The first time I heard someone say “learning in the flow of work,” I imagined a world where employees could access exactly what they needed, right when they needed it, like magic. No clunky systems. No endless searches. Just quick, helpful answers that make work easier.
But as I have worked with clients over the years on their learning strategies, I have noticed a pattern. We love buzzwords. We roll out new platforms. We load up content libraries. Yet when you peek behind the curtain, most organizations are still using the same old methods to meet entirely new challenges. We have dressed up our traditional approach, but we have not truly built learning “in the flow of work.”
Let us get real about what employees experience.
Sometimes learning is formal and structured. It consists of carefully planned paths, curricula, and leadership journeys. These have their place.
Other times, learning happens in the moment. This might be a quick Slack message from a peer, a five-minute YouTube tutorial, or a pop-up in an application that shows you how to do something you are already doing. This is the closest we have come to a real “flow of work” learning experience.
And then there is self-directed learning. Signing up for a webinar, exploring a GenAI course in your LXP, or grabbing content when you have time. This is valuable, but still outside the flow of your actual workday.
That middle category, learning in the moment, is where the magic could happen. But we keep getting in our own way.
Think about it. Most company LMSs integrate with giant libraries like LinkedIn Learning or Udemy. Great in theory. In practice, an employee searches through hundreds of clips, finds one that seems relevant, and then has to toggle back and forth between the video and the application they are using. Meanwhile, the LMS flags them as having “started but not completed” a course. Check the compliance box, but no real impact.
We are still measuring learning as if it were 1999. We are obsessed with completions and hours logged, rather than outcomes and skills applied. Someone finds what they need in five minutes but does not finish a one-hour course, and the system calls it a failure. Really?
If we are serious about embedding learning into the flow of work, we need to flip our thinking:
- Content Strategy: Employees do not need hour-long lectures. They need quick hits, two-minute reels, 30-second “micro tips,” and instant resources. Think TikTok meets workplace learning.
- Social Learning: Build a network of internal influencers who share expertise in short, authentic clips. Let employees test ideas, record their results, and share back.
- Native Platforms: Deliver learning inside the tools employees already use every day, such as Teams, Slack, Salesforce, or SharePoint, not buried in a separate system.
- Measurement: Stop tracking meaningless completions. Start tracking evidence of applied skills, faster problem-solving, and higher-quality outputs. Think outcomes over checkboxes.
- Methods: Let go of outdated models, such as ADDIE, when they slow you down. Focus on speed, simplicity, and measurable impact.
This is not about tearing everything down. It is about reimagining how learning actually fits into work. It is about meeting employees where they are and respecting their time.
If we are bold enough to stop clinging to outdated metrics and methods, we can create learning strategies that really live up to the promise of “in the flow of work.”
So here is my challenge to you: How are you disrupting the learning and development discipline? Because if we don’t question it now, when will we?
If you’re wondering where to start, let’s talk. I have the know-how to lead organizations in designing next-gen learning strategies. You can email me at ani@startup-learning.com.