💼 The Hidden Cost of Remote Work: Losing Ambient Learning (And How to Get It Back)
- Success Manager
- Sep 12
- 3 min read
Updated: Sep 24
By Michael Daniel Sgro, Certified Coach | Syracuse, NY
In our ever-evolving world of remote and hybrid work, we’ve unlocked new levels of freedom, flexibility, and focus. But we’ve also unknowingly traded away something subtle—and deeply human—in the process.
It’s called ambient learning.
Before Zoom rooms and Slack channels became the norm, we learned so much just by being around our colleagues. We overheard how someone navigated a tough client call, how a team lead de-escalated a conflict, or how a peer pitched a big idea in a meeting we weren’t even invited to. These small, seemingly passive moments were the foundation of our professional intuition.
Today, this invisible learning pipeline has gone quiet.
But the good news? We can bring it back—with intention. Ambient learning doesn't have to disappear just because the office walls have. It just means we need to be more proactive, emotionally intelligent, and connected.
Here are 7 steps you can take starting today to increase ambient learning—for yourself and your colleagues—even in a fully remote world:
🔑 1. Invite Someone to Shadow You Virtually
Don’t assume others won’t care or won’t benefit. Invite a junior colleague to silently sit in on a client call, a strategy session, or a presentation prep. Let them watch how you work. You’re modeling in real time—and that’s powerful.
EQ Tip: This builds mentorship without having to "formally" mentor. It's leadership through visibility.
🧠 2. Narrate Your Thought Process Out Loud
When you're making a decision in a meeting or solving a complex issue in a chat thread, take a minute to share why you're doing it. “I’m leaning toward X because last quarter we saw Y...” — this gives others insight into your reasoning and builds collective intelligence.
Bonus: It encourages a culture of transparency.
🤝 3. Over-Communicate Context
One of the biggest losses in remote work is the lack of shared background. Be the person who fills in the blanks. Don't just share the what—share the why. People learn from understanding the bigger picture.
EQ Tip: Context is a kindness. It creates inclusion.
📅 4. Create “Learning Moments” in Meetings
Take 5 minutes at the end of your team meetings to ask, “What did we learn today?” or “What surprised us in this discussion?” This prompts reflection and communal learning—two things that fuel growth.
Leadership Move: Rotate who leads this so it's not just coming from the top.
🗣️ 5. Encourage “Overhearing” Through Voice Notes
Instead of typing everything, try sending short voice memos when possible. Tone, inflection, pacing—all help us understand nuance better than text alone. It also mimics that “overhearing” effect we used to have in shared spaces.
👥 6. Co-Work, Don’t Just Collaborate
Set up virtual coworking hours where you and others work silently together over video. It’s not a meeting. It’s presence. Often, just being around each other sparks micro-conversations, curiosity, and learning that wouldn’t happen otherwise.
EQ Tip: Presence is a gift. Even in silence, we feel each other.
🌱 7. Reflect + Share Your Own Growth Journey
Be vulnerable about what you’re learning. Post a short weekly note in your team channel: “Here’s something I learned this week…” It invites others to do the same and shows that growth is celebrated, not hidden.
Culture Shift: You normalize learning as a shared journey, not a solo climb.
The Takeaway
We’re not just remote workers—we’re still humans. Still learning. Still growing. Still needing connection.
Ambient learning isn’t lost—it just needs a new container.
Let’s create environments (digital or otherwise) where we don’t just get work done—we grow while doing it. That’s the kind of professional world worth building.
You in?
📍 Need support building more learning and leadership into your remote work culture? Let’s chat. I help professionals and teams lead with emotional intelligence and impact—wherever they are.