Do you need to carve a turkey, have no idea where to start and your family is arriving for Thanksgiving dinner in 30 minutes? Later this afternoon, are you going to tell a combative staff member that his performance is edging towards termination unless there is specific and immediate improvement?
If you need to know how to carve that turkey, convert an iTunes song to a ringtone, or wrap a new scarf just the right way, go to YouTube. Similarly, on the business front, corporate learning networks are rapidly adding content to address issues ranging from coaching and mentoring to compliance topics with quick, useful informational tutorials. Wherever work is being done, managers and employees will increasingly get knowledge, timely tips and steps from their desktop, laptop, tablet or smart phone.
Many organizational leaders recognize this as a key solution for quickly and cost effectively reaching dispersed workforces providing leaders and other team members whatever they need, wherever they are, whenever they need it. They’re right. The value and utility of transferring learning this way will only increase as will the wealth of information which will be readily accessible.
However, there’s a key issue which needs to be addressed. It’s similar to a point I recently made arguing that for some kinds of learning who delivers the key principles is far more critical than finding the most readily convenient way to deploy it. Much of the urgency and appeal driving just-in-time deployment rests on these underlying assumptions:
1. An important, specific issue will arise
2. The learner will appreciate its significance
3. Just the right information will be “packaged” and readily accessible providing knowledge and timely solutions
The problem bearing greater thought deals with the first two points, not just the accuracy or value of the information itself.
For some issues, organizations can advise individuals to access just-in-time learning in anticipation of a problem or if a specific event occurs. But for many subtler, but critical issues involving ongoing interactions, this won’t work as well. As an example, building a civil, welcoming workplace is a long-term process dealing with daily and routine situations and responses. An apparent “crisis” event, like having to carve a turkey, won’t necessarily arise or be recognizable as such daily events unfold. Waiting for a specific issue to arise to access needed information will be too late, as significant damage will have been done often without those involved realizing it.
Additionally, just-in-time learning presumes that when a problem does surface, the manager or team member will immediately know it’s important and understand he/she needs to get help to handle it correctly. Unfortunately, many often don’t recognize subtle or even, sometimes, clear situations where they need either help or a specific skill to resolve what could turn into a major problem.
In either instance, all the information, wisdom and knowledge available won’t help if the targeted end user doesn’t see the urgency in accessing it. As we work to add arsenals of tools to what managers and employees have available, we need to realize they are tools, just that. But tools are only useful if we know when, not just how, to use them.
For organizations intent on creating open and welcoming cultures or addressing other like systemic issues, I’d recommend figuring out the basics — simple clear messages and behavioral themes, reinforcing those through routine leader communications. Just-in-time learning should then serve as reinforcement for key points that learnersalready understand and are regularly reminded are important.
Finally, just-in-time learning systems have to be intuitive and quick in terms of allowing staff to get the right answers fast; otherwise they won’t use these tools no matter how good the available information is or critical the problem.
Ignore these considerations and your just-in-time learning will be too late.
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