Lessons for learning from healthy eating

When it comes to grocery shopping, we all have different needs. If you're running a marathon, you'll have different nutritional requirements from someone who's trying to lose weight. Whatever your needs, as a shopper, you might make a list of your requirements and head to your local stores or a supermarket. Of course, once you're there, you might be tempted to buy other things not on your list, such as sweets or junk food. While immediately appealing, these may actually hinder your attempts to reach your overall goals. However the shops are happy to sell them to you. They don't make any judgement on whether or not what you choose to buy is actually right for your needs.

This analogy is relevant as organisations increasingly turn their backs on traditional, command and control management styles to embrace more empowered cultures. With the realisation that employees are more productive when they have an element of control over their own destiny, there's progressively a trend to allow individuals to pick and choose their own development solutions (whether consuming formal 'events' or engaging in more informal collaboration).

Some 'rules' or guidelines on what they can access may be set by the organisation, just like guidelines exist in terms of our own personal well-being. We know what a balanced diet looks like. We know we're supposed to eat 'five a day' and exercise appropriately. Congratulations if you actually manage to do this!

Whatever learning choice an individual makes, there will be options and providers available who are more than happy to meet any requests. Individuals therefore need to understand that they are responsible for their choices. They need to know their goals and their performance needs. To perform more productively, they have to be selective in engaging with the right learning experiences that will effectively meet these needs to achieve their goals.

Choosing learning for others

Those who shop on a weekly basis for their family will want to keep everyone healthy. If you're a good cook, you might buy raw ingredients and rustle up your own meals. If you're time constrained, you might prefer to buy ready-made meals. In today's marketplace, there are the learning equivalents of supermarkets that can provide a light snack, store cupboard staples or even a gourmet three-course meal for a special occasion. They'll stock everything from essentials to a finest range. They may even use the equivalent of recipe cards to nudge you into consuming certain products.

Left to their own devices, my children would eat nothing but breakfast cereal ('Cheerios' are the current favourite). That's what they like and the 'product marketing' is able to convince them that they'll have a great time eating it. But as a parent, I have to take a wider view. Part of my role is to provide them with a more balanced diet. I'd like them to know what healthy looks like and I try to encourage and support them so they develop the habit of eating well.

Whether your learning solutions are provided by an internal training team, an external supplier or through a managed service that coordinates the provision(s), it is important that your learners (the end-consumers) are responsible and also aware of what it means to be 'healthy'.

However in learning & development, the challenge is not just to keep people fed and watered today. You also have to look ahead to next week or next year. Learning needs may change for reasons such as the business evolving or because of a specific project. You have to plan for people's future development needs and help them to stick to their 'healthy learning regime' as they look to plug their capability gaps. Good management and self discipline can help but giving them the right options to choose from can also pay dividends.

It's just like the shopper planning their weekly trip. You may have a certain budget, you may have certain goals - such as keeping people healthy - and you may have a couple of 'special events' coming up that you have to cater for. The question you need to ask yourself is the same: what is the most responsible way to manage the resources I have available in order to get the best outcome? 

Are there some inspiring recipes or activities you can rustle up to spark a 'Healthy Learning' campaign in your organisation?

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