"Managers love empowerment in theory, but the command-and-control model is what they trust and know best." Chris Agyris " Order taking " and " No seat at the table " are symptoms for legacy L&D teams. We know that if the work of L&D is positioned, structured and measured in the traditional way then frustration with the lack or resulting influence and authority is inevitable. Some common signs of tactical, 'cost centre' positioning of the L&D function from my experiences include: The 'L&D' team lack understanding of business goals / strategy / brand strategy / commercial differentiation There's no connected, aligned, L&D strategy, tactics and success measures which enable the business goals / differentiation in the market Traditional expectations from 'senior leaders' of the work of the L&D function (training courses / 'solutions' / 'content' / events / programmes / curriculum / complianc...

"Most of us are so stuck on the short-cycles of urgency that it's difficult to even imagine changing our long-term systems." Seth Godin Beware the lure of complicity in the old, entrenched, vanity metrics in corporate learning. These include: Increasing course attendance Increasing course 'satisfaction level' Increasing 'Log ins' Increasing 'Clicks' Increasing 'Views' Increasing 'Likes' Increasing 'Downloads' Increasing the level of centralisation  Increasing the level of standardisation " Leadership team approved " Increasing learning technology spend Increasing level of focus on ' learning goals ' Increasing level of focus on 'teaching what we already know' Scaling formal learning Increasing 'learning topics' focus "High performing" ( really ) meaning "Highly compliant" A focus on 'individual performance change' An increasing level of interaction with the Learni...

"Those involved in 'education' have three options: 1) Make changes within the system 2) Press for changes to the system 3) Take initiatives outside the system." Sir Ken Robinson This is another post offering a shift in mindset for leaders responsible for enabling organisational learning. I make no apologies for this. The status quo in this area is strong and pervasive as it still serves the needs of all the players well. My position runs contrary to this passivity and inertia: I believe that the new combined forces of business model disruption (away from workers as standardised resources), and rising expectations of intentional employees (now seeking to contribute fully and openly) create a perfect storm for the old industrial education model and those who've benefited from it. This new context presents an opportunity - to reposition the role, priorities and success measures for organisational 'Learning and Development'. Some choices for mindset shifts ...

"If you want to understand the deepest malfunctions of systems, pay attention to the rules and to who has power over them." Donella Meadows There are typically five different scenarios that trigger organisations to invest in 'L&D'. They all come from looking backwards and not forwards. These are: 1. Business reacting to external events.  2. Cost reduction initiatives. 3. Digitisation (optimisation) of existing business processes. 4. Process standardisation projects. 5. Responding to compliance audit risks. Note to Management: If these are the only drivers of your corporate L&D ' Agenda ' and / or ' Strategy ' then the goal is still control and not learning. (And, the L&D team is only operating as a reactive, reductive, internal vendor). Forward looking organisational development strategy for mid sized companies www.jocelynconsultingltd.co.uk

"To navigate change companies need fear free cultures of diverse people and mindsets led by leaders who continuously learn, incentivise and train for change and worship no scared cows." Rishad Tobaccowala  What if we imagine a new focus for the contribution of corporate 'L&D'?  To enable what is difficult, valuable and differentiating for our organisation today. What might this collaborative work look like in practice ?  Prioritising support for the pockets of individuals, managers and teams where learning from and through work is already actively encouraged Working with managers and team members to understand and agree on the work that needs to be improved and why Working across teams to identify and define the gaps in 'performance' that need to be closed and why    Coaching and role modelling that inspires people to take responsibility for their own continuous, self-managed inquiry and learning Facilitating new opportunities to bring individuals...

"It is not an intelligent strategy to train people to overcome system deficiencies. Instead, we should design the system properly to make sure that performers can leverage all their capabilities." Klaus Wittkuhn Performance of individuals only ever reflects the system within which they are working. Seven system interventions that can positively impact performance - in descending order of effectiveness: 1. We are open - and excited - to reinvent our approach towards something fundamentally different and better. 2. We recognise fundamental change is only enabled from a change in management mindset - out of which the system arises. 3. We acknowledge that the system is determined by our goals. Being deliberate in our goals - and trade offs - enables the most appropriate system to emerge. 4. We are open to enabling and accelerating the agency and autonomy of individuals to continually evolve and optimise the system. 5. We recognise our incentives , consequences and constrain...

"When we see work as control, competition and extraction, there is an increasingly sharp conflict with work as a path of realising purpose and potential." Simon Terry What we could choose to mean by developing as a ' digital organisation ': Decisions are increasingly based on informed choices enabled by psychological safety and diversity, rather than 'policy compliance' Active relationships, rather than the ability to 'accept instructions' is the new basis of growth and development More and more work is carried out within a framework of purposefulness and self-direction, rather than directed 'from above' The focus is deliberately shifting from 'tasks and roles' to relationships and interactions People are increasingly responsible for their own actions, rather than seeing someone else, somewhere else as responsible Work is progressively based on curiosity and exploration with others, inside and outside of the organisation  Connected ne...

"Pushing fancy new stuff onto your organisation will not change the outcomes if that is not emerging from your system itself, through the ripening of a different worldview." Stelio Verzera The perennial topic  of "The future of corporate Learning and Development" is always everywhere. This ' Shirky Principle ' fuels and sustains the status quo and the players that continue to benefit from it. I'd argue that the discussion is in fact five very   different conversations happening in parallel, but unequally distributed. They are - in current descending order of noise, ambition and opportunity: 1. 'MAKE THE TRAINING BETTER'. The status quo. The economic model. Dependent on maintaining the belief that educating individual workers changes the system through which complex, interconnected organisations perform. This narrative is carefully preserved by (mostly) commercial vendors who have filled the strategy vacuum. New technologies, new (and old) instruc...

"In times of change, learners inherit the earth, while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists." Eric Hoffer Some alternative questions to pose when defining goals for organisational learning. (NB. goals are not tactics, tools, technologies, operations, administration or marketing). What matters most to the organisation and why? What matters most to the 'L&D' team and why? What differentiates the organisation? What differentiates the approach to enabling learning? How are the L&D team enabling change ? How do you define 'learning'? Who benefits most from this definition? How can the organisation learn faster? What are the barriers to learning faster? What does the organisation need to 'unlearn' and why? What would happen if the L&D team did nothing new?... Dynamic organisational development strategy for mid sized companies www.jocelynconsultingltd.co.uk

"We are moving from a world of problems, which demand speed, analysis, and elimination of uncertainty to solve, to a world of dilemmas, which demand patience, sense-making and an engagement of uncertainty." Denise Caron What are the trade offs from the way your organisation approaches building capability and learning?  (Are you even aware you're making trade offs?) Are the trade offs clear, deliberate and explicit for all those involved and affected? (" Everyone understands the implications from our chosen approach and we recognise the pros and cons ") For examples: Are you choosing to centralise ownership, leadership and responsibility for 'learning' across the business into one team ('L&D')?  ( over setting and acting a new expectation of learning as 'the work' for everyone in the organisation? ) Are you still banking on developing more compliant, standardised workers?  ( over   prioritising creating agency and autonomy? ) Are you...

"Short term thinking repeated again and again doesn't lead to long term thinking." Seth Godin Two time saving memos for busy CEOs: What the annual learning and development budget $ can buy: 1. Software - to digitise, optimise, scale and track 'learning content' distribution 2. Third part contractors - to deliver one off 'learning events' or a series of 'learning events' 3. Subscription service packages - That enable automated access to externally sourced 'learning resources' 4. Tools to enable cheaper in-house creation of centralised and / or standardised 'learning programmes' 5. Industry awards What the annual learning and development budget $  can't buy: 1. A new ambition - for the role and priority for learning within your organisation 2. A new leadership team commitment to learning  - over control - as the basis of continually developing your organisation to meet new challenges 3. Ownership and accountability from your lead...

"Be careful of asking the passengers and crew of the Titanic about the risk of the Titanic. They're on the ship, that tells you everything you need to know. If you paid for it or you're making a living from it, you're probably not going to have an objective risk view." Paul Portesi Most organisations still have lots of infrastructure around symptom identification and cost management but very little around enabling and accelerating continual learning. Set repertoires and processes. Approved tools and 'solutions'. 'Content' and 'resources'. All focused on 'fixing' individual workers. The 'L&D' function is typically positioned as an active contributor to these accepted 'social norms' and the resulting work cultures they inevitably develop.  But could this focus shift? - from identifying problems, creating 'solutions', and 'proof measurement' towards: Enabling the evolution of the organisation and the...