Episode 104
Finding the time for learning and development | with Sabrina Pittaluga
Time scarcity kills L&D adoption—but 30 minutes weekly is feasible when leaders protect it, model it, and tie learning to clear career outcomes. Sabrina shares how microlearning, screenshots, and peer-sharing unlock skill growth without sacrificing delivery.
Episode Key Takeaways
One percent of working time—roughly 30 minutes per week—is all that’s needed to build expertise, yet the barrier isn’t capacity; it’s protection and intentionality. Leaders must ring-fence learning time and model the behaviour themselves, or it collapses under operational pressure.
Microlearning through mobile apps, commute time, and coffee breaks makes the 30-minute goal achievable without classroom commitment. Sabrina’s approach: 10 minutes on the metro, 5 minutes during a break, split across formats—desktop, mobile, video—rather than demanding eight-hour in-person sessions.
A 20% uplift in candidate response rate came from applying sales training to recruiting outreach, proving that learning only sticks when paired with deliberate practice and real-world iteration. The ROI emerges not from attendance but from experimentation and refinement.
Leaders play three critical roles: reminding teams of learning’s long-term ROI, acting as role models by learning visibly, and serving as talent advisers who prescribe training aligned to career plans and monitor before-and-after performance shifts.
Ownership is non-negotiable. Employees must treat their development as a personal responsibility, not a company perk—especially in volatile markets where a company owns your job but you own your career.
Frequently
Asked
Questions
How do I find 30 minutes a week for learning when my schedule is packed?
Break learning into 5–10 minute chunks using mobile apps and microlearning platforms. Fit training into commute time, coffee breaks, or downtime between meetings. Online platforms offer flexibility that classroom training cannot. The key is consistency, not duration—small, regular habits compound faster than sporadic long sessions.
How do I measure ROI on learning and development investments?
Define metrics upfront and track before-and-after performance. Sabrina’s example: sales training applied to candidate outreach lifted response rates 20 percentage points. Pair training with a clear action plan, monitor weekly progress, and tie outcomes to business goals—not just completion rates.
What's the best way to retain knowledge from training?
Take screenshots of key concepts and label them by topic for future reference. Share your top 3 takeaways with peers—teaching others embeds learning deeper than passive consumption. Reflect on how to apply the training to your daily work, then iterate and refine based on real results.
How should leaders encourage their teams to prioritize learning?
Act as a role model by learning visibly and sharing your own takeaways. Send simple summaries of key insights to relevant team members. Include learning goals in career plans and monitor progress. Remind teams that investing hours today yields better results and less work tomorrow—it’s an investment, not a cost.
What if I don't see results from training right away?
Be patient with yourself. Learning requires time and practice before results appear. Set realistic, incremental goals—not marathons in two months. If you miss a session, don’t abandon the habit; restart. Mistakes and slow progress are part of the learning curve, not signs of failure.