In today's fast-paced business world, one-off training sessions aren't enough. Here's how leading companies are building cultures where learning and knowledge-sharing happen every day.
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In today's fast-paced, ever-evolving business landscape, ongoing learning and development is essential for individuals and organizations to stay competitive. But one-off trainings and workshops only go so far in preparing employees for success. To truly build organizational knowledge and capability, companies need to move beyond isolated training events and cultivate a pervasive culture of continuous learning and knowledge-sharing.
"In the knowledge economy, learning can't just be a check-the-box activity relegated to HR," says Karen Kocher, Chief Learning Officer at Microsoft. "It needs to be deeply embedded into the fabric of an organization's culture and operations. When you make learning part of everyday work and empower employees to teach and learn from each other, that's when you unlock true potential."
So what does it take to build a genuine knowledge-sharing culture? Leading organizations point to a few key elements:
In strong learning cultures, the responsibility for knowledge-sharing doesn't fall solely on managers or HR—it's baked into everyone's roles and responsibilities. "We make it clear that teaching and learning from others is part of how we define great work," says Leighanne Levensaler, SVP of Corporate Strategy at Workday. "It's not a 'nice to have' but a core expectation for employees at all levels."
This sends the message that learning is a priority, and that part of everyone's job is to build organizational knowledge, not just hoard their own expertise. Tactics to reinforce this include:
Classroom trainings have their place, but some of the most valuable learning happens informally between peers. "Studies have found that up to 80% of learning happens outside formal training, through social interactions and on-the-job experiences," notes David Blake, co-founder of learning platform Degreed.
Leading organizations deliberately carve out space for this social learning to flourish. This can include:
By creating the environment and opportunities for employees to engage in frequent peer learning, companies make knowledge-sharing a natural part of the workday versus a separate event.
Why rely only on outside experts when you have a wealth of knowledge sitting inside your company? Employees at all levels have valuable expertise to share, from the C-suite to the front lines.
"The people doing the work are the ones who know it best," says Aaron Dignan, author of Brave New Work. "They're a goldmine of institutional knowledge and cutting-edge ideas. The smartest companies find ways to capture and spread that knowledge."
The beauty of tapping employees as teachers is that it surfaces hidden pockets of knowledge, democratizes learning, and allows knowledge to flow in all directions versus just top-down.
The final piece of the puzzle is making sure all this valuable knowledge is captured, organized, and easy for employees to access and discover. Too often, important knowledge gets trapped in silos, lost in the ether, or quickly goes out of date.
"You can have all the learning content and opportunities in the world, but it's useless if employees can't find it or keep track of it," says Kocher. "There has to be a strategy and system for knowledge management."
When knowledge is easy to find, consume, and apply, employees are far more likely to seek it out and make use of it. It becomes a valuable, ever-present resource versus something gathering dust.
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Building a genuine knowledge-sharing culture is no easy feat. It requires a deliberate and sustained effort to reshape many aspects of how an organization operates.
But for companies willing to put in the work, the payoff is immense—a workforce that is continuously teaching and learning from each other, staying ahead of the curve, and driving the business forward. In an economy where knowledge is power, that's the ultimate competitive advantage.
"The most innovative, adaptable, and resilient companies are the ones where knowledge is flowing freely and learning is a way of life," says Kocher. "That's what it takes to win in today's world—and tomorrow's."
The answers to these questions will point you toward your next steps. But remember, building a knowledge-sharing culture is an ongoing process, not a one-time initiative. Keep chipping away, stay committed, and watch the knowledge—and your business—grow.
