I have been considering the different options being offered by providers for ‘Learning Transfer’.
I am perplexed?
So many options for learning transfer support within organisations seem to be revolving around the content. A facilitator being on hand for a day a month to answer any questions that people have on the program, additional handouts or videos that explain the content in more depth or act as a resource for it people get stuck on the implementation.
I’m confused? How is this going to help. Intelligent people don’t have a problem with the content – and those that didn’t quite get it or need a reminder can go back to the workbook or discuss it with colleagues or their manager.
What they need to is to work out how it is going to useful for them, how it can apply to them, what problem will it solved for them or what opportunity it can create for them. The key is ‘for them.’ And when we look at adult learning principles we know that being told the answer isn’t going to cut it – being given more content isn’t going to cut it. After the initial content or framework learners then need to work it out for themselves. They need to REFLECT. They need to reflect on how it applies to them. More content just makes us lazy – it means we don’t have to reflect and work it out for ourselves because someone is just telling us. It means we can take away any ownership or really reflecting on what it means to us.
Reflection take discipline and it takes time AND then it needs to be followed with a commitment and some accountability.
But the first step is reflection and in my view content kills reflection.
When you are planning your learning transfer strategy make sure it doesn’t revolve around content. Content is no longer king.
