Learning comes in many forms.
With the abundance of resources available through the internet, learning has become more accessible to a larger number of people.
However, although everyone should ideally invest time in personal learning and development, this doesn’t always mean that they’ll succeed in a team environment. For teams to thrive and succeed, leaders need to invest in team learning.
In this article, learn what team learning is, and why it’s important for the workplace.
What Is Team Learning?
Team learning is a dynamic, collaborative process where teams engage in shared learning experiences, critically examine their collective knowledge, and continuously adjust their strategies to achieve a common goal.
According to research from various researchers including Teamraderie advisor and Harvard Business School Professor Amy Edmondson, team learning has historically been treated as a static event. However, Edmondson et. al argue that the most effective team learning is dynamic and iterative.
Here are two factors that define effective team learning:
- It’s an ongoing process: Team learning shouldn’t be a one-time event. Effective team learning involves multiple learning sessions where teams focus on a specific goal, each session building on the last.
- It’s more than information sharing: Team learning requires teams to think critically about their work, discuss diverse viewpoints, and adjust their strategies based on what they learn.
So what makes team learning so important to workplace cultures?
Why Is Team Learning Important?
There’s a place for individual learning using courses and modules.
However, according to Harvard Business Review (HBR), depending on “on-demand” and “at your own pace” approaches has the following problems:
- Easily outdated: Relying on content-based learning can easily result in learning that’s out of date.
- No personalization: Learning should account for the fact that different people have different learning styles and needs.
- Difficult implementation: When team members learn individually, it can be challenging for team members to come together and implement what they’ve learned.
- Lack of time: When employees are encouraged to pursue individual learning, they struggle to find the time. Research from Deloitte suggests that employees only have 1% of a typical work week to focus on learning and development.
Even one-on-one personalized coaching falls short when it comes to harnessing the power of a collective, according to insights from HBR.
Benefits of Team Learning
Team learning has the following benefits:
- Enhanced collaboration: Insights from McKinsey reveal that team learning is vital for team collaboration and collective decision-making.
- Better innovation: Team learning helps teams become better at collective ideation, thinking of creative solutions, and achieving better results.
- Increased engagement and retention: According to HBR, a strong learning culture helps employees feel more engaged and decreases their likelihood of leaving the company.
- Better performance: Team learning enhances a team’s ability to respond well to change and increases their overall effectiveness.
It’s helpful to draw parallels between teams in a business environment and an orchestra.
In an orchestra, each individual brings unique skills to the table and must continuously develop and practice those skills.
However, a group of virtuoso musicians doesn’t automatically make a great orchestra—they must learn how to perform with others for the orchestra to sound coherent and achieve success. For example, individual stylistic choices might sound excellent in a solo, but in an orchestral context, it can be distracting and grating.
Similarly, in a team setting, each individual brings unique skills, and must continuously seek to enhance their individual skill sets. However, if they don’t learn how to work on a team, conflicts and individual preferences are likely to cause division.
What Makes Team Learning Successful?
So what’s the solution?
There are several ways to boost team learning in an organization—click here for three tips.
Ultimately, successful team learning has the following distinct characteristics:
- Synchronous: Teams need the opportunity to learn together in real-time, building upon one another’s strengths and receiving immediate feedback.
- Dedicated time: Teams should have dedicated time set aside for the purpose of learning together.
- Psychologically safe environment: It’s much easier for teams to learn together when they’re in an environment in which they feel safe asking questions, admitting mistakes, and sharing open feedback.
- Ongoing: Edmondson’s research shows that team learning should be a continuous process rather than a non-repeatable event that doesn’t require attention after a team is launched.
- Goal-oriented: Team learning should be intentional and based on goals or problems to be solved.
When implemented effectively, team learning will ensure that team members learn to work together cohesively while simultaneously developing their individual skill sets.
Enhance Team Learning With Teamraderie
As explained above, it’s important to perceive team learning as a dynamic, ongoing process. Teams need to continue learning together and upskilling as a unit, as well as individually.
Teamraderie is an excellent solution for implementing team learning.
Our innovative experiences are expert-led, research-backed workshops that are designed to accommodate the needs of modern teams.
If you’re interested in Teamraderie’s synchronous team experiences, click here to explore our experience finder with over 60 unique experiences to choose from.
