As learning professionals, we help others grow—but how well are we developing ourselves? And does it really matter? Absolutely! In this article, I’ll explore why mastering the art of learning is crucial for our success and share strategies that go beyond traditional professional development.
Why learning matters for us
We need to be strong learners because our work demands broad expertise. We must understand the learning sciences, instructional design, project management, technology, evaluation, organizational dynamics, and business strategy. We also need to navigate a sea of learning frameworks, approaches, and models.
Consider two learning teams at competing companies. One team prioritizes continuous learning, while the other assumes they already know enough. Over time, the learning-focused team gains a competitive advantage, refining their practices with up-to-date knowledge. Their effectiveness grows—benefiting their careers, learners, and organizations. The other team stagnates, leading to weaker performance and limited career growth.
Beyond traditional professional development
How do we typically develop? We pursue degrees, certifications, and training programs. These are valuable but insufficient. A recent survey revealed that 56% of workplace learning professionals want more professional development. Clearly, there’s a gap.
Training plays a role—I’ve personally gained a lot from structured courses, and I see the impact on my learners in the courses I teach, especially in the most intensive programs like my LTEM Boot Camp. However, even top-tier training can’t provide everything we need. We must also engage in deeper, ongoing learning to be fully effective in our work.
Expanding our learning horizons
To sharpen our expertise, we can:
- Learn in the flow of work
- Use evaluation frameworks grounded in learning science
- Approach measurement as a tool for decision-making
- Audit our learning designs, tools, and strategies
- Assess our team’s ability to create a competitive advantage
Learning in the flow of work
Workflow learning isn’t about webinars, podcasts, or discussion groups—those take us out of the workflow. Instead, true workflow learning happens in real-time through structured reflection and problem-solving:
- After-Action Reviews: Debriefing after projects helps uncover lessons learned
- Pre-Mortems: Imagining future project failures helps us proactively prevent them
- Pre-Victoriums: Predicting success factors in advance helps reinforce them
- Pilot Testing: Small experiments help us refine ideas before full implementation
- Guided Cognition: Providing structured thinking tools—such as the Learning Maximizer Model—helps teams make better learning design decisions
- Psychological Safety: A workplace culture that encourages questioning and innovation makes learning more effective
Smarter learning evaluation
Evaluation isn’t just about proving impact—it’s about learning what works. Unfortunately, the Kirkpatrick-Katzell Four-Level Model lumps all learning under Level 2, often leading us to create superficial knowledge checks.
A better alternative is LTEM (Learning-Transfer Evaluation Model). Among other improvements, LTEM distinguishes between knowledge, decision-making, and task performance. It encourages us to think more deeply about learning, considering retention rather than just understanding, work-like behaviors like decision-making and application, and learning transfer to workplace impact. Thousands of organizations have already adopted LTEM to improve their learning evaluations.
Reframing evaluation as decision support
Too often, we evaluate learning without considering why we’re measuring in the first place. The LEADS (Learning Evaluation As Decision Support) approach shifts our focus: If evaluation helps us make better decisions, why not start with the decisions we need to make and build evaluation practices around them?
For example, if our goal is to ensure knowledge retention, we should delay assessments by several days or a week or more to measure long-term memory—not just immediate comprehension. By aligning evaluation with key learning decisions, we create a more effective feedback loop that informs improvement.
Auditing our learning practices
To improve, we must regularly assess our strengths and weaknesses. Yet many learning teams rarely conduct audits—whether internally or with outside experts. We often get so caught up in meeting deadlines that we neglect reflection and learning.
Bringing in outside experts provides fresh, unbiased perspectives, much like annual medical check-ups or car maintenance inspections. While hiring external evaluators requires investment, it’s a cost-effective way to identify gaps and accelerate progress. Learning teams should prioritize periodic audits to ensure their strategies remain effective.
Competitive advantage through learning
Many organizations talk about aligning L&D with business goals, but few go beyond surface-level alignment. The reality is, organizations—and their learning teams—are in constant competition. Businesses compete in markets, agencies compete for funding, and even nonprofits compete for donors.
Our role in L&D shouldn't just be to frame our conversations around business priorities—it's to drive a competitive advantage through learning. When we apply evidence-based strategies like retrieval practice, spaced learning, simulation, and feedback, we can double learning impact, creating a substantial edge over competitors. There are many other methods for gaining a competitive advantage.
Creating a competitive advantage in L&D
To stay ahead, we should focus on:
- Applying learning and performance science
- Integrating workflow learning strategies
- Improving evaluation and measurement
- Reinforcing concepts across multiple courses, not just in isolated sessions
- Using a learning-request process that nudges consideration of unique design ideas
- Equipping managers to help their team members learn
- Applying science-based leadership-development practices
Conversely, we limit our effectiveness by:
- Relying on traditional models without scrutiny
- Copying industry trends instead of innovating
- Acting as order-takers rather than strategic partners
- Conducting poor learning evaluations
- Failing to cultivate a learning culture within our teams
Measuring learning for competitive advantage
How can we assess whether we’re driving competitive advantage? Start with a gap analysis—identify where you are, where you want to be, and develop a plan to bridge that gap. Again, it can be valuable to bring in outsiders to ensure an unbiased process.
Additionally, L&D teams can conduct competitive intelligence research, benchmarking their practices against those of key competitors. Imagine presenting senior leaders with insights on how competitors are integrating mini GenAI projects in all their technical training courses, benefiting from spaced practice. This level of strategic thinking positions L&D as a key driver of business success.
Balancing formal and informal learning
While structured education remains essential, it shouldn’t be our only source of learning. The real key is continuous, multifaceted learning—integrating formal education with in-the-moment problem-solving, data-driven evaluation, and strategic self-assessment.
By embracing these approaches, we not only improve our individual skills but also elevate the entire profession. Our ability to learn—and apply what we learn—determines how much impact we can make. We can empower ourselves and our teams—and create competitive advantages for our organizations—when we commit to learning better, faster, and more strategically.
Learn more:
- The industry research that captured our professional-development frustrations was conducted by a team at Tier1 Performance when I was an employee there and one of the leaders of the team.
- Learning Maximizers Model
- LTEM
- A description of the LTEM Boot Camp
- LEADS is described in full in the book, The CEO’s Guide to Training, eLearning & Work: Empowering Learning for a Competitive Advantage
Image credit: Yutthana GaetGeaw