“Two Views on Deriving Value from Learning Networks: Proving Direction, Structure, and Facilitation”

Kathleen Gilroy, The Otter Group   Bill Ives, Helix Commerce

There have been many attempts to turn training on its head and provide peer-to-peer learning. However, this revolution runs the risk of substituting chaos for authority. Our session is about deriving value from learning networks within a structure than simulates and/or makes use of the work environment, provides a learning director to orchestrate the events, and promotes knowledge sharing that carries back to the job.

Successful programs led by two firms in two different financial service environments, using quite different tool sets, are used to illustrate the approach and how it can be adapted to fit the specifics of the work environment. The first example covers the transformation of a call center environment from transaction-based workflow to a customer service orientation which required all new procedures and software.  In this case, the physical work environment was simulated, team learning was encouraged, and vehicles to capture new insights for greater organizational use were provided and supported.

The second example is an executive education program through the MIT Sloan School to support financial service executives understand and apply complex investment principles in their job. In this case, web logs were used to support virtual teams, new work projects were initiated, and a learning director was employed to orchestrate the learning network. There are many commonalities to the two programs which reflect their shared philosophy and a number of differences which reflect their specific work environments.