When knowledge is lacking

Imagine going to work naked!

Feeling a little uncomfortable? Embarrassed? How about down-right anxious and traumatised?! You’re sure that people aren’t blind and aren’t going to take long to discover the real you with all your faults. Now you’re not sure what to do about it because once you’re found out there’s no hiding!?

What you just felt is how your people feel when they don’t or only partially know what they’re doing. Remember the fairy tale ‘the Emporer’s New Clothes’? The Emperor falls prey to and pretends to the swindling, narcissistic tailors that he can see the invisible clothes for fear of appearing stupid and unfit for his position. Being the sycophants his Ministers are, they do the same. Everyone covers up with bluster and bluff.

When we strike this type of fear of feeling incompetent, a severe lack of confidence in our skill, a core fear response is a tendency to go into hiding with a cover up for our lack of knowledge through excuses or lies. The depth of this varies depending on our experience and ability to work with this feeling, so it's important to understand no one wants to feel 'less than'. We don't want to be regarded as a simpleton or unfit for our role. Even if we are good at bluffing, our customers, colleagues and bosses discover the truth eventually and cry out like the innocent child in the Emperor's parade,"But he hasn't got anything on”. ?

"You wouldn’t go to work naked, so why make your people do so?"

Very importantly, knowledge doesn't just develop competency, it enhances resilience. It's critical to help your people face and work through unending change! Competency Transformation is more than having a Training and Development (T&D) program, it's about designing a toolbox your people can access and stay engaged with through all the circumstances they encounter. It's a combination of collaboration, connecting, practicing and applying what is learnt. Knowledge is a tool, not just an underlying requirement for a particular role so it's important to look to building a lifelong learning culture.?

A snapshot questionnaire for you:

1. Are your learning programs meeting the needs of your people?
2. Have there been times when the program was the wrong solution?
3. Are your learning programs designed with a variety of learners in mind?
4. Do you use at least three levels of evaluation to measure program effectiveness in both competency and impact on the organisation?

People only succeed when they know...

• WHY it matters ?
• WHAT is expected
• HOW to do it and
• when there isn’t someone or something getting in the WAY

Everybody has a different idea about what style of learning is best but learning styles change based on experience and context. There are lots of conversations about face-to-face, online learning and emerging trends and they can be effective methods but remember:

• style of learning is relative
• it's not just about skills, it's about competency and experience
• it's part of your knowledge management strategy
• it's underpinned by your company’s unique culture & values and importantly,?
• it provides your people with a solid foundation and a good knowledge wardrobe to wear loud and proud!

Your Learning Wardrobe

Think about your wardrobe at home...

• Are there some things that need throwing out? (absolutely I do, but that ripped shirt from my army days can't be replaced and I'll keep it going until it crumbles. It's a legend!)
• Are there old favourites that need updating? (yeah, but you know fashion repeats so if I hide it for a while perhaps it'll come good again - even if it doesn't fit.)
• Are there some that are a little tatty, scruffy, scuffed, torn and need repair? (If I knew how to sew, or what polish to use, or could find the material I need or had that new super duper auto program machine…)
• Are there some you keep in the hope they’ll fit again? (perhaps but this is a reality check opportunity - maybe I'll give it another couple of years…Mmm)
• Are there those that are definitely keepers? (This scarf will always fit; that dress and jacket are multi-use; those shoes go with 80% of my outfits).
• Are there those best to share and give to others? (It's not about hand-me-downs but hand-me-overs!)
• Do you have a good tailor to help you design what suits your current shape and shift as you do? (Haute couturier or local crafter of thread but someone who understands your shape and personality)

Now apply that to your learning programs.?

Write down your top 3 barriers stopping you from giving your people the right wardrobe. Any program you design should address these barriers. In other words, a wardrobe that…

• Reduces time for new staff to go from shabby to chic
• Keeps long-term staff up-to-date with the right style
• Gives staff the confidence to step out
• Helps reduce staff leaving your catwalk for another designer
• Keeps your organisation in Vogue!

When you have the right program it benefits you in multiple ways:

• An inventory of capability?
• Adaptable and flexible focus in learning?
• Ability to rapidly assemble a variety of teams with known expertise
• Ability to audit competency and plan future requirements
• Develop future programs from a firm base
• Create an agile list of roles and competencies
• Better risk management in up-skilling and re-skilling as you need it
• Knowledge mapping to make a difference to shifting business contexts, build resilience and… so much more!

Fairy tales are stories for learning. There's a lot more to cover on this subject for sure! I'd love for you to share your thoughts, tips and tricks when it comes to your lessons learned and forward focus! Want to learn more? Check out my workshops.

Emperor's New Clothes Illustration by?Vilhelm Pedersen, Andersen's first illustrator. This is an update to an article I wrote in 2012.

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Simone Jo Moore - affectionately known as the Human API and a powerhouse innovative business and technology framework mixologist.

"Simone is pushing boundaries and asking the tough questions of organisations with how they are designing and using their technology."

A recognised?Top 25 Industry Thought Leader, 2021?Women in DevOps?list, 2021WomenTech Global Award Nominee, Simone is the Editorial Director of 'The Era of HumanisingIT' docuseries, contributing author to VeriSM Unwrapped, Applied and ITIL4 High Velocity IT and other international certifications and DevOps Institute eBooks.

Simone takes things beyond technology by combining it with her HR, Organisational Change and complementary health background for a deep leadership experience shared through writing, consulting, training, workshops, conferences, podcasts and social media.

Like to have Simone work with your organisation? A speaker at your next event? Perhaps a coaching session or workshop/training then come explore with Simone?here. You'll also catchup with her on?KTLO Learn broadcasts

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