Feature


the future world of work or society at large. Because of the pace of ongoing change


L


and transformation that we face as leaders in People, HR and Learning circles, I am more convinced than ever that if the colleagues we support are to thrive in and outside of work, we must remember that the future is human. McKinsey released a study in 2016 that suggested between 2016 and 2030, around 37-75 million job roles globally will shift. The only way businesses and the people in them will grow, adapt and achieve in this context is through the revitalisation of learning in our organisations. As a business psychologist, I am deeply


pragmatic in my approach. I know that weeks-long immersive experiences can’t be the norm for everyone, but I also recognise that unimaginative, cookie-cutter death-by-PowerPoint or facile multiple- choice quiz learning are dinosaurs, best left in the past and certainly not part of a future where continual, rich learning experiences are going to be the differentiator between organisations that adapt and those that fall by the wayside. It’s important we recognise that the need


for these changes is not new. I did research back in 2011 that spoke of the shift from: • Transactional resource management to authentic people leadership


ike many of you, I marvel at the pace of change – sometimes in awe, other times in fear of what the next discovery or invention might mean for


• Compliance L&D to purposeful, future-focused L&D


• ‘Utilisation cultures’ to learning cultures • Local and centralised to remote, dynamic and asynchronous operation


This is far from an exhaustive list, but each change has implications for process, procedure, logistics, technology and, of course, for the required skills of leaders and their teams. There are a few factors we need to consider as learning professionals to flfil or roe to or oranaton and they include:


Redefining leadership in our organisations We have elevated leaders based on their technical skills, which seems like an ever-more risky approach in this world of change and transformation. edefinn the role of leader eond the technical to encompass, elevate and reward interpersonal, duty-of-care, team- ldn conctreoln and other ch misnamed “soft skills”.


Recognising the need for a focus on deeply robust but pragmatic pedagogy Many of us have been trying to convince stakeholders that learning is a science, and we need to observe that methodology if we want to demonstrate ROI. However, we must balance this with the fraught, time- poor environments in which we operate – ones where, sadly, time for learning is often not considered or remunerated. This means rethinking “CPD” as a curated learning catalogue – a browsable and compelling library of material that intrigues, nre reecton and challene a t provides new solutions. This means embracing an integrated and dynamic syllabus that doesn’t pigeonhole skills into “soft” or “hard,” “essential,” or “nice-to-have,” but rather categorises them by their additive utility, lists the likely and exected enefit of rorae  oth standalone and when combined with others – and signals to participants ‘WIIFM’ that is: “What’s in it for me?” (or for them!) Many of our colleagues have rigorous


routines of taking supplements and vitamins religiously. They buy into a cumulative and longer-term impact, not expecting their “green shake” or hyaluronic


acid cream to eliminate ageing in a day, but trusting in the combination over time… long enough for them to observe results or at least feel them. This, too, is how we must approach the dynamic, integrated and longer-term syllabus.


Making learning mandatory Ensure that everyone consumes learning that’s considered key to building the technical, introspective, and interpersonal expertise required to lead and contribute to teams effectively. It doesn’t take a genius to realise where leadership, technical or other learning being offered stands in the hierarchy of importance if it is optional here fire extnher afet trann is mandatory! While an element of initial resistance to mandatory learning is expected – and some who reject the need to develop themselves at all may resent it – mandatory programmes demonstrate larger overall productivity gains. Indeed, those colleagues most likely to opt out of voluntary programmes show the largest gains when required to participate. As learning professionals, the opportunity to stand side-by-side with techncal and oeratonal leader to fiht off the shadow of obsolescence is ours, but we have to be vanguards for changing the paradigms around learning. To paraphrase the inimitable Barbara Kellerman: “We must formulate a fundamental,


coherent curriculum sequenced in a demonstrably (proven) sensible and successful way, giving thought to instructing on following as much as leading when following wisely and well is manifestly as important as leading wisely and well.” And remember: the future is human, but success has always been in our ability to learn, adapt and grow. n


Professor John Amaechi OBE is a respected organisational psychologist and Leadership Transformation Expert at consultancy APS Intelligence, which he founded in 2006. John will deliver the Conference keynote: ‘The future is human: The power of human skills in the future of work’ on 4 February. APS Intelligence are exhibiting at World of Learning  find ot ore  tn stand F160.


Learning Magazine | 11


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68