L&D teams of the future will enable micro-level and self-directed collaborative learning

I learn, but others train me. I take responsibility for my learning, whether learning for myself or being trained.
What impact does this self-centric learning have on the influence and impact that a learning and development (L&D) team can have?

In a world where having sufficient time
to do things and the ability to concentrate and focus presents ever-increasing challenges, providing learning solutions which are meaningful for individuals who want to learn and who see the value of learning becomes ever-more difficult.

People in law firms are seen to be time-poor. Long gone are the days of five-day residential programmes addressing everyday management topics. No longer do firms have the capacity to support whole-day programmes as the norm for classroom-based training activities. Short, sharp, just-in-time learning in a fast-paced convenience-focused society is now being demanded of L&D functions.

People typically turn to thoughts of learning more when they want their problems to be solved. They want answers, guidance, advice and support - and usually at the time of their particular need. They want the learning to be personal and customised to their
situation. It needs to be specific and therefore bespoke to their problem. They want learning interventions to be bite-sized and digestible, whilst being accessible to refer to when required,
and for these to be available to share
with others if deemed valuable.

People are increasingly using
technology to learn collaboratively. They use social media, their networks of peers and colleagues, to determine who has the experience to help them to learn how to solve their problems.

How can an L&D function provide
the micro level of response that this
new world of learning has generated?
Unless it changes its approach, I'm not
sure that it can. Members of an L&D team can't be everywhere at the same time to provide the answers being sought by the volumes of people seeking to learn more.

Future of learning

I believe that the L&D function of the
future will be far more collaborative in
nature at a micro level within the firm.
It will require increased levels of partnership and cooperation between practitioners and L&D professionals.

There will be greater emphasis on
action-based learning, on reflective
practice and facilitation, on coaching
and on mentoring. Practitioners are becoming increasingly self-reliant for their own learning and development. There will be fewer classroom-based activities as individuals become more focused on their personal development needs. There will be greater emphasis on teaching each other through discussions via online forums.

People increasingly expect rapid response approaches to their learning needs. Producers of learning materials and resources need to address the different learning styles, intellectual approaches and communication preferences of their learners. They need to miniaturise modules in a manner that does not dilute the learning objectives which the materials are designed to address. Small might be desirable, but herein lies the greatest challenge for the L&D function: making learning solutions small but meaningful enough to be valuable.

Learners are often focused on particular elements within much wider
or bigger scenarios. Training environments can alert a learner to those additional components in a way that a self-taught individual may not always appreciate. L&D teams need to make sure that, when producing the 'just-in-time bite-sized' morsels which learners wish to consume, they make the accompanying larger morsels equally attractive and relevant to the learner so that they don't inadvertently miss out on vital learning.

Changing focus

L&D professionals are therefore faced
with a need to teach practitioners about L&D techniques. This includes:

• the best way to coach and mentor
  their colleagues;

• how to facilitate and moderate
  online discussions;

• how to reflect on their learnings; and the application of their learnings; and

• how to share their experiences with their colleagues and peers.

L&D professionals will therefore be increasingly working with individuals on
how they learn, rather than focusing primarily on providing learning content in the way they would have done in the past. Teaching people how to learn will be their priority, allowing individuals to find the personalised and customised guidance and support they need, alongside others within and beyond their firms.

This is a new focus for learning and development in the legal sector, especially in those firms that are still holding onto the view that training is done in a classroom setting by being lectured at using PowerPoint slides!

Sue Beavil is UK learning and
organisational development manager
at international law firm Slater & Gordon
(www.slatergordon.co.uk)