Focus Magazine - Winter 2012 - 13

GUEST EDITOR Steve Sitek

Social Learning Can Be Cool...With Purpose

S
A social learning tool
without a purpose is just information

tay focused. As “learning professionals” we have o en been accused of being obsessed with the next big trend. ink about it. We like to call “learning” all sorts of things: structured, unstructured, formal, informal, eLearning, web-based, social, action, classroom, self-paced, peer to peer. Is this really necessary? A er all, learning is something that we simply do, most times out of necessity. A recent experience with a local mechanic and my beloved 2000 Volvo Sedan reminded me to keep “learning” focused and simple. About two years ago, my air conditioning stopped working. Avoiding the inevitable dilemma of dumping large amounts of money into my beloved car or buying a new one, I didn’t x the problem and su ered through many hot summer days and rainy, humid days. Finally, I broke down and brought her to my regular mechanic, Dave. Dave is a great mechanic and can x anything, but this had him stumped. He suggested I go to the dealer. Ugh, another dilemma. I like my car dealer, but they wanted $150 just to look at it. Now what? en I ran into Walter, a friend who happened to own a 1999 Volvo Sedan and had a similar issue. I explained my dilemma and he suggested I take my car to a new mechanic in town, Jay, who specializes in Volvos. I met with Jay. He listened intently, asked a few questions and then told me that he thinks he knows how to x my problem. He had several customers who came to him with a similar issue,

and he had scoured all the standard sources, instructional books, other mechanics and Volvo directly, to no solution. en he leveraged a mechanic’s social media site, similar to Garden Web or Trip Advisor, where he conversed online with other mechanics in California who had come across similar situations, and they shared their experiences and knowledge. Jay discovered, or shall I say “learned,” that the solution was simple. Within 30 minutes, he xed my air conditioning and it only cost me $50. I was thrilled! ank goodness for these "social learning tools." What mattered most in this situation, and the many situations we run across as learning professionals, is that Jay had purpose, an objective (dare I say “learning objective”). He needed to solve a problem, and “learn” how to solve it. e “social learning tool” was certainly helpful, but without a purpose, is just information. As a learning professional in the pharmaceutical industry, where we deal with a lot of complex content and sources of information, I love the opportunities that social learning tools provide for organizations, o ering a more e cient way for people to share and leverage knowledge, the same way a mechanic in California was able to help a new shop owner in New Jersey. Learning is o en a social, problem-solving experience, and while we like to call it “social learning,” it is simply learning. So, as we leverage these tools, let’s stay focused and ensure that our social, structured, unstructured, action, classroom, self-paced, formal and informal “learning” has purpose. I

Steve Sitek has practiced as a learning and organizational development professional for leading global pharmaceutical companies, including BMS, Wyeth/P zer and currently with Novartis as a director of talent management and organization development. He brings nearly 20 years of deep expertise in the learning eld and is an active contributor to SPBT and ASTD. Email Steve at steven.sitek@novartis.com.

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Focus Magazine - Winter 2012

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