Scrubbing Away Stagnation: Why Learning Agility is Your Cleanest Competitive Edge
Learn how fostering learning agility helps teams adapt, solve problems, and stay competitive in an ever-changing business landscape
Marcus, a fictional people leader, leaned back in his chair, rubbing his temples as he scrolled through the latest customer feedback reports. The numbers didn’t make sense. CleanCore Solutions, a fictional company providing uniforms, facility services, and safety products, had spent the past year investing in a state-of-the-art AI-powered logistics system. The initiative had been championed as a game-changer—one that would optimize delivery routes, reduce costs, and enhance efficiency.
For a while, everything had looked promising. The AI system crunched thousands of data points, identifying the most efficient delivery schedules based on customer locations, order sizes, and historical trends. Fuel costs had dropped. Delivery times had, on paper, improved. Operations were running smoother than ever—at least, that’s what the data suggested.
But then, the complaints started rolling in.
Long-time customers, the ones who had been with CleanCore for years, were suddenly frustrated. Orders were arriving at odd hours, deliveries were being made when facility managers weren’t on-site, and special requests were being overlooked. Customer retention, which had remained steady for years, started slipping.
At first, Marcus dismissed it as a temporary adjustment period. Change was always uncomfortable, and customers just needed time to adapt. But as the weeks passed, the situation worsened. Sales reps were reporting that once-loyal clients were exploring competitors. Field technicians, the face of CleanCore’s service, were voicing frustration about the rigid new schedules that left them with little flexibility to address customer needs.
And now, looking at the latest quarterly retention report, Marcus couldn’t ignore it any longer. Something had gone wrong—not with the technology itself, but with the way the company had implemented it.
Why Efficiency Alone Wasn’t Enough
The logic behind the AI-driven routing system was solid. It streamlined operations, made delivery schedules more predictable, and promised cost savings. But in practice, it had introduced an unintended consequence: employees were following the system’s recommendations blindly, without adapting to the nuances of customer needs.
CleanCore had trained its employees to execute processes with precision. But what they hadn’t done was prepare them to think critically in the face of change. When customers pushed back—when an AI-scheduled delivery didn’t align with real-world conditions—employees stuck to the script instead of adapting.
Competitors, like the fictional FastFleet Services, had taken a different approach. Instead of just implementing new technology, they had trained their teams to use it as a tool, not a rulebook. Their employees were empowered to make in-the-moment decisions—adjusting schedules when necessary, offering proactive solutions, and prioritizing customer relationships over algorithmic optimization.
Marcus realized that CleanCore’s problem wasn’t inefficiency. It was rigidity. Employees at all levels had been conditioned to rely on structured processes rather than adapt to new circumstances. And now, faced with an unexpected challenge, they were struggling to adjust.
The Risk of Standing Still
Marcus knew that if CleanCore didn’t course-correct, the company faced significant risks. The most immediate threat was customer trust. The foundation of their business wasn’t just delivering uniforms or cleaning supplies—it was reliability. Clients expected service that adapted to their needs, not a one-size-fits-all schedule dictated by software. If CleanCore couldn’t deliver that, customers would start looking elsewhere.
Beyond customer loyalty, Marcus was also worried about employee engagement. The frustration among field reps wasn’t just about logistics; it was about autonomy. Employees who felt powerless in their roles—unable to make decisions, unable to solve problems—would eventually disengage. Low morale led to lower productivity, and worse, higher turnover. And in an industry where experienced field reps and service technicians were the company’s greatest asset, losing them would be a costly setback.
Then there was the competitive landscape. FastFleet and other industry players were already positioning themselves as more agile, more customer-centric alternatives. They weren’t just optimizing operations; they were evolving their customer experience strategy to fit the realities of a changing market. If CleanCore didn’t catch up—and fast—it would fall behind.
Marcus sat back and exhaled. This wasn’t just about fixing a tech rollout. It was about fixing how the company adapted to change.
CleanCore didn’t need better software. It needed a workforce that was ready—and willing—to embrace change with confidence.
Rebuilding Agility from the Ground Up
Marcus knew that fixing CleanCore’s problem required more than just tweaking the AI system or issuing new directives. The real challenge was cultural: employees needed to shift from following orders to thinking critically and adapting in real-time.
At its core, this was a learning agility issue. The company had trained its workforce to operate within a predictable framework, but the modern business landscape didn’t allow for predictability. Customers expected flexibility, competitors were evolving, and technology—no matter how advanced—was only as useful as the people using it.
CleanCore needed a structured yet adaptable approach to problem-solving. Employees at every level had to develop the confidence and capability to navigate change, rather than wait for top-down solutions. And that meant cultivating a mindset of learning agility—the ability to stay flexible, grow from mistakes, and respond effectively to new challenges.
Shift Mindsets with the Right Coaching
The first step was changing how managers coached their teams. In many ways, CleanCore’s management style had mirrored its operational approach—structured, efficient, and process-driven. But effective coaching required more than just reinforcing best practices. It required helping employees rethink how they approached challenges.
Managers needed to shift away from telling employees what to do and instead guide them toward discovering solutions on their own. That meant:
Asking open-ended questions to encourage critical thinking (“What do you think would make this delivery smoother for the customer?”).
Normalizing mistakes as learning opportunities rather than failures (“What did you learn from that interaction that we can apply moving forward?”).
Recognizing employees for how they handled problems, not just for hitting performance metrics.
By integrating this coaching approach into daily interactions, CleanCore’s leadership would create an environment where employees weren’t just executing tasks—they were actively learning, adapting, and improving.
Make Learning Agility Part of Everyday Work
Marcus realized that shifting the company’s culture wouldn’t happen in a classroom or through a one-time training session. It had to be embedded in daily work.
One of the simplest, most effective ways to do this was through after-action reviews. Instead of only reviewing high-level performance metrics, teams needed to regularly reflect on how they handled challenges, what worked, and what could be improved.
For example, after a particularly challenging delivery or service call, the team would pause to discuss:
What unexpected issues came up?
How did we handle them?
What could we do differently next time?
These conversations would reinforce problem-solving as a team skill—not just an individual one. Over time, employees would stop viewing challenges as disruptions and start seeing them as opportunities to improve.
Empower Employees to Make Decisions
No amount of coaching or reflection would matter if employees didn’t have the authority to act on their insights.
One of CleanCore’s biggest missteps had been implementing the AI system without allowing employees to override it when necessary. Field technicians, drivers, and service reps knew their customers better than any algorithm did. They saw firsthand when a schedule didn’t align with a client’s needs or when a last-minute request was more urgent than the system suggested.
Marcus worked with leadership to introduce decision-making flexibility at the front lines. Employees were given clear guidelines on when and how they could make real-time adjustments. If a delivery needed to be rescheduled, they had the authority to coordinate with the customer directly. If an urgent need arose, they could escalate it without waiting for managerial approval.
This shift wasn’t about abandoning efficiency—it was about balancing efficiency with responsiveness. The AI system would still serve as a valuable tool, but it would no longer dictate actions at the expense of customer relationships.
Turn Successes Into a Model for Growth
To ensure long-term impact, CleanCore had to do more than just train employees on learning agility—they had to actively showcase success stories. Employees needed to see real examples of how flexibility, curiosity, and proactive thinking led to better outcomes.
Marcus launched an internal initiative where teams shared “agility wins” during meetings. Employees were encouraged to highlight moments when they adapted to unexpected challenges and created positive results. Whether it was a driver who adjusted a route to accommodate a customer’s urgent request or a service rep who found an innovative way to solve a client’s problem, these stories reinforced that agility wasn’t just encouraged—it was valued.
By embedding these practices into everyday operations, CleanCore was no longer just fixing a technology problem. They were transforming how their workforce thought, adapted, and thrived in an unpredictable business environment.
Reaping the Rewards of an Agile Workforce
The transformation at CleanCore didn’t happen overnight, but within months, the effects of promoting learning agility were becoming clear. Employees who had once felt constrained by rigid processes were now making smarter, faster decisions in the field. They weren’t waiting for managers or technology to dictate their every move—they were anticipating challenges, proactively solving problems, and improving customer relationships along the way.
Service delays that had once been common due to AI scheduling mismatches dropped significantly, not because the system had changed, but because employees had learned to navigate around its limitations. Customers who had grown frustrated with inconsistent service were now voicing their appreciation for the company’s newfound responsiveness.
Even internal communication had improved. Managers who had initially struggled with the shift from directive leadership to coaching were now seeing the benefits firsthand. Instead of fielding complaints from frustrated employees who felt powerless, they were engaging in richer, more productive conversations about solutions, strategies, and continuous improvement.
The data reflected the shift as well. Employee retention ticked upward—CleanCore had initially been losing top performers who felt stifled by inflexible processes, but now, those same employees were more engaged, more empowered, and more invested in the company’s success. Customer satisfaction scores, which had been in decline, rebounded as clients noticed a tangible difference in how their needs were being met.
Lessons Learned from the Frontlines
As Marcus reflected on the changes, he recognized a few key takeaways that had made the difference between temporary improvement and lasting cultural change.
The first lesson was that trust is the foundation of learning agility. Without it, employees are reluctant to take risks, hesitant to admit mistakes, and resistant to change. When CleanCore’s leadership openly acknowledged the flaws in the AI system and invited employees to actively participate in fixing the problem, trust grew. Employees no longer felt like cogs in a machine; they felt like partners in progress.
Another critical lesson was the power of coaching over commanding. Early in the transformation, some managers struggled with the shift, feeling that coaching took more time than simply issuing orders. But as they embraced inquiry-based leadership—asking employees for their input, guiding them to solutions rather than prescribing them—the benefits became clear. Employees who had once relied on managers for answers were now developing their own problem-solving capabilities, reducing the need for constant oversight.
Marcus also learned that mistakes are valuable—if you let them be. One of the most impactful cultural changes at CleanCore was the shift away from viewing failure as something to be punished, and toward seeing it as a learning opportunity. Employees who had been reluctant to admit errors were now actively discussing what went wrong, what they learned, and how they could improve. This openness accelerated the company’s ability to adapt and evolve.
Finally, the biggest takeaway was that learning agility isn’t a one-time fix—it’s an ongoing practice. The market, the customers, and the technology would continue to evolve, and CleanCore’s employees would need to evolve with them. The systems put in place—coaching conversations, after-action reviews, and decision-making empowerment—weren’t just temporary solutions. They were new habits that would allow the company to stay competitive in an ever-changing industry.
A Culture Built for the Future
In the end, CleanCore didn’t just fix an operational issue—they transformed their workforce into a team of agile learners. Employees weren’t afraid of challenges anymore. They embraced them, knowing that they had the tools, the support, and the authority to adapt.
This shift didn’t just benefit the employees—it benefited the business. CleanCore was now more responsive, resilient, and competitive. They weren’t just a company that provided essential business services; they were a company that thrived on innovation and adaptability.
And for Marcus, the lesson was clear: when you invest in building a workforce that can learn, grow, and pivot in real-time, you’re not just preparing for today—you’re future-proofing your entire organization.