Nov 9, 2006

Transfer of Learning

The Tata Interactive Systems blog asks why so less learning gets transferred.
When will learning professionals, who know in their heart that what their client is asking for isn't going to solve their problem or have the desired impact, feel confident to act on their responsibility/obligation to say as much?

When will customers (internal and external) allow the T&D professionals they've hired (again, internal or external) do what they do best, rather forcing them to act as glorified order takers and production shops for knee-jerk/best-guess remedies?

There are various reasons why this is so. The biggest reason is that T&D professionals don't see themselves as partners to the business, but as "service units". Businesses look at them as "internal vendors" and a dialogue rarely takes place on "real needs"

The issue starts with understanding the difference between skills and talent, understanding what can be trained for and what can't be.

People change skills, not the way they are. That change is rare, and cannot be done by learning programs or processes.

Hiring managers also need to take ownership of transferring skills onto workplace, otherwise they are wasted.

Too often skills that are picked up in training does not get utilised or supervised.

Learners also don't really know the link between what they are learning and how to do their job better.

Coaching and Mentoring by seniors would solve this issue to a large extent, but the ownership by managers is often shrugged off.

Previous related posts:
Challenges for Learning
Making Learning Strategic
Training Lacks Type A people

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