HUMAN Capital - Fall 2016 - 12

Leaders and potential leaders, or the "rising stars" in an organization, come together to work on special projects which become important components of learning and development programs today. Out-ofthe-box thinking is encouraged and mistakes are a reality. Learning from mistakes is also an expectation. Past behaviour is not always a predictor of future behavior, because every new project brings new learnings and new ways of doing things. Learning and development programs involve facilitated discussion, brainstorming, research, scenario planning, de-briefs and learning from each other. Trend: Facilitated Learning vs. Teaching Gone are the days when a subject matter expert (SME) comes into the boardroom or classroom and stands at the front to deliver a PowerPoint presentation on a specific topic. The SME is now replaced by a skilled facilitator/coach who stands at the back of the room and orchestrates virtual learning environments. Employees can interact with peers, tutors, and internal and external experts, while engaging in online discussions and debates. Learning takes on a new meaning as participants can decide for themselves how much additional research and exploration they want to do for a given topic of interest. They can take the lead on discussion boards and ask for opinions and ideas that they are curious about. Online quizzes are important components of the learning, and results are tracked so the employee and management can assess the success of training and whether transfer of knowledge is actually happening. The virtual learning environment means that employees are using their own personal devices and home computers to log into learning modules and classrooms. Although this is creating challenges for organizations around security, it has satisfied the need for many younger MORE LEARNING OPTIONS FOR EMPLOYEES ALSO OPENS THE DOOR TO MORE SELF-DIRECTED LEARNING. learning from everyone in the room. Employees learn from each other and SMEs from both inside and outside the organization are invited into the learning environment. At the same time, the facilitator must ask the right questions, promote discussion, keep the discussion focussed on learning objectives, ensure all participants are heard and encouraged to contribute, summarize key learnings, ensure that learnings are applied to action plans as participants leave the room, and follow up with participants to ensure change in behavior or application of the training. The facilitator replaces the teacher and becomes a partner and coach in the continual development of employees both inside and outside the classroom. Trend: Learning Platforms Are Dynamic, Flexible and Interactive Learning platforms over the past five to 10 years have become significantly more sophisticated and are no longer databases of courses and information, but rather, 12 | www.hria.ca employees who crave flexibility and the opportunity to access training at all hours and in any location. Information today is easily accessible and everyone can quickly google or find a YouTube video to explain just about anything. To stay current, learning platforms need to be constantly refreshed with new material and, as such, the platform for learning must be intuitive and easy to update. Learning also needs to be in bite-sized pieces such that employees can quickly access short and impactful learning modules when it "fits" their busy schedules. (For more on this, see Tech Talk on page 9.) Trend: One Size Does Not Fit All and the Employee Will Self-direct Their Learning In the workforce today, we can have up to five different generations working alongside each other and we know that there are significant differences between the generations with respect to learning preferences (not to mention individual preferences within each generation). Our millennials will thrive in the virtual classroom, whereas our baby boomers may feel more comfortable in the traditional classroom with face to face instruction. Organizations committed to developing high levels of engagement in their learning and development strategy have realized that one size does not fit all and as a result provide options to their employees with respect to learning and development. More learning options for employees also opens the door to more self-directed learning. Today, many organizations expect the employee to take responsibility for their own learning. Organizations will support learning and development initiatives but will empower the employee to identify the best method to obtain the training. This will look different for each employee, as some will opt for online learning, others will engage coaches and mentors, social media and the internet will be avenues for learning, and face-to-face training in the classroom and on the job will continue to be popular options. Learning and development has changed over the past decade, as have all aspects of our business and people programs. We live and work in a more complex world, so it is not surprising that the environment in which we continually learn has also become more strategic, dynamic and innovative! O References 1. Why Organizations Don't Learn by Francesca Gino and Bradley Staats; November 2015 Harvard Business Review 2. Learning and Development by J. Eighteen, J. Haimes, J. Stempel, and B. vander Vyver; February 27, 2015 Deloitte University Press 3. Western Canada HR Trends Report, Spring 2016 Janet Salopek ICD.D, CHRP is partner and senior consultant with Salopek & Associates Ltd., a team of human resource and business consultants specializing in strategy, human resources and board governance. Serving clients across Canada, with associates in Calgary, Fort McMurray, Ottawa and Toronto, Salopek & Associates is available on an on-call basis to help you attract, retain and develop the right people and to put effective processes in place that will grow your business. www.salopekconsulting.com http://www.salopekconsulting.com http://www.hria.ca

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