4Ls | Learning Teams

A retrospective learning and humble inquiry approach using the 4L's and the 4D's for operational learning from everyday work

Operational learning "Blue line/Black line" exists in normal everyday successful work. The 4Ls approach provides a holistic view of operational practices (safety, quality etc) by examining what went well, what was lacking, what team members wished for in the future, and what was learned. This reflective learning practice allows workers to identify strengths and weaknesses in work systems and environments. It helps to understand and reduce the gap between Work As Imagined and Work As Done.

The Next Chapter of Operational Learning For HOP, Learning Teams and the 4L's

The 4L's™ is a retrospective learning technique, which stands for "Like, Lack, Longed For, and Learnt," is a powerful tool for reflective learning and system improvements. The idea has been adapted from the work of Mary Gorman and Ellen Gottesdiener in Agile © EBG Consulting, 2015-2019. These 4Ls allow workers to reflect on their experiences, identify safety successes and shortcomings, and establish a ritual of continuous improvement by implementing small incremental changes "Trojan Mouse".

Hear more about the 4Ls in Action

A multipurpose pocket knife for operational learning

Risk Management

The 4Ls allows you to see the conditions in work that can lead to all three harm types of physical/acute harm, health/chronic harm and psychosocial/mental health harm. Understanding the context, scope and criteria for risk is essential for managing the life cycle of risk.

End of Work Day/Shift Handover

Workgroups and work teams can use the 4Ls framework for a comprehensive and reflective transition using storytelling and continuous improvement. This approach will help identify what worked well, areas needing improvement, desired changes, and key takeways.

Leadership Walk and Talks

Leaders can engage with workers on the frontline, asking humble questions to understand their perspectives and challenges. This builds trust and encourages workers to share their insights and concerns. This shifts the traditional focus of leaders from Find-and-Fix to Listen-Learn-Lead.

Incident Response/Review

The 4Ls framework can be used to review an event by exploring what worked well during the incident response, what was missing or didn’t go as planned during the incident, what could have improved the response or prevented the incident and what are the learnings and insights to improve future responses.