Throughout 2011 we will be publishing extracts from The New Learning Architect. We move on to the second part of chapter 5:
Imagine a scenario where there were no top-down learning interventions, where there was no l&d department and no attempt at all by management to regulate and control the process of learning. Here’s what might happen:
- Employees naturally organise themselves so that, when new employees join the organisation, those with more experience show them the ropes.
- Employees take the initiative themselves to take on new responsibilities or swap responsibilities with others in order to further their development.
- Employees make an effort to share their expertise and experiences with each other.
- In the absence of internal expertise, employees explore what is available externally using their own networks of contacts, resources on the internet, print publications and professional associations.
- Everyone is so busy that, when a new employee joins, no-one has the time to spend with them.
- Where explanations are provided, the information is so unstructured that novices find it hard to assimilate.
- New employees don’t know what they don’t know, so they don’t ask the right questions.
- Learning is haphazard and critical information is often missed, resulting in accidents, costly mistakes and legal liabilities.
- When changes are made to policies and practices, the benefits are slow to be realised, because the changes are not properly understood.
- Employees are not provided with new challenges, so they get bored and leave.
- When expertise is not available, no-one knows what to do and managers must intervene to resolve the problem.
