Learning in the Workplace: Key to Future Success

No matter what your individual role is in the overall supply chain – harvesting the crops, delivering feed to animals, milking the cows, hauling the milk or processing dairy products – being able to continue learning new skills and refining old ones is key for your success and the success of your business workplace. The idea of "workplace learning" is certainly not new.  Olsen and Tikkanen (2018) recently reviewed two decades of literature on workplace learning. They summarized characteristics of an expansive learning environment as:  participation in social networks inside and outside the workplace, planned time off, organizational support for learning, value of teamwork, managers as facilitators, and bottom up approaches to innovation.  Conversely, the restricted learning environment was described as one that had: a top-down approach, rigid roles, little time away from work to reflect limited or no organizational importance for learning and limited social interactions.  In the book The Living Company which looked at businesses that had been around for 200 years, Ari de Gues stated that," Your ability to learn faster than your competition is your only sustainable competitive advantage."

Training and learning are not equal. It is possible to know how to complete a task (cleaning teat ends) without understanding why (reduce mastitis) it is completed that way. It is possible to understand why (sick calves can die) something is important without knowing how (proper bedding and air flow) to fix the problem. Ideally, training provides some of the step by step – the how – along with some discussion about the why. Even the best training programs may not result in complete learning. That's because everyone learns differently and at their own pace.  That's because training is an expense, both in time and money, and oftentimes we want to minimize our expenses. 

Rather than viewing our training programs with a "once and done" or as something that needs "dusted off again" when problems occur, taking a broader view of enhancing workplace learning can be a new beginning to revitalize, energize and empower your workforce. Murphy (2018) posed the question, "Are you energized by your work?" Take that one step farther: How many of your employees are energized by their work?  Do they leave work looking forward to returning the next day or dreading the experience? Do they find satisfaction in the job they do or merely get through one task and move on to another? How can you create a positive environment for workplace learning and help to energize your people? It doesn't take being the farm owner to begin to make these changes to foster more workplace learning.

While there is certainly value in formal education and training programs, these experiences should be viewed as a first step to lifelong learning opportunities. The expansive learning environment described earlier was characterized by bottom up innovation, teamwork and interaction in social networks. Managers can and should encourage learning and new ideas day to day, week to week, month to month over time. Organizations, and people, that stay stuck in same old ways can become complacent, stop bringing in new ideas, and fall behind their competitors in terms of on-farm practices but also the ability to recruit and hire the best people.  Businesses that value fresh ideas, new ways to operate and people who want to learn will be more successful in both business operations and attracting top people.

Consider some ways to boost the learning opportunities in your workplace and create some energy in your team.  Here are some ideas to get you started.

1. Monthly lunch and learns.

• Designate one day each month for a learning lunch. Consider buying lunch or encourage workers to bring their own.  Have a current topic of interest and provide information, farm data, or an outside speaker – this can be done virtually – to talk about the topic. Ask for feedback from the group. Look at what the farm data shows compared to where the goal or target is for an area.

2. Weekly employee shares.

• This can be 15-20 minutes and works well for a small group of employees:  a milking shift, the outside crew, etc. Start by pointing out something that you have learned or seen this week.  For example, the cows don't seem to be bunching up as much in the mornings since the fans were moved.  Follow up with a question: What are you noticing at different times of the day?  Is there still bunching?  Start the ball rolling then step back and listen.

3. Whiteboard nuggets

• Clean off that whiteboard in your high-traffic area (or buy a new clean one) and start using that for "daily discoveries". For example, milk is 87% water. Are our cows drinking enough? How much does an average cow drink?  Make a box with names and a place to write numbers. 
• Engage your team in conversation across shifts with this type of strategy. Depending on your workers and your culture, maybe create a little friendly competition: Night milkers had 95% of their cows peak milk flow on target.  Congratulations to (names go here). Do the same for the next shift. Maybe they only had 80%?

Workplace learning does not have to be expensive. Sometimes a bit of creativity, encouraging social networking like lunch and learns or employee shares can bring new insight and energy to that same boring routine.  Think about and get to know your people. Encourage and nudge, sometimes the whiteboard is less intrusive providing that all can read.  If your dairy has a "keep your head down and get your work done" feeling, you may be missing out on the talents, expertise, and ideas of your team of people. You may be falling behind your peers where managers and employees are learning faster every day.

References

Dorothy Sutherland Olsen & Tarja Tikkanen (2018) The developing field of workplace learning and the contribution of PIAAC, International Journal of Lifelong Education, 37:5, 546-559, DOI: 10.1080/02601370.2018.1497720 

Geus, Arie de. The Living Company: Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press, 2002.

Murphy, Shawn. "Are You Energized by Your Work?" April 30, 2018.