How to Develop a Learning Framework

The old playbook says, “Get a list, pack it in slides, present it, and it’s done.” That’s how most organizations approach their learning programs. Like a PowerPoint deck, they’re linear, filled with bullet points of what ‘should’ be learned, and sealed with a test at the end. Neat and orderly.

But is it effective? Is it learning?

Consider this: What if, instead of a deck of slides to be shown, we’re building a skyscraper of skills and insights? What if our learning programs were less about ticking boxes and more about constructing edifices of expertise and knowledge?

Who is this learning framework for? That’s the foundational stone. Not just for the organization, but for the individuals—the flesh and blood who will stand upon these blocks to reach higher.

And the next question is pivotal: What change are we seeking to make? If we’re not looking to shift understanding, to alter behavior, to enhance ability, then what’s the point? A framework without change is just an ornament, not an engine.

So we come to the blueprint. What did our learners believe before this framework? Where are their gaps, not just in knowledge, but in belief and in action? And after they’ve experienced our learning program, what will they believe? What will they do differently?

This is the construction of learning with intention, not with a template.

Every element of your learning framework, like the choices you make in a slide deck—font, size, imagery—is a brick in your structure. The colors of the blocks aren’t just for aesthetics. They’re there to attract, to hold attention, to be remembered. They serve a purpose—to reinforce a concept, to make a connection, to solidify a change.

Your sequence of lessons, like the progression of slides, must build tension and anticipation. It’s a journey you’re taking your learners on, where each step is deliberate, aiming for that ‘aha’ moment when the pieces click into place.

It’s tempting to use the learning framework as a cover, a proof of effort, to say, “Look, we’ve taught them.” But that’s aiming too low. It’s settling for participation trophies in a game where mastery is the prize.

Remember playing with blocks? Stacking them, experimenting, seeing how high you could go before they toppled? That wonder, that trial and error, that learning through doing—that’s the spirit to imbue in your framework.

The process of developing a strategic learning framework should mirror the magic of building with blocks. It’s a process filled with experimentation, curiosity, and, yes, the possibility of toppling over. But with each rebuild, comes stronger designs and smarter architects.

As you craft this framework, ask yourself: What’s the architecture of the change you’re building? How does each module, each task, and each assessment stack up to not just inform but to transform?

The font, the grammar, the pictures—they’re not just for show. They’re the language of learning. They tell your team that this matters, that it’s crafted, that it’s worth their time. And the arc of your program should tell a story that ends not with a period but with a comma, signifying an ongoing conversation, a continuous build.

Sure, you can use your framework as a ledger of what’s been done—a digital breadcrumb trail of your organizational journey. But what if, instead, you used it as a launchpad? What if it was the thing that propelled your team to think bigger, to act bolder, and to learn not just for the job but for the joy of it?

Most of us have forgotten the simple joy of learning we had as kids. Let’s bring that back. Let’s make our organizations not just places of work but gardens where ideas and skills flourish, where learning is as natural and as necessary as growth itself.

In the end, developing a learning framework isn’t about adding another floor to the same old building. It’s about pioneering new structures, crafting spaces where ideas can breathe, and where the future is built—one block, one learner, one breakthrough at a time.

Are you ready to pick up the blocks?

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Break Free From the Trap of Short-Term Thinking

Is it good to use canned programs as the basis of our learning framework?

Canned programs, the all-in-one, pre-packaged learning solutions, are like the typewriters of the training world: they did the job once, but the world’s moved on. In the Philippines, there’s a trend to compress an MBA’s semester’s worth of learning into a day-long seminar. Efficient? Perhaps. Effective? That’s debatable.

You see, these ready-to-serve solutions might check the box for broad coverage, but do they resonate with the specifics of your organization, the unique culture of your team, or the individual growth paths of your people? Doubtful.

We’ve outgrown many antiquated ways of working, from carrier pigeons to coal heating, because better, more tailored solutions became available. The same evolution applies to learning.

It’s not a matter of if you’ll move beyond the static, one-size-fits-all training regime, but when. And “when” should be a date marked with intention, not a vague point in the future.
Your people are not generic, so their development program shouldn’t be either. It’s time to trade the canned programs for something more organic, more alive, and more in tune with the pulse of your business.

Intentional action, a commitment to crafting learning experiences that reflect the goals and culture of your organization and the individual needs of your team, is what separates the professional from the pedestrian.

So, ask yourself, “When will we design learning that’s as dynamic as our market, as personalized as our customer service, and as ambitious as our growth plans?” Not if, but when. Because the true cost of sticking with “canned” is not just in wasted hours or yawns—it’s in the potential that never gets unlocked.

What makes your on-demand leadership programs different from canned programs?

On-demand leadership programs aren’t just a departure from the canned, pre-packaged content; they’re a rebellion against it. Canned programs are the fast food of training—quick, easy, and broadly the same, no matter where you go. On-demand leadership training? That’s the chef’s table experience—curated, customized, and unique to your dietary needs.

Think of canned programs as the encyclopedia salesperson knocking on your door, offering the same set of books to everyone in the neighborhood. It’s information, sure, but it’s static. It’s impersonal.

Now, imagine instead a personal librarian who knows not only every book in the building but also what you’re working on, the challenges you’re facing, and the gaps in your knowledge. That’s on-demand leadership training.

Our spotlight courses don’t just shed light; they illuminate the specific paths that leaders in your organization need to tread. They’re built around vital behaviors and processes tailored not to the job description, but to the person filling it. This isn’t learning borrowed from someone else’s agenda; it’s learning crafted for your team’s mission.

Public offerings are like billboards—broadcasting the same message to every passerby. Our on-demand programs are the conversation you have after you call the number on the billboard, the one where you say, “Here’s what I need,” and someone listens.

In a world where one size fits none, on-demand leadership programs stand out by fitting so well they seem tailor-made. Because they are. They’re the difference between off-the-rack and bespoke, between general admission and VIP.

So, what makes them different? Everything that makes your organization different—your people, your culture, your challenges, your objectives. That’s our measure, and that’s our method.

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