The content overload problem in workplace learning
We’re not short on learning these days. Quite the opposite.
Between online platforms, bite-sized modules, curated playlists and AI-generated content, most organisations are overflowing with things to learn. If knowledge were the answer, most of our workplace challenges would already be solved.
And yet, many teams still struggle to collaborate. Managers avoid difficult conversations. People attend training but change very little.
The problem isn’t a lack of content. It’s a lack of connection. We don’t need more learning assets. We need more learning moments – and those start with better listening.
Think back to the last time you felt really understood at work. Someone gave you their full attention. They didn’t interrupt or jump to fix things. They asked a question that made you stop and think.
Chances are, that moment had more impact on your growth than a dozen e-learning modules.
Listening isn’t just a nice interpersonal skill. It’s the foundation for psychological safety, insight, motivation and change. When it’s done well – when it’s truly coaching-style listening – it creates the kind of space where people figure things out for themselves. That’s where learning becomes real.
Coaching skills turn listening from passive to powerful. They help people stay curious, hold back judgement and create room for deeper thinking. When managers listen this way, they stop micromanaging and start developing their teams. When colleagues listen this way, they build trust, not just rapport.
In short: better listening leads to better learning.
So why are so many organisations still focused on pushing content instead of building conversation?
Part of it is speed – content can be scaled, scheduled and tracked. Coaching conversations? They take time, and they’re harder to measure. But they’re also more effective at creating behaviour change, particularly in moments of uncertainty or transition.
If your people are overwhelmed, burned out, or stuck in old habits, chances are they don’t need another course. They need a space to pause, reflect and talk about what’s really going on. That’s what coaching enables – and it doesn’t always require a professional coach.
When organisations train their managers and leaders in core coaching skills – like active listening, powerful questioning and reflective dialogue – they create a culture where learning happens all the time, not just in the training room.
Learning that sticks starts with curiosity
Here’s the shift: don’t just think of learning as a pipeline of content. Think of it as a series of invitations to think differently. And to make those invitations land, you need people who know how to listen – really listen.
Coaching skills are how you turn performance reviews into meaningful development conversations. How you make feedback a two-way exchange. How you help people connect the dots between what they’re learning and how they’re living it.
This kind of learning is stickier. It’s more personal. And, crucially, it’s more human.
Coaching skills as a strategic learning investment
If you’re looking to elevate your organisation’s learning culture, start with listening. Not the surface-level kind, but the kind that coaches are trained in – the kind that transforms conversations into catalysts for change.
Embedding coaching skills across your business won’t replace your existing L&D content – but it will amplify it. It will help you unlock the full potential of the learning tools you already have by connecting them to real people, real situations and real insight.
Because sometimes, the most powerful learning doesn’t come from knowing more – it comes from feeling heard.
Author biography
Karen Smart
Head of consultancy/senior faculty, AoEC
Karen is an ICF accredited and experienced executive coach, coach trainer, mentor coach, supervisor and faculty member for the AoEC. She is pivotal in building, connecting, and maintaining effective authentic relationships both internally and externally.
As AoEC Head of Consultancy, Karen is responsible for meeting all executive coaching needs for our organisation-based clients. She works with leaders and senior decision makers across all sectors including financial services, professional services, entertainment, not-for-profit, and the public sector.
Karen sits on the Senior Leadership Team feeding into the AoEC strategy and business objectives. In addition to this, she manages an internal team to seek out opportunities and serve clients effectively. Karen is accountable for the budget for the organisations part of the business.
Prior to joining the AoEC, Karen enjoyed a successful commercial career in the pharmaceutical industry, latterly holding a global responsibility for strategy implementation and launch preparedness for a billion-a-year dollar brand across forty-four different countries. Karen has a broad-based sales and marketing experience in a variety of settings, including a two-year stint as Strategic Planning and Market Research Manager in Mexico City.