Forget traditional training and its meticulously calibrated PowerPoints for a moment. The most effective in-house learning may well be hiding in the corridors of your offices: co-development between colleagues. A recent study reveals that 85% of workplace learning happens informally, between colleagues. A finding that overturns our certainties about professional training.
Collaborative in-house learning: the new playground for skills development
We have all sat through training sessions where we are presented with "industry best practice". Meanwhile, your teams are developing unique solutions every day, tailored to your specific challenges. In-house learning through co-development starts from this observation: the expertise you need already exists within your walls. It is simply waiting to be unlocked.
This approach radically transforms the learning dynamic. Gone are the standardised sessions where attention competes with Slack notifications. In their place come genuine exchanges, where expertise circulates naturally, carried by those who put it into practice every day.
Behind the scenes at Smash Group
At SMASH Group, a company founded in 2018, this vision comes fully into its own. Specialists in outsourcing support functions, their experts move between start-ups and SMEs, juggling financial, HR and legal challenges. A privileged position that lets them observe - and experience - the way professional practices are evolving.
"We start from the premise that we all have something to contribute", shares Alexandre, Chief of Staff. A philosophy that translates into concrete terms within their organisation. Learning sessions arise there as naturally as a conversation around the coffee machine, but with a structure that guarantees their impact.
At the heart of the transformation
In-house learning through co-development at SMASH Group goes well beyond simply sharing technical knowledge. It touches on what matters most: how to handle a difficult client, how to carry an ambitious project, how to develop your leadership. These skills, impossible to sum up in a manual, are enriched through contact with everyone's experience and feed into the very notion of collective performance.
The magic works particularly well when a consultant shares a complex situation they have just resolved. Their account instantly becomes a valuable resource for the team, a living case study that resonates with everyone's daily challenges.
The art of cultivating collective intelligence
Putting this in-house learning approach through co-development into practice calls for a deft touch. At SMASH Group, a supportive environment is not a pious wish painted on the walls, but a reality built day after day. Doubts and questions have their place here, enriching collective thinking rather than being seen as weaknesses.
Monitoring and evaluation slot naturally into this process. No tedious Excel spreadsheets, but regular feedback that helps refine practices. It is a subtle balance between structure and freedom, like a garden that flourishes thanks to attentive but non-invasive care.
A contagious dynamic
The most fascinating effect of this approach remains its ability to feed itself. Every employee who benefits from a peer's expertise naturally becomes an ambassador for the practice. Successes are shared, difficulties become opportunities for collective learning, and mutual support becomes second nature.
This dynamic is a perfect answer to the contemporary challenges facing organisations. Agility is becoming a necessity, soft skills make all the difference, and in-house learning through co-development offers a natural and sustainable path for growth.
Tomorrow is built today
Peer-to-peer in-house learning is not just an HR trend. It is a profound transformation of our relationship with learning at work. Organisations that, like SMASH Group, have managed to weave it into their DNA show that another way is possible. A way in which every employee becomes an agent of their own development while contributing to that of others.
This in-house learning approach cannot be decreed overnight. It is cultivated patiently, like a plant that needs attention and time to flourish. But once rooted in the company culture, it bears fruit that goes well beyond initial expectations.
Keen to explore this approach for your organisation? Discover how Morning can support you through this transformation. Get in touch to talk through your specific challenges.
Our team is available to assist you.
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