"Beware of programs. By definition, they end. Continuous improvement, on the other hand, never ends." Geary Rummler 'Over-indexed' can be defined as ' over-emphasising or over-weighting a specific factor, at the expense of others, potentially leading to illogical conclusions .' The corporate 'L&D' industry and its potential for positive, sustainable, performance impact is massively over-indexed. Put another way, focusing on the performance of individuals (through training for example) has limited potential to improve outcomes and so should be employed sparingly; (only in specific circumstances to which it is suited, e.g. for a new role or when performance expectations change). Performance problems are almost always a result from failures within the overall work system: Unclear expectations Inconsistent feedback loops that confirm expectations are being met Poorly designed processes Poorly managed processes Insufficient / ineffective tools Insuff...
There is a familiar cycle for the way that many L&D teams operate in corporate organisations. The common recipe includes: 1. The organisation hasn't defined the role and priority of 'learning'; (i.e. to accelerate change, move the work culture, improve individual and team performance, enable the business strategy) 2. The L&D team (who are unable to influence the'Why?') get stuck as reactive training order takers 3. Ideas get watered down through rounds of 'pleasing the teacher' meetings resulting in 'Learning programs' and 'Learning solutions'; (interchangeable words for ease of political passage) 4. 'Learning programs' are a drain on time / costs / interest for everyone; (especially for 'busy people' on the 'front line' doing the 'real work') 5. Measurement of benefits from 'Learning programs' is difficult / negligible / hard to keep people's attention on 6. As the work performance i...
"Where we all think alike, no-one thinks much at all" Walt Whitman It's interesting to reflect on the the industrial structures and bureaucratic language now adopted by many corporate 'L&D' teams: "Learning solution" "Learning program" "Learning delivery plan" "Learning implementation" "Capability framework" "Learning requirements" "Skills matrices" "Learning deployment activities" "Learning objectives tracking" "Learning measurement framework" This narrative reinforces a view of "learning" which is functionally structured and centrally controlled. I believe L&D's ongoing quest to be accepted as bona fide function has driven this shift in language. The choice to align with what is familiar and expected by senior leaders, in particular Management's apparent interest in only what can be "measured". Here are som...
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