The Role of the Line Manager in Facilitating Workplace Learning - Part 4 (of 4)

This post concludes my thoughts I'm pulling together ahead of a forthcoming presentation later in the year.


The Role of the Line Manager in Facilitating Workplace Learning - Part 1

The Role of the Line Manager in Facilitating Workplace Learning - Part 2

The Role of the Line Manager in Facilitating Workplace Learning - Part 3


In this section I consider the implications of a learner-centric focus for managers.


CIPD (and others) cite a move from 'training' (an instructor-led content based intervention, leading to desired changes in behaviour) to 'learning' (a self-directed, work-based process leading to increased adaptive capacity).

In the CIPD model (see A Worthwhile Read ) they cite that the implications include:

For the Employer - 'expresses clear commitment to learning as a business driver and ensures that sufficient resources are available'

For the Line Manager - 'Initiates opportunities for individuals to develop and apply their learning at work. Provides on-the-job coaching'


In my view this is a desirable direction for L&D - but needs to be explained further (to these stakeholders) in order to gain the required commitment.

Keeping things simple - I see two main areas driving this change from 'training' to 'learning'

Firstly - the changing psychological contract (or put simply without HR-speak ... the fact that organisations no longer can realistically offer 'a job-for-life').

Secondly - the proliferation of collaboration tools (typically described as Enterprise 2.0 ... Web 2.0 tools in the workplace)



The Changing Psychological Contract:
While organisations can no longer offer a job-for-life, in my view they should strive to keep employees 'employable' ..be it for future roles inside or external to the organisation. This may be viewed as promoting 'a career for life' rather than 'a job for life'.

Organisations can take a lead here - through line manager coaching and the strategic focus of L&D - providing employees with better insights of how they learn (e.g. learning styles), and why they should learn (eg Schein's career anchors). They can also illustrate best practices through sharing inspirational stories of colleagues (or external folk) who have actively managed their own careers.



The Proliferation of Collaboration Tools
Jay Cross provides some great sound-bites on this topic, including:

'In a knowledge era, work & learning become synonymous - and knowledge workers are becoming self-service learners.

....conversation is the most potent educational technology known to man, and Web 2.0 amplifies our conversations'

Hence to thrive on Web 2.0 an employee must be able to:

• navigate the web to find people and information
• collaborate
• express him/herself
• connect with other people
• be a productive contributor to groups

There are many consequences for the line manager - not least to build up sufficient personal knowledge of this area to be an enabler rather than barrier to help coach their reports to fully utilise these tools within the workplace.

Thoughts ?!

Finally:

'In times of change the learner shall inherit the earth, while the learned will be equiped for a world that no longer exists' (James Thurber - humorist)

The Role of the Line Manager in Facilitating Workplace Learning - Part 3

This post follows on from:

The Role of the Line Manager in Facilitating Workplace Learning - Part 1

The Role of the Line Manager in Facilitating Workplace Learning - Part 2

I have been asked to give a presentation on the above title at an international L&D Conference later in the year.

Consequently, I've started to pull together my initial thoughts on this topic. I plan to use this blog as a mechanism to help pull these ideas together, and (hopefully) to get some feedback from others reading this emergent 'presentation'.

In this part I examine the opportunities for L&D professionals to help to develop the coaching ability of managers

... on the basis that this is a core skill that can be developed through training, and can help managers be more effective at employee development (leading to significantly higher performance).


Using the PDCA cycle (Plan, Do, Check, Act) - this can be helpful to illustrate the integration of training into a broader learning 'loop' of improvement.


PLAN: I believe there is value in championing common coaching frameworks - to be taught systematically to all new people managers. This is actually more important than searching for the 'ultimate' coaching model. Through creating a common language there is greater opportunity for both peer-to-peer, and manager-to-report support (especially in global organisations with ever shifting reporting relationships)

DO: As well as training, consider the opportunities for skills-practice that extend beyond any brief opportunities obtained through role-play in-the-classroom. Company supported mentoring schemes can be a great vehicle for this !

CHECK: Regular monitoring & feedback to managers is critical to maintain a focus (recognise & reward success) on achieving the desired outcomes from applying the coaching skills. Consider the use of regular colleague engagement surveys - that typically explore the extent to which colleagues feel their managers have supported their development in recent months.

ACT: Provide options to go beyond the initial intervention & reinforcement ...so that individuals/departments can act on the data from monitoring. This may take the form of a second 'tier' of training opportunities ...where it may be appropriate to help delegates better understand 'when not to use a coaching style' rather than 'more of the same'.


the final part will consider the implications for managers of an increased self-directed learner-centric focus - created due to shifts in the psychological contract (no longer the expectation of 'a job-for-life'), and enabled by new 'Knowledge Management' technologies.

Predictions for 2008

Happy New Year !

Given that it is traditional at this time to make predictions for the forthcoming 12 months - here are mine relating to the L&D Profession.


Firstly - I see 2008 as the year when Web 2.0 tools will start to be integrated into mainstream L&D. Currently I see a massive gap between the knowledge of the early adopters of Web 2.0 technologies and the vast majority of L&D/HR colleagues (and other colleagues in our organisations). For example: just do a quick straw poll on how many colleagues know what an RSS reader is, and how it can improve workplace productivity. In 2007, we started to see the occasional article in CIPD, ASTD and similiar L&D publications ...in 2008 I hope the discussion will increase.

From increased awareness, I anticipate we (as the L&D profession) will start to identify the most beneficial tools for enhanced 'blended' learning (blended - both in the sense of (i) instructor led & 'e-learning'; and also (ii) L&D influenced & manager-influenced workplace learning).



Secondly - given the anticipated ecomonic 'slowdown', I anticipate that 2008 will further differentiate between organisations that see L&D as an investment to navigate the difficult operating climate, and those who dont make this a strategic priority (and hence impose significant financial cuts to L&D activities).

Many L&D professionals are already well skilled in driving value-for-money - through solid management of training services procurement (e.g. leverage of volume discounts with third party vendors), attendance (e.g. ensuring classes run full) and metrics (e.g. demonstrating to line managers their role in securing lasting behavioural change)

I'd anticipate these skills will be ever more important (as well as those more traditionally associated with our profession - e.g. instructional design, learning needs analysis, facilitation).



Thirdly - I see 2008 as a year of increased merging of roles & responsibilities in our HR profession. In 2007 there seemed to be an increasing number of articles highlighting the limitations of the Ulrich model - and the dangers of L&D being a silo (or even separate profession).

The need for the L&D profession to look beyond 'training' to ensure effective workplace learning, and the need for HR business partners to engage (ever more impactfully) with business leaders on both performance management & talent management/development, should help bring HR more closely together.

Hence, for L&D professionals, we need to expertly understand 'Performance Management' and 'Talent Management' strategies, tools & current best practices.



....only the next 12 months will tell !