The Matrix Fallacy: Part 1 of 3

Uploading Expertise from the Skills Matrix seems like an easy way out. Quickly train our people and we will be able to do what other companies can do. This article will describe that this is a fallacy and longer term commitment is necessary to reskilling and upskilling personnel.

Investment in innovation preparedness is growing in Africa. I have been advocating and working with companies who are striving to build innovation capabilities to offer human centered?and sustainable solutions for over a decade.

It has been an incredibly enjoyable learning journey. I have had the privilege of working with some amazing innovators and changemakers and have been privileged to witness their evolution and adaptation to the regularly changing business and customer landscape.

I have been quite humbled along this journey seeing these people, despite the odds, overcome barriers and inhibitors in their environments to offer more human centered and collaborative ways of working.

Corporate companies in Africa (and probably the world over) are fickle, they start off being relatively collaborative, and then a number of barriers emerge that prevent a continuous learning environment.

Typical inhibitors that prevent successful learning and related change are:

·??????dysfunctional silos,

·??????kingdom (territory) management

·??????changing regimes

·??????regular changing of goal posts and focus areas

·??????inconsistent methods of working and their appropriate application

The above inhibitors result in short-termism that is often related to a power game. As an example, ?investment in proficiency in a new way of working drops off the radar when executives are not reaching their targets or when external shocks affect the organization's strategy.

And despite this, companies still do invest in some training. But often this short termism effects the return on investment and nullifies the impact of the actual training.

I call this "The Matrix Fallacy” or “The Skills Fallacy”.

This fallacy is a barrier to the inherent impact of the training as it inhibits employee's ability to practice those skills they have just ben trained in and prevents their growth and proficiency in something the organization itself needs.

The Matrix or Skills Fallacy

Humans are not Neos’ or Morpheus’ who can download how to fly a helicopter or practice black belt Kung Fu as seen in “The Matrix” (the cult feature film starring Keanu Reeves). ?

Click the link below for a reminder of how The Matrix skills upload plays out.

The Matrix

How might this play out in the work context?

Imagine this in an organizational training context: You step up to The Matrix AI Skills Pod and insert a neural interface to start uploading a program on empathy and listening skills. This is a key competency you need to help you and your team to design customer relevant solutions.

Instant Mastery? Not so fast. The AI download program realizes this is not that easy and issues a message: “Undefined variable: ‘common_sense’.”?It turns out, the Skill Matrix doesn’t teach common sense, debugging patience, or how to listen to and understand complex emotional feelings and cognitive thoughts in relation to human emotions. Furthermore, The Skills Matrix has no program for imagination and the ability to carry out intuitive or abductive thinking. So an Error Message is sent: “Download failed.”

True Mastery takes practice and failure in equal doses

In reality people actually need time to assimilate new information and to adapt behaviors and ways of working where relevant. And a one or a two day training does not make people experts in a field that other mortals might take 3 or more years to complete a Masters degrees in and compliment with years of practice. ?

The Skills Upload Matrix is therefore a fallacy and it is one that needs to be addressed in terms of how companies' managers view the ongoing learning of their staff in a rapidly changing world.

True mastery takes practice, failure, unlearning and relearning and of course, perseverance. The Skill Upload Matrix can’t teach resilience, curiosity, or the joy of gradual improvement. And so our hero realizes: “Maybe you should’ve read the fine print that said - ‘Skills sold separately. This data is not available at this price.’

To remain relevant organizations need to invest in training and also give people time to assimilate, translate and adapt behaviors over time. And this requires carefully planned strategies and integration of new ways of working into the organizations actual skill matrix.

And to do this, it often makes sense to work with experienced practitioners, to shadow those who have deep knowledge and who can share wisdom in the application of new practices at the coalface.

Through rapid knowledge transfer, usually in the field, people are then able to bring about positive change. Extending the training period to include on the job learning results in a deeper understanding and more effective application of new methods learned. During this time people learn, fail, iterate and grow.

Expertise isn’t a download; it’s a mosaic of effort, passion, and learning from mistakes.

And hey, at least we don’t have to dodge bullets and learn Kungfu to survive! Nor do we have to chose between the blue pill or the red pill.

Remember, the Skills Matrix may be a fun fantasy, but real expertise development requires dedication, patience, and a dash of humility.

So, let’s keep learning, and practicing (like you would your golf swing or your cooking skills) out there in the real world with friends and colleagues and support each other in this practice, one step at a time. ????

In the next post I will discuss how companies might speed up the assimilation of training, in the field, to help obtain a realistic but rapid return on investment.

Part II Sneak peak

Part II will cover elements of a new kind of leader and how to set up an environment conducive to rapid learning. I will also cover human emotions and considerations necessary for people to feel supported during a change process. And what does it mean to be a practitioner?

#training #enablement #design #strategy #innovation #innovationleadership #thematrix #Neo #bluepill #redpill