ANNOUNCING: "Learning at Work Day!" May 19, 2011.

By Mehak Chadha & Michael Fernandes

People are always learning, consciously or unconsciously. We learn from our environment, our parents, our friends, our workplace. Learning is an experience that helps us channel our passions and energies in developing ourselves as productive, creative contributors to the community and the organisation. Given the percentage of waking hours spent in the workplace, it's imperative to make workplace learning not only organisationally effective but also meaningful for the employee.

The learning that is commonly understood in companies is limited to programmes conducted by external /internal trainers, visits to conferences/seminars /trade fairs, and learning via survey or benchmark processes. Less well known are the other means of workplace learning such as coaching and mentoring, job rotation, action learning projects, quality circles, self-learning (books, e-learning, etc.). Modern learner-centric ways of learning such as communities of practices, learning networks, and blended learning offer us exciting avenues to embed a learning culture in our workplaces.

There are three compelling reasons why we at the Learning & OD Roundtable - or any progressive organisation for that matter - are committed to fostering continuing learning:

  • Business success: build organizational capability for competitive advantage
  • Enhanced engagement: facilitate employees finding meaning and purpose doing things they are passionate about
  • Developing leaders: building capacity to lead and manage change


The "Learning at Work Day" is a do-not-miss opportunity to create organizational awareness about the importance and the avenues available for effective workplace learning. Join us, at the Learning & OD Roundtable, in celebrating the Learning at Work Day on May 19, 2011. A day isn't enough…we will observe a week to focus on transformational opportunities via workplace learning!

FFor starters, do read this most informative guide: "Becoming a Better Learner" by the CAMPAIGN FOR LEARNING, UK. http://tinyurl.com/67x2g25

The guide supports learning in the workplace and beyond - encounters in the community, the family, or even the classroom. These 24 idea-packed pages will truly convince you - if you need any convincing - that through learning life can be made healthier, happier and generally wealthier.

The "Becoming a Better Learner" guide has reader-friendly sections:
  • Learning-just what do we mean? - briefly and simply defines the process of Learning.
  • Why learn? - explores different motivations for learning.
  • What's stopping you learning? - common barriers to learning and suggests easy ways to overcome them
  • What happens when we learn? - throws lights on the process of learning - acquiring, constructing, experiencing.
  • Improving your learning -a quick and fun questionnaire to assess your attitude towards learning.
The team at the L&OD Roundtable commends this guide to enable you and your organisation become better learners! Share the message! Pass it on!

For more on 'Learning at Work Day', please watch this space!

** "Learning at the workplace" by Elke Gruber, Irene Mandl, Thomas Oberholzner, Fourth Report on Vocational Education and Training Research in Europe: Background Report, Vol 2.