We are surrounded with data. There is so much information around us and as the world advances, the data multiplies both in quantity and quality. Artificial Intelligence is making strides in making the data easily accessible, transferrable and organized, to make us more efficient and help us achieve more every day.
But let’s face it, how to incorporate this tool easily and effortlessly into our daily lives has been quite a challenge. Even though the research shows that more than 75% of workers have started using AI in workplace, and it has added to productivity and efficiency, there are some lingering concerns regarding data security, privacy, increased work intensity and accuracy or ethical use, according to survey conducted by oecd.org and shrm.org.
Clearly, there is a need for increased knowledge facilitation, and industry leaders bear this responsibility to prepare their organization for effective adaptations and implementation to drive impactful results. The pressure to deliver, all while mitigating ambiguity themselves, often leads them to focus heavily on “what to DO” and which strategies to implement.
However, sometimes putting a little more effort on the groundwork makes it more seamless to implement strategies and thus aids in delivering much better results.
This article serves as a guide for those results-driven leaders that understand the value of process refinement to achieve better results. By carefully absorbing this inside-out approach to process improvement, the following procedures will certainly make significant impact in shifting mindset around implementing learning programs through conscious learning. Once the organization is fueled with inner empowerment, it will become much easier and efficient to implement strategies.
Let’s dive deeper:
Define the Vision
Defining a vision of the outcome of learning is the most crucial aspect of any implementation or development. What are you expecting the end results to be? How do you envision your organization to be performing once you have accomplished your goals? What percentage of KPI increase do you want to gain in the end? What impact can you foresee on customer satisfaction? The clearer the vision, the better you’ll be able to build the process of implementation. So, be curious, and keep on asking questions.
Planning
Step 1.
Answer to the big WHY. Ensure that there is a clear understanding across the board as to the purpose of implementing learning initiatives. First, make sure you as a leader are clear on why you are doing what you are doing, then ensure that people fully understand the problem areas and the mission to find sustainable solutions.
Step 2.
Brainstorm. Allow for opinion, ideas and open-ended thoughts to flow through within your organization. Conduct surveys, hold collaborative cadences, ask questions and be willing to listen without judgement. This step leads to building an awareness of shared responsibility amongst teams.
Step 3.
Based on all facts and thoughts collected, assess which of the 3 elements would best serve the purpose of learning.
· Gain the Knowledge – Making information available for the right stakeholders at the right time.
· Retain the Knowledge – Designing the content and delivery in such a way that the learning will serve its purpose in the long term without having to seek references.
· Sustain the Knowledge – Aiming to add significant value for the recipient including in-depth investment in the process and on-going consultation.
Design and Development
Once the purpose has been fully assessed, it’s time for learning design and development.
Focus 1.
Designing and developing learning is based on the end goal and the purpose that best serves learning. For example, once you establish that the purpose of learning is to make sure that the stakeholder needs are availability of information and easy access to immediate solutions, then Gain the Knowledge element can be combined with the strategy of discovering and integrating the right AI tool. If you’ve done a thorough planning, you should be able to easily implement this learning strategy.
Focus 2.
On the other hand, if the purpose of learning is to ensure that people become skilled in new areas and can put procedures in place easily without needing guidance, then Retain the Knowledge element best fits this case. To implement the perfect strategy, consider utilizing Instructional Design development method to the training. Strategically planning the learning structure as per the need of people will serve its purpose in the best way possible which will allow you to retain its value for a long-term use. No matter which learning model you use, your focus should be that learners remain actively engaged to “retaining the knowledge,” for a long term for their own benefit. So, you may have to incorporate out-of-the box creative ideas to make learning entertaining. The better you can connect with your audience, the better results you will achieve as a leader or a learning facilitator. Learn more about Instructional Design strategies here.
Focus 3.
Lastly, if your goal is significant increase in value for your end user, then you’ll need to focus on Sustain the Knowledge element of learning. You’ll need to consider investing your interest and effort towards this purpose. The best approach to implement this strategy is to gain a thorough understanding of your audience. For example, if your audience is your customers, use the 3 steps to Planning described above to connect with your audience to learn as much as possible about them. Then apply a service based strategy to incorporating facilitating learning. This strategy calls for a higher investment than implementing tools or instructional design methods. Depending on the needs of learning, and best practices in place, the learning structure will need to be customizable. From workshops to consultation to blended training, your goal is effective collaboration between you and all stakeholders and subject matter experts.
Deployment and Delivery
As a leader of learning facilitation, your guidance is needed to keep the best interests of all involved. For that to happen, you must continuously focus on the purpose behind every step and how each step connects with the end-result. The 3 Elements of Learning will shape your conscious learning. If you are delivering support, your team and subject matter experts will continue to deliver results.
Reflect and Reassess
Keeping the element as the center of your attention at all times, break down the learning structure in iterative deliverables, ensuring that at the end of each deliverable there is a retrospect taking place.
Then re-assess, re-adjust and make changes to your structure as needed, keeping all stakeholders in the loop, implementing effective change management strategies.
Solution to the Initial Problem
For learning strategy best suited for ambiguous areas of AI, such as security, privacy or accuracy of data, consider focusing on Sustain the Knowledge element of learning. Why? Because ambiguity is the nemesis of trust. When something is unknown or unfamiliar, it is our human nature to refrain from trusting that subject, or process. Your job as a learning facilitator or a leader is to build trust in such sensitive cases. Building authentic relationships and gaining trust from your audience is the best approach to ensuring that any strategy you implement will drive expected results. If you find yourself defeated in challenging situation, use these simple self-reflection techniques to pick yourself back up to continue to focus on the value in your efforts.
Leadership Best Practice
Your part of building the groundwork for strategies to flourish, your focus is to spread awareness of conscious learning amongst your team. And trust that they will implement the strategy that is best suited for the organization's needs, all while continuously guiding, supporting and role modeling best practices.
Explore more thoughts that apply the inside-out approach:
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