Building a learning culture

How to Build a Learning Culture That Drives Performance

Building a learning environment is not just about individual efforts—it’s about fostering a sense of shared responsibility for learning across the organisation. We explore the elements to consider when seeking to create a learning culture.

Business leaders and Learning and Development (L&D) professionals often extol the virtues of establishing a vibrant learning culture within an organisation. It’s widely recognised as a key driver of both individual and collective performance and increasingly in younger generations, the opportunity to learn and grow is the most cited reason for employees leaving/looking for a job.

 

Reasons for leaving a job

 

In today’s rapidly changing work environment, the ability to adapt, innovate, and continuously improve is crucial to business success. Yet, building a true learning culture is easier said than done. The CIPD highlighted this in its report, Creating Learning Cultures: Assessing the Evidence, which found that while 98% of L&D practitioners aim to develop a positive culture for learning, only 36% feel they have succeeded in doing so.

One of the main challenges is that a true learning culture goes beyond simply offering training opportunities; it requires a deeply ingrained mindset and an environment where learning is valued, encouraged, and rewarded at every level. This is, of course, closely tied to other factors such as job satisfaction, engagement, and motivation. Without these intrinsic drivers, employees are unlikely to be motivated to learn and take advantage of the opportunities available to them.

What is a Learning Culture?

At its core, a learning culture is more than just offering training programmes or ticking boxes for professional development. It’s about embedding learning into the very fabric of the organisation – into its values, behaviours, and daily practices. One issue is that culture is such a broad term that it can be difficult to define targeted actions or practices that work. So what exactly is a learning culture? The CIPD recognises that there are many definitions, but the key themes that come out from them all are:

  • A learning culture is about making learning a natural part of how things get done at every level – individually, within teams, and across the organisation.
  • This kind of culture depends on strong leadership, following a clear strategy for learning, and guiding employees toward a shared vision. Open dialogue and reflection are key to driving positive change.
  • Instead of thinking of a learning culture as a massive shift, it can be more useful to think of it as creating a “learning environment.” This ties the idea to specific behaviours and practices that can be implemented, making it feel more tangible.

So what can the learning and development function do to support this?

The reality is that creating a learning culture can feel overwhelming. But by focusing on building a learning environment—where learning is integrated into everyday processes—you can make meaningful progress without the pressure of trying to achieve wholesale change overnight. Here are three practical steps L&D teams can take to start building that environment:

1. Encourage Micro-learning

We recognise that some of the most impactful learning happens through experiential, face-to-face sessions where participants can engage deeply with concepts, explore ideas together, and feel comfortable showing vulnerability. However, these kinds of sessions can be expensive and in today’s busy workplace, expecting employees to consistently find large blocks of time for development isn’t realistic.

This is where micro-learning becomes invaluable. These short, focused learning sessions fit easily into busy schedules, allowing employees to develop new skills without major disruption. Micro-learning promotes continuous development by offering bite-sized content that can be consumed at convenient times, whether during a lunch break or between meetings. Research shows that learners retain more information when it’s delivered in small, manageable chunks, reducing cognitive overload, allowing learners to absorb and recall information more effectively. By making learning an everyday habit rather than an occasional event, you embed development into the natural flow of work.

To make this happen, L&D can:

  • Curate bite-sized learning resources such as short videos, articles, or quizzes.
  • Leverage mobile learning platforms like Primeast’s Learn@primeast so employees can access content on the go.

 

  • Schedule regular micro-learning sessions to keep momentum, rather than relying on one-off workshops.

2. Reward Curiosity

A key aspect of creating a learning environment is encouraging employees to take ownership of their learning. This means recognising and rewarding curiosity. When people feel that their efforts to learn and grow are valued, they’re far more likely to invest in their development. This goes beyond formal learning initiatives—it’s about celebrating those who take the initiative to seek out new knowledge and develop new skills on their own.

A culture that rewards curiosity fosters a sense of ownership and motivation among employees. It shows that learning isn’t just encouraged but is something that’s appreciated and even rewarded. Recognising and rewarding these efforts also signals to others in the organisation that learning is valued:

  • Creating recognition programmes that reward employees who show a commitment to learning.
  • Offering development budgets or incentives for self-directed learning.
  • Encouraging managers to lead by example, demonstrating their own curiosity and ongoing development.

3. Foster Peer-to-Peer Learning

Building a learning environment is not just about individual efforts—it’s about fostering a sense of shared responsibility for learning across the organisation. One of the most effective ways to do this is through peer-to-peer learning. When employees share their expertise with each other, it creates a collaborative learning culture that strengthens both knowledge and team bonds.

Peer-to-peer learning can be as simple as hosting regular knowledge-sharing sessions where employees present on topics they’re skilled in or creating opportunities for cross-functional learning. The key is to create spaces where people feel comfortable sharing what they know and learning from others:

  • Setting up mentoring or buddy systems where experienced employees guide others.
  • Running “lunch and learn” sessions where team members can present new skills or knowledge they’ve acquired.
  • Encouraging collaborative problem-solving that promotes group learning.

Additional Strategies for Building a Learning Culture

While micro-learning, rewarding curiosity, and peer-to-peer learning are essential, other strategies can further bolster your efforts:

Use Learning Analytics

Data-driven insights from learning analytics can help measure the effectiveness of training programmes and inform future learning strategies. Metrics such as completion rates, engagement levels, and post-training performance improvements can provide valuable feedback.

Psychological Safety

The CIPD report underscores the need for psychological safety in a learning culture. Employees should feel comfortable asking questions, taking risks, and admitting when they do not know something. Creating this environment requires leadership to foster openness and support.

Align Learning with Business Goals

Learning and development activities should be closely tied to the organisation’s strategic objectives. This makes it clear to employees that learning is not just about personal growth but is integral to achieving business success.

Final Thoughts: Start Small, Build Big

Building a learning culture doesn’t have to be overwhelming if you think of it as a process of cultivating a learning environment. By taking small but consistent actions like promoting micro-learning, rewarding curiosity, and fostering peer-to-peer knowledge sharing, you lay the groundwork for a culture where learning is naturally integrated into daily work life.

The truth is, creating a learning culture takes time. But when learning becomes a core part of how your organisation operates, the benefits are clear: increased employee engagement, stronger team collaboration, and, ultimately, improved business performance. With the right approach, L&D can be the driving force that turns learning into a shared responsibility that everyone embraces.

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