Athletes train. Students study. There are formal techniques and traditions for acquiring new skills and learning in both of these arenas.
But business people have EXPERIENCE. Most companies don’t have strong traditions of skill development or study because they look at an employee’s experience as an indicator of productivity. And experience – well, it is a very risky and expensive learning structure. If you’re a smart business person, do you hire those with experience knowing that some other poor guy has already paid for all the mistakes, wrong decisions and screw-ups that it took to make that employee experienced?
Greg is in the training business, giving companies an online simulation-based tool to build skills through practice – not just through costly ‘experience.’ Greg likes to quote Vince Lombardi, “Practice does not make perfect. Only perfect practice makes perfect.” And Greg’s company produces and customizes training primarily through the use of simulators and Web 2.0 tools that provide deliberate, structured, and optimal learning practice for businesses.
The company has been around for ten years now. And there have been lots of changes in those ten years. And Greg thinks we’re at a jumping-off point where even more dramatic advances are about to happen.
The sales and marketing practices that have frustrated him may be about to change. Businesses usually think of training when they need to ‘fix’ something, or when they have a ‘problem.’ Greg acknowledges that it’s more difficult to change a culture of skills than to teach it fresh. But he sees that changing as ‘time to market’ becomes a more critical competitive advantage, and as ‘knowledge workers’ become a company’s key asset. He notes that some newer companies think ‘culture’ as part of their original business plan. That culture includes learning. And that upfront, built-in learning component of a business plan will eventually shorten the sales cycle and reduce the need for market development in the corporate training arena.
Most business training is currently provided by consultants with PowerPoint presentations. It’s a loose, fragmented market. Greg thinks we’re getting closer to a killer application, however. Simulation, gaming and Web2.0 technologies are combining to get us there; and Greg would like his company to be part of that wave.
He’s piloting a new product centered on Web2.0 user-generated content and collaboration tools for ‘practice.’ He’s lined up a hot company to pilot the tool; and to pilot a new business model and to bring a strong partner ‘brand’ in to work with him. It’s all a little premature to talk about now – but we’re going to keep in touch as he moves this along.
A killer app for business ‘practice’ that reduces the risk, cost and complexities of learning through experience: That would be a killer app.
Showing posts with label Learning. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Learning. Show all posts
Friday, September 26, 2008
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Google's structures for learning
Google has a reputation for having one heck of an office environment. But can a “kickin’” workspace really impact innovation and productivity? In this wireless, telecommuting world, should businesses invest in creating a physical environment to foster learning and invention? Don’t people prefer ‘online’ to ‘in office’ these days?
Let’s face it; online dating has opened up all sorts of new ways of ‘meeting’ people. But for most people, it’s still the physical chemistry that seals a deal in a relationship. We haven’t figured out the ‘ether’ version of that step yet.
And likewise, online learning opens up all sorts of new ways to acquire new skills, to collaborate and to research new discoveries. But when I visited Google for the first time yesterday, I got a lust to learn. The physical makeup of the campus empowers learning. Like a live physical presence after an online conversation, I reacted to Google’s physical plant even more strongly than I did to its online successes.
How do they do that? First, much of the space supports collaboration. Open and flexible, supported with whiteboards and comfortable, configurable furniture, the loft-like rooms call out for people to sit together and work. As I passed some of the whiteboards, I couldn’t help but stop and read them. Hey, I was thinking – “I want to be part of that group . . .” My friend tells me that the IT services are first rate – the wireless is fast, and your computer is updated regularly. And if it breaks, it gets fixed fast and cheerfully. Workers are well supported to work together anytime, anyplace.
The atmosphere is casual – there were flyers and posters everywhere inviting staff to lectures, announcing focus groups, sign-up sheets for trial uses of new projects. The buzz was posted on the boards and the walls – “Hey,” I thought, “I want to learn more about that project.” In fact, we walked right through a lecture with a speaker and probably close to 100 people sitting, lounging, sprawling on the floor and taking notes. Lagging behind, I was eavesdropping and thinking, “Oh – he’s talking about how human neurology can inform or maybe even inspire software functions.” “Wait,” I wanted to say, ”that’s a great idea, I want to know more about that.”
And, of course, there is the legendary Google support for ‘work hard, play hard’. There was the volleyball court, the Endless Lap Pools, the gym, and all the ‘best of the best’ of wealthy company perks. The gourmet restaurants support the body, too. It only took me five minutes to load my plate completely full with just ‘a little’ taste of pasta, sushi, curry, bistro bites and a salad bar dip of good green stuff. As were sitting outside eating in the courtyard table, a person joined us – we didn’t know him but soon were exchanging information and ideas. Google knows that good meals are great collaboration starters.
Access, support, flexibility: a physical facility with an expectation built in that people work together. It is an online set of resources that support innovation and research into doing things in a new and better way: a culture that respects and honors human energy and motivation through good food and good physical activity. It is part of the Google success formula.
So I wonder, Google, if you were to design a school -- what would it look like? How would you change the school system so that it would produce your ideal ‘entry’ level worker?
On second thought, here’s a better question. So Google – if I gave you a group of six year olds, how would you build a place for them to produce your next great invention? If I gave you twenty high school freshmen, what new capability would you inspire them to produce? I bet you could do it.
Now that would be a new business of learning.
Let’s face it; online dating has opened up all sorts of new ways of ‘meeting’ people. But for most people, it’s still the physical chemistry that seals a deal in a relationship. We haven’t figured out the ‘ether’ version of that step yet.
And likewise, online learning opens up all sorts of new ways to acquire new skills, to collaborate and to research new discoveries. But when I visited Google for the first time yesterday, I got a lust to learn. The physical makeup of the campus empowers learning. Like a live physical presence after an online conversation, I reacted to Google’s physical plant even more strongly than I did to its online successes.
How do they do that? First, much of the space supports collaboration. Open and flexible, supported with whiteboards and comfortable, configurable furniture, the loft-like rooms call out for people to sit together and work. As I passed some of the whiteboards, I couldn’t help but stop and read them. Hey, I was thinking – “I want to be part of that group . . .” My friend tells me that the IT services are first rate – the wireless is fast, and your computer is updated regularly. And if it breaks, it gets fixed fast and cheerfully. Workers are well supported to work together anytime, anyplace.
The atmosphere is casual – there were flyers and posters everywhere inviting staff to lectures, announcing focus groups, sign-up sheets for trial uses of new projects. The buzz was posted on the boards and the walls – “Hey,” I thought, “I want to learn more about that project.” In fact, we walked right through a lecture with a speaker and probably close to 100 people sitting, lounging, sprawling on the floor and taking notes. Lagging behind, I was eavesdropping and thinking, “Oh – he’s talking about how human neurology can inform or maybe even inspire software functions.” “Wait,” I wanted to say, ”that’s a great idea, I want to know more about that.”
And, of course, there is the legendary Google support for ‘work hard, play hard’. There was the volleyball court, the Endless Lap Pools, the gym, and all the ‘best of the best’ of wealthy company perks. The gourmet restaurants support the body, too. It only took me five minutes to load my plate completely full with just ‘a little’ taste of pasta, sushi, curry, bistro bites and a salad bar dip of good green stuff. As were sitting outside eating in the courtyard table, a person joined us – we didn’t know him but soon were exchanging information and ideas. Google knows that good meals are great collaboration starters.
Access, support, flexibility: a physical facility with an expectation built in that people work together. It is an online set of resources that support innovation and research into doing things in a new and better way: a culture that respects and honors human energy and motivation through good food and good physical activity. It is part of the Google success formula.
So I wonder, Google, if you were to design a school -- what would it look like? How would you change the school system so that it would produce your ideal ‘entry’ level worker?
On second thought, here’s a better question. So Google – if I gave you a group of six year olds, how would you build a place for them to produce your next great invention? If I gave you twenty high school freshmen, what new capability would you inspire them to produce? I bet you could do it.
Now that would be a new business of learning.
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