Nine use cases for social learning
Sixty years ago, Albert Bandura wrote about “the weaknesses of learning approaches that discount the influence of social variables.”
Of course you can learn some things on your own from apps and videos. But Bandura’s Social Learning Theory emphasized that most learning is a social act.
“Learning occurs through observation, imitation, and modeling and is influenced by factors such as attention, motivation, attitudes, and emotions. The theory accounts for the interaction of environmental and cognitive elements that affect how people learn.”
Social learning—learning together with and from other people—increases your attention and motivation while providing the support required to actively practice, reflect, and grow.
Yet in a hyper-busy, distracted workplace, how do you manage to do that?
Nine use cases for social learning
In our experience with companies, we found the best way to offer social learning opportunities is to integrate them into existing programs. This way, instead of trying to convince employees of the value of social learning, you target a specific audience and address a specific challenge they are already familiar with. Employees are then clear on why they’re participating and what the benefits will be.
Here are nine ways our customers use WOL social learning methods to build new skills, relationships, and mindsets.
#1. Support female empowerment and diversity communities.
Community organizers are always looking for ways to network their members and expand their access to career opportunities, and social learning can do both. At Bosch, for example, over 1000 employees in the Woman at Bosch Global community have participated in WOL Circles.
#2. Provide emerging leaders with critical influencing skills.
Every company has a talent program, trying to help developing leaders build new skills and connect with other leaders. STADA, a global pharma company based in Germany, does that by integrating social learning into their Ready to Grow program.
#3. Help new hires build networks and navigate the company.
Onboarding new employees has become more difficult than ever, especially with hybrid work environments. Putting them in social learning Circles together with experienced employees helps them feel a sense of belonging as they quickly build a network related to their new role.
#4. Cross silos formed by location and function.
This can be part of a cultural or transformation program (“We want to be ONE Company!”), a strategic effort to connect employees across locations and divisions (like this one at SMA Solar Technology), or a way to break down “us and them” following mergers and acquisitions.
#5. Cultivate psychological safety and collaboration in teams.
All teams needs to bond and learn how to realize the potential of each team member. But traditional team building programs are focused on teams in the same location. At Telekom, they use social learning for development of teams spread across locations or working in hybrid environments, as well as for onboarding new members.
#6. Increase collaboration and knowledge sharing.
Companies have long-lamented the lack of knowledge sharing and the opportunity costs. (“If only HP knew what HP knows.”) Social learning can help employees develop the habits required to make their work visible and build purposeful networks that increase collaboration and cooperation.
#7. Equip employees to manage their own career paths.
As the traditional career paths fragment and the number of promotions are limited, companies are increasingly encouraging employees to take initiative and “be the CEO of their own career.” Blum uses social learning to encourage employees to take initiative and explore a wider array of possible career steps within the company.
#8. Develop resilience skills to reduce stress and increase adaptability.
More companies are offering wellness programs to their employees, including everything from apps (like Calm and Thrive Global) to rooms for meditation and rest. The German media company SWR complements their wellness offering with a social learning program that’s more human and facilitates practice over time.
#9. Give operational staff a voice and feeling of connection.
In an era of extraordinary turnover and stress for operational workers, more and more companies are looking for ways to offer them development opportunities that are usually reserved for office workers. Social learning programs aimed at building both skills and relationships together with colleagues can improve retention, wellness, and performance.
Use case #10 and beyond
These nine use cases are the most common in my experience, but they’re not the only ones. Katharina Krentz, for example, regularly shares a list of twelve use cases. And just recently Sabine Kluge proposed a new one: using WOL Circles for parents returning to work after a leave so they can rebuild their networks and reengage with the support of colleagues.
The best learning experiences aren’t passive. They’re social. And the best way to offer social learning experiences to employees is integrate them into programs they already participate in, to address challenges they already recognize.