CHAPTER 13

How Can Training Be Relevant in the Future?

If I didn’t answer your question about either the art or the science of training, it isn’t because there isn’t enough information. There is so much research available! It would be impossible to read all of it in five years, even if you did nothing else—and by then some of it will have changed, some of the “facts” will have been debunked by another scientist, and technology will have taken us in another direction where it just doesn’t matter anymore.

What I tried to do was to present you with the most practical information I could find that was supported by science. And because we deal in change every day, with people who are unique, and in organizations that are changing, I presented options—the art. The artful alternatives are helpful during those times when the science just won’t work. People are different, and facilitators need alternatives to ensure that they meet all participants’ needs. Remember: It’s all about the learner.

The huge number of myths that surround our work often hinder what we learn (DeBruyckere and Kirschner 2015). Myths such as “we are multitaskers” or “we only use 10 percent of our brains” have been with us for a long time. Unfortunately, many of these myths have persisted, and they prevent us from moving ahead. That said, I hope I’ve provided you with enough “science” to create a solid foundation of facts, and enough “art” to spur you on to do what you need to do for your learners.

The Art and Science of Training is a combination of what we know, what we don’t know, and what we know that ain’t so! It’s about recognizing the “right” way and still jogging left when we must. We have the most exciting job in the world. And a part of that excitement occurs because we work with people who are often unpredictable and sometimes difficult. They keep us on our toes professionally.

Up to this point, this book has been about the science of yesterday that brought us to today. But what about tomorrow? What does the future hold for training? Can we stay relevant?

Predictions for the Future

By now most of you are familiar with VUCA—the term used to describe the volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous world we are living in today (Johansen 2012). But have you placed yourself in the VUCA world and thought about what it means for you, your work, your department, and your organization?

So where is training heading in the future? We know that the label training has become obsolete, even though it was used in the title of this book. The term talent development more closely defines what we do today. I certainly do not have a crystal ball, but would like to share some predictions from fellow talent developers.

Nick Petrie (2014), a senior faculty member with the Center for Creative Leadership, cites four things that will change around leadership development:

• More focus on vertical development for how we develop. Horizontal development, or a focus on competencies, has been the focus to date. The future will be on vertical development stages. The big difference is that horizontal development can be transmitted from an expert, but vertical development is dependent upon yourself. We’ve focused on the “what” of leadership; we need to shift to the “how” of development.

• Responsibility for development will shift to the individual—people develop fastest when they feel responsible for their own progress.

• A greater focus on collective rather than individual leadership will lead to determining how we spread leadership capacity throughout organizations and democratize leadership.

• A greater focus on innovation in leadership development methods that will not specify a model or a program. We will be experimenting with innovative approaches supported by technology.

In his one-year quest to answer the question, “what will the future of leadership development look like?” Petrie came away with the realization that there is no solution—yet. And it is in this word, yet, that he finds an exciting challenge for the future and the exhilarating thought that he is here to help create that solution.

Josh Bersin (2016), a leading provider of research-based HR information, describes the modern learner as distracted, impatient, and overwhelmed. Yet the availability of learning is one of the biggest factors in employee retention and engagement. He envisions that trainers need to begin focusing more on experience and less on design:

• Although formal learning will not end, we need to consider the life today’s learners lead and provide learning where it is accessible, when the learner can access it.

• We will need to find untethered, collaborative, and available on-demand delivery mechanisms.

• There is a need for mobile, highly interactive, curated, and recommendation-based approaches to learning.

• “Instructional designers” must become “learning experience designers” who are creating highly engaging end-to-end experiences.

Bersin believes that learning and development needs to build its credibility on deep business expertise and a willingness to own business problems. That actually aligns with the message our profession has been hearing for several years. He also sees the responsibility for the ROI of learning shifting to your organization’s people analytics team, which might consist of employees who ensure that data coming into the system is accurate and sanitary; employees who create a taxonomy that organizes the data for analysis; or employees who create sophisticated algorithms and models to predict customer behavior, pricing strategy, or profitable markets.

How Can Training Be Different?

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (2016) reported that the number of people in the United States who are self-employed reached 15.2 million in 2015. By 2020, it is expected that “more than 40 percent of the American workforce, or 60 million people, will be independent workers—freelancers, contractors, and temporary employees” (Fast Company). Increasingly, contractor positions are being held by the best and brightest. Harvard Business Review (2012) called this phenomenon “The Rise of the Supertemp.”

The January 2016 issue of TD included a Gartner Infographic that predicted that by 2018 3 million workers around the world will be supervised by a nonhuman boss and 45 percent of the fastest growing companies will have fewer employees than smart machines. The world is changing as we watch. Think about what you do and the changes occurring today. How do you think the work you do might be different in the near future?

Wearables

Rather than going to the Internet or an app, the information may soon flow directly to your learners. Will technology provide instant skills and knowledge using AI and templates so that learners can be self-taught? YouTube and Siri already provide instant skills and knowledge. Will we even need trainers?

Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality

Virtual reality is an artificial, computer-generated simulation or re-creation of a real-life environment or situation. It immerses the user and trains them by creating a simulation of reality in which people can practice, for example, flight simulators. Augmented reality is a technology that layers computer-generated enhancements on an existing reality to make learning more meaningful through interaction, such as the recent Pokemon Go explosion. How can you use these technologies today? How can you prepare to use them in the future?

Augmented Intelligence

Keep this on your radar. It’s different from artificial intelligence in that a computer system supplements and supports human thinking, analysis, and planning. It maintains the human intentionality by focusing on the interaction of humans and computers, rather than on computers alone. Technology can leverage computing power to tackle more information and tasks faster and simultaneously, saving time. But, will it reduce the need for employees? What are the limitations? How could you support this technology?

Independent Contractors

As mentioned, data from Fast Company states that by 2020 more than 40 percent of U.S. employees will be consultants, temporary employees, and contractors (2015). If work teams are made up of short-term employees on short-term assignments, what team skills are required? Will the skills be “transportable” (Haskins 2015)? Will team building become part of the past?

Mindfulness

Whether it is the latest long-lasting fad, or something to embrace long term, mindfulness has become a solution to our always-on world. As an example, Aetna estimates that since instituting its mindfulness program it has saved about $2,000 per employee annually in healthcare and gained about $3,000 per employee in productivity. The company now helps other companies implement their own mindfulness campaigns (Gelles 2015). What role do you see mindfulness playing in your organization? What will your role be in that arena?

Resiliency

Agility and resiliency are touted as the keys to successful leadership of the future. Do you know how to practice resiliency? Can you help others? What are you doing to grow your skills and knowledge in this area?

New Roles

What will we call ourselves? Yes, we will have new roles—some that may only be in the workforce for a short period of time. While we can’t predict them specifically, we can have fun imagining what some might be called: talent systems optimizer, experience designer, innovation implementer, corporate coach, engagement planner, opportunity optimist, corporate curator, analytics engineer, or how about a MOOC Master?

We know change is on the horizon. The report Learners of the Future: Taking Action Today to Prevent Tomorrow’s Talent Crisis recommends that you begin by establishing a baseline assessment of the learning and development function’s operational capabilities.

What We Know for Sure

Science tells us that we can rely on one thing for sure:

• The world is changing rapidly and will continue to do so.

The Art Part

Your success will depend upon how well you adapt to the situation and your learners’ needs. Tap into some of these ideas to help your learners grow, to develop yourself, and to add your personal creative touch.

Mindfulness. Go online and find resources about mindfulness. Learn all you can about it. How could it fit into your organization?

On my own. Spend time thinking about the adjustment you would need to make if you found yourself in the ranks of the 60 million people who will be working as independents by 2020. What changes will you need to make? What are the pros and cons for this shift in employment?

My future. At your next department meeting discuss the direction your company is moving. Then have everyone make up a title for themselves.

Imagine. Take some time with colleagues or the participants in your next class to brainstorm at least 15 ways learning will occur in 2020.

Art and Science Questions You Might Ask

These questions provide potential challenges for your personal growth and development:

• What is your dream for the future of your organization? For your department? For you?

• What current approaches does your organization use that are the most effective for developing employees?

• What do you think your department should do more of to develop employees?

• What do you think your department should do less of to develop employees?

• How does the concept of a culture of learning, which was discussed in chapter 10, fit with the rest of the discussion in this chapter?

• What new skills is your learning function building in preparation for the future?

• Can you see why the term employee could soon be obsolete?

How Can Training Be Relevant in the Future?

It’s certain that training will be different in the future. There will not be as much of an emphasis on “programs”; instead “experiences” will be designed for employees. It will be important to help employees learn how to learn, so preparing them to take responsibility for their own development will be necessary. Trainers need to be experts in the essentials that cognitive science has uncovered, such as chunking, spacing, testing, and other techniques that ensure learners learn quickly and retain information longer.

Learners of the Future: Taking Action Today to Prevent Tomorrow’s Talent Crisis states that only 38 percent of learning functions are ready for 2020. Is your function ready?

Resources

ATD. 2015. Learners of the Future: Taking Action Today to Prevent Tomorrow’s Talent Crisis. Alexandria, VA: ATD Press.

Bersin, J. 2016. Predictions for 2016: A Bold New World of Talent, Learning, Leadership, and HR Technology Ahead. New York: Deloitte Development.

Biech, E. 2014. ASTD Handbook: The Definitive Reference for Training and Development. 2nd ed. Alexandria, VA: ASTD Press.

———. 2016. 101 Ways to Make Learning Active Beyond the Classroom. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley & Sons.

DeBruyckere, P., and P. Kirschner. 2015. Urban Myths About Learning and Education. London: Academic Press.

Gelles, D. 2015. “At Aetna, A CEO’s Management by Mantra.” New York: New York Times, February 27. http://nytimes.com/2015/03/01/business/at-aetna-a-ceos-management-by-mantra.html?_r=0

Greenstone Miller, J., and M. Miller. 2012. “The Rise of the Supertemp.” Harvard Business Review, May.

Haskins, S. 2015. “Got Transportable Skills and Wanderlust? 5 Locales to Consider.” Wall Street Journal, July 7. http://blogs.wsj.com/expat/2015/07/07/got-transportable-skills-and-wanderlust-5-locales-to-consider.

Huggett, C. 2013. The Virtual Training Guidebook: How to Design, Deliver, and Implement Live Online Learning. Alexandria, VA: ASTD Press.

Johansen, B. 2012. Leaders Make the Future: Ten New Leadership Skills for an Uncertain World. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler.

Kouzes, J., B. Posner, and E. Biech. 2010. A Coach’s Guide to Developing Exemplary Leaders. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.

Petrie, N. 2014. Future Trends in Leadership Development. Greensboro, NC: Center for Creative Leadership.

———. 2015. The How-To of Vertical Leadership Development—Part 2. Greensboro, NC: Center for Creative Leadership.

Schrader, B. 2015. “Here’s Why the Freelancer Economy Is on the Rise.” Fast Company. August. www.fastcompany.com/3049532/the-future-of-work/heres-why-the-freelancer-economy-is-on-the-rise.