THE POWER OF COLLABORATIVE LEARNING:

TRANSFORMING YOUR ORGANIZATION THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA

Tony Bingham

Social media are radically transforming learning within organizations, helping to connect people with the right information, at the right time, in the right way. Beyond the hype, buzzwords, and entertainment value of reconnecting with old friends, people in organizations across the globe are using social media to collaborate and to learn. Emerging technologies enable a new kind of knowledge-building ecosystem with people at its core.

Classic business models presumed that relevant information was created and shared either through management or training. But classic isn't enough: there's too much to know and make sense of, too little time to gain perspective, and information changes too fast to dispense. A virtual water cooler becomes a gathering place to share ideas and ask questions beyond the limits of formal organizations, company meetings, or classrooms.

Our inherent drive to learn together can be facilitated through emerging technologies that extend, widen, and deepen our reach. More so than any other technology, social media allow us to embrace the needs of changing workplace demographics and allow people of all ages to learn in ways that are comfortable and convenient for them.

Today, networks of knowledgeable people, working across time and space, can make informed decisions and solve complex problems in ways they didn't dream of years ago. By bringing together people who share interests, no matter their location or time zone, social media have the potential to transform the workplace into an environment in which learning is as natural as it is powerful.

Looking at all of the learning that happens in organizations, the majority is informal. It typically takes place without an instructor and is in the hands of the employee in terms of breadth, depth, and timing. Employees want to learn on-demand and access information and experts when they need to use a variety of tools to do so. Informal learning helps employees stay knowledgeable and productive in a very dynamic work environment.

NET GENS

To really understand the power of informal learning, we have to learn more about a key driver for it: the Millennial generation, born between 1977 and 1997 (per Don Tapscott). The themes in one of Don Tapscott's books, Grown Up Digital (2008), helps us to better understand the drivers for informal learning.

Tapscott refers to the Millennials or Gen Ys as the Net Generation or “Net Gens” based on their defining characteristic: the network. In his book, he explains that technology is like air to them. That's a critical point when looking at how this generation works, learns, collaborates, and lives.

The Net Gens are the largest generation ever to join the workforce. We are already seeing their impact in the workplace. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the size of the workforce in the United States in 2014 will be roughly 162 million. Estimates suggest that the Net Gens will potentially make up a whopping 47 percent of the workforce in 2014!

We're all aware of the stereotypes of this generation: they can't make a decision, don't want to “pay their dues,” ignore hours and dress codes, need constant feedback, their parents are involved in everything, and so on.

But in his book, Tapscott notes, “The evidence is strong that they are the smartest generation ever. Raw IQ scores are climbing by three points a decade since World War II, and they have been increasing across racial, income, and regional boundaries.” He continues, “This generation thinks it's cool to be smart, and they see themselves as an essential part of the world's future success. When he asked his global sample of thousands of Net Gens, “Which would you rather be: smart or good looking?” seven out of ten chose having smarts.

Tapscott also writes, “In this war for talent, employers are going to have to understand the key Net Gen norms if they want to hire them, and keep them. They want the freedom to work when and where they want, and the freedom to enjoy work and family life.”

He discusses other expectations of this generation:

• They want customization—this is what they're used to.
• They want to be managed as individuals, not as a big group. This means individualized learning-and-development opportunities, project-based role descriptions, lots of feedback on their performance, and open and regular dialogues with their managers.
• Integrity and transparency are essential to this generation. This is how their virtual communities operate.
• Collaboration: they are not turned on by climbing the corporate ladder. They demand challenging work and want to achieve with other people. This is how they get things done.
• Entertainment: they want work to be fun, and they see work and fun as the same thing.

Tapscott lays down the gauntlet: “The bottom line is this: if you understand the Net Generation, you will understand the future. You will also understand how our institutions and society need to change today.” That is very compelling.

Not surprisingly, ASTD's research study on The Rise of Social Media found that Millennials were the largest consumers of social media for work and personal use. (See Figure 1.) More than 50 percent of Millennials—higher than Baby Boomers and Gen X'ers combined—said that social media tools help them get more work done, get better work done, learn more in less time, and learn truly useful things. Collaboration is how they get things done.

GETTING DEEPER INTO INFORMAL LEARNING

How much informal learning is taking place in organizations, and are we tapping its real potential? ASTD and i4cp conducted research on informal learning to answer that question in the report, Tapping the Potential of Informal Learning. To start, we wanted to know how much informal learning was actually occurring in organizations.

• 98 percent of the respondents saw that it was occurring to some extent, 34 percent said to a high extent, and 2 percent said that it wasn't occurring at all.
• More than 56 percent expect it to increase over the next three years.
• 98 percent of those surveyed say that informal learning enhances employee performance, and 39 percent of respondents said it is enhancing employee performance to a high extent.

Figure 1. Rise of Social Media

Source: ASTD research report, The Rise of Social Media: Enhancing Collaboration and Productivity Across Generations.

Figure 2. Informal Learning

Source: ASTD research report, Tapping the Potential of Informal Learning.

When we asked what percentage of the training budget is allocated to informal learning, 36 percent dedicate no money to informal learning and 78 percent dedicate 10 percent or less of the training budget to it. (See Figure 2.)

This statistic is frightening because between 70 and 90 percent of learning occurring in organizations is informal, yet most of the money is allocated to formal learning. This ratio must change if we are to be successful in the future, and it means that the learning profession has a great opportunity to make an impact with informal learning.

IMPACT OF WEB 2.0

In partnership with i4cp, ASTD produced a Web 2.0 study, Transforming Learning with Web 2.0 Technologies, sponsored by Booz Allen Hamilton. The purpose of the study was to determine how, why, to what degree, and with what success organizations are using Web 2.0 technologies in learning functions. Reasons for adopting Web 2.0 include:

• Improving knowledge sharing
• Fostering learning
• Providing more informal learning opportunities
• Improving communication
• Finding resources more easily
• Boosting collaboration
• Building organizational relationships

Data from the study revealed that only a small minority of companies are using Web 2.0 technologies in learning. This is not the first study to find that Web 2.0 technologies are not yet widely adopted in organizations. Eighty-seven percent of respondents predicted that, during the next three years, their organizations were more likely to use Web 2.0 technologies in the learning function. Of course, there was that 2 percent who expected to use less. (See Figure 3.)

Figure 3. Web 2.0

Source: ASTD research report, Transforming Learning with Web 2.0 Technologies.

When examining the effectiveness of Web 2.0, 95 percent of those surveyed indicated that the technology is effective, although the highest marks for it are not that high. This appears to be a reflection of not knowing how to use the technologies and the associated fear of them.

The Net Gens are driving informal learning, which, as we've seen through the research, does not have the financial commitment or the appropriate involvement of the learning organization yet.

There has been an enormous increase in people who want to share their expertise, their opinions, and their time through Web 2.0 collaborative technologies, and these technologies are being adopted by society on a global scale as well as by our individual learning organizations. The use of collaborative technologies also has a huge impact on organizations' ability to recruit and retain talent. It's important to remember that, while much of the focus of this article has been on the Net Gens, social learning can benefit the entire organization, especially newcomers.

Ultimately, we must adapt the learning environment to ensure it supports all generations in the workforce if we want to recruit, engage, retain, and develop employees. One way to adapt the learning environment is to employ the tools and technologies with which they're most comfortable and apply them to their collaborative styles. And social media are at the top of the list.

Our job, our focus, and our creative energy must include learning all we can about and employing informal learning. As training professionals, it is our job to facilitate all of the learning occurring within the organization, not just the formal learning.

BEST PRACTICES IN SOCIAL LEARNING

Most of the research on best practices with informal and social learning suggests that organizations:

• Start slowly
• Find an executive sponsor
• Identify a department or area that is highly interested in it—participation is key
• Partner with IT, particularly compliance, if you're in a highly regulated industry
• Use the low-cost software tools available today
• Govern lightly

ASTD's research report on The Rise of Social Media indicates that companies that encourage the use of social media tools—and put the proper guidelines in place—can expect to see more effective learning. And, regardless of generation, workers across the board believe that their organizations should be using social media more.

Chris Brogan, a highly read and respected blogger and author, wrote an excellent book for getting started with social media, Social Media 101, an excellence resource for understanding and applying social media in an organization. Brogan talks about many of the tools available and his ideas for engaging any organization in social media. If you're relatively new to social media, this is a must read to help you navigate the many options.

What is more challenging, but just as important for success, is engaging senior leadership in social media and learning. Everyone we have spoken with regarding social learning has described the importance of helping senior leaders understand its potential and the power of having them use it personally within their organizations.

HOW CAN WE PUT INFORMAL LEARNING INTO ACTION?

David Shoemaker from eCornell spoke at the ASTD 2008 International Conference and Exposition. In his session, “Formal vs. Informal Learning: Is the Course Dead?” he provided some steps for facilitating informal learning:

• Take advantage of Web 2.0 technologies—wikis, blogs, and social networking tools to create and nurture ongoing communities of practice.
• Create formal coaching and mentoring relationships. Think of the model in teaching hospitals—a group of interns is assigned to a senior doctor; they accompany him or her on daily rounds, during which the doctor may employ a Socratic method to test and teach the students.
• Provide dedicated time for informal learning on the job.
• Create places and spaces for workers to congregate, collaborate, and learn from each other. These could range from breakout rooms and common areas to creating an open office environment.

In addition, organizations should create systems so that the information shared in these informal settings is captured, as well as ensure that the proper reasonable governance is in place.

In her report, Get Serious About Informal Learning, Claire Schooley from Forrester Research adds:

• Examine how you conduct employee training. Take stock of your present training and determine the components that lend themselves to more informal approaches. Provide the tools and resources for learners to find content easily.
• Collaborate with business units to develop the most effective learning strategies. This applies to both formal and informal learning.
• Use employee performance results as a measure of successful learning experiences. Learning management system vendors have assessment questionnaires to survey the employees' managers regularly after the course to determine the impact on employee performance.
• Keep track of how people rate informal and formal content. These ratings will help employees find the best content and help you to weed out the poor content and identify where additional formal or informal learning development is required.

Much of this comes down to how all of us in the training field position social learning within our organizations. It is critical to demonstrate clearly how it's going to further the organization's goals and strategies, and in many cases, this isn't a traditional return-on-investment calculation. It requires alignment to what's important to the organization, and often that includes:

• Retaining institutional knowledge
• Driving innovation and creativity
• Attracting people to your organization
• Connecting dispersed employees
• Solving complex problems collaboratively
• Providing an integrated and holistic approach to people development

This is the learning profession's opportunity to be a game-changer—a paradigm shifter—and in the process position our organizations and ourselves well for future success. Web 2.0 technologies and the Net Gens will catalyze us to drive informal learning: the most elusive, yet the most prevalent and potentially the most important learning occurring in our organizations now and for years to come. It's clear that social learning is critical to being able to attract, engage, collaborate with, and retain talent. And, just as importantly, it encourages us to create the structures that support accessing and retaining the information shared for learning.

In the learning profession, we've never before had the opportunity to broaden our impact as we do today through informal learning. People are demanding it, the technology is enabling it, and the economy is supporting it.

If you're new to social media and social learning, you're not alone: while only 24 percent of respondents in ASTD's research said their informal learning at work included social media, more than 80 percent said social media would be an important part of learning within the next three years.

If you're a veteran in social learning, please share what you know with your colleagues and peers in the training field. ASTD and other organizations can help you on the journey. All that you need is the courage to begin. It might be as simple as noticing where social learning is already working in your organization and asking what you can do to improve on it.

Start from where you are. Do what you can. Ask for help. Enjoy the ride. And share your thoughts and knowledge with others.

REFERENCES

ASTD. (2008). Tapping the potential of informal learning. Alexandria, VA: Author.

ASTD. (2009). Transforming learning with Web 2.0 technologies. Alexandria, VA: Author.

ASTD. (2010). The five of social media: Enhancing collaboration and productivity across generations. Alexandria, VA: Author.