Reflecting on my HR career, I’ve noticed that while we expect all employees to follow policies the same way, we don’t consider equity in how we train them.  

All learning doesn’t occur in training rooms or in online systems, and it doesn’t always occur when it’s mandatory.  This concept was presented by Malcolm Knowles in the 1970’s.  In his Andragogical principles, he identified six core principles for learning: the need to know, self-direction, prior experience, readiness to learn, problem-centered orientation, and intrinsic motivation.

I reviewed an article, "Advancing Leadership Education and Development: Integrating Adult Learning Theory" by Allen, Rosch, and Riggio (2021). The authors present the dilemma that Business School leadership programs rely heavily on traditional learning methods while neglecting the full range of adult learning orientations. I was drawn to the article because I understand that leadership is relevant in all employment situations and among all career groups.  Leadership looks a little different, depending on the field of work, whether it be a business office, or within a crew of tradesmen.  Drawing on Knowles’ principles, the authors in the article propose a more comprehensive model for learning for business schools. The model includes five learning orientations: cognitivist, behaviorists, humanistic, social cognitive, and constructivist.  Cognitivism involves the mental processes involved in learning such as perception, memory and problem-solving, and the way those things influence learning outcomes. The way to tap into this kind of learning is through lectures and test-taking. Humanistic learning can be accomplished through personal goal setting, coaching and mentoring.  Social cognitive oriented learning can be addressed through group work and guest speakers.

The other two modes seem relevant when considering how leadership studies may be more effectively taught to a broad audience. Constructivist goals can be tackled through writing and service learning or related experiences.  Kinesthetic learners perfer hands-on experiences like service learning, so this could provide experience in leadership that may be more impactful and memorable for these learners. Behaviorism proposes that learning occurs through associations made between stimuli and responses.  This type of learning occurs through role play and live scenarios.   I have seen this approach underutilized in employment trainings.     

A peer shared with me an idea for structuring training that coincided with the article and related studies.  In her trainings, she said that instead of reading over an entire handbook, her teams review real world situations, discuss the pros and cons of potential outcomes in small groups and refer back to the handbook to tie together what they have learned. In this way, her teams benefit from networking and sharing lived experiences.

As this study evidences, multiple orientations are needed for success in learning.  I recognize that to advance the field of HR and to develop leadership in professionals in all fields, we must structure trainings with multiple learning styles in mind.  This is not only critical to employee development, but for risk management and improving employee engagement. By recognizing experiential learning and adult learning principles, employee trainings can be more effective learning environments.