> It is a better balance to let workers direct their learning and collaborate as they see fit

Except, for the learner, performance is *not* the only measure - indeed, it may not be a measure at all!

Learners, for example, are just as likely to be preparing for their *next* job as they are to be becoming more proficient in their current one.

I agree that learning cannot be directed by management, because management is unable to direct it effectively. As you say, management will generally be a step behind emergent practice.

So, companies looking to obtain improvements in performance from learning will need to learn how to align their own interests with employee interests.

This is not something that companies do well or easily, suggesting what may be an implacable barrier to the effective use of learning in the workplace.