Time has come for Proactive Learning and Development
In the digital age, Learning and Development (L&D) has evolved beyond traditional methods to a more autonomous and proactive approach known as Agentic Learning and Development (Agentic L&D). This new approach, inspired by agentic AI, empowers learners to take charge of their own development, fostering a culture of self-direction and continuous growth.
Unlike traditional L&D, where learners are passive recipients of information and training, Agentic L&D positions learners as active agents, self-directed and making decisions about their learning. The learner takes control, setting their own learning goals, choosing resources, and adapting their learning process dynamically and autonomously.
In the context of Agentic L&D, the learner is seen as an embedded 'guide on the side', woven into the culture, decisions, rituals, systems, and workflows of the organisation. This approach emphasises autonomy, self-direction, and proactive engagement by the learner, as opposed to traditional, more passive or instructor-led learning methods.
The benefits of Agentic L&D are significant. Organisations using data-driven L&D have seen retention increase by 46%, productivity by 37%, onboarding acceleration by 34%, and per-employee revenue jump by 29%. Moreover, linking learning to talent movement leads to growth rather than just retention, as suggested by LinkedIn's 2024 Workplace Learning Report.
Microsoft's Director of AI-Era Skilling Transformation job description calls for an approach similar to Agentic L&D, embedding learning into the systems, sprints, and day-to-day moments that define real work. EY's GenAI Talent Academy is already implementing this approach, with contextual learning embedded into role-based journeys, not bolted on nor tucked away in an LMS.
In essence, Agentic Learning and Development represents a paradigm shift from a top-down, prescribed training model to a learner-driven, autonomous growth model, aligned with modern needs for agility and lifelong learning. As we move forward, L&D practitioners are encouraged to rewrite default behaviours and expectations, favouring in-line decision trees, fewer generic case studies, and more job-embedded prompts. Agentic L&D consults, curates, and activates, rather than just taking orders, and is the fulcrum of performance change across the organisation.
- The shift toward agentic Learning and Development (L&D) in business technology, inspired by agentic AI, is moving learning anddevelopment from a passive, instructor-led approach to an autonomous, proactive one that encourages self-direction and decision-making by the learner.
- In finance, for example, implementing data-driven L&D strategies like Agentic L&D can significantly improve performance, with retention increasing by 46%, productivity by 37%, and per-employee revenue jumping by 29%.
- As education-and-self-development continues to evolve in the digital age, reliance on traditional learning methods may become outdated. Instead, agencies and organisations may find success in leveraging agentic L&D to foster a culture of continuous growth and self-direction throughout their workforce.
