Seven Principles for Building a Strong Learning Culture

Making changes that stick is difficult. According to Camiel Gielkens, CEO of Schouten Company (the parent company of Relevance), the secret lies in building a strong learning culture where growth is inevitable. “We have to move away from the idea that learning is a separate event,” Camiel says. “It’s about a set of principles that support development every single day.”

1. Psychological safety: the freedom to fail

The most important factor in any learning culture is psychological safety. If people are afraid to make mistakes, they will never try anything new. “Learning is messy by nature,” Camiel says. “You need an environment where ‘I don’t know’ is considered the start of a valuable conversation rather than a sign of weakness.” When people feel safe, they have the opportunity to become curious.

2. Space for reflection

We often think that being productive means being busy every second of the day. But real learning happens when we stop. Whether it is a five minute reflection after a meeting or a thirty minute weekly window, space is essential. As Camiel puts it: “If your schedule is a hundred percent full, there is zero percent room for new insights to land. You are just repeating the same day over and over again.”

3. Integrated learning

Learning works best when it’s part of the daily flow. This means having access to knowledge exactly when you need it, and being encouraged to share what you have learned with your colleagues during a quick coffee break or a team update. It should be as natural as checking your email.

4. Leadership that models the way

A learning culture is not something you can just tell people to have. You need to show it. Leaders must make their own development visible. When a manager admits they’re struggling with adopting a new skill, they give everyone else the permission to do the same.

5. Connecting head, heart, and hands

Learning only sticks when it connects the logic (‘the head’), the personal motivation (‘the heart’), and the practical tools (‘the hands’). A strong culture ensures that every goal is linked to a clear ‘why’ and is supported by the right resources to take action immediately.

6. Autonomy and ownership

People learn best when they are in the driver’s seat of their own growth. A strong learning culture empowers employees to decide what they need to learn to remain relevant, supported by mentors and coaches rather than just being told what to do.

7. Strategic alignment

Finally, learning must be at the heart of the business strategy, and not an HR project on the side. When an organization treats learning as a strategic priority, the engine that drives innovation, it becomes much more resilient to the rapid changes in the market.

Moving forward

Building a learning culture is a continuous process of adjusting these seven factors to fit your specific organization. It does not have a clear end date. By focusing on these principles, you can create a workplace where people don’t just work for the company, but grow with it.

“The goal is to create an organization that is as fast and flexible as the world around it,” Camiel concludes. “That starts with these seven steps.”

Ready to build a culture that lasts? 

Download our full whitepaper “Stop Training, Start Learning” to discover more about these seven factors and how to apply them in your organization.

About Relevance

Relevance is the in company training partner of Schouten Company and has been a specialist in leadership and talent development for over forty years. With an international network of more than nine hundred facilitators and over one hundred thousand participants each year, Relevance helps organizations make leadership tangible, applicable, and future-ready. Always personal, always adaptive, and always evidence-based.