The 'Don't Look Up' Model of Organisational Learning?
Learning in the flow of work is on many lips at the moment, but are we in danger of doing more of the same? Worse, are we missing something crucial?
Ok! So a slightly 'against the grain' post today!
Seen a lot of talk about 'Learning in the Flow of Work' on Linkedin, and it got me thinking more deeply about the model.
For those not familiar with it, you can read more here
https://www.cipd.co.uk/knowledge/strategy/development/learning-factsheet#gref
Firstly, let me say LITFOW is just fine as a skills development model, it's practical, pragmatic and has a lot to say about supporting individuals in the current status quo of the workplace. It is a performance improvement tool. And a useful one.
BUT is this the 'Don't look up' model of organisational learning?
It seems to support an operating model of organisational development based entirely on attitudes of supporting 'high growth' and 'productive' working practices (ie: improving efficiency and production and supporting a command/control position). Is it just an industrial model of learning, packaged (or repackaged -JITT anyone?) into something that sells well to execs...
Is this not just more of the same? Ie: Providing content to a target audience, albeit in a more targeted and technologically enabled fashion under this heading? It therefore seems to position the role of L&D accordingly.
Perhaps it's me, but LITFOW doesn't seem to say much about the systemic issues facing organisational learning from a broader standpoint than skills and knowledge, ie: going into areas of broader organisational enquiry, understanding the stress/strain points and root causes of what people are facing and really driving back to what's important and driving need, rather than simply enabling ‘more work, at a faster pace’.
Goodness… is this our best possible vision? Is this where learning as a profession is going? I do wonder, if this is the best we have, where is our learning leadership?
Given all that's going on in the world and the role learning could be doing to help shift attitudes and organisational activity, what we offer up seems to me to be 'making sure people keep their head down and do their work more quickly and efficiently'?
Is this actually harming people rather than helping them?
Here’s a few ‘what if’ questions that I am thinking about as an litmus test for beneficial organisational learning activity:
Does the learning activity really develop future proof skills/knowledge and shift from a status quo BAU position to higher levels of understanding and capability?
Does learning help change the organisation for the better?
Is a true learning ecosystem created? Does it generate sense-making and appropriate behavioural responses at scale that adjust and adapt behaviour, rather than incrementally improving existing modalities?
Is it people-led and foster behavioural agency at all levels. The antipattern for this being a top-down, delivery led model.
To me, LITFOW seems like a small step towards a more responsive learning system, and has something to offer in that respect, but without the other mechanisms of a healthy learning ecosystem in place, it’s implementation will inevitably only be to support the current L&D current state, rather than leading us into a new world of organisational learning.