Feature


ClockWise? D


Are there “not enough hours in the day” or are we missing something in the L&D strategy?Rebecca McDowallon why time shouldnt define learning capacity


oes the following sound familiar: “Why has X not made time for their training? Clearly they’re not committed”?


ime is often the first thing we reach for when trying to understand learning behaviour. The assumption is: if people have the time, they’ll complete it. If they haven’t, maybe they aren’t that engaged. The conversation around learners having or making the time is ever-present. But this line of thinking misses something. When we use time availability as a proxy


for someone’s ability or motivation to learn, we overlook a much more complex reality. One shaped not only by calendars, but by mental, emotional, and cognitive capacity. When we ignore these invisible factors, we risk judging people unfairly, designing ineffective solutions, and reinforcing workplace inequalities. But it’s not just about time, it’s about headspace. Many employees aren’t skipping training because they’re lazy or uninterested. They’re skipping it because they’re tired. Or stressed. Or cognitively stretched from back-to-back meetings, constant context switching,


or the weight of personal challenges. And while a training module may “only”


take 30 minutes, the mental space required to engage meaningfully is often far greater. he rain needs room to process, reflect, and absorb new information. And that room isn’t always available, even if the clock says it is. We need to recognise that time on the calendar isn’t the same as capacity in the mind. Workload pressures, high-performance cultures, and ‘always-on’ communication environments can leave people cognitively and emotionally depleted. In these conditions, learning becomes just another task to survive, not an opportunity to grow. >


Learning Magazine | 9


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