All work and no play, makes us all dull

Before I started on my running and fitness regime, I looked up what was on Twitter. Sometimes all of it looked like a really big mountain that no amount of advice could help me climb. Other people’s experiences were such that they made it look easy, but with technique.?

All of these estimations and assumptions were happening in my head, because I hadn't really laced up my sneakers yet. In fact I hadn't even bought a decent pair to start running with. I spoke to my close circle about this quite a bit - till one of them said, “Saurabh, just go for a walk one day and see for yourself. What if your experience is completely different to everybody else’s?”

And that made me realize that I was halfway through the project, but only in my head.?

___

That’s the reality of all modern day On the job (OTJ) training interventions, right? Every culture change or culture management drive gives us projects that we don't have the time for. To the best of their ability, they give us shadow projects to see things like “what a day looks like in the life of a CxO” and so on. Some programs equip us with certifications from expensive schools, time bound live projects with industry experts and such. But none of those things really tell us anything about what we are up against when we really start on the gig.?

___

You can’t learn swimming unless you get into the pool. You may read the best of books, consult the best coaches, observe the best of swimmers - But none of that will help you unless you take the plunge yourself.?

It’s as much a design problem as it’s a mindset issue.

We are so used to talking, thinking more about what’s bothering us, than doing something about it.?

Ever since I started running, I have been reading about various kinds of workouts and runs one needs to go through as you prepare for a marathon. It all sounds so logical and fascinating but ultimately I have to put on my shoes and execute them if I intend to have a real shot at running a full marathon.?

There’s a lot that needs to be said about the importance of learning on the job and how grossly underutilized it is in the corporate world.?

___

Here’s what I often hear about L&D at work.?

I hear from both young and seasoned employees that “we should have training programs for our teams.”

Youngsters tell me that orgs should invest in upskilling training programs. Their focus seems to be on learning to do more, to learn new skills. Usually they are recommended an online course or module? Do you think that works??

Seasoned employees want to learn deeper. They’ve figured out their niche area, and now want to know more. They are usually recommended a book and said read that and tell us what you think. It has some great ideas. Do you think that works?

___

While I don’t disagree with the need for theoretical education, there needs to be more talk (and done)? about - getting into the trenches, and learning.?

The bigger question is, how can organizations enable this??

Manage culture and “make” the provisions to ensure success?

Organizations need to create an environment and culture where people can learn as they go along the journey without having the fear of tripping or being penalized/ reprimanded for it.

Leaders have a role to play by being patient with their team. It takes time for anyone to start punching at and above their weight. No newbie runs a marathon on day 1 or day 100 for that matter. It will take as much time as it will.?

The organization needs to have a razor sharp focus on actual upskilling here. In an organization that I have heard often of, country heads are switched between Asian countries. The Philippines, China, Singapore, India country heads are switched up every few years. They are given the time to understand local laws of the land, familiarize themselves with the general legal counsel, speak to operations leaders of these countries where they are going as the next country leader. There’s a 6 month timeline to getting these people settled.?

Admittedly it will not be so smooth all the time. Sometimes people quit in between the transition, many times despite the best efforts the new geography doesn’t sit well with the new incumbent and so on - but what needs to remain is the organization’s focus on its people.

Make sure that structure is secondary to learning?

This means let people actually do a sales call, rather than simply sitting in on 30 of them.?

Tell them to code a feature, even if that’s something you already have. And if you want to make it worth their while, make them code on something that’s actually making money for the organization.?

Now if there were a structure here that said that only after attending 30 sales call, can a person partner with a sales person-?

Or only after doing the basic and intermediate of the language can a person code-?

The energy goes out of the situation. It is easier to zone out when somebody else is driving.?

Do a situation check in after 2 sales calls and ask them when they’d be okay to do one by themselves - and then facilitate that. Build in check-ins along the way, and enable how the employees visualize their journey.?

Actually, allow me to suggest what we can create a structure for-?

???? Frequency and agenda of the check-ins. Also have an idea of the outcome of each check in

???? People who want to learn in a linear fashion - lesson, practical, shadow, project, live task

???? Differing seniority of L&D staff to talk to the workforce as they move up to live tasks. The challenges one might share with the session coordinator, is different than the ones they might share with their L&D manager/ their CHRO and so on. Have a structure in place for who gets to interact with whom at what point in their learning?

These will ensure that what you are trying to do has actual impact.?

Use the deep end of the pool unashamedly; keep lifeguards on stand by?

Identify roles such as those of trainers, first time front line managers, quality analysts and such for whom it doesn’t make sense to study in a classroom, except perhaps for a demo.?

Long time ago I had applied for an internal transfer for a training role. I got the role but for the next three months all I was made to do was to sit in classes which other trainers were taking. It’s a good start, but none of it prepared me for what I faced when I took my first class.?

The ability to stand and think on your feet , anticipate questions, ask for time, acknowledge people, manage errant participants - all of that came when I actually started to train them. I obviously did not do a great job in my first few sessions but I learnt a great deal and that ensured that my subsequent programs were blockbusters.?

Organizations need to be willing to allow folks to get on with the job without having the fear of repercussions.?

For these types of roles, let people jump in head first, keep the seasoned trainers on stand by at the back of the class and get the show on the road. How else will people learn??

___

I understand that with what I’m proposing, there are one to a hundred logistical and execution challenges. Even if somebody put together the plan and the strategy, this needs sufficient head count to track and manage. You especially need your L&D folks to initiate these deeper conversations with the participants, and so they need to be trained as well. But to begin with, have the thought in place.?

To an extent, direct managers can also fulfill the role of figuring out how a person is moving along their learning path. To an extent that is. But if you look for a way, you might just find it.?