If you’re a Learning Manager or Training Manager for a corporation, the following scenario may strike you.
You’re at your desk and the phone rings. The caller says, “I need your help. My employees need training on teamwork. They operate as lone agents and prefer to work in silos. Often, they duplicate efforts and we have a real loss of productivity here. Do you have a course on teamwork? It has to be web-based because we’re too busy and dispersed to meet together in-person.”
Sound familiar? If so, it’s likely that:
Kapp and O’Driscoll write about the next generation of the World Wide Web – Web 3.0, which they say is happening now and companies better take heed of this fact. If Web 1.0 had to do with accessing and finding information, and Web 2.0 had to do with sharing, participating, and collaborating in information exchanges, Web 3.0 is different. Web 3Di, as the authors call it, has to with co-creating information socially and outside of the formal, hierarchical structures imposed by organizations. This trend toward decentralized, social production-based ways of knowing stand ready to transform traditional learning paradigms.
So, as a Learning Manager or Training Manager, you may want to learn more about how this “webvolution” will drive innovation and develop human capital. In doing so, you can assist your organization in achieving a competitive advantage in the marketplace. And that, by the way, is certain to shift perceptions and demonstrate the strategic value of the learning function to the organization.
You’re at your desk and the phone rings. The caller says, “I need your help. My employees need training on teamwork. They operate as lone agents and prefer to work in silos. Often, they duplicate efforts and we have a real loss of productivity here. Do you have a course on teamwork? It has to be web-based because we’re too busy and dispersed to meet together in-person.”
Sound familiar? If so, it’s likely that:
- The caller mistakenly perceives you as an order taker who will satisfy his request through a transactional exchange.
- The caller mistakenly perceives your learning organization as the Wal-mart for Training Needs.
Kapp and O’Driscoll write about the next generation of the World Wide Web – Web 3.0, which they say is happening now and companies better take heed of this fact. If Web 1.0 had to do with accessing and finding information, and Web 2.0 had to do with sharing, participating, and collaborating in information exchanges, Web 3.0 is different. Web 3Di, as the authors call it, has to with co-creating information socially and outside of the formal, hierarchical structures imposed by organizations. This trend toward decentralized, social production-based ways of knowing stand ready to transform traditional learning paradigms.
So, as a Learning Manager or Training Manager, you may want to learn more about how this “webvolution” will drive innovation and develop human capital. In doing so, you can assist your organization in achieving a competitive advantage in the marketplace. And that, by the way, is certain to shift perceptions and demonstrate the strategic value of the learning function to the organization.
How do we expand our relationships with our clients from “order-takers” to trusted advisors? First, and foremost, we need to begin by changing our mindset that we always need to say “yes” to our clients. When our clients approach us about a specific training need, transition the conversation from solutions to open-ended probing questions, targeted to identify the true performance and business need. After all, what value are we providing to our clients if we provide learning solutions that do not impact their business results? 
