The Future of Training

I recently saw a LinkedIn post/poll by Nigel Thurlow that polled his network around some basic training questions. Here’s the post with the included results—

Instructor led in-person training is dead. Do you agree or disagree?

By in-person we mean either physical or online via Zoom or Teams etc.

Self-paced learning using a LMS (Learning Management System) is the way forward?

Do you agree or disagree?

I want to learn using an LMS self-paced but I want to also access coaching during my learning through a cohort.

Do you agree or disagree?

I have created a poll to gather your thoughts, but I also invite your comments on your perspective for how you want to access training.

Is this a generational thing or is it financial (the boss isn't willing to pay, and you can't afford to pay)?

The world of training has changed. Preferences have changed.

Instructor led in-person………………….37%

Instructor led online……………………….15%

Self-paced LMS……………………….……...11%

Cohort LMS + coaching sessions……..37%

158 votes

Taking a Step Back

If I take a step back, I think there’s an important point to consider first.

What is the training trying to focus on? When discussing training, are we trying to increase our explicit or tacit knowledge? These are incredibly different objectives.

Reference – https://bobgalen.substack.com/p/agile-coaching-knowledge

I think the survey, as posed by Nigel, is primarily focused on explicit knowledge. It’s what we usually think of for training classes.

From my Agile Coaching lens, I hope we move from explicit learning to a tacit focus. Under that lens, analyzing the survey question and responses, then my directional view would be—

• Instructor-led, in person or online.

• With the instructor having master's or sensi level experience

• LMS in this case isn’t helpful

• What is helpful is a Learning Cohort with instructor-based coaching and mentoring.

This is the model Peter Fischbach and I use in our Extraordinarily Badass Agile Coaching masterclasses.

We don’t have a mountain of academic research or exhaustive data to prove it’s effective and resonating with our students. What we do have is the light in their eyes, the spring in their step, and the acknowledgement of each participant's learning and growth. In addition, they acknowledge that they’re practicing and using the learning in their jobs (on the field).

That’s enough for us 😉

Wrapping Up

Nigel proposed a super interesting question.

I do think the world of training is transforming, but I’d like to tease it into two parts—

Explicit Knowledge training is the land of certifications, micro classes, single or multi-day events, etc. The change in this space, IMHO, is that folks are looking for more learning that is faster, easier, and cheaper. Cohort-based learning does not do well here.

Tacit Knowledge training is the land of any cohort-based learning program, such as ORSC, Co-active, iCAgile ECC, Geoff Watts learning journeys, and our Masterclass. The resistance here is against cost, but mostly against the time and effort required to gain the knowledge.

We’ve found that, for the most part, the registrants for our Masterclass are serious about becoming better Agile Coaches and they’re not looking for an Easy Button.

One final point. AI is and probably will stay in the land of explicit knowledge, learning, and training. Thank goodness for that 😉

While Peter and I plan on using AI to augment our masterclasses over time, we will always aim for augmentation rather than replacement.

Finally, the title of this post is the Future of Training. Most of my points were intended to be a hope rather than an explicit determination. We ARE at a nexus in the training world, and I hope we don’t lose our will and stomach for deeper dive explorations. Of course, it will take more time and investment, but I think it’s worth it.

Stay agile, my friends,

Bob.

One trend related to this post is the notion of micro-certifications. I’ve shared my thoughts about them here, and I thought I’d share them with you.

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