How Successful Corporate Innovation Training Look Like in the Age of AI?
Many organizations treat employee training as a one-stop solution to foster innovation. However, some successful companies like 3M demonstrate that effective innovation training is not a standalone intervention but an integrated approach embedded within an employee’s learning journey.
This approach has made 3M received the National Medal of Technology, the highest honor for innovation bestowed by the U.S. government. Over two decades, the company maintained an average gross margin of 51% and an average return on assets of 29%. Additionally, 3M has consistently ranked among the top 20 in Fortune magazine’s annual list of “America’s Most Admired Corporations.”
In this article, I won’t give you a specific training method for innovation, but will help you rethink how to structure the future employee learning journey that leads to sustainable and impactful innovation.
AI is Changing the Way We Work, Are We Keeping Up?
AI is transforming industries at lightning speed, and businesses need to keep up. PwC’s 28th Annual Global CEO Survey found that 47% of CEOs plan to integrate AI into their tech platforms, 41% into business processes, 31% into workforce development, and 24% into their core strategy. To stay competitive, companies must invest in employee’s learning that help employees adapt and grow.
Why Traditional Training Isn’t Enough: Lessons from 3M
If we want to create real innovation outcomes, we need to rethink training as part of a broader employee learning journey. Innovation requires clearly defined competencies and a focus on outcome-based learning, which emphasizes permanent behavioral and cognitive change rather than short-term knowledge retention.
A prime example of an integrated approach to learning is 3M’s commitment to research, development, and a culture of continuous employee learning:
- Investment in Learning & Development: 3M allocates approximately 6% of sales to research and development, far more than a typical manufacturing company, ensuring that employee learning remains a priority.
- The 15% Rule: Employees can dedicate 15% of their time to pursuing self-driven learning projects that lead to innovation. This approach fosters curiosity and long-term competency growth.
- Sustained Learning Culture: The company’s consistency in learning investments — even during economic downturns — ensures long-term employee learning journeys are uninterrupted.
The Post-it Note is one of the best examples of innovation born from a learning-driven culture. Art Fry, a 3M scientist, used his 15% time to solve a personal problem — creating a reusable bookmark for his hymnal. He leveraged a weak adhesive developed by another 3M scientist, and turned it into one of the company’s most successful products. The success of the initial Boise Blitz campaign only snowballed from there. Today, 600 Post-it Note products are sold in more than 100 countries with 3M selling more than 50 billion individual notes per year.
Today, 3M’s commitment to AI innovation is exemplified by its new Generative AI Center of Excellence, which aims to ethically integrate AI across all operations. This initiative, coupled with AI-driven projects in road safety, smart air filters, and supply chain optimization, showcases 3M’s dedication to shaping the future of technology.
As we explore 3M’s AI journey, we can see how this 120-year-old company is not just adapting to technological advancements but actively leading the charge in the AI era, demonstrating that innovation knows no age in the world of cutting-edge technology.
Connecting Innovation Training with Future Employee’s Learning Journey
The 3M strategy proved that the flexibility offered by 15% rules can contribute to a company’s success. It is aligned with the insight from research by Pearson & Murdoch (2023), a well-designed employee learning journey that integrates learning into daily tasks, increasing retention and application of new skills. By embedding learning into employees’ workflow, organizations can create a seamless experience that fosters continuous development and innovation.
Rethinking Employee Learning for Innovation
For companies that are currently aiming for innovation, The training is something that is valuable, but can not stand alone. To further enhance employee learning journeys, it should be embodied to the corporate policy yet flexible to encourage fresh ideas and more impactful outcome from employees.
HR and Learning & Development (L&D) teams must rethink how they approach corporate innovation training:
- Think Long-Term and Systemic: Learning should be a continuous journey, not just a series of training sessions.
- Make Learning Part of Work: Encourage employees to develop skills as they go about their daily tasks.
- Supportive Environment for Experimentation: Create a policy and culture where employees feel safe to test new ideas and take risks.
