Towards the new year - it is new Jewish year time now, after all - I would like to share a few thoughts I had. My thinking is indeed related to learning, but is not really yet structured or formalized in any way. Please forgive me for that.
The header I chose, was selected for teasing purposes, but is also a manifestation of my discussion below.
Training is not a knowledge source
In a world where information and knowledge are click away from us; in a world where most of the professions are based on cognitive abilities, on brain work, rather than procedural motoric skills - there is less and less need for top-down, center-out training. In top-down and center-out I mean a formal course structured and developed by the training department.
Training is not for dynamic versatile roles
The traditional type of training, based on courses (delivered in class, or as self learning modules) is optimized for well defined roles; for roles where formal knowledge, and most importantly, for roles where procedural behavior is the core essence .
For the most part, corporate training departments are dealing with the above: knowledge source and top-down, center-out courses.
And I say: if this is the main training department's mission, let's shut down the department. Better sooner than later.
So, what IS the role of a learning unit? I'll discuss a couple of ideas in my next post.
Amir
רשומות
10 years ago I was a keynote speaker in a Training conference here in Israel putting this manifest as well.
השבמחקTraining is only good for large groups of employees in their starting point in the organization and even then not for all their needs.
Training departments are mostly obsessed justifying its role and not its contribution
mikep,
השבמחקWe are fully aligned, I believe.
In ten years the situation simply got worsen, as there are many tools, like google, YouTube and Facebook - implemented in the organization - that provide alternative network for knowledge flow in the organization.
Amir