Collaborative Learning at Scale: What High-Maturity Teams Do Differently

1️⃣ Collaboration isn’t an initiative — it’s an operating model

Ryan kicked off with a key distinction:

High-maturity teams design for collaboration. Low-maturity teams hope for it.

Most teams intellectually agree collaboration is good — but without structure, it stays as “informal knowledge sharing.”

Where maturity begins:

David emphasized the mindset shift:

• The question isn’t: “What do people need to learn?”

• It becomes: “What business problem are we solving?”

That clarity ensures collaborative learning drives performance — not just more content.

2️⃣ What collaborative learning actually is

Keith grounded the definition:

“Collaborative learning is when people learn together to solve real problems and improve performance faster than anyone could alone.”

To operationalize that definition, high-maturity teams focus on three fundamentals:

✦ Psychological safety = the fuel

People must feel safe to say:

• “I don’t know yet”

• “Can someone help me?”

• “Here’s what isn’t working”

Collaboration fails if fear of judgment persists.

✦ Shared purpose = the navigation system

Teams need agreement on:

• The business challenge

• The value of solving it

• What good looks like

Otherwise collaborative learning feels like extra work.

✦ Systems that reward “we,” not “me”

Recognition and performance reviews should reinforce:

• Peer contribution

• Knowledge sharing

• Joint outcomes

If individual heroics are rewarded more than group success, collaboration stalls.

3️⃣ Case Study: Oliver Bonas — collaboration embedded in retail workflows

Jen shared a transformation journey at Oliver Bonas, a fast-growing retailer.

Old model:

• In-person workshops run by the Visual Merchandising (VM) team

• PowerPoints emailed around

• Store managers often texting SMEs 1:1 for advice

New model — simplified and scalable:

✔ Short digital learning created directly by VM experts
✔ Released on predictable schedules (e.g., monthly retail update)
✔ Store teams apply learning live with tablets in the shop
✔ Frontline photos uploaded for feedback and peer inspiration

What changed?

• Knowledge moved from informal → visible and reusable

• Collaboration happened in the flow of work

• VM team reclaimed time for high-value tasks (the “shiny 20%”)

“We empowered stores to execute more on their own — and freed SMEs to focus on innovation.”
— Jen South

This is collaborative learning as operational uplift, not content distribution.

4️⃣ Reduce friction for SMEs or collaboration will die

Everyone agreed: SMEs are busy. If collaboration creates drag, it won’t scale.

High-maturity teams simplify:

✔ Clear communication channels

• Weekly update → business-wide changes

• “Fast React” → urgent messages only

Noise drops. Responsibility rises.

✔ Templates + quick coaching for citizen creators

SMEs learn:

• Tone of voice

• Short formats instead of over-engineering

• Practical > perfect

“Sometimes a screenshot beats a whole eLearning.” — Jen

✔ Lightweight quality guardrails

Keith’s mantra:

Guardrails, not gates

• Fast approvals

• Simple standards (e.g., accessibility, accuracy)

• Continuous improvement via data and sentiment

The result:
Smarter content, faster delivery, and happier SMEs.

5️⃣ Connect collaboration to capability — or the business won’t care

Done poorly, collaborative learning becomes “nice engagement activity.”
Done well, it becomes a capability accelerator.

Align with business priorities

Keith observed many teams still equate content volume with value.
Instead:

• Identify critical capabilities

• Apply collaboration where gaps hurt most
  (e.g., customer experience, safety, revenue moments)

Collaborative learning should protect value or create value — not fill the LMS.

Use skills data to target effort

David emphasized:

• Mapping proficiency by role

• Focusing collaborative effort on high-stakes gaps

Not every topic needs a program.
Some topics need a cross-functional swarm.

Community drives application

Learning sticks when peers hold each other accountable.

Example:
BDO uses leadership pods to review, apply, and challenge ideas — before and after formal learning.

The formula:
Content + Community + Capability = Results

6️⃣ Common breakdown points — and how maturity solves them

The theme:
You can’t operationalize collaboration in a system designed for control and isolation.

7️⃣ What 2026 requires: clear, focused, repeatable operational practices

Each panelist shared what they believe L&D must prioritize for next year:

⭐ David: Impact + Storytelling

• Measure results, not “learning activity”

• Amplify wins so the business sees value

• Shift the narrative: L&D = strategic growth lever

⭐ Jen: Less clutter, more clarity

Focus on the question:

“Will this make the boat go faster?”

• Standardize tools + workflows

• Observe where things actually break

• Eliminate passion-project noise

⭐ Ryan: Understand the business like an “undercover boss”

• Don’t rely solely on strategy slides

• Spend time with frontline teams

• Surface misalignment leaders don’t see yet

⭐ Keith: Return to basics

• Define 2–3 critical capabilities

• Clarify stakeholder decision rights

• Measure outcomes in business terms

“Never get bored with the basics.” — Keith

8️⃣ Practical moves to start scaling collaborative learning now

A starter checklist you can implement in 2025:

1️⃣ Anchor in business problems

Start every intake with:
What decision or action needs to improve and why?

2️⃣ Standardize SME enablement

Provide:

• Templates

• Micro-authoring guidance

• Rapid governance rules

3️⃣ Design collaboration as a system

Make workflows predictable:

• Who creates what?

• When?

• How is feedback captured?

4️⃣ Share outcomes visibly

Tell stories:

• Faster onboarding

• Improved customer scores

• Fewer operational errors

• Increased sales velocity

5️⃣ Do fewer things, better

Hunt for the top blockers of business performance, not content gaps.

Watch the Full Panel Discussion

Want to dive deeper into how high-maturity L&D teams operationalize collaborative learning?

👉 Watch the full webinar recording and hear directly from Ryan Austin, David James, Jen South, and Dr. Keith Keating.

🎥 Watch on demand here.

Take the Next Step Toward Higher Maturity

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📌 Book a LearnOps Maturity Assessment
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