Hello Lifelong Learner ...
Here's the next in our series of weekly managerial TIPS (Techniques, Insights, and Practical Solutions) to help you better engage your team in the activities that lead to higher performance.
CORE Bites #22: I frequently ask audiences, “On average, what percentage of an employee's workplace knowledge DOESN'T come out of a training class?” The answer I receive back is always the same ... “Most of it!”
In essence, the majority of an employee's knowledge and skill doesn't come out of a classroom ... it comes from on-the-job (OTJ) activities. So, if we all acknowledge this to be fact, why then do we leave the learning up to osmosis? By osmosis I'm referring to trusting or assuming that when an employee encounters a learning opportunity a) he/she will recognize the opportunity and b) learning from this opportunity will actually take place.
Lifelong Learner, it's time to stop any 'learning by osmosis' within your team and start making ALL learning purposeful and intentional ... deliberate and premeditated ... calculated and planned.
High Value Activity (HVA) Action Step: If an employee is attending ANY venue where there's a potential for learning opportunities to exist (e.g., a general information meeting, lunch-and-learn, customer focus group, post-project review, new product launch, technology showcase, job shadowing, mentoring or coaching session, conference, or the myriad other places in your organization where learning can — and should — take place), follow the LEARNlinks® Before/After philosophy:
- Before (and this is critical): Before your employee attends this learning opportunity, state the following: “[Name], you're attending [enter purpose of meeting] on [enter date].” Then ask any/all of the following questions: “What specific items do you need to learn or better understand during this event?” and/or “Is there anything you need to plan for/prepare for/bring to this event that will help you get the most value out of attending?” and/or “What could you do during the meeting that will maximize the value you get out of attending?”
- After: Immediately following the event (or as close as possible), ask any/all of the following questions: “What did you learn during the meeting?” and “Who can you share this new information/learning with?” and “What specific actions will you take to implement what you've learned?”
This Before/After sequence guarantees you a significantly higher 'Learning' return because it makes the learning intentional and strategic. For a more comprehensive review of this process, please see our LEARNlinks web page.
I'd love to hear how this HVA works for you!
Have a brilliant day ... and enjoy the journey!
Neil Dempster, PhD, MBA
RESULTant™ and Behavioral Engineer
