A ‘back to school’ lesson in learning

Like other parents at this time of year, my wife and I have just been gearing up for getting our children back to school.

For many young people, there's a sense of anticipation and excitement about returning to the classroom. It may involve new teachers, maybe even a new school, and there's always new shoes and shiny pencil cases to try out. Of course, some children dread the whole prospect. For them, it means their summer is over and they can no longer play all day long.

The expectations of schoolchildren have a parallel with those of many corporate learners, who, in a similar way, are returning to their organisations after a summer break. What will the 'new term' bring for them? Does the prospect of going 'back to work' spark an appetite for learning with feelings of excitement or dread amongst employees in your organisation?

There are several learning parallels between schools and organisations (without getting too drawn into the education reform debates of Schank and Clark et al). Like schoolchildren, employees have to take responsibility for their 'education'. Like teachers, L&D teams are responsible for inspiring learners and pushing them to develop efficiently and effectively. Like parents, line managers have a responsibility for setting high standards and providing on-going support and encouragement.

My wife, who is a teacher, laments those parents who devolve accountability for the development of their children to the school. These individuals expect teachers to take full responsibility without properly recognising the importance of their own role. In the same way, line managers can't devolve all responsibility for their staff development to the L&D function. They must retain some element of involvement and accountability for on-the-job development themselves. In the same way that parents and teachers should collaborate, L&D professionals and line managers need to work together to get the best out of individuals.

Learning within organisations is, of course, different to learning in schools. At school, the curriculum is typically very structured (not fluid) with the instruction media tending to be traditional (rather than innovative), formal (not informal), planned (not spontaneous), group-based (not one-to-one), classroom-based (not online) and expert-led (rather than collaborative). There are, of course, exceptions but this is the predominant and time-honoured way in which schools endeavour to develop the talents, skills and intellect of cohorts of our young people (cue the reformist arguments...).

Within organisations, the political shackles should be off and the full palette of development options available to suit the particular situation and business goal at hand: a practical vs theoretical intervention; out-of-the-office vs on-the-job; targeting skills or remedying poor performance etc etc. L&D teams, therefore, have a considerable amount of choice in terms of what they offer, and how they offer it. Is the learning that you foster traditional or innovative? Formal or informal? Expert-led or collaborative? What message does this send to learners? Does it excite them or fill them with dread?

Many progressive commentators argue that corporate training shows a lack of imagination if it merely mirrors the one-size-fits-all way that learning is generally delivered in schools. This, they fear, induces a Pink Floyd-like "we don't need no education" reaction amongst learners. However, simply creating 'off-the-wall' options solely for the purpose of being unconventional isn't the answer either. The 'school' model of learning clearly has a place. If wholesale radical changes are made to it, you risk throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

The question to ask yourself is what balance of learning options is right for the different groups of people in your organisation? Some will need structured, expert-led curricula; others will favour more of a fluid self-directed or collaborative approach.

When it comes to learning, there's no one way that's inherently 'good' or 'bad'. My advice would be to think through the solutions/experiences that you offer and not write off any new 'options' prematurely or prejudicially. Be guided by the choices that your learners are making. If it helps, think of your line managers as parents and encourage them to accept the right degree of responsibility for what goes on in the development setting.

Excitement or dread? What reaction will your learners return with as they come 'back to school'?

Al Bird is learning consultancy director at KnowledgePool. He can be contacted at al.bird@knowledgepool.com