Recently a friend asked me about my profession as I changed my LinkedIn tagline to “Lean and Social Learning” expert. Apparently still many people active in L&D believe that their job is to “train” people in order to make them successful in their job. Do they not realize that when you train people the odds are big that they don’t learn at all, moreover that they will not change the way they perform their jobs?
Training is part of formal transfer of knowledge between 2 or more people and has different outcomes depending the moment of need. In order to learn or change our behaviors we have to engage, motivate, guide and empower employees. Changing routines and stepping outside our comfort zone is not something that can be achieved by a training event.
1,5 Seconds of Thought
Ever tried to play golf ? You booked some training hours with a pro who gave you a list of “to do’s” and “not to do’s”. Afterwards, all powered-up you start hitting hole in ones ! No ? I Wish it was that easy to learn something new.
In reality it takes more than a formal training, which in this case I’d like to call “instructions” . We need to know the basics and focus area, or as they say in golf: the “sweet spot” to hit the ball. A coach knows where to start and makes you practice on those basics . Hours and hours you spend on the “driving range” to practice those basic skills, and when you master those skills, your coach provides you with more tips.
Remember golf is a social event and much more fun with your team. Imagine walking those 18 holes all by yourself and you hit a “Birdy”. Where is the fun when there is nobody to celebrate your victory with, nobody to see your improvements ? On top of that: with some tips from your “flight” you might have improved your putting skills, or you might have hit a “Hole in One”!
Success is much more enjoyed when it can be shared. As a group we perform better when everybody understands that collaborating brings often tips that will make us all more successful. In golf we know that it takes time, coaching, expert advice, training , collaboration, gaming and FUN to improve your handicap .. That is how we LEARN to play golf and maybe become a pro.
Social and Lean Learning
So let’s return to my friends question; I’m in the “Learning” business, creating an environment where all those essential parts of learning take place in a lean environment. For my customers this means that there will not be any unnecessary waste. Learners will find knowledge to better perform on their jobs when they need it, delivered to them in a way they enjoy learning. Adding social features to the learning will allow peer learning and coaching. Social empowered employees will validate the learning content and create new “learner generated content”.
Web 2.0 tools and Enterprise Social Networks provide L&D a platform that enables learners to take charge of their own learning. This could be learner driven while giving L&D professionals a platform to mix and remix formal and informal moments to facilitate a learner-centered experience and practice contemporary methods that serve the needs of a learner in the digitally evolving world.
Katja Schipperheijn is an international award-winning author, strategist, futurist, lecturer, keynote speaker and learning influencer. Her expertise focuses on AI and pioneering innovations that create a human-machine symbiosis allowing infinite learning ecosystems to flourish. In doing so, she advocates a learning mindset at personal, team and corporate levels to thrive and shape a sustainable future for all.
➡ Global Woman Leadership Award for AI (Dubai 2024)
➡ Global Woman Leadership Speaker Award (Dubai 2024)
Finalist Learning Ecosystems Best International Business Books (London 2023)
Her provocative ideas challenge traditional dogmas and offer fresh perspectives. She inspires everyone to adapt and embrace learning before they suffer irreversible damage, because AI and other innovations are already pervasive. They are affecting organisations and their employees with unprecedented speed.
To incite change, she does not shy away from hypes and discusses the impact of what now seem futuristic, such as Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCI) or hyper-realistic avatars that make deepfaking child's play. For this, she explores the intersection of technology and humanity and its impact on our society. For example, she looks at how competences such as imagination, curiosity and resilience play a role. She explores the similarities between neuroscience and computer science to optimise the learning of both human and artificial intelligence. Human connection is paramount in shaping the future of work, which is why she often draws her inspiration from the future as seen through the eyes of children.
Besides advising governments, multinationals, educational institutions and start-ups, Katja is also a philanthropist as founder of sCooledu and author of Little Digital Citizens (Dutch 2018). More than 15,000 children have already participated in her workshops on the future and the increasingly virtual world. This shows her commitment to social responsibility and the importance of promoting digital literacy among young people. By booking Katja for an event, you not only get valuable insights but also support a good cause.
As an author, Katja received international recognition with her book Learning Ecosystems (2023) finalist best international business books in London and included in the Top 100 best international business books by the eLearning Journal in Germany. This book will therefore be available in 2024 in several languages, including Arabic.
2024 will also see the publication of her latest book The Learning Mindset: Combining Human Competencies with Technology to Thrive.
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