Ignite Your Leadership Journey

Leadership and Growth – Adopting New Technologies for Learning and Development in Leadership and Why it Matters?

Have you ever wondered why Adopting New Technologies for Learning and Development in Leadership Matters?

The beginnings of the age of digitalization have led not only to considerable changes in specific segments but have also hit the development of leadership and organizations. It's been many years since I began this journey, exploring new technologies and their impact on leadership. People laughed at the idea that push emails would revolutionize office communication. Today, the learning and development field has been entirely transformed by technological and other innovations, so it has never been more critical for all leaders to learn and evolve constantly. This paper provides an insightful perspective on why the new technologies should be adapted for learning and development and demonstrates through exemplary case studies and best practices that leadership is invincible in driving such a transformation.

Relevance and Importance - Considering today's fast-paced business environment, the significance of incorporating new-age technologies for learning and development must be addressed. As the competition gets tougher, most organizations realize that their workforce is not ready to compete, so upskilling has become a hot topic for most organizations. A study released last year by Deloitte found that companies using digital learning tools are 50 percent more productive than their counterparts. Let's reflect on why the new technologies should be adapted for learning and development.

Impact - New technologies have a profound influence on the way organizations learn and develop. IBM, for example, rolled out a powerful AI-driven learning platform under “Your Learning. It personalizes the learning journey for each employee, using data analytics to highlight new courses and training material. IBM was able to boast a 94% employee satisfaction rate with their learning programs and additionally reported a 50% increase in skill uptake and a 20% improvement in job performance. These success stories are a testament to how technology can drive evolution within enterprises by engaging employees and propelling organizational growth.

Challenges- The advantages of technology-driven methods for learning and development may seem glamorous, but with every inch you take, there comes a mile you need to cover. The most significant barrier is the very conditions of its occurrence. This stops many employees, especially in leadership positions, from adapting to a system, fearing the unknown or because they may become outdated. On the other hand, Varshney adds that charging to receive these services is an issue. However, those hurdles can be overcome easily by simply planning for them and having management support. To ease the transition, companies may offer training programs and breed a culture that is adaptable right off the bat. With this future frame, leaders can communicate what these tech investments will do in the long term and how the return on investment will support its ongoing use.

Relevance for the Boardroom - Using modern-era technologies for learning and development must be a focal point. To drive strategic initiatives - Board members are instrumental in ensuring the organization is agile and forward-looking. Board members who prioritize digital learning tools will help their organizations thrive during rapidly changing future landscapes with a workforce enabled now more than ever to tackle the challenges ahead. The Board should help teams be successful by resourcing them effectively and creating an environment that supports innovation and learning.

Global Perspectives - While applying new technologies to L&D drives a global conversation, adoption will be flavored by cultural and regional nuances. For example, in Asia, institutional focus on knowledge workers and computerized improvement have seen companies like Samsung heavily invest in digital learning platforms (Hanover Research, 2011) to provide their workers with the required digital knowledge. In comparison, European companies are more focused on using equipment for collaborative learning that enables teamwork and knowledge sharing. Understanding these cultural differences is critical if you are a leader attempting to deploy learning and development strategies to a global perspective.

Expert Opinions - Industry experts from different fields emphasize using technology for learning and development. Josh Bersin, a global industry analyst, points out that “the future corporate L&D technology will be personalized, AI-driven platforms to serve individual learning needs. Similarly, Jeanne Meister, co-author of The Future Workplace Experience, adds that “leaders need to facilitate a culture of continuous learning where employees are inspired to learn new, relevant skill sets to keep pace with the transforming technological landscape.

Future Outlooks - In the future, the learning & development tools will be swamped by new trends in virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), blockchain, and quantum technologies, promising revolutionary advancements in education, enhancing personalized learning, security, and immersive experiences. These technologies will drive innovation and improve educational outcomes globally as they mature. These technologies create real-world learning and robust credentialing, which makes training programs more effective and credible. As organizations further research these innovations, we must be ready to learn about and begin incorporating them into our learning and development strategies.

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BONUS Takeaways: Here are three ways how can you better adopt new technologies in your Boardroom:

Takeaway #1: Foster a Culture of Continuous Learning and Experimentation

Develop a perpetual learning and experimentation mindset in your leadership team and boardroom. Support a spirit of inquiry to try out and test new learning and development technologies even if the outcomes are unclear. Failures should be celebrated as learning opportunities, incentivizing risk-taking and innovation. In other words, promoting agility and experimentation in the business creates a receptive ecosystem to new tech.

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Takeaway #2: Invest in Multi-Functional Collaboration

Implementing new technologies into L&D often involves multiple internal stakeholders, people from IT, HR, SME, etc. Create special L&D tech evaluation and decision teams to teach the Board how to use Boardk cross-functionally and collaboratively. This team-play methodology does two things: It gives a shared view on the DirCom level and makes people aware of how new tech supports them.

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Takeaway #3: Build Capacity Through Learning

Make sure that the workforce is up-skilled and reskilled or fully trained. New technologies for learning and development will only be successful if a workforce has the skills and competencies necessary to use them properly. Continue to perform a complete inventory of the skills held by the company's leadership team and boardroom, prioritizing any upskilling and reskilling efforts needed to make sure that everybody has at least basic digital literacy and technical proficiency - so they can understand, engage with, influence deployment of these technologies. Deliver training, workshops, and mentorship to fill skill gaps, encouraging a constantly evolving learning environment.

Final Reflection - There is no escaping from the fact that embracing new technologies is not a fad but essential for organizational growth and leadership, which helps. By championing these shifts, we will be better able to foster an adaptable, capable, and sustainable workforce in this digital-first era. As we go forward, it will be vital that we stay on the front foot - always seeking new ways to do things and committed to creating an environment of lifelong learning. This allows us to navigate the complexities of the modern business landscape and grow scalable.

I invite you to share your experiences and challenges in adopting new technologies for learning and development.

How has your organization embraced digital learning tools?

What obstacles have you faced, and how have you overcome them?

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Embrace Your Leadership Journey by Adopting New Technologies for Learning and Development in Leadership

Ignite your Leadership Journey – Share Your Insights and Challenges in Adopting New Technologies for Learning and Development in Leadership

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