Podcast: How LMS Enables Learning in the Flow of Work

Introduction:  

Our upcoming podcast episode “How LMS Enables Learning in the Flow of Work” with Ganesh Sethi, the Chief Customer Officer at Invince, takes a deep look at how a Learning Management System (LMS) enables and fosters learning in the flow of work and why this is critical for organizations invested in the pursuit of a learning culture. Here is a summary of the key points highlighted by Ganesh in his podcast.

Learning in the Flow of Work:  

‘Learning at the point of work’ strategy is one of the most significant learning paradigms of the present-day workplace. LMS platforms play a crucial role here in effectively ensuring that the learning resources can be accessed by the employees at the right time when they need them. The assurance of being able to access work and performance support tools via an LMS exactly when needed, makes it easy for employees to even take on challenging tasks and expand their learning horizons. This is a great first step to building resilience and agility in the workforce. From learning in the flow of work, to a coordinated knowledge management is an easy transition for the organization as a result. 

Understanding Learning in the Flow of Work:  

Even after pre-training and preparing employees before they take on a job or work at hand, the need to reinforce the same while doing the job is real. It is neither feasible nor effective to continue investing workforce’s valuable time away from the job for learning purpose. It is imperative to allow and enable them to seek learning assistance when it is needed and at the same time it should not be restricted to just learning resources and that’s where an LMS platform can create a holistic and comprehensive learning ecosystem comprising of components like informal learning, peer to peer learning, collaboration et al. And all this, without disrupting the flow of work. 

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Popularity of This Approach:  

Ganesh rightly notes that there are several reasons why this approach is getting popular in organizations. The ever-changing business landscape puts a high demand on today’s workforce in doing more in less time. Today a learner simply cannot afford to being away from job for training, beyond an initial required time. Additionally, learning in the flow of work improves effectiveness of the task performed and potentially a greater retention of the knowledge for long term. Overall, there is a tangible increase in productivity. Today, the LMS platforms are also evolving rapidly. They are able to offer a hyper-personalized experience to each learner with the help of AI and otherwise, which helps learners zone in on only the relevant and important stuff.  

Real Workplace Examples:  

Ganesh goes on to support this with real world examples of how our customers are leveraging this in their workplace: 

• A salesperson about to give a product demo or quickly answer a question from a prospect can access a short video refresher on features directly from the LMS, in most cases integrated directly with the CRM making it quick and easy. 

• A technician troubleshooting a machine can scan a QR code to access a quick repair tutorial on-site. This is very helpful for field workforce who can use mobile apps for the LMS when they need.

• A new employee can be assigned a bite-sized onboarding module relevant specifically to their department. 

Features to Prioritize in an LMS:  

For companies considering this approach, Ganesh list a number of critical features needed in the LMS: 

• Ease of use: The LMS should be intuitive for everyone, from employees to the L&D team. An easy to use interface saves everyone’s time in quickly performing the needed actions.

• Mobile-first: Learning should be accessible from anywhere. An LMS should not just be mobile compatible, but ideally be designed with mobile-first approach.

• Search functionality: Employees should be able to find resources quickly. For learning in the flow of work, the most important factor is how quickly anyone can access what they are looking for. Deep and targeted search are key here. 

• Integrations: The LMS should seamlessly integrate with other business tools. Today an employee typically uses a number of systems for their work. An LMS should be integrated with the tools they use to make it easy to access and use.

• Advanced Analytics: The LMS should provide data on employee learning and its effectiveness. For continuous calibration and improvements, it is critical to understand the data and get deeper insights.

Closing Note:  

Ganesh is very excited with the way LMS platforms continue to shape the future of work. The advent of AI is only making the LMS systems much more powerful yet extremely flexible for each learner. This podcast with Ganesh Sethi provides valuable insights into the role of LMS in modern workplace learning, emphasizing the importance of integrating learning into the daily workflow for maximum impact, efficiency and, effectiveness.