As workplaces expand their networks and offerings, hire more remote employees, and begin to rely more and more on advanced technology and data to make business decisions, it’s imperative that they adopt an ecosystem mind-set to stay connected, cohesive, and efficient.
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What Does an Ecosystem Mind-Set Entail?
An ecosystem mind-set requires departments across an organization to deliberately work together on a continual basis, to mutually rely on one another, and to get outside of their departmental silos to get work done and propel their organizations forward.
It maintains the idea that everything impacts everything else inside an organization; one decision that is made in one department will have ramifications that are felt in another department, etc. It requires executive buy-in, managers and employees to be advocates for working together and staying connected, and cloud-based and easy-to-use and easy-to-access technology.
For learning and development (L&D) teams, an ecosystem mind-set entails a desire to consistently promote and develop L&D initiatives across departments with the aid of other departments and to institute and promote a company culture of learning.
In today’s world, an organization cannot afford to neglect adopting an ecosystem mind-set if it wants to maintain its competitive edge and retain its employees. Read Accenture’s “Cornerstone of Future Growth: Ecosystems” for more information and statistics.
Critical Components of a Successful L&D Ecosystem
According to a post published by Association for Talent Development, a successful L&D ecosystem must have a healthy blend of, and the appropriate ratios of, structured (formal) and unstructured (informal) learning experiences. In its framework, it must have:
- On-demand training and learning
- Management support
- Continued reinforcement
- Performance support
- Shared knowledge
And those things usually require a reliable learning management system (LMS) and other cloud-based content management systems or wikis, a mobile learning strategy with microlearning content, a social learning strategy, and in-person training sessions and classes that are well blended with other learning material and e-learning avenues.
Benefits of Adopting an Ecosystem Mind-Set
Here are some benefits your L&D team, your organization, and your learners will experience once they adopt an ecosystem mind-set.
- Learners will become more engaged in their own L&D initiatives because they will have more opportunities to learn informally and from their peers, which will make their learning experiences more relevant and fun.
- Each learner will be able to learn at his or her own pace through a variety of different methods, as well as select the learning content he or she likes.
- L&D departments will be better equipped to remain agile and relevant and will be better connected to the real and changing business needs of their organizations. This way, their L&D offerings will always be relevant and yield high returns.
- Organizations will adopt learning cultures that inspire innovation, collaboration, productivity, and workplace happiness, as well as generate greater revenues with more satisfied customers.
Keep the information above regarding an ecosystem mind-set and its benefits for your L&D team and organization in mind if you want to stay ahead and outpace your competition.