Crown House Publishing award-winning independent publisher
Press Release
Introducing just in time learning solutions … whenever and wherever you want them
Time is increasingly precious – and with so many demands and distractions placed upon us, there are fewer and fewer opportunities to participate in formal learning. The days of week-long training programmes and one-sizefits-all workshops are rapidly disappearing as organisations begin to embrace the age of the self-directed learner. Classroom learning is still very popular – particularly for behaviour-based development – but these instructor-led methods can be expensive, don’t directly solve specific problems and often impact on operational requirements. According to industry analyst Josh Bersin, the average employee now has less than twenty-five minutes a week to devote to formal learning. This raises the question as to what can be done to make learning more accessible so that the learner can process the information in a context which is relevant to them. One size doesn’t fit all
There is evidence of a clear trend of shifting away from the sporadic ‘sheep-dip’ method of training, and towards providing smaller, bitesized learning solutions focused on delivering a defined outcome. Today’s employees are demanding a more continuous approach to professional growth – enabling them to develop at their own pace by accessing appropriate learning at the point of need. Any development therefore needs to be personalised to ensure that the learning is pitched at the required depth for each person. Ideally, it should integrate the delivery methods favoured by today’s digital natives in order to maximise their engagement levels. In short, people want efficient, effective and engaging learning available to them on their terms, which will allow them to upskill faster than ever before. In a global survey of 4,000 professionals on LinkedIn, the 2018 Workplace Learning Report has confirmed this trend, noting that: 68 per
cent of employees prefer to learn at work, 58 per cent prefer to learn at their own pace, and 49 per cent of employees prefer to learn at the point of need. The survey states that while the number one priority for developing greater flexibility in the workplace is training in adaptive skills, the main challenge faced by organisations is the allocation of time for their employees to engage in training and learning. The LinkedIn study also found that 56 per cent of employees would willingly spend more time enhancing their existing skills or learning new ones – if their manager was able to identify specific ways of doing so.
Additionally, there is an increasing frustration among management groups with regard to their own development. According to the Chartered Management Institute, over 70 per cent of UK managers are seeking selfdirected development from sources such as books, mobile learning, downloads, videos and podcasts to enable them to learn in their own way. However, for such an approach to be effective, both managers and staff need to know how to access reliable content.
Chris Watson is an award winning specialist in the promotion of adaptive skills who founded Endor Learn & Develop in 2002 following a successful career in publishing and higher education. Incurably curious about all aspects of organisational behaviour, his aim is to strengthen relationships in the workplace by sharing straightforward solutions which people can relate to on a personal level. Chris has collaborated with a number of institutions to support employability initiatives and is the creator of an innovative toolkit for young people on the language of work.
Delivering easy-to-access, easy-toconsume and easy-to-implement development possibilities
Chris Watson’s Upskill provides a compendium of resources for readers to pick up and refer to in their own time and at their own pace: 840 practical ideas reflecting the latest thinking on how to extend performance. Readers will discover a host of engaging tools, proven techniques, novel approaches, topical insights, time-saving apps and carefully selected videos, as well as signposts to relevant quotes, books and resources.
Upskill: 21 keys to professional growth by Chris Watson ISBN 9781785833526 £14.99 Will be published 30th October 2018 www.crownhouse.co.uk
Ultimately, Upskill reinforces the importance of applied people skills and the human dimension of work by placing each person at the heart of their own learning journey.
Extracts and interviews available
Chris Watson is available to provide expert comment, interviews and by-lined articles on a number of topics, including: • • •
Supporting the self-directed learner Understanding the language of work Developing the adaptive skills essential for success
• •
Managing professional development in your own time, at your own pace Helping others to adjust and adapt during times of change
For a review copy, an extract, or an interview with the author, please contact: Tabitha Palmer tpalmer@crownhouse.co.uk 01267 211345