Description: Exploring and sharing structured observations on the Big 2.0 Shift in organizations
No surprise, the standard practice of knowledge transfer in many workplaces—formal training and workshops—account for only 10% to 20% of what people learn at work, says Jay Cross, expert on informal learning and systems thinking. In most cases, money and time are wasted in formalized education and training programs, whereas social learning—a knowledge sharing practice that’s as old as humans—offers far greater benefits, even when there’s little-to-no funding.
People generally learn what they need to know to get the job done just in time, when they need it. In today’s challenging economic times, formal training budgets are small, if they exist at all. A retailer local to my area uses scheduled, designed, formal training on a variety of topics, which are personally delivered by a talking head in management. Results are nowhere near the levels that leaders seek. Programs focused on improving sales and the bottom line yield the best results when delivered by a produ
Sun Microsystems has figured out how to implement effective learning via social media by instituting an open learning exchange program called Sun Learning eXchange (SLX). Its goals are simple—provide an alternative to formalized learning, take advantage of the opportunity to use community expertise, and harvest knowledge within the community. In 2009, SLX contained more than 5,000 pieces of informal learning, the majority of which are objects aimed at increasing productivity, aiding sales and technical supp