In January 2025, I had the opportunity to attend a client workshop that centered around their Learning Ecosystem. The session marked the announcement of a new Learning Experience Platform (LXP), being Edcast, to be supported by a Learning Content Management System (LCMS), Xyleme. These tools promised a more unified, modular, and user-centric learning experience, with data capabilities far beyond their existing (sharePoint-based) approach.
But with this promising future came a crucial moment of reflection. A migration was imminent, and the team had to ask: What are we taking with us? This is where Essentialism came in. Not just as a concept, but as a discipline.
The manager saw the migration not just as a technical shift, but as an opportunity for renewal. Content owners were asked to pause and evaluate: “Which learning assets are truly essential?”, “Which ones deliver value? Not just in theory, but in actual learner interaction and performance?”, "What can we let go of?”
We often talk about decluttering physical spaces, but in L&D, digital clutter is just as real. Some materials were outdated. Others had barely been opened. The goal wasn't to migrate everything. It was to migrate only what mattered.
This required a shift in mindset. The content owners weren’t just updating files, they were rethinking their role: "What is essential in your contribution as a content owner?", "What do we continue doing and what do we consciously stop?" It was a challenging exercise. And it was deeply energising.
As consultants at Arboth, we often find ourselves in this tension. Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) are deeply invested in their content, and rightly so. But part of our role is to advocate for the learner. To bring the end-user back into focus. Not everything needs to be included. Not everything deserves a module. Essentialism means making peace with the idea that less is more. Or, more accurately: less, but better.
One phrase we often return to is: “Kill your darlings.” It’s not about removing value. It’s about surfacing the real value, the part that actually sticks, that actually shifts behaviour, that actually meets the learner where they are.
Essentialism also highlights a simple truth: Not choosing is still a choice, and often a risky one. If we don’t define what matters, the learner will. Left with an overload of options, learners may make choices based on what seems easiest, most familiar or most visible, not necessarily what aligns with business goals or delivers meaningful outcomes. In that sense, curating less isn’t just about efficiency. It’s about strategic alignment. It ensures that learning pathways support both the learner and the organisation.
When everything is “available,” nothing stands out.
And when nothing stands out, impact fades.
The workshop didn’t provide final answers. Instead, it planted a powerful question we keep coming back to: “What is essential?” It shapes how we guide content owners. It informs how we support digital transitions. And above all, it reminds us that every learning decision should serve one ultimate goal: impact for the learner.
Essentialism isn’t about doing less for the sake of it. It’s about doing the right things, for the right reasons, in the right way. In L&D, that often means simplifying the complex and staying disciplined in our pursuit of learning that truly matters.
Note: In preparation of the workshop, the client found inspiration in “Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less” by Greg McKeown.
