Olesia Vlasova
Learning & development strategies · 9 MIN · 19.12.2024
What strategic learning is and how it boosts professional and personal growth
You may have heard of strategic learning and how it challenges us to achieve better results. It helps organisations solve problems, make smarter decisions, and reach their goals by asking the right questions, planning effectively, and continuously adapting.
But is it only relevant to corporate education, or can this approach also apply to personal growth and success? Let’s explore how strategic learning works and why it is crucial in today’s dynamic environment.
But is it only relevant to corporate education, or can this approach also apply to personal growth and success? Let’s explore how strategic learning works and why it is crucial in today’s dynamic environment.
What is strategic learning?
To understand strategic learning, we first need to clarify what strategy means.
Strategy
is a roadmap that focuses your efforts and outlines how to succeed, guiding you from where you are now to where you want to be. If comparing strategy and tactics, tactics are the actions you take, while strategy involves analysing the situation and finding the best approach to solve key problems.
A learning strategy,
on the other hand, is a method or approach that makes learning more effective. It includes techniques such as visualising concepts, summarising information, or breaking tasks into smaller steps to help one understand and remember key ideas better.
Strategic learning
combines these ideas to help you improve through continuous learning, adapting, and making better decisions. It involves observing what’s happening, identifying what works and what doesn’t, considering your future goals, and adjusting your approach to achieve them.
Willie Pietersen, a professor at Columbia Business School, developed strategic learning in the early 2000s. He introduced the concept as part of his broader work on management and organisational development, aiming to help organisations tackle challenges in fast-changing, competitive markets. Pietersen recognised that businesses must continually learn from their experiences, adjust strategies, and innovate to stay ahead. He shared his ideas in the book ‘Strategic Learning: How to be smarter than your competition and turn key insights into competitive advantage.’
From a business perspective, strategic learning is a flexible, four-step approach to learning and development (L&D) that helps employees improve their skills and abilities. Organisations can create adaptive learning programs that align with evolving business needs and employee growth by considering internal factors like company goals and external factors like market trends.
From a business perspective, strategic learning is a flexible, four-step approach to learning and development (L&D) that helps employees improve their skills and abilities. Organisations can create adaptive learning programs that align with evolving business needs and employee growth by considering internal factors like company goals and external factors like market trends.
While strategic learning began with businesses, it can also be applied to education, personal development, and other fields.
The purpose of strategic learning is to enable organisations or individuals to:
- Learn from their experiences.
- Identify strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities.
- Develop and apply strategies effectively.
- Continuously improve performance over time.
Strategic learning process
You can create, apply, and refine strategic learning using the strategic learning cycle.
It consists of four linked steps – learn, focus, align, and execute – that build on each other continuously. The first two steps guide strategy creation, while the last two focus on implementation, making both parts work together.
It consists of four linked steps – learn, focus, align, and execute – that build on each other continuously. The first two steps guide strategy creation, while the last two focus on implementation, making both parts work together.
Willie Pietersen’s strategic learning structure
- The situation analysisThis first step in strategic learning focuses on gaining key insights to guide smart decisions. For companies, the goal is to understand the competition, market, and customers better than others to create a clear advantage and a winning strategy. The process includes posing the right questions to analyse the company’s environment and internal situation.
From a personal learning perspective, this step involves understanding your strengths, weaknesses, and challenges. By asking the right questions about your goals and progress, you can figure out what works and where to improve. This helps you set clear, specific learning goals and make better decisions for personal growth.Step 1: Learn - Strategic choicesStrategic choices are the key outcomes of a strategy built on insights from the previous step. At the core is the so-called winning proposition, which defines what the company will do better or differently than competitors to create more value for customers and increase profits.
In terms of personal learning, this step involves deciding how to approach your goals effectively. It means identifying what you can do differently or better than before to improve your skills, achieve your goals, and create more excellent value in your personal or professional life.Step 2. Focus - Align the organisation or personal strategyThe next challenge is putting the strategy into action, which can be difficult. Successful implementation requires aligning key elements of the business system with the new approach.
Personal learning means implementing your plan and ensuring that your habits, routines, and resources align with your goals. Staying consistent and adjusting as needed keeps you on track and helps you progress.Step 3. Align - Implement and experimentStep four involves implementing the strategy through experiments to determine what works. Organisations test and adjust their approach based on new insights.
Personal learning involves testing your approach, adjusting, and updating your plan.Step 4. Execute
It’s crucial that strategic learning is an ongoing process. Both organisations and individuals must repeat it to get better, learning from their actions and environment. This continuous process promotes adaptability, growth, and renewal.
Thus, Pietersen’s model promotes a continuous cycle of learning, planning, action, and reflection to help organisations remain flexible and successful. Personal education focuses on improving learning by setting goals, tracking progress, and reflecting on effective strategies. This method allows individuals to understand better, remember, and apply information to achieve their goals.
Learning and development strategies for business
Strategic training and development focus on creating employee programs aligned with business goals and equipping them with the skills needed for success. Unlike regular training, it addresses organisational objectives and individual needs with continuous feedback and management support. The process is ongoing, and each step drives better business results.
How to implement strategic training and development in your company?
1.
Define your goals based on what drives your business. Use tools like a capability framework to identify key success factors.
2.
Set key performance indicators (KPIs) to track progress. Focus on the most critical skills that will impact your business goals.
3.
Personalise training to make it relevant and practical for employees. Ensure it’s accessible, timely, and aligns with long-term goals.
4.
Measure training outcomes, use insights to refine the process, and demonstrate return on investment (ROI) through tangible results.
Google is an example of a good L&D strategy. The company offers a flexible learning environment through Googler-to-Googler (g2g), an internal network where employees can learn from each other through peer-to-peer training.
These steps can be enhanced with online learning platforms that ensure consistent content delivery and allow employees to learn at their own pace, anytime and anywhere. They help organisations provide training, encourage teamwork, adapt to changes, and track progress or outcomes.
Popular L&D tools include:
Popular L&D tools include:
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Learning Management Systems (LMS): These help manage and track training, organise materials, create courses, and monitor learner progress.
For instance, Seturon’s White label LMS allows organisations to customise and brand their training platform. It gives them control over the content and design, enabling a more customised learning experience. You can try it here for free. -
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Learning Experience Platforms (LXP): LXPs offer personalised learning, using AI to suggest relevant content and support informal learning through social features. -
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Authoring tools: These help create new learning materials, making course creation more straightforward and engaging.
Model of strategic learning in education
Strategic learning applies to professional development, education, and personal growth. For employees, it focuses on acquiring skills to improve job performance and meet business goals. In education, it helps students understand the material more effectively by aligning learning goals with their needs. In personal growth, strategic learning guides self-learners to set clear goals and adapt their learning strategies for ongoing improvement.
Claire Ellen Weinstein, a professor at the University of Texas at Austin, developed the strategic learning model in education. Her model focuses on how skill, will, self-regulation, and the learning environment work together to support successful learning. It emphasises the importance of using various strategies for each of these areas. Educational success emerges from the interaction of these elements.
Claire Ellen Weinstein, a professor at the University of Texas at Austin, developed the strategic learning model in education. Her model focuses on how skill, will, self-regulation, and the learning environment work together to support successful learning. It emphasises the importance of using various strategies for each of these areas. Educational success emerges from the interaction of these elements.
Skill
Skill is the knowledge of how to use learning strategies effectively. It includes understanding different tasks, knowing your strengths and learning preferences, and being familiar with techniques for learning various topics. It also means using repetition, elaboration, and thinking skills to reach your learning goals.
Will
Will refers to a student’s motivation and emotions that influence academic success. Even if students know study strategies, they may not use them without motivation or confidence in their effectiveness. The key is to find a meaningful reason to put in effort or make the task enjoyable.
Negative factors include self-doubt, low self-esteem, high anxiety, and blaming others for poor performance. Positive aspects involve setting and working toward short- and long-term goals, staying focused on the future, building confidence, and maintaining a positive attitude toward learning.
Negative factors include self-doubt, low self-esteem, high anxiety, and blaming others for poor performance. Positive aspects involve setting and working toward short- and long-term goals, staying focused on the future, building confidence, and maintaining a positive attitude toward learning.
Self-regulation
Self-regulation helps students manage their learning on both big and small scales. On a day-to-day level, it includes reducing anxiety, using metacognition (thinking about how you think and learn) to check progress, adjusting learning strategies, managing time during tasks, and staying focused and concentrated. On a broader level, it involves using a structured approach to learning, managing time over weeks or months, seeking help when needed, and staying motivated.
Strategic learners take charge of their education using skills, motivation, and self-regulation. This helps them succeed in school, work, and lifelong learning.
Strategic learners take charge of their education using skills, motivation, and self-regulation. This helps them succeed in school, work, and lifelong learning.
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One simple example of how to implement strategic learning in your everyday life
Imagine Kate wants to start running but has never jogged before. She takes it step-by-step to achieve her goal:
Step 1. Learn: Kate searches for beginner running plans and discovers the “Couch to 5K” program. She also learns about choosing the right running shoes, breathing correctly, and pacing herself.
Step 2. Focus: She sets a clear goal: run 5 kilometres without stopping in 8 weeks.
Step 3. Align: Kate creates a routine. She runs thrice weekly and tracks her progress with a fitness app.
Step 4. Execute: She starts small by alternating between walking and running. Kate gradually runs longer, adjusts her pace, and thinks about what’s working.
Repeat: After reaching her 5K goal, Kate reflects on what she enjoyed, finds new challenges (like running faster), and sets a new goal – running 10 kilometres. She learns, adjusts, and gets better each time she repeats the process.
If we use another model of strategic learning to analyse Kate’s jogging situation, it would look like this:
Skill: She learns the basics of running, like how to pace herself, keep good posture, and breathe properly. Kate follows a beginner plan and watches videos to get better.
Will: To stay motivated, she sets a goal to finish in 30 minutes, pictures herself crossing the finish line, and joins a charity race to support a cause she cares about.
Self-regulation: Kate runs three times a week, tracks her progress with an app, and adjusts her plan when needed. She celebrates her achievements with healthy rewards, like a relaxing bath or extra rest, after hitting milestones, such as completing her first 3K.
Repetition: After reaching her 5K goal, Kate reflects on what went well, sets new challenges, and works toward a new goal.
Key benefits of strategic learning
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Maximises efficiency
Helps learners focus their time and effort effectively. -
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Develops problem-solving skills
Promotes adaptability and critical thinking to overcome challenges. -
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Improves knowledge retention
Encourages deeper understanding and long-term learning. -
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Supports lifelong learning
Fosters continuous personal and professional growth. -
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Creates competitive advantage
Aligns learning with specific goals, making it difficult for others to replicate success.
Strategic learning is crucial for companies as it helps maintain a unique advantage. It customises learning and development processes to specific goals and industry standards, making them harder for competitors to replicate.
Used in education, personal development, and training, strategic learning fosters independent, lifelong learners. Consider applying it to work more efficiently and achieve long-term growth.
Used in education, personal development, and training, strategic learning fosters independent, lifelong learners. Consider applying it to work more efficiently and achieve long-term growth.
FAQ
Strategic learning is an approach that helps individuals and organisations achieve better results by making informed decisions, adapting continuously, and focusing on the right strategies.
Tools like Learning Management Systems (LMS) and Learning Experience Platforms (LXP) help track progress and create tailored learning experiences aligned with business goals.
No, strategic learning applies to both businesses and personal growth. It helps in problem-solving, decision-making, and goal achievement in any area.
The four steps are: learn (analyse the situation for insights, focus (make strategic choices), align (ensure actions match the strategy), and execute (implement and adjust based on feedback).
It helps individuals set clear goals, evaluate their strengths, and adapt strategies for ongoing improvement, leading to better outcomes.
- Olesia VlasovaEditor, writer, and journalist all at onceI’ve written and edited many articles and interviews about education, science, and AI. Learning is exciting <3
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