Preventing The Decay of Knowledge
Douglas Ferguson
President @ Voltage Control | Facilitation Academy | Author | Educator
Successful teams never stop learning. Not only are leaders driven to produce results, but they are also expected to guide teams through reskilling in order to evolve in an ever-changing workplace. This includes building a safe and encouraging learning environment where teams feel empowered and supported.?
But our work as leaders doesn’t stop there. We must transform learning into a habit and intertwine new teachings into our team’s day-to-day life. If not,?we risk exposing the team to half-life learning.
What is the half-life of learning?
This phenomenon was first discovered by Ernest Rutherford, who realized the concept of a half-life within the context of science. He deduced that it takes a certain period of time for an element to decay halfway. When considering the half-life of information, this theory suggests that there is a decline in knowledge.
The half-life of learning is the halfway point of one’s strength becoming ineffective. Regarding learning or knowledge, the half-life is the halfway point for a current skill set or facts to no longer be true or effective. Put simply, half-life learning is the decay of knowledge.?
?What can we do to address it?
If you don’t use it, you lose it. We lose information without practice and reinforcement. Putting this concept into practice is critical to working against the half-life of learning.?
This means consciously supporting your employees in learning, providing educational resources,?mapping out learning systems, and reinforcing each teaching by incorporating them into daily activities. With ongoing learning and supportive practices, the knowledge can “stick”. As a result, employees with successful development remain relevant in their field and are significantly more valuable in their roles.?
Remain humble
Regardless of how seasoned we are, we’re never too experienced to learn new things. As leaders, we must prioritize continuous education for our teams and ourselves. We must hold ourselves and others accountable for staying ahead rather than playing catch-up. Maintaining a competitive advantage and pushing through half-life learnings requires continual effort and study. An environment for innovation can only be cultivated by staying ahead of the curve with fresh knowledge and new skills.
Douglas Ferguson | President, Voltage Control
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