Challenge-based learning could be the key to unlocking a more connected company culture for your workforce.
This alternative skills development method is a collaborative experience that strengthens company culture by connecting individual team members in a meaningful, lasting way.
Not only is collaboration itself a vital and in-demand future-proof skill but also a method of cultivating a more connected company culture.
What does a connected company culture look like? And how is a connected company culture built through the challenge-based learning process?
Connecting through differences
A strong company culture is connected not just through like-mindedness, but also through difference. Challenge-based learning encourages collaboration between unique employees with unique strengths, knowledge, passions, and ideas.
The result is a diverse mosaic of innovative thinkers. Through collaborative projects, colleagues naturally teach one another because each has something unique to offer.
A University of Washington study that compared lecture-based learning to challenge-based learning in the workplace found that the collaboration of CBL offers more significant benefits: not only were the employees interacting with one another and engaged in their learning, but they were also sharing knowledge with one another.
In the end, collaborative learners showed a lasting understanding of the material and skills learned in comparison to the lecture-based learners, in large part due to the connective, collaborative work.
With challenge-based learning, team members connect through their differences, using diversity to their advantage in order to reach a shared goal. This fosters a connected company culture in which team members are productively engaged and teach one another. Happy to work together towards a shared mission despite their differences.
Connecting through creativity
The diverse collaboration required in challenge-based learning encourages creative solutions. Employees look at problems, concepts, and situations through new perspectives. Exploring new creative ideas, however, may lead to failure.
Challenge-based learning encourages creative risk-taking and experimentation, which creates a blame-free environment for employees.
Instead of pointing fingers, employees can try and fail fearlessly, which fosters a community of employees focused on finding the best solution together rather than completing a task correctly.
This creative experience connects the employees through a determined, open-minded process. The creative cross-collaboration encourages open communication across the company team, as the diverse problem-solvers innovate interdisciplinary solutions for the benefit of the whole company together.
Apple's case studies on the challenge-based learning framework found that learners experienced improved creative thinking and were more engaged with their learning material when working collaboratively on real-world challenges.
Connecting through shared purpose
Challenge-based learning unites team members around a common goal — solving a real-world problem. This shared purpose creates a sense of belonging and collective responsibility that transcends individual roles and departments.
When employees work together towards a meaningful objective, they develop deeper connections with their colleagues and a stronger commitment to the organization's mission. This sense of shared purpose is the foundation of a truly connected company culture.