.png){kind=small}
Is Your Team Learning While Working? It Should Be.
- Thriving Teams Institute
- Apr 3
- 4 min read
The False Divide
“Let’s complete the project first; we can focus on learning afterward.”
This kind of thinking reflects a long-standing belief in many organizations: that learning is something separate from “real” work — a detour, a break, or a nice-to-have.
A traditional view of learning from corporate America is exactly that: learning isn’t work. But in a world increasingly shaped by VUCA (volatility, uncertainty, complexity, ambiguity), learning in the flow of work has become central to performance — not just a support function.
Research from Edmondson and Harvey (2025) highlights that learning is not a luxury or a one-off intervention. It’s a dynamic, ongoing activity that must be embedded in the rhythms of real work. When embedded in the rhythms of work, team learning turns shared vision into strategic execution.
Why team learning needs to be the work?
1. Work Is Too Complex for Static Knowledge
Today’s teams are navigating rapid shifts in technology, markets, and team dynamics. What worked last quarter might not work tomorrow. Execution without learning is just repetition. High-performing teams don’t just do the work — they adapt as they go. According to Harvey et al. (2022), team learning bridges the gap between strategic decisions and organizational performance.
2. Teams Learn Best Through Action
The best learning doesn’t happen in a classroom; it happens in the doing. In real-time feedback loops. In experiments. In tension. In collaboration. Action-based learning aligns with the principles of experiential learning, allowing teams to apply knowledge to real-world situations. This learning through doing and reflecting on these experiences leads to deeper shared understanding and team alignment. It helps the team develop capabilities for collective problem solving, decision making and adapting to changing circumstances.
3. Learning Fuels Innovation
Breakthroughs don’t happen in training rooms — they happen in the work. In multi-team systems (MTS), learning unfolds as teams interact, solve problems, and respond to change (Sessa et al., 2019).
In today’s environment, where uncertainty is the new certainty, the teams that learn thrive — and those that don’t, fall behind.
The Cost of Disconnection: When Team Learning and Work Diverge
When learning is only treated as a distinct event- like a quarterly workshop, onboarding session, or after-the fact training– it creates unnecessary costs to the organization. The cost of learning NOT in the flow of work can be substantial, impacting various aspects of an organization. Here's a breakdown of the key costs:
● Delayed adaptation: Teams defer learning until there is time, which often means lessons are forgotten or missed entirely.
● Siloed Knowledge: Insights gathered during formal learning may not integrate well into everyday practices.
● Missed Moments: Teams lose real-time opportunities to reflect, adjust, and grow in the flow of work.
● Increased Errors: The collective brain is smarter than any one individual brain. The different perspectives help you minimize the biases and assumptions that lead to errors.
● Frustration and stress: Employees become frustrated when they lack the necessary information to perform their tasks effectively.
● Higher training expenses: Traditional training methods are often costly and time-consuming, requiring employees to take time away from their work.
● Lost sales and opportunities: In sales and customer service, lack of the “right, just in time” information can lead to missed opportunities and lost revenue.
● Reduced competitiveness: Organizations that fail to embrace continuous learning fall behind their competitors in terms of innovation and agility. They miss the signals that would allow them to adapt and stay competitive.
In essence:
Failing to integrate learning into the flow of work creates a ripple effect, impacting productivity, engagement, costs, and the organization's ability to adapt. By prioritizing learning in the flow of work, organizations can mitigate these costs and foster a culture of continuous improvement and thriving.
“Teams thrive when they see how learning drives results. Leaders should make it clear: learning isn't a distraction from work — it's the engine.”(Thriving Teams Insights)
5 ways to move beyond training events and do the real work of team learning
🌀 Shift mindset – Reward reflection and curiosity, not just execution💬 Create space – Build learning into your team routines🔎 Model it – Leaders who learn out loud, who share what they are thinking, build teams that do too
🧭 Normalize experimentation: Pilot, test, iterate — and learn publicly from both wins and stumbles
📚 Share what’s working (and what’s not): Internal knowledge-sharing beats formal training every time.
Learning Is the Competitive Edge
When teams view learning as an integral part of what they do every day, they build capacity, agility, and a shared sense of purpose.
So ask yourself (or your team):
Are we learning after the work… or through it?
The teams that thrive in uncertainty are the ones who make learning part of their DNA — not just their downtime.
Thriving Teams Institute provides resources and certifications to help leaders make team learning a habit not a side event. We are constantly trying to figure out ways to help teams learn faster and perform better. Check out our offerings at www.thrivingteams.com
Schedule a consultation today.
References
● Edmondson, A. & Harvey, J-F. (2025). Team Learning in the Field
● Harvey, J-F. et al. (2022). A Strategic View of Team Learning
● Sessa, V.I. et al. (2019). Learning in Multi-Team Systems
● Edmondson, A. (1999). Psychological Safety and Learning Behavior
● van der Meulen, N. (2024). The Four Guardrails That Enable Agility
● Burkus, D. (2023). What Makes Some Teams High Performing?
Kommentare