Learning To Learn Differently - Different Tools Require A Different Approach
#training #mlearning #hr #shrm #astd #hrtechchat
Editor's Notes: This is a partial post from my 1% Edge Professional Development Blog. It's written to the individual employee but I wanted to post it here because individually and as learning leaders this is an important perspective in the Employee Training Revolution. (If you haven't read those posts - part 1 & 2 - click here.)
Learning to Learn Differently…Different Tools - Different Approach
On the technology front, many companies and decision makers are playing catch up to the tech competencies of their employees driven by advancements in the consumer market. Many employees are technologically empowered already and are perfectly poised to utilize any innovative learning-training offerings. (Mobile learning is an example of that).
So, with all that said, if we're going to leverage all the wonderful technology to facilitate learning to ultimately drive bottom line outcomes, we will need to change the way we see learning and how we see technology. For example - It's not just a phone - but a training resource. It's not just an app, but an efficient, effective communication platform. The irony?... all of these shifts in how we see and experience training will net in saving money with a higher return-on-investment. This is the beginning of the training revolution and evolution.
One important conclusion we can draw is it doesn't take an expensive LMS or e-learning authoring tools to accomplish certain needed outcomes. Even a "low tech" item such as a book can gets results when used in a proper context. This is really good news for small companies, who can barely afford the salary of their HR professional, let a lone an LMS.
(Here's an example of what I mean by a book: http://joanncorleyspeaks.blogspot.com/2009/11/cheapest-employee-training-ever.html.)
Editor's Notes: This is a partial post from my 1% Edge Professional Development Blog. It's written to the individual employee but I wanted to post it here because individually and as learning leaders this is an important perspective in the Employee Training Revolution. (If you haven't read those posts - part 1 & 2 - click here.)
Learning to Learn Differently…Different Tools - Different Approach
I remember entering college
(after being a fairly decent student in high school) thinking that this is
going to be whole new ball game!
Some subjects in high
school seemed like such easy “A”s.
As I sat in Jr. level philosophy class as a freshman I thought, “What have
I gotten myself into?” One thing for sure – in college, I had to learn to learn
differently and take more responsibility for it.
I see this as a parallel
situation to the 21st century workplace. This is the age when no
professional should leave it to a company to dictate whether they will be competent
or not. It is your career and earning potential after all!
In the world of employee
training and professional development – to keep up with the ever-evolving
workplace with some sense of confidence and competency, three things need to
occur:
- 1 We must take more personal responsibility for our professional capabilities.
- 2 We must learn to learn differently. Traditional training as we know it has conditioned us, in certain context, to a less than useful way of acquiring skills and knowledge.
- 3 Leverage new technologies and resources outside our companies to maximize our professional capabilities.
Technology Has Made It A Game-Changer
One of the components to
learning differently is embracing different tools (what we're using) and methodologies (how we use
them).
Here is where an App (tool), a phone, a tablet and a learning principle such as the 1% Edge (methodology) comes in. This wonderful combination is designed to maximize the learning experience because it offers ease of access, and ease of use while incorporating key principles of adult learning along with other training tools that are free and not readily recognized - the everyday work experience and the subconscious coach that every learner possesses.
Here's also where an interesting success philosophy comes in, "You don't have know a lot to be successful, just the right thing at the right time coupled with the right behaviors." This suggests that volumes of information ingested at one time (one full sitting, one full seminar) in many learning/training situations is not necessary and ineffectual.
Here is where an App (tool), a phone, a tablet and a learning principle such as the 1% Edge (methodology) comes in. This wonderful combination is designed to maximize the learning experience because it offers ease of access, and ease of use while incorporating key principles of adult learning along with other training tools that are free and not readily recognized - the everyday work experience and the subconscious coach that every learner possesses.
Here's also where an interesting success philosophy comes in, "You don't have know a lot to be successful, just the right thing at the right time coupled with the right behaviors." This suggests that volumes of information ingested at one time (one full sitting, one full seminar) in many learning/training situations is not necessary and ineffectual.
Here's my belief - a lot of
money is wasted in corporate training because many making training decisions
are not aware of key adult learning principles and are not technology aware. (By the way - If Only We Were Kids is a brief piece that discusses the 4 key
principles of adult learning.)
If you have been in one of my many workshops across North America, you’ve heard about the keys to adult learning. Many practice, however, the "spray and pray" method of training - spray out the information in a variety of formats and pray it sticks in some way. This sentiment is documented in the book Working With Emotional Intelligence by Dr. Daniel Goleman. His chapter 11 is entitled The Billion Dollar Mistake.
If you have been in one of my many workshops across North America, you’ve heard about the keys to adult learning. Many practice, however, the "spray and pray" method of training - spray out the information in a variety of formats and pray it sticks in some way. This sentiment is documented in the book Working With Emotional Intelligence by Dr. Daniel Goleman. His chapter 11 is entitled The Billion Dollar Mistake.
On the technology front, many companies and decision makers are playing catch up to the tech competencies of their employees driven by advancements in the consumer market. Many employees are technologically empowered already and are perfectly poised to utilize any innovative learning-training offerings. (Mobile learning is an example of that).
So, with all that said, if we're going to leverage all the wonderful technology to facilitate learning to ultimately drive bottom line outcomes, we will need to change the way we see learning and how we see technology. For example - It's not just a phone - but a training resource. It's not just an app, but an efficient, effective communication platform. The irony?... all of these shifts in how we see and experience training will net in saving money with a higher return-on-investment. This is the beginning of the training revolution and evolution.
One important conclusion we can draw is it doesn't take an expensive LMS or e-learning authoring tools to accomplish certain needed outcomes. Even a "low tech" item such as a book can gets results when used in a proper context. This is really good news for small companies, who can barely afford the salary of their HR professional, let a lone an LMS.
(Here's an example of what I mean by a book: http://joanncorleyspeaks.blogspot.com/2009/11/cheapest-employee-training-ever.html.)
Learning Differently
Simply put - here's how we can learn differently:
Since I'm implementing these now in my practice - if you'd like to talk about where you're at - and do some brainstorming, feel free to contact me: joann@joanncorley.com or call 630.926.5323
Simply put - here's how we can learn differently:
- at home
- on the go - in the doctor's office waiting for a child's examine
- portably - in your car
- in short segments 2--5 minutes
- on your phone
- on your tablet
- with an audio bite
- with a text
- via social interaction (learning round tables, practice communities)
- from a colleague (crowd-sourcing)
- a quick - get advice coaching call
- instant message
- Skype
- a best practice article
- a photo (see the Part 1 and the example of mobile sharing)
Since I'm implementing these now in my practice - if you'd like to talk about where you're at - and do some brainstorming, feel free to contact me: joann@joanncorley.com or call 630.926.5323
Additionally if you'd like to experience this - real time, I encourage you to download the app - The 1% Edge Portable Coach
Follow on Twitter: @joanncorley
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