Training Industry Magazine - July/August 2018 - 13

PERFORMANCE MATTERS
JULIE WINKLE GIULIONI

TURN OF EVENTS

"Space" is no longer a barrier for learning
and development (L&D) departments as
they develop and implement creative
solutions designed to meet the needs
of remote and highly distributed
workforces. So, perhaps the new frontier
is "time" - or, more accurately stated,
perhaps the new frontier involves
confronting our long-held temporallyordered approach to learning.
Temporal
order
refers
to
the
arrangement of events over time. It
also refers to the way many training
programs are designed to anchor
learning to a central event. This creates
a "before, during and after" sequence
with some introductory information as
the before, the main event as the during,
and some follow-up and reinforcement
as the after. It's a comfortable learning
"three-step" process that's played out
for decades in organizations.
The challenge with temporally ordering
learning is that it creates an artificial
and linear approach that doesn't
accommodate the cadence of the
workplace, which requires more fluid,
flexible and non-sequential support; fails
to optimize the natural human learning
process; and contributes to a "checkthe-box" mentality because typically
completing the main event is prioritized
and other activities are relegated to
second-class citizen status.
So maybe it's time to rethink time and
how it relates to training. Maybe it's time
to evolve our unconscious mental models
to better align with how learning is
increasingly occurring in the workplace.

Today, it's more of a journey or trajectory
(with lots of equally valuable stops along
the way). It's a collection of resources or
a playlist specially curated "just for me."
Learning is more of a puzzle, mosaic or
patchwork quilt in which each of the
pieces (learning assets) are required to
complete the picture.

that have historically carried more
weight. Elevate each element all to
the same level. You can even make it
a game by writing each learning asset
or component on its own index card,
shuffle them up, and lay them out in
different configurations to shake up
your traditional thinking.

Thinking about learning in this less
eventful fashion allows for tremendous
synergy among instructional elements.
Rather than "lesser" resources rotating
around the "sun" of the main event, a
less linear approach allows elements to
reinforce each other in more flexible,
unique and learner-centered ways.
And this contributes to the long-term
adoption of new skills and behaviors.

CHANGING OUR
WORDS CAN CHANGE
OUR MINDSET.

Lifting
our
temporally-constrained
(before, during and after or main event)
thinking allows for many benefits such
as enhanced creativity, flexibility, usage
and results. The traditional main event
model met the needs of a less dynamic
workplace when employees might have
been able to wait a quarter or longer to
attend a course. But today's workers can
rarely afford that kind of lag. Allowing for
a less sequential approach to learning
ensures that skills development can
keep pace with the speed of business.

2. Watch your language. Changing our
words can change our mindset. So,
eliminate "before, during and after"
from your lexicon. It only reinforces
that the main event is the main event.
Instead, begin talking about "suites
of resources" or "complementary
content components."
3. Hold all elements to the same
standard. Force previously thought
of pre- and post-learning components
to work just as hard as the traditional
main event. Make sure each is valuable
in and of itself. Build in reflection and
application planning so every element
actively drives learning.

Want to break through the temporal
or event-focused barrier? Try these
three steps.

Overcoming our temporal default means
recasting learning and de-emphasizing
the main event... which could be an
eventful transition for L&D and the
organizations they serve.

1. Adopt an egalitarian outlook. Look
at each element or asset with fresh
eyes. Challenge yourself to think
differently about those main events

Julie Winkle Giulioni has 25 years of
experience working with organizations
worldwide to improve performance through
learning. Email Julie.

T R A I N I N G I N DUSTR Y MA GAZ INE - TRAINING TOOLBOX 20 18 I WWW. T RAI NINGINDU S T RY . C OM/ MAGAZ I NE

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Training Industry Magazine - July/August 2018