The theme of the World of Learning Summit at Olympia last week had its usual focus on ‘what can an L&D community learn from each other?’ But, as ever, other themes emerged over the two days.
The word ecosystem appeared in a number of sessions. Now some of us (me included) may be currently stifling an eye roll. Ecosystem could just another be a zeitgeist-y nonsense word and – goodness knows – we’ve had a few of those in L&D.
But bear with me. This was very definitely about two tangible concepts.
The first was that there will be a work ecosystem in which individuals will work alongside and direct AI tools – either chatbots or Agents– to take on specific tasks within their area of responsibility. What’s more, as AI develops, more and more of those individuals will be experimenting with and building their own tools to do things which can make space for them to do the more interesting and more valuable parts of their role, where AI adds little or no value.
The second was about learning being an integral component of the work ecosystem. Now we have talked for some time about ‘learning in the flow of work’, personalised learning at the point of need, or performance support. But my sense was that this idea encompassed those ideas and went beyond them. It was about leaders modelling continuous development; tools to learn embedded into the systems our people use; L&D teams focusing on the real experiences and challenges of their people by working alongside them. (Simon Gibson of Center Parcs put it best, I think, when he said: “You can’t help the people who clean chalets to build their skills until you’ve spent some time cleaning chalets!”)
This idea about being close to the reality of the business was a powerful message during Bruce Daisley's keynote on day two. The former Head of Twitter UK and YouTube in Europe de-mystified culture, taking it from a trendy buzzword to something tangible and something which if we allow to emerge accidentally is a big mistake. His model – which owed much to the seminal work by Edgar Schein – was that behaviours can be directed, encouraged and facilitated and that behaviours – what people do and are equipped to do – exemplify organisational values and build organisational culture. Real activities, in real situations which can be encouraged (or discouraged).
It is clear (I hope) that L&D has a significant role here. As Daisley said in relation to AI: “Intelligence on tap will rewire business. If all organisations are asking questions of the same AI, then the remaining competitive difference is culture.”
Daisley was also clear that people needed to feel that they ‘mattered’ within the organisation. This sense of ‘mattering’ was about an individual’s significance within the ecosystem. Again, it starts with behaviours – by leaders, by colleagues, by collaborators. Noticing contributions, asking for opinions and inputs. It reminded me of The One Minute Manager by Ken Blanchard and (for me, at least) its seminal instruction to team leaders to “catch someone doing something right.”
This sense of being part of something bigger than us, than the L&D team and our own corner of the world, reflected the tone brilliantly set by the opening keynote.
Professor Sarah Harper CBE, Director of the Oxford Institute of Population Ageing, seemed an unlikely choice for a conference of Learning and Development professionals. But as she spoke expressions changed from slight confusion to rapt attention to ‘oh my goodness, we have to do something about this”.
Harper’s superbly research and evidenced presentation took the conference through the basics of demographics. Specifically, we have fewer babies being born (which is not going to change for very understandable reasons); we have people living longer (and doing so in good health) and buying in labour from other countries is very unlikely in the current political climate. Nor is hoovering up talent from other countries desirable if it merely relocates the global West’s demographic challenges. (Harper presented the statistics showing that only in Sub-Saharan Africa are enough children being born to replace older people in those economies – the so-called ‘replacement rate’).
What does this mean for L&D?
The ecosystem we inhabit now includes a greater proportion of 50–70 year olds. Harper exploded the myths about older people being reluctant or unable to learn or to work effectively with technology. The research evidence shows these widely held beliefs to be unfounded.
So, if your workplace will have more people over 50 who could be able to work for another 20 years (and required to do so as pension ages extend) then how will you maintain and build capability among these workers? How will you build flexible work practices which meet their needs (as they are often caring for both their parents and their grandchildren)?And let’s not forget: unlike many of their younger colleagues, these older workers are unlikely to change jobs or seek employment elsewhere, unless forced to do so.
This challenge that Sarah Harper laid before the conference influenced many conversations I had in the queue for coffee and over lunch. And once again, I was reminded that the real value of the World of Learning events is in that happy combination of lively inputs from the various stages and livelier conversations away from the conference rooms and seminar stages.
I have Chaired the Summit and the World of Learning Conference at the NEC in October for over 15 years. I put on my conference suits and comfy shoes year after year for the privilege of being part of these conversations and hopefully stimulating ones which happen elsewhere.
I have not included the names of many terrific speakers who shared their stories and gave their time and I apologise for those omissions. You were great. Thank you again. I would however like to thank Rachel Burnhan, whose sketch notes greatly added to my contemporaneous scribbles and shaky recollections.
See you at the Birmingham NEC in October!
Article originally published on TrainingZone.
