By Verity Bissett-Powell
A voicemail from my Dad earlier today: “OK, I have finally succumbed and signed up for Facebook. It seems that it is the only way I can keep in touch and find out what you’re doing”. I have lived in America for two years and while I try my best to send my parents photos and call regularly with updates, my Dad still recognized that to truly understand what I was experiencing, he needed to get a Facebook account.
But what does this mean to the world of Talent Management? Just as Facebook has become a natural way of social life, similarly such modern media is going to become part of professional learning and development (note I say “is” and not “might”). The Kirkpatrick level 3 behavior change goal is going to get a V8 boost as various technological options propel development initiatives from concept into practice.
For example, if an organization wants to drive acceptance of change then they can blend instructor-led learning with a vodcast from the CEO on the benefits of continuous improvement, maybe a senior leader could write a one-week blog on the topic, and post-classroom the learners can share ideas through discussion boards, maybe even skill practice through Skype sessions organized via a LinkedIn group. Now, I’m not a betting person, but even I’d put money on such a varied learning model delivering the desired culture of change.
Of course, this 2.0 inclusion isn’t going to happen overnight. And what’s really interesting about using 2.0 capabilities in learning and development, is that for once the “top down” approach might not be the best bet. With the comfortable acceptance of social media by X and Y generations, this evolution is likely to move up the Leadership Pipeline, from the Tweeters to the Boomers.
Like Hamlet, I sought the perspective of my father on the question - 2.0 or not 2.0? Dad said he’s “sold” on it, but couldn’t talk long because he was having an IM conversation with an ex-colleague he’d found on Facebook.
Verity Bissett-Powell is a Consultant with Development Dimensions International (DDI).
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