Informal Learning in Organizations

Everyone, at some point in their lives, has learned something seemingly by accident; a skill mastered, a concept understood. As the pace of change in the workplace speeds up and training budgets are challenged, it becomes essential for employees to learn as they go along. In this connected world, new ways of learning are emerging all of the time, whether the learning is planned, unexpected or self-directed. For those responsible for learning and development in organizations, understanding how this kind of informal learning can be utilised and measured is key to providing efficient and cost-effective ways of delivering on organizational objectives around people development. To do so requires taking a strategic approach and a coherent view of the learner's needs, the environment in which they work and the organizational culture in which they are immersed. Informal Learning offers practical tools including checklists and action plan questions to guide the Learning and Development practitioner in how to design and implement an informal learning strategy that is personalised to the needs of their own organization. It combines the latest thinking on new technology and practices, with established theory and research to provide an evidence-based review of informal learning and its true impact. It offers an overview of how and why informal learning resonates with people, how it works and when and why it doesn't, supported by case studies of informal learning in action. This book is for anyone interested in improving capability- personal capability and the individual's role as an effective agent in their continued development, and the capability of people in their organization as a source of competitive advantage. It will assist the reader in taking action to make sense of their connected environments and to influence and manage the learning opportunities thus presented, to create a continuous learning culture for those with whom they work.