How do I change a lightbulb? - The problem of content noise and overwhelm.
Have you ever been in a situation that you are looking for immediate instructions on how to do something, so you turn to our trusty friend google search (input your search engine of choice!) to get some advice.... only to be absolutely overwhelmed with the amount and variety of results. Leaving you back at the beginning of not knowing which advice is best?
This is what I refer to as 'content noise'. Well, not just me, it is a term that had emerged from the marketing space but has now been adopted across a number of professions (including mine) to describe a crisis of overwhelm due to volume of content being produced and consumed.
This isn't a new concept, and we all have our ideas of where it came from, what its impact is... and what to do about it. Yet, we see no real change... apart from an increase of content noise....talking about dealing with content noise (this article is no exception, the irony is not lost on me!).
Let me bring you on my journey, and share my experience and advice on how I am combatting this for myself, but also as a Learning and Development (L&D) professional.
Creation vs Curation
My journey to become conscious about 'content noise' started a while ago but was kickstarted again while I was sitting in an L&D webinar with some great thought-provoking guest speakers earlier this year.
The question was raised about creation vs curation of content for learning. A valid question.
As lifelong learners and those within internal organisations L&D functions, we understand the pain of both creating from scratch and the length of time for good curation to be finalised. Time and money being invested into both pathways. Weighing up which is best. Wading through the options, not dissimilar to trying to find or create a needle in a haystack or that perfect result the gives us exactly what we need, 100% applicable to our problem/industry/people. Yet we also know that the impact really comes from application, with the outcome and results being behavioural change. Therefore we will try to avoid 're-inventing the wheel' where there is already content out in the world that fits the bill and instead use it as a foundation to build something really special for our people.
So I wanted to explore the process of curation further.
Trying to make it easier for myself (oh boy was I wrong), I picked something fairly generic.
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How do I ... change a lightbulb?
And the search results did not disappoint. According to my search engine, 'about 92,200,000' result options to choose from. Formats ranging from videos, articles, wiki-hows to blog posts, webpages, courses and books.
Scrolling through the first couple of pages (I would have scratched my own eyes out to go through all 92,200,000 results - just keeping it honest!), I saw the content starting to vary too. I received everything from technical specifications, helpful DIY tips and tricks, to climate change and the impact of the lightbulb, its history and even opinion pieces about how long of a future it has. The lightbulb!
Content is king but collaboration wins
I know we live in a world where we are bombarded with content, not even including the content we are actually searching for (wild Saturday night searching the internet about lightbulbs), but our constant internet connected world keeps feeding this appetite of noise from TV adverts and social media to our conversations with friends and colleagues, all feeding us more and more and more information. So much so we can barely hear ourselves think!
So how do we make a change?
Going cold turkey might work for some, a more recent uptake of individuals removing themselves from social media sites for example, has a big impact on how much 'noise' they consume. Yet professionally this isn't always the answer. Especially when your job is to provide people with learning opportunities, information and support.
What we can learn within L&D, and the tightrope we are walking between creating and curating, can be applicable across a number of sectors. Our saving grace is collaboration. Taking what is out there, working with those creators and making our mark by creating the experience for learners a collaborative one. Signposting to new content or resources, rather than creating it ourselves. Understanding that our place is to build programmes that allow for the experimentation and practical application of the content, but not necessarily the content itself and still be as relevant and valuable in the workplace.
It is a tough move to make. But it is a liberating move to make. And a new journey begins.
Enabling Talent Leaders With Skill Assessment Super Power
2 年That's an awesome article, Rachel W. I vote on the importance of Content in Learning. But most importantly I think if you want to change the Bulb (Skills/Team), we need to actually assess them. Because to understand do we just need a brush to remove the dust around it and make them shine again like new, or should we change the whole bulb and light up the whole premises. What's your view on this, Rachel?
Learning and Development Consultant | Virtual and Hybrid Event Designer | Community Builder | Systems Thinker | Relentless Advocate for Learning|
2 年I think the missing link between content and curation is the human act of sense-making. Taking time to make sense of something with people and then applying that sense to your personal context is really important. My cohort-based course weaves makes connections between curated pieces and aims to tell a story about what the learners could become. It's the interaction with the content, story, and their personal context that accelerates and amplifies learning. There are definitely times when an asynchronous course yields positive results, and I love curating a few articles each week, but when I'm seeking a transformative change in my life, I lean into opportunities to learn with others through making sense of content. Great article thanks for sharing!
Group Learning & Development Manager at Virtus Health - experienced L&D professional, trainer, instructional designer, graphic designer, film and sound editor
2 年Great piece. I've often thought about the point you make near the end... How curation feels somehow 'less'... as if our presence counts for more if we create things instead of just finding them.
Leading AI Strategist and Tech Visionary | Advisory | Operations & Change Management | Board Member | International Keynote Speaker & Author
2 年I completely agree regarding collaboration. That said, AI is getting extremely good at getting rid of noise and finding the right content, the right part (!) of a video, the right paragraph (!) in a document for you. Which in turn will empower the person searching and finding the answer to share this with their close colleagues and wider team. As always in life, it's the right mixture we need to look for, not just the one solution that will solve all problems. :)