Matthew Richter posts daily comments in LinkedIn—well, almost daily. You can follow him and join the conversation by going to http://linkedin.com/in/matthew-richter-0738b84.
For the benefit of our readers, we decide to compile and reprint some of his provocative pieces from the past. Let us know what you think.
Accountable Learners
One of the most interesting principle that I always remember is that if a participant doesn't like or doesn't trust a trainer, that participant is less likely to learn. On the surface, this is intuitive. It's what we call in a "Duh" statement. But on further thought, this is unfortunate. If I am authentically and intrinsically interested in learning the topic or skill, I can overcome my distaste and still learn. When, as a learner, I shut down because the trainer is boring, or a dufus, or a jerk, it is me who suffers. Yes, as a learner, the bad trainer is making it more difficult for me. Yes, the bad trainer is undermining to some degree, my intrinsic inclination, but in the end it is me who fails to learn. Most of my posts target trainers. But learners have a responsibility, too. Learners should be mindful enough to focus and try and be accountable for their own learning. If a bad trainer gets blamed for your failure to learn-- shame on you. Of course, I am targeting adult learners. And, of course, when talking to trainers, I say it is inexcusable to be a dufus.
Do We Need a Training Industry Anymore?
Or, more to the point, do businesses even want an L&D function anymore? I think the answer is yes, but more and more, I am experiencing training as a commodity. A two-hour program here, a keynote there…These, perhaps, are the least effective solutions chosen for expediency. My proposal is we change our perspective. I think we should focus on teaching employees how to teach themselves, how to study, how to create their own personal feedback and practice loops. The opportunity with technology in hand is we can access tons and tons of information and data-- usually for free. What if we taught them to access and find info quickly and find mentors who can provide evaluative feedback as they learn? We've already started down this path with curated learning content and online resources. Lynda.com, YouTube, and TED offer tremendous amounts of highly cool material. We need to teach people to learn on their own and evaluate the validity of the material they use. And, if we can do that, I think our industry can regain its value proposition. This means not focusing on curriculum design and program development. It means refocusing on pedagogy and training people to be self-sufficient. My two cents.
People Don't Learn from Experience.
They learn from the stories, reflections, and narratives they tell about the experience. Procedurally in training, we call this debriefing. If the activity is a structured sharing, item processing, or other similar framegame, debriefing may very well be unnecessary since the activity itself is what builds comprehension and understanding. If the activity is a simulation or a jolt (short epiphanies), then debriefing is essential for people to make meaning of what happened. The experience of the simulation or the jolt in of itself does not teach. The facilitator or the participants must use the activity as a stimulus for creating a story. That story makes meaning.