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65 Quotes About Workplace Learning & Development

Learning professionals have never been more important. After all, they now have to contend with a widening skills gap, digital transformation, distracted learners and a dwindling budget. 

It’s time for some inspiration. We’ve collected 65 (yes, 65!) of our favourite quotes about workplace learning. These quotes cover training, development and instruction in all forms. We’ll hear from thought leaders and visionaries who understand this space like no one else.

These quotes are the ideal source of motivation for learning and development teams, instructors and trainers. That said, there is plenty of wisdom in there for the rest of us as well. And if you’re hungry for more quotes, then there’s more to be had:

Ready for some workplace wisdom? Then let’s dive in!

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Workplace Learning Quotes: The All-Time Top 30 Ranked

“The only thing worse than training your employees and having them leave is not training them and having them stay.” — Henry Ford

1. “The only thing worse than training your employees and having them leave is not training them and having them stay.” — Henry Ford

 

“An organization’s ability to learn, and translate that learning into action rapidly, is the ultimate competitive advantage.” — Jack Welch

2. “An organization’s ability to learn, and translate that learning into action rapidly, is the ultimate competitive advantage.” — Jack Welch

 

“The single biggest driver of business impact is the strength of an organization’s learning culture.” — Josh Bersin

3. “The single biggest driver of business impact is the strength of an organization’s learning culture.” — Josh Bersin

 

“We complain that learners want to be spoon-fed, but then we won’t let them hold the spoon.” — Jane Bozarth

4. “We complain that learners want to be spoon-fed, but then we won’t let them hold the spoon.” — Jane Bozarth

 

“Learning is a process not an event.” — Elliott Masie

5. “We need to bring learning to people, instead of people to learning.” — Elliott Masie

 

“Train people well enough so they can leave, treat them well enough so they don’t want to.” — Richard Branson

6. “Train people well enough so they can leave, treat them well enough so they don’t want to.” — Richard Branson

 

“When it comes to the design of effective learning experiences, one provocative question is worth a hundred proclamations.” — Bernard Bull

7. “When it comes to the design of effective learning experiences, one provocative question is worth a hundred proclamations.” — Bernard Bull

 

“You can’t teach people everything they need to know. The best you can do is position them where they can find what they need to know when they need to know it.” — Seymour Papert

8.You can’t teach people everything they need to know. The best you can do is position them where they can find what they need to know when they need to know it.” — Seymour Papert

 

“The most profound words will remain unread unless you can keep the learner engaged.” — James Bates

9. “The most profound words will remain unread unless you can keep the learner engaged.” — James Bates

 

“Learning experiences are like journeys. The journey starts where the learning is now, and ends where the learner is successful.” — Julie Dirksen

10. “Learning experiences are like journeys. The journey starts where the learning is now, and ends where the learner is successful.” — Julie Dirksen

 

“There is almost no limit to the potential of an organization that recruits good people, raises them up as leaders and continually develops them.” — John Maxwell

11. “There is almost no limit to the potential of an organization that recruits good people, raises them up as leaders and continually develops them.” — John Maxwell

 

“We don’t care what people know, we care what they do. It’s all about performance.” — Michael Allen

12. “We don’t care what people know, we care what they do. It’s all about performance.” — Michael Allen

 

“Over the long run, superior performance depends on superior learning.” — Peter Senge

13. “Over the long run, superior performance depends on superior learning.” — Peter Senge

 

“One of the most important areas we can develop as professionals is competence in accessing and sharing knowledge.” — Connie Malamed

14. “One of the most important areas we can develop as professionals is competence in accessing and sharing knowledge.” — Connie Malamed

 

“If you continue training the same way you’ve always trained, don’t expect to get better results.” — Jim Crapko

15. “If you continue training the same way you’ve always trained, don’t expect to get better results.” — Jim Crapko

 

“Continuous learning is the minimum requirement for success in any field.” — Brian Tracy

16. “Continuous learning is the minimum requirement for success in any field.” — Brian Tracy

 

“The goal of education is understanding; the goal of training is performance.” — Frank Bell

17. “The goal of education is understanding; the goal of training is performance.” — Frank Bell

 

“The best development programmes change the way people see themselves.” — John Bright

18. “The best development programmes change the way people see themselves.” — John Bright

 

“The growth and development of people is the highest calling of leadership.” — Harvey S. Firestone

19. “The growth and development of people is the highest calling of leadership.” — Harvey S. Firestone

 

“What’s going to make a difference to your organization is not the ability to recite facts… It’s the ability to make better decisions.” — Clark Quinn

20. “What’s going to make a difference to your organization is not the ability to recite facts… It’s the ability to make better decisions.” — Clark Quinn

 

“Learning and performance will become one and the same thing. Everything you say about learning will be about performance.” — Peter Block

21. “Learning and performance will become one and the same thing. Everything you say about learning will be about performance.” — Peter Block

 

“To unlock the true potential of eLearning to train successful employees, it needs to be people-centered.” — Simon Greany

22. “To unlock the true potential of eLearning to train successful employees, it needs to be people-centered.” — Simon Greany

 

“Throw out some of that instructional design language and speak like a human being in conversation with another human being.” — Cammy Bean

23. “Throw out some of that instructional design language and speak like a human being in conversation with another human being.” — Cammy Bean

 

“L&D maturity… will be defined by the way that we take personal responsibility and step out in courage to act on the basics that we know work.” — Laura Overton

24. “L&D maturity… will be defined by the way that we take personal responsibility and step out in courage to act on the basics that we know work.” — Laura Overton

 

“We are living in a world where access trumps knowledge every time.” — Charles Jennings

25. “We are living in a world where access trumps knowledge every time.” — Charles Jennings

 

“Information is a source of learning. But unless it is organized, processed and available to the right people in a format for decision making, it is a burden, not a benefit.” — William Pollard

26. “Information is a source of learning. But unless it is organized, processed and available to the right people in a format for decision making, it is a burden, not a benefit.” — William Pollard

 

“If learners think it looks bad, you may have lost a good percentage of the battle in getting them to pay attention.” — Patti Shank

27. “If learners think it looks bad, you may have lost a good percentage of the battle in getting them to pay attention.” — Patti Shank

 

“We need to bring learning to people, instead of people to learning.” — Elliott Masie

28. “Learning is a process not an event.” — Elliott Masie

“There are no refunds; learners cannot get their time back if we waste it.” — Michael Allen

29. “There are no refunds; learners cannot get their time back if we waste it.” — Michael Allen

 

“Stop thinking the answer to everything is to develop a course.” — Jane Bozarth

30. “Stop thinking the answer to everything is to develop a course.” — Jane Bozarth

 

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Workplace Learning Quotes: Honourable Mentions

31. “Our bravest and best lessons are not learned through success, but through misadventure.” — Amos Bronson Alcott

32. “If you make it matter, it sticks. If not, it slides. Emotion is not important to learning. Emotion is learning.” — Nick Shackleton-Jones

33. “Every enterprise is a learning and teaching institution. Training and development must be built into it on all levels—training and development that never stop.” — Peter Drucker

34. “The future belongs to those who learn more skills and combine them in creative ways.” — Robert Greene

35. “In the business world, the rearview mirror is always clearer than the windshield.” — Warren Buffett

36. “Often it hardly matters how good the course, class, materials or instructor is. If the organization does not support learning, then training programmes will be wasted.” — Josh Bersin

37. “Our work gets better when we connect and collaborate with others, as does our impact on engagement, learning and performance.” — Michelle Ockers

38. “Learning is the process whereby knowledge is created through the transformation of experience.” — David Kolb

39. “There’s no experience like on-the-job training.” — Hank Azaria

40. “The most effective, successful professionals are constantly learning, they take the time to apply what they have learned, and they continually work to improve themselves.” — Joel Gardner

41. “Learning is a process to deliver performance, it is not a final outcome.” — Charles Jennings

42. “A learning organization is an organization that is continually expanding its capacity to create its future.” — Peter Senge

43. “The basic DNA of good learning experiences is trying to do something and getting feedback.” — Julie Dirksen

44. “People don’t want prettier or more interactive courses. They want more relevant solutions to their problems.” — Jane Hart

45. “Boring and effective are mutually exclusive attributes in learning.” — Michael Allen

46. “Talking about people as learners is like talking about people as breathers.” — Nick Shackleton-Jones

47. “Standardized courses are artifacts of a time when connections were few and information was scarce. That time has passed.” — Harold Jarche

48. “Learning and innovation go hand-in-hand. The arrogance of success is to think that what you did yesterday will be sufficient for tomorrow.” — William Pollard

49. “If you want people to have fun, give them the day off. If you want them to learn, create engaging instruction.” — Karl Kapp

50. “People will only want to engage if it is relevant to their needs or helps them solve problems.” — Jane Hart

51. “If you want to teach people a new way of thinking, don’t bother trying to teach them. Instead, give them a tool, the use of which will lead to new ways of thinking.” — R. Buckminster Fuller

52. “When it comes to organizational learning, if it ain’t fun, it won’t get done.” — Juliette Denny

53. “Don’t push growth: remove the factors limiting growth.” — Peter Senge

54. “The most important investment you can make is in yourself. Nobody can tax it or take it away from you.” — Warren Buffett

55. “Don’t think of what it costs to train your employees… Think what it costs not to train them.” — Shep Hyken

56. “Create the culture of learning that you wish you’d had.” — Laura Vater

57. “Most of life is on-the-job training. Some of the most important things can only be learned in the process of doing them.” — Jack Canfield

58. “Never become so much of an expert that you stop gaining expertise. View life as a continuous learning experience.” — Denis Waitley

59. “The interaction of knowledge and skills with experience is key to learning.” — John Dewey

60. “An empowered and enriched workforce is the backbone of a company’s success framework.” — Ananya Birla

61. “Nothing we do is more important than hiring and developing people. At the end of the day, you bet on people, not on strategies.” — Lawrence Bossidy

62. “The fourth industrial revolution continues to transform the world of work. Reskilling and upskilling have never been more important.” — Rashim Mogha

63. “Fostering an ideal learning atmosphere means giving learners confidence, a supportive push and the tools to help them learn.” — Caroline Ford

64. “When it comes to eLearning, content means everything. If eLearning content is not masterfully designed, all the rest will just go down the drain.” — Christopher Pappas

65. “A huge factor in ensuring we tackle the skills gap at scale is by meeting employees where they’re at.” — Caitlyn Beattie

Final Word

There we have it. A selection of quotes from business titans, industry experts and learning specialists. We hope this list has got you fired up and ready to engage your learners!

Which quote resonated best with you? Did we miss any quotes that you think should be included? Please let us know via our social media channels (LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook). 

And before you go, don’t forget to check out our 70 quotes on learning, 70 quotes on motivation and 60 quotes about teaching. Happy learning!

Here at Growth Engineering, we know what makes learners tick. We’ve collected our findings into a brand new guidebook, ‘Your Guide to The Modern Learner’. Download it now!

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