning Officers going in opposite directions, either becoming another tech or really becoming a beacon of humanity in business")

This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested or involved in learning, skills and leadership development – either from an individual or company perspective, so that’s business leaders, CHROs, Chief Learning Officers and anyone in a People Analytics, Workforce Planning or HR Business Partner role.

Every organisation that is really taking learning seriously is focusing on three pillars. How do I make it personal? How do I make it practical? How do I make it digital?


LISTEN TO THE PODCAST

To listen to the Podcast and read the transcript of my discussion with Gianpiero, head over to myHRfuture by clicking on this link: How Do You Create a Learning Culture in the Workplace?


WATCH THE VIDEOS

As well as the podcast, there will be a couple of videos available on the myHRfuture YouTube channel highlighting two of the topics Gianpiero and I covered in our conversation. In the video below, Gianpiero explains how technology is helping to support and enable learning and skills.


GET INVOLVED

If you enjoyed listening to this week's podcast episode, I'd be grateful if you could take the following steps:

  1. Please subscribe to the Digital HR Leaders podcast and weekly newsletter to make sure you don’t miss an episode.
  2. Please take the time to rate the show on iTunes. We rely on your feedback and support to make the podcast, so this is very helpful!
  3. Who would you like to see me interview in future episodes? Let me know in the comments below.
  4. Lastly, don’t forget to share on social media with your friends and colleagues, your support is always greatly appreciated!


THANK YOU

A huge thank you to Gianpiero for sharing his time, expertise and ideas with listeners of the podcast. You can find out more about Gianpiero and his work by visiting his website at gpetriglieri.com, you can also follow Gianpiero on LinkedIn, and on Twitter @gpetriglieri.

Gianpiero also regularly published articles in the likes of Harvard Business Review, Fast Company and MIT Sloan Management Review including the terrific essays listed below:

Thanks also to Degreed for sponsoring Series 9, and also Ian Bailie, Manpreet Randhawa, Caroline Styr and the myHRfuture team for creating the Digital HR Leaders podcast and video series.


CATCH UP ON THE DIGITAL HR LEADERS PODCAST

If you haven't listened to all of the episodes of the Digital HR Leaders Podcast, you can catch up now by clicking on the links below.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

David is a globally respected writer, speaker, conference chair, and executive consultant on people analytics, data-driven HR and the future of work. As an Executive Director at Insight222, he helps global organisations create more cultural and economic value through the wise and ethical use of people data and analytics. Prior to joining Insight222 and taking up a board advisor role at TrustSphere, David was the Global Director of People Analytics Solutions at IBM Watson Talent. As such, David has extensive experience in helping organisations embark upon and accelerate their people analytics journeys. David also hosts the Digital HR Leaders Podcast on myHRfuture.

Sarah Phillips

Systems Leadership | Systems-psychodynamic Organisational Consultant| ISPSO Member | Board Development |Author, Founder, Innovator VeinTrain| Expert Witness

4y

Thanks really liked this - action focussed. “Every organisation that is really taking learning seriously is focusing on three pillars. How do I make it personal? How do I make it practical? How do I make it digital?”

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1 Reaction
Jan Rezab

CEO & Founder of Ravineo

4y

Great stuff, David, Gianpiero. Far too often employers are only giving lip service to what they advertise as in-house learning opportunities. I look forward to the rise of the CLO.

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Carol Braddick

Market scout for #coachtech that improves access to coaching and enables coaching outcomes

4y

Great question on tech: can technology be more than a pipe? Whether it's a pipe than carries knowledge or nudges, it's still a pipe. As a pipe it can carry the prompts to encourage a user into what GP calls reflected engagement (remove yourself, question what you know, be present to what is emerging). But it can't yet sustain a conversation about that. Enjoyed this too: Leadership development is about me accompanying you as you discover what your purpose is and how you can have the most impact. Which is what coaching is about

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2 Reactions
Zornitza Iankova, SPHR

HR Director Southeast Europe @ Aurubis

4y

I loved this, David. Impactful opening "Learning at work is work, and we must make space for it". So few of us actually do this, with the focus, energy and commitment it deserves. Thank you for sharing, and ... I enjoy your podcasts, please keep them coming:-)

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Mads Østergaard Skinbjerg

BI Specialist hos Nordex Food A/S • HD(R) •

4y

Marlena Sofia Rasmussen Jeanette Louise Rasmussen Hans-Peder Rasmussen

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