Rethinking How We Learn at Work
It's time for CIOs to rethink just how workers should be equipping themselves to learn in the years ahead. The first place to look for learning innovation is the Web.
Thu, July 21, 2011
CIO — I was recently at the MIT Center for Information Systems Research for a few of their summer briefings.
One of the regular guests at the briefings is Andy McAfee, MIT professor and best-selling author. Andy told some stories that highlighted just how hard it can be for those of us who work at large organizations to find the information we're looking for internally versus how simple it is to find some of that same information on the public Web.
His stories reminded me of a discussion I once had with an insurance CIO about the way we learn within our companies. It seems that many of us get "trained" by our employers in one way — whether about new process, technologies, or ways of working — but that we learn new things in our personal lives in a very different way. One approach makes use of traditional methods for adult learning, the other involves our social circles, the Internet, and many other recent tools, devices, and services.
Given how much the actual mechanics of learning have changed in recent years, it may be time for us all to rethink just how we in organizations should be equipping ourselves — and our colleagues — to learn in the years ahead.
Learning Is Getting Simpler, Faster, More Fun, Easier to Measure
My education in doing training differently started a few years ago after reading about Pecha Kucha.
Pecha Kucha (or "chatter" in Japanese) is an unusual presentation format that originated in Tokyo almost 10 years ago when, just for fun, a few architects and other creative types started giving PowerPoint presentations to one another after work in a local bar. (Who knows? Maybe they got tired of karaoke).
With Pecha Kucha, each presenter shares an idea with those in attendance by talking through just 20 slides, each slide advancing automatically after only 20 seconds. If you do the math, this yields a mere six minutes and 40 seconds for each presenter to speak his or her mind before taking their seat. Let's just say that this format has a natural way of focusing messages, making good use of visuals and avoiding endless bullet points.
Another example of how learning is being rethought is TED. The Technology, Entertainment, Design conference began in 1984 as a small conference in California that has exploded in recent years into a global brand focused on bringing innovative ideas from the world's best thinkers to the masses through both paid conferences and a free Web video library.
