Speed

     Learning takes time. There is no way around it. Yes, we can look at cycles and taxonomies but the bottom line is that we must always account for hours that will go into acquiring new knowledge. Without that time, without that investment, we can pour money into courses and materials yet will see no return on our financial investment. 

    When we set out to learn, we expect to attain new knowledge and be able to put it to good use. In these days of hyperlinks and high-speed everything, we also expect to push a button and possess knowledge. Gathering information on the internet is not the same thing as learning it unless there is an opportunity to put that information into practice. It is that practice, that experience of new knowledge, that creates sustainable learning.

    We know that if we, for example, want to learn to play the guitar there are some steps we'll inevitably need to take. It will be important to gather our materials: in this case, a guitar, a couple of picks, maybe an extra set of strings. We also might need instructional materials in the form of books or videos. For some of us, sitting in front of YouTube might be enough to get us started. For others, we'll want a real live person to sit with us and while providing instruction, also provide ample feedback and an opportunity to gain confidence in our practice with feedback from an expert other. To make the instructional session worthwhile, it is also critical that we practice on our own, often, at regular intervals, until we own the knowledge gained through instruction. If we are highly motivated, we might play for an hour each day as well as listening to guitar music as often as possible. Without any musical talent, if we repeated this cycle of instruction, practice, and reflection, we are guaranteed to become competent guitar players in time.

    If we take this example and apply it to an organizational setting, it does not change. We invest in training materials that we believe will provide knowledge, improve performance, and ultimately increase profitability. In order to see the return on our investment we must provide learners with time to practice and reflect. If we say, set out to have our sales team deepen their product knowledge by participating in an on-demand online course, we must commit to also giving them the opportunity to engage with that knowledge, to practice using it, and reflect on it. This practice might take the obvious form of presenting the new information to clients but it would also be worthwhile to require the sales team to follow up with scheduled contact to product developers to give them feedback on their practice. Reflection on learning within the organization could take the form of a collaborative white paper to be published at a prescribed date in the future. Within an organization, just as for individuals striving to gain personal knowledge, real learning takes place beyond instruction, in the hours of practice and reflection that follow. Without time for such practice, follow-up, and reflection, the investment in instruction is frail.