The problem with losing ‘osmosis learning’
As we navigate the digital age, the concept of 'osmosis learning' is fading, posing significant challenges. This shift is reshaping our understanding of knowledge acquisition and its implications on our cognitive development. Let's delve into the complexities of this issue.
The power of observation
Working in proximity to your colleagues not only provides important social interaction but also enables you to soak up crucial work-related knowledge, a process often called ‘learning by osmosis’.
- A recent survey by Slack’s research consortium Future Forum showed that 42% of workers felt working from home gave them fewer chances to learn from colleagues.
- Social Learning Theory has started making its way into the workplace in recent years, as employers recognize how important it is to enable workers to learn in an informal basis.
Put more thought into how you want that to happen
Think more carefully about whether a new person is surrounded by people with experience they will need to absorb, as well as ensuring there is a team-member with the interpersonal skills to respond to their questions.
- It also means creating very clear onboarding plans.
Osmosis learning in the post-pandemic workplace
Recent technological developments have revolutionized how well we can work and socialize with our colleagues
- The key to learning, whether in person or remote, is to make the most of those connections
- If there are clear processes for sharing information, everyone has the option to read and learn from it in their own time
- Rethinking how informal social learning happens among their people
- Building a system that thinks about what knowledge each worker needs for the job they’re doing, who they need to spend time with to gain it, and how that knowledge can be shared even more widely
Why intentionality matters
Once you’re in a physical place, osmosis tends to happen because you’re sitting near someone
- One solution to this is to leave less learning to chance
- You’ve got to intentionally design space differently, intentionally design proximity differently, and intentionally design encounters
- In the office, this includes putting serious thought into who sits where
It was also not fair.
It’s fairly easy for a white male dropped into a team of 70% white males to find someone that they identify with and learn from