Just-in-time Learning

When it comes to being on time, learning can never be too early. At work, unfortunately, it often comes late. Most learning and training at work, takes too much of everyone’s time. Too much time to produce, too much time to deliver, and too much time to remember what’s really important.

Why do we need a concept like just-in-time learning? The answer is because learning happens over time and it takes time. Do you think learning should be measured in time? Or over time? Lots of questions come to mind when we think about the relationship between learning and time. Is knowledge measured in hours? Do we all learn at the same speed?

What is just-in-time learning?

Whether you know it as a term used in manufacturing, or you think it’s simply straight forward, you’re probably right. Just-in-time, means at the time of need. Just-in-time learning according to wikipedia means that need-related training is available at the time of need.

That definition, however, could use a bit more. When is the time of need? Who determines the need? If you consider yourself as an employee doing a job, particularly a new job, there might be many times you feel that you need training. You might want or need this training to do the job correctly. You might need it to feel confident enough to get started.

What about when the corporation or the company determines the need? Does just-in-time mean when the employee is in need and ready? Or is that too late? Consider this example. The executive team just learns of a new global pandemic that will change how everyone works. They meet for hours on end coming up with a plan. Once the plan is finally agreed upon days later, everyone needs to know what it is immediately. Then there’s an email, or a document, or a meeting held by a manager. There’s lots of questions, and certainly confusion.

Do you remember how the game of telephone works? In this example, have we reached a point in time of need? Everyone’s still doing their job, even though it will change. Executives want to make the change. But, is there time for training? Probably not. Beyond an employees need, it’s the company, the executive, the manager, and the leaders need that also determines when training is needed.

Why is just-in-time learning important?

We all know that training is important for many great reasons. Learning is really just the outcome of good training. The “just-in-time” component is what enables organizational agility. It allows a company and people to move fast and respond to change effectively. The “time” of need is truly determined by the leadership, instead of each individual employee.

How does Qknow make just in time work?

Qknow makes it easy to quickly communicate information and make sure that everyone knows what they need to. With a few minutes crafting a new question, an executive with hundreds or thousands of employees could deliver the needed learning, just-in-time, with Qknow.