Nuts and Bolts: Self-Directed Learning

Not long ago, I was in a conversation with colleagues on thesubject of self-directed learning. People had a lot to say, but I found it oddthat the talk kept turning to “conferences” as if that were the primary avenuethrough which workers voluntarily, intentionally learn. But self-directedlearning can take a lot of forms, often in combination. Think about a time youwanted to do something like a home improvement project—say, adding a deck toyour house. Maybe you got some books from the library, or looked at YouTubevideos, or talked to some friends who’d done similar work. Or maybe you didattend a formal event like a workshop at a local building supply store. Maybe youdid all of the above. But I bet you did more than just wake up with noknowledge of deck-building whatsoever, load up on expensive lumber, and start sawingwithout doing some learning first.

Workwise? I have a recent example. It’s no secret that Ilove social media. Lately I’ve seen a need in my workplace for our HR folks tobecome more skilled at using social tools for recruiting. This has a prettynatural fit with a lot of my work anyway, so I’ve devoted a good deal of time tobasic research, like Googling for innovative examples and accessing articles inonline business publications. Those directed me to particular sites andaccounts. I didn’t see much of anything surprising on LinkedIn but was wowed bysome examples from Instagram and Snapchat. That led to more research onbranding and how organizations convey culture, particularly through the use ofimages. As I am already a sometime participant in the Society for Human ResourceManagement’s #NextChat, I’ve popped in there more often, as related topics areusually on the table.

What does the research say?

These two aren’t just isolated examples, either. Universityof Toronto professor Allen Tough spent decades studying adults and self-directedlearning, and he found that the average North American adult undertakes eightself-directed learning projects a year of about 104 hours each (see References).Sometimes they’re related to personal goals, like home improvement. Sometimesthey’re related to work goals, like my work with recruiting. Maybe it’s justpursuit of an interest. Maybe they’re assigned by an organization that suggestsdeveloping an interest or skill with little prescription of how to do it. Maybeit’s anticipation of a future need.

Those who’ve seen the film “Hidden Figures” (and if youhaven’t, why not?) will remember the story of Dorothy Vaughan. Vaughan,recognizing the coming advent of machine computing, taught herself FORTRAN (frombooks) and then taught it to her staff. When the need emerged in the workplace,she was ready to fill it—and she later led the programming area of the Analysisand Computation Division at Langley Air Force Base.

How can L&D support self-directed learning?

So what do we do to support self-directed learning? Workwith IT to make sure channels—like YouTube—are open. Let workers know whatresources are available: subscriptions, access to libraries, expertise, andtalent pools in other areas of the organization. I recently found out that asister division in my own organization has, for the past four years, had asubscription to products from a big consulting firm with lots of onlineresources and even the option for personal contact with in-house experts. Makethings easy to find. Jane Hart writes of theshift from content provider to learning concierge, where L&D staff work as individual performance consultantsto source learning resources both within and outside the workplace, and helpworkers connect with others in the organization or the industry. Talk toworkers about what’s coming to their industries: new software or new tools ornew ways of working. Educate your knowledge workers about ideas around personal knowledge management. See my column on “Causing Serendipity” for ideas around putting information where people can find it.And rather than worry so much about tracking learning objects accessed and countingcourses finished, help people show their work so it becomes more visible to management. I know how to makemanagement aware of my new interest in and knowledge of using social tools forrecruiting, even though that’s something that may not get immediate use. Couldyour workers say the same?

What else? Recognize that, for whatever reason, motivatedadults can do fine at setting learning goals, choosing resources, andevaluating their outcomes. As ever, building in time and space for employees tooccasionally pursue their own learning can serve as a great motivator and benefit.

References