Learning and Development Post COVID-19

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COVID-19 has pushed us into a place of change. And this change has become a catalyst for reflection and innovation. There are many lenses to choose from as we all think about the future of learning and L&D post COVID-19. For now, I am choosing the remote work or work from home lens given that: 

• People have suddenly been thrust into remote work without a choice or a preference and that might continue to be the state in the near future (the important factor being - not everyone likes to work remotely)
• Not all businesses and work can be done remotely and won’t be done remotely in the future either
• I have over 10 years of experience working remotely after having worked for 10 years in a 9-5, daily commute, office environment. So, I know a thing or two about remote work and remote learning

While the tools and technologies existed for many years, remote work was always an after-thought. 

Well, not anymore. 

We are now in the midst of perhaps the largest social and technological remote work experiment of the industrialized economy. Remote work is no longer an exception, challenge or a hypothetical situation; it is the reality of work today and will likely be a big part of the future of work. This has a huge impact on all functions of an organization including the work of L&D especially if our goal is to drive better work performance given the current circumstances and future realities. I don’t know what will be the long-term impact of COVID-19 on learning and I ponder about the impact of quarantine, social distancing and remote work on memory, cognition, learning and behaviour.

As much as technology is helping us in the short-term, we are already seeing the impact of too many synchronous video calls in the form of ‘Zoom fatigue’. L&D will need to critically explore the challenges of remote working and remote learning. Workplace learning and development will need to be guided by evidence-based research practices that consider factors including online distraction, laptop fatigue, work productivity along with employee mental health, emotional well-being and stress levels in a post-pandemic, technology-driven world.

But I am hopeful of some unintended positives consequences of COVID-19 on remote work and on L&D. 

• I hope that L&D does not end up converting all classroom training into webinars but rethinks the idea of learning while working remotely and looks at tools and processes to support learning for enhanced remote work performance 
• I hope L&D lets go of the control. With organizations and employees getting a fair taste of personalized streaming and customized content online, L&D has an opportunity to position ‘learning’ as something decentralized, distributed, collaborative, personalized and a 24x7 endeavor. I hope L&D leverages this opportunity. 
• I hope L&D looks at blending synchronous and asynchronous, self-paced and collaborative, self-directed and instructed, desktop and mobile-based learning opportunities, etc. Perhaps, now is the time when L&D can bring the 70/20/10 model into fruition especially focusing on the 70 and 20 and creating opportunities for collaboration and co-creation, for informal and non-formal learning. 
• Back in 2015, I wrote about how L&D needs to help employees move along their maturity continuum and help them define and follow their path from dependence to interdependence. If not now, then when? 
• I hope L&D understands the importance of taking on the role of curator of learning opportunities rather than the creator of courses thus enabling employees to learn how to learn.
• Finally, I hope L&D strives for the highest level of impact where we act as the invisible glue that seamlessly integrates learning into the working lives of those we serve irrespective of their physical location.

While we are all trying to find some kind of remote work arrangements in the short-term, in the long-term, employees will need to get comfortable with the idea of ongoing remote work and leveraging technology to do so. Now, technology can serve both as an opportunity and as a barrier. If remote is the new normal, L&D (like Operations) will need to push for a stable, reliable and consistent technological infrastructure to support continuous, non-disruptive work and learning from home. If not, the technological divide between the have and have nots will widen and the marginalized will be pushed further away from mainstream with fewer opportunities to work, learn and grow. 

If working collaboratively from a distance is the new normal, it will need the acquisition of new skills, attitudes and mindsets for optimum work performance. L&D will need to take the lead and enable the development of these skills, attitudes and mindsets. L&D will need to create the channels of learning, growth, communication and sharing and help employees learn new ways of working efficiently and effectively.

This does not mean more elearning, virtual webinars and online video meetings. Instead, I hope to see L&D step in as the curator of learning and connector of shared experiences, enabling employees to be more autonomous and self-directed in their continuous learning journeys.