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When I was young I remember going to a carnival, sitting in the ‘big tent’ watching the great acts for about 15 minutes and then dying – my hayfever got the best of me. Since then, I stay away from those types of carnivals. But THIS carnival I can do!
Dave Ferguson started this Carnival of learning and I volunteered to host it this month (you can, too!). (BTW – should you not be following him and reading his blog – repent now.) I asked a number of people to write about LEARNING / WORK and the intersection between. Below is a synopsis of those who were able to participate. But first, a word from our sponsor…
The more and more I dive into social learning, the more I realize that work and learning cannot be separated. Yet, as learning professionals, WE TRY SO HARD to delineate between the two. A classic example is a favorite former coworker. She was not very computerly inclined, yet bless her heart she tried. And she made good progress, too! I was proud of how hard she worked to learn some of the stuff you and I take for granted. She started helping out a new group and needed to learn a new program. At the beginning of it she said, “Kevin, I spent all my lunch going over online tutorials for this program!” Then she informed me that she will be taking future lunches to learn. What I heard, however, was that during work she was working. During lunch she was learning.
Two thoughts came immediately to mind: 1) Good for you! 2) Why only over lunch? Why not when you are working? Get a small project, something to do, and figure it out. Plow through it. Use a targeted tutorial. Ask for help/tips. But in an information / social age, there are few times when you can call an activity purely work, or purely learning.
Why is that? Think of the goal. We are doing what it takes to get to a goal. Does it involve learning? Does it involve working on a project? Does it involve a meeting? Does it involve researching? Could all be yes. But when you are doing one, chances are you are doing a few others at the same time.
So, my question for all those in learning and performance improvement: What are we doing?!
I say to you all – GIVE UP! Throw away the chains which bind you! Learning and work and so closely integrated that most often it is difficult to say where one ends and the other begins. We already know, theoretically and by the books, the difference between the two. It is now time to focus on how they are the same, how they can be accomplished at the same time, how they compliment each other as parallel tasks. OJT approaches this, but still is limited.
Your task: Find out how to (not separate learning from work, but rather) enhance the intersection. How will you enhance the learning already inherent in work?
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Here are three others’ take on the intersection between work and learning. They all have a unique perspective to the working / learn topic.
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Michelle Anderson has totally surprised me (in a good way!). We met at DevLearn last year. My first impression of her was stoic, but I could tell there was something else there behind it. Maybe it was just the setting, but my perception was WAY off. She, of anyone, brings out her fabulous personality in all she does. As you read her post, you will get a taste of it. (Oh, how I wish I could bring out more of my personality in my writing like she can!)
She takes work and learning from a social media consultant perspective. For her, she is constantly researching, listening, learning – that IS work! (Again, can we separate it out at all?) FIND HER POST HERE.
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Guy Wallace
One of my final projects for a class toward my masters was on different types of performance improvement. I wrote it and ‘turned it in’ on a public wiki. Shortly thereafter I get an email from Guy Wallace, asking me if this is ISPI’s wiki. I found out ISPI was trying to integrate new technology. Fast forward a year and a half and now he and I, along with a number of others, are on a team to define ISPI’s technology going forward. His blog has been an inspiration to me. A very smart guy who has great experience and one of those who really ‘get it’ in regards to learning. And this post is no exception. When I first invited him, his response was, “Tell me what to do and when to do it! And you do realize that I might be a bit of a contrarian? “ And, it is true. But only because he brings out the obvious that many people don’t want to acknowledge.
His post talks about the need for us to continue our learning, even as we help others learn. We cannot be stagnant! But at the same time, with all the ways to disseminate information, how can we separate the junk from that which is of worth? And also, how do we intersect social learning & traditional learning & work? FIND HIS POST HERE.
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Laura Kratochvil
Laura Kratochvil and I also met a DevLearn last year. What a great, fun person to be with! She writes about project she is finishing and the need to get personal and share stories. As I read this post, I can’t help but think about all the learning that is going on while working here. The learners are totally engaged, and the people who create the information have learned a ton. FIND HER POST HERE.
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Bill Brandon
Like Michelle & Laura, I met Bill Brandon at DevLearn (hint hint – you need to be there as well). We had dinner together the first night with a few others. He has some great stories (all true, by the way) and I could have listened to him all night. Bill is the editor of the eLearning Guild’s weekly Learning Solutions e-Magazine. In his post he talks about Linden Lab’s Second Life and the cool things they are doing with voice in the near future. Very interesting stuff! FIND HIS POST HERE.
