Make learning relevant to enhance performance

It seems to me that training is evolving . At the time it was initiated , the core objective was to bring employees and workers upto speed through a consistent set of practices, replicable for implementation by all. Look at armed forces - they have institutionalised training to performance, very effeciently and effectively. Regular , knowledge and skill enhancement is critical to create combat readiness and edge. They have perfected the art of blending competencies, subject expertise, applied skill and behavorial skills needed to create a well orchestrated fighting force , battle ready for cohesive functioning - perfect link between performance environment and learning environment. All learning moments are taken care off.

Do we see this happening in the corporate world ? Opportunity exists in making this alignment happen. First , the similarities : Both business and defence environment calls for high level strategic planning and thinking- addressing risks and uncertainity. This needs perfect execution through efficient work processes . The difference arises where skills are involved. Army has a bank of skill inventory with proficiency measurement system ranging from a novice to a instructor level, coroporate world hardly has one. Alignment to the performance environment is at best fuzzy.That is where the trouble is. Most corporates view training as a program and not neccessarily integrated with the work. Army sees it as an integral process and critical to survivality. Time has come to study the performance environment more closely and develop knowledge and skill solutions that can meet the performance needs.

The missing links of performance

In one of his talks,Elliot Blaise opined, that the way people learn will determine how performance will be impacted. Among other things, he highlighted the concept of nano-learning. As we all know, that nano-technologies will have disruptive impact on what we do and how we do, meaning as Thomas Friedman says that through these technologies we are making the world flatter. Post the fall of German wall, India unshackled from a license based regime to a globally integrated market based free economy , setting exemplary standard for the world to notice.So how did we achieve this performance. We had to learn and learn fast. How? We learn while we work by slotting some time out of that schedule. It could be for a whole day, or several days or it could be for an hour or less. The scale of time will be determined by needs and priorities of the skill and it's potential impact on success requirements. The complexity may increase given that a Gen Y learner may have high levels of impatience and distraction . Therefore , we cannot have learning and development tracks that do not respond to these current challenges. This calls for having nano-design, of instruction material , which can provide bite size learning chunks. Performance is less of an event and more of a process. Therefore, addressing the process milestones with a variety of learning tracks ranging from a formal course to a discretionary audio talk or a quick tip needs to be balanced for providing more access to a wide range of content repository and links for seeking expert coaching when needed. The organisation needs to move out of a training only focus to a learning for performance impact. This calls for a paradigm shift from how we see training today to what we can do better and diffirently. Think nano, think learner and think performance. Remember , we have moved from hierarchy to wirearchy.