Learning: It’s okay not to know what you’re doing (seriously!)
Author: Steve Marshall, Director, Leadership Learning at Black Dog Consultants
While worrying about the impact of Generative AI on your workforce, consider whether your learning solutions are rooted in the 17th Century and failing to anticipate the challenges of the 21st.
Hanging on to the age of reason is unreasonable.
This period of the 17th and 18th centuries led to our preoccupation with science, engineering and rational thought. If there is an answer - it must be found.
We worship expertise, factual knowledge and the ability to argue to be proven right. This is enshrined in many professions and systems of governance. It endures in our learning today.
Many training solutions are based on there being an answer (a skill or technique) that is rationally proven to work and can be efficiently transferred to others through education. Many school and exam systems follow the same model.
We are realising that expertise has a shelf life and is often disproved or replaced. Our rapidly changing planet and technological innovation mean we lack proven theories. Sometimes, we need to improvise.
When the tail wags the dog: What to do when you do not know what to do.
A training curriculum based on having the right list of skills efficiently delivered is probably not enough, even if it still has some relevance. You will probably be using your learning platform to deliver just-in-time know-how for problems we have already solved.
And for the problems we have not solved?
You might also need to teach people the process of learning. Design thinking, experimentation and action learning can all elevate the level of learning from knowing to discovering.
These are social processes that increase empathy, inclusion, collaboration and alignment. This is because our solutions to business and world problems need perspectives, dialogue and reflection. It is not the right solution unless others agree it is. Yes, people need to be together for extended periods of high-quality interaction.
Recover from wrong-list-itis.
If you have run skills courses and things have not improved, resist reaching for a different list of skills and running more courses. Instead, teach people how to be together to explore, prototype, learn – perhaps fail – and go again. When they master these skills, they can achieve business success with barely a trainer in sight (well, almost).
Next time you ask your training provider what their solution will enable people to do, consider that the best answer might be ‘I don’t know, let’s find out’.
Let’s figure it out together. No perfect answers, just smarter questions.
Contact us at Black Dog Consultants to explore the unknown together.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
No fluff, just clear, strategic moves that empower executive leaders and their teams to step up and deliver. Steve is a seasoned leadership and organisational development pro; he thrives on untangling complex challenges and turning them into game-changing solutions. He’s the kind of person who balances big-picture vision with tactical precision. Knows how to get the right people on board. Knows when to push, when to guide and when to challenge the status quo. Passionate about the future of leadership, Steve helps organisations shift gears, develop bold leaders and build cultures where top talent flourishes.
Connect with him on LinkedIn or contact him on our website
Be sure to subscribe to Ahead of the Pack for more content like this.