Spiral Learning

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Comment by Patrick Malone on April 8, 2010 at 2:57pm

Paul,

Thanks for the session yesterday. I was very helpful to understand this concept better and begin to explore ways it can help us help others better.

Comment by Paul Terlemezian on April 7, 2010 at 11:41am

Here are the questions that were asked during this session:

1. What's going on here? What is this?
This (spiral learning as a concept and the picture) is intended to be a diagnostic tool to help understand the communication (i.e. learning paths) that may need attention in order to improve performance. It's focus is on the learner being responsible for determining the training (i.e. learning) that they need (i.e. will apply) and how it can be embraced by the "system" (i.e. management hierarchy) to result in performance improvement at all levels.

2. How can this be used to develop curriculum?
Curriuclum needs to be developed in a manner that is mindful of the perfornance support, ability to change and readiness for change at all levels of the organization.. This means that content may need to be developed for higher levels that helps them perform differently in order to be consistent with different performance expectations at lower levels. For example: If we are expecting a transactional sales force to change their behavior to sell collaboratively then do we also expect the sales managers and C-Level executives to change compensation, performance review and customer interaction at their level. If so - do they need training (i.e. learning) on how to determine and implement those change?

3. How does this apply to my business?
Everyone is in "box 1" at some point. For any training to be effective - focus on the flow of the arrows beginning with the focus of your training.

4. Is this being applied or is it an emerging theory?
This is a picture that describes what has been applied informally forever. The theory "part" is the application of this as a diagnostic tool. I believe it has also been applied informally and perhaps inconsistently.

5. How can we help make people aware of their responsibility to learn?
Expectations need to be set during hiring, performance reviews and then reinforced on a consistent basis by peers and managers. Individuals need to be encouraged to take initiative and also be willing to be accountable for their decisions. Initiative without accountability can be as dangerous as accountability without initiative.

6. Is there a version of this to increase adoption/acceptance by the front line?

I anticipate that someone who hears about this will help create it or send something to me that will lead to its creation. It does not exist yet.

7. How about the people that don't know what they don't know?
Some will still need to told what training they need to take. Steve Ballmer (CEO of Microsoft) recently told a story about his 5 year old son teaching himself to read so he could find the "cheats" for the online games he was playing. So perhaps, the motivated performer will learn from others what to do in order to perform?

Comment by Paul Terlemezian on April 7, 2010 at 7:50am

Spiral Learning.ppt

Spiral Learning Explained.docx