excerpt from Business Based Learning Part 1
Chief Learning Officer webzine May 2004
Virtual Water Coolers and "AH HAH" Learning Moments
A second approach to real-time learning is the most challenging (and the most fun) to address because this is the method that will rocket corporate training into a vanguard position within an organization. The "Ah Hah" real-time learning moment happens when someone finds himself in a situation for which no training or reference material exists and new knowledge is created. Previously, when people were located in centrally located offices, this information was transferred informally around the water cooler or coffee pot. But, what about today's virtual workplace -- how much corporate knowledge is lost because it is never captured and documented?
We all have had those "Ah Hah" moments when we figured out a more efficient test program, discovered an effective response to calm angry clients, or realized a rule of thumb metric for cost estimation the question is after the initial relief of solving a problem, what steps were taken to capture and normalize the "Ah Hah" action to make it part of an organization's standard practices? How do we grab that learning moment and distribute the knowledge effectively to the group when they need to learn it?
Today's knowledge management systems may be part of the solution in a few years; however, the reality today is that they are designed to be information archives. Where are the processes that will dynamically populate and update the central information stores? It is this rethinking and reshaping of traditional processes that makes the challenge for real-time learning so exciting for business and organizational leaders:
How does an organization help staff realize that personal "short cuts" are valuable?
How do organizations collect, disseminate, and integrate these "Ah Hah" moments?
How are people rewarded for taking the time to recognize, document, and share personal
"Ah Hah" moments?
In summary, success in the very near future will depend on how effectively organizations can capture "Ah Hah" learning moments in a real-time environment, adapt the associated business procedures, and integrate the changes across the organization.
