Disruption In Digital L&D
There has been a bit of a controversy about whether Learning and Development has genuinely been "doing" digital or not. The waves of technological disruption hit the shores of L&D a few decades ago and have been growing stronger ever since.
The L&D field has been trying to take advantage of the latest technological advancements since its inception. Even technologies that are now obsolete, such as the overhead projector, were once state-of-the-art innovations. Still, they thrived thanks to training professionals who were always looking for new and exciting ways to engage their audiences.
When the idea of eLearning was first conceived, everyone wondered if this would finally replace traditional classroom training. Similarly, when the first LMS became popular, everyone hoped that this would be the end of tiresome administrative tasks. Although today, 20 years later, plenty of tools and resources are readily available, the question persists: Did we do it? Are we now digital?
Yes. But also, no.
Without a doubt, there have been some fantastic, considerable leaps in our industry over the past years. However, most focus on technology-enabled learning rather than on a full-on transition to a truly digital approach. John Bersin has described the heart of digital philosophy as “bringing learning to where employees are.” When Learning and Development truly becomes digital, the disruption will impact training professionals in ways far beyond what the older technologies could offer. The L&D Disruption Playbook attempts to explain how this disruption can happen from within, and how accepting it instead of avoiding it is the key to the development of employees in every organization.
Digital L&D Strategies That Cause Disruption
Contrary to what many believe, “digital” is not just a subset of the blended learning approach. It is a holistic mindset that focuses on how technology can transform every single person working in your organization to the best versions of their professional self. And, only with that in mind can "doing" digital cause disruption.
In order to succeed, a strategy should adhere to these 4 principles:
1. Be Engaging
In order to be engaging, you need to understand your workers’ personas and motivations so that you’ll be able to address their priorities and concerns and guide them toward their goals. Unless their success and your success are aligned, it will be hard for them to think of themselves as parts of the team.
2. Be Agile By Design
Being agile is all about being able to respond both in the long and the short term. First, be ready to include your employees in the decision-making process for the things that are important to them. Then, make sure you start with a minimum viable product and build on it as you go. Achieving the level of disruption that will transform our workforce should be your ultimate goal, but you must not neglect the day-to-day obligations of L&D either.
3. Offer Digital Resources Before Courses
Specific resources can provide better value than general courses. They can align better with your business, take advantage of internal know-how, and better facilitate everyday learning.
4. Use Data And Analytics To Measure What Matters
Data is vital because without it there can be no meaningful connection between learning and business performance outcomes.
About This eBook
This paper does an exceptional job of analyzing how technology can cause disruption to transform the field of L&D. There is an interesting review of how true digital learning is different from technology-enabled learning, with a point-by-point analysis and quotes from various authority figures, followed by a presentation on the founding principles behind successful digital learning strategies. Following that, there are plenty of examples and case studies that focus on using these principles and what the outcome was in each of those cases. Then the focus shifts to friction, and how to discover and eliminate it before it becomes an issue. Also, you'll find a framework about using discovery sessions and experiments to find what works best for your organization. You will also learn how to scale it up properly to get the most out of this process.
Dealing With Friction
The spirit of The L&D Disruption Playbook can be perfectly summarized in this quote by Adam Harwood, head of Learning and Development at D&D London:
Being user-centric like this means you’re not making assumptions on what your people need to know, you’re asking them throughout and, for me, that will always come out on top when you’re trying to address people’s actual challenges. Digital is so much more than plugging in technology. It’s not about putting stacks of content in an LMS (I’ve learned the hard way that doesn’t solve anyone’s problems). It’s about getting as close as possible to your people and the work they are doing and helping to address specific points of friction and getting results. That’s where you can make the biggest difference.
Be Part Of The L&D Disruption
Without a doubt, Learning and Development is at the dawn of a new era. It's very important to understand these disruption mechanics and how they are already changing the way we approach corporate training. The L&D Disruption Playbook is a must-have for every training professional that wants to be a part of these developments.
