LEARNING
BY TODD MORAN, NOVOED
ILLUSTRATION PROVIDED BY ADOBE STOCK
SCALING TACIT KNOWLEDGE IN CONTACT CENTERS HOW SOCIAL LEARNING CULTIVATES LIFELONG LEARNERS.
The contact center industry has always been defined by change: shifting budgets, evolving leadership priorities, expanding product portfolios, new technologies, and regulatory pressure.
These complex changes, gathered from conversations and research, will not only continue throughout 2026, but they will also likely accelerate.
At the same time, the role of the contact center itself is being fundamentally redefined. Long viewed as a cost center optimized for efficiency, today’ s contact center is becoming a strategic hub for high-value customer interactions.
As routine inquiries migrate to self-service channels and AI-powered
34 CONTACT CENTER PIPELINE agents, human representatives are left to navigate the most complex, emotionally charged, and critical customer moments. But a higher-skilled function requires a more innovative approach to employee development.
The traditional onboarding and learning management system( LMS) model, where agents are front-loaded with information and then reactively coached or mentored, is no longer sufficient. To thrive, organizations must move from episodic training to a culture of continuous, social, and lifelong learning.
THE CHALLENGE OF TACIT KNOWLEDGE
The difference between a“ good” agent and an exceptional one isn’ t limited to their mastery of product knowledge and available tools. Often, it lies in tacit knowledge: the intuitive judgment, empathy, and situational awareness developed primarily through experience.
SUSTAINING A CULTURE OF LIFELONG LEARNING REQUIRES A PARALLEL SHIFT IN LEADERSHIP.