Training Managers Breakfast meeting November 2007 - Meeting Notes

While the chill of winter greeted many workers across the UK, the rich smell of coffee and homely aroma of croissants and muffins welcomed those about to take a glimpse into ‘the future of learning’.  With an audience poised for discovery and discussion, our speaker Doug Miller opened the floor to what was to be a challenging and stimulating snap shot of tomorrow…

It was recognised that the room accommodated people responsible for over 150,000 learners with over 250 years of experience!

I’d just like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who attended and to those unable to attend this time round I look forward to welcoming you all to our future forums.

I look forward to seeing you at the next Training Managers meeting which will be in February 2008, we will send out details nearer the date.

Best regards

Paul Wright

Paul Wright
MD Wright Solutions

The Future of Learning

A forum dedicated to views and opinions on how it affects you and your people.

So let us enjoy a quick overview on the various subjects discussed and what challenges we may face….

We first reflected on future methods of learning and were opened to the possibilities and expectations future learners would have.  We then touched on the stark reality of a working life that never has more than 15 minutes of continuous un-interruption and exposed the implications that stifled creativity, in any learning environment, might have when process and manufacturing is no longer an option in the workplace and we are left with only a knowledge based economy.

Doug Miller
Doug is a leading author and trainer in the field of innovation, creativity and positive attitude.   His next book (his fifth) 'Brilliant Idea' will be published in early December 2007.

In the challenge to ‘create the desire to learn’ and when looking at future methods of delivery, it was clear technology would have a large and rather obvious role to play.  From the Internet to iPods, and the growing trend of Internet based ‘learning communities’, developed to assist people to learn from each other in relatively unrelated environments.  It was still felt that group training and activities would still have a significant role to play, and long may that continue!

Further discussion identified the growth of project-based learning and the ‘lunch and learn’ quick fix approach.  However, despite a number of ‘lone learning’ activities being identified, none had more of a negative impact than e-learning.  It seems technology may be meeting its match as more people feedback that they feel isolated by this approach and uninspired by still being tied to a desk.

Above all the rise in technology based learning triggered the discussion that a loss of face to face social networking and its obvious benefits, exposed the lack that basic interaction may be having on the social skills of the coming generation.

It was discussed that expectations and opportunities to learn was felt to be higher at middle management levels but lower at more junior levels, but on any level it was agreed that expectation takes on a need for it wanting to be more ‘about me’ and not only that but wanting it ‘now’ with the most flexible approach possible.

Generations have been classified into key groups from Veterans (pre-1946), Generation X (pre - 1965), now in their thirties and forties, well established in the workforce and Generation Y or ‘Millenials’ (pre -1982), new entrants making their mark and in their twenties into generation Z.

It was identified that there were broad similarities between X & Y, but focussing on Generation Y the group agreed they were expensive!  They are viewed as less loyal and ahead on IT skills, but not necessarily on literacy skills.  It was reflected on that they communicated very differently as they are used to not having that many ‘real life’ conversations!

A very confident group with high expectations and a strong sense of work/life balance.  With a liking to work in an unstructured way, consumed by technology and a high level view of their own capabilities.

It was discussed that the biggest difference between the older and younger generations could be seen through their own perception of ‘capability’ and where older generations tend to judge and reflect on a list of historic achievements, the younger judge it on a list of things they have yet to achieve!

Following this we watched a video piece showing Sir Ken Robinson talking about how the education system is failing us and what that means for the next 50 years.  He reflected on the range of creativity and how all kids have talent that is potentially being squandered as literacy continues to be more important than creativity.  When speaking of, “education being geared to produce university professors”, Sir Ken amusingly said, “they view their body as something to transport their heads about, but can they dance?  Have you seen one of them at the after seminar disco?!” 

People are different! Yet we are all treated the same, in fact our solution to those who appear to have more ‘rhythm’ than the desire to be academic are now often diagnosed with hyperactivity and drugged to suppress such outlandish behaviour!

And the pressure is ever increasing, the value of a degree is now inflated to a ‘must have’ MBA!  So is a more balanced and less one-way approach to education the answer to the obvious growing need for creativity in the workplace?

With the upward trend of MMO (Massively Multimedia Online – on-line gaming) and facebook with over 50 million subscribers and 34 million active users, I dared us to look further and discuss the growing popularity of virtual worlds, which, it is generally felt, will grow to be bigger than the web is currently within the next 15 years! 

Creating a ‘virtual you’ or avatar in a virtual world may sound far reaching in a learning environment, but already virtual classrooms are being established and are open for business!

These virtual learning centres are visited mainly by 18-25 yr olds, but what are the implications?  For a start, will training get sucked into the IT department as it gets more technically savvy...the fun is just about to begin…

When I was asked what the more immediate future held, I summarised with my thoughts that there would be less group training, but that it would definitely still form a majority and not disappear.  For generations coming into the workforce interaction in learning is still very much required, but with the growth in home working and potential virtual worlds of interaction, the biggest challenge is the risk of people heading off on tangents whilst learning and this not being observed or recognised until it’s too late.