PROVE IT!
By Paul Leone, Ph.D.
As we stand at the precipice of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, those in the business of learning are probably thinking, “What does this unprecedented innovation, digitization and virtual interconnectivity mean to me?” The answer is simple: It’s going to disrupt your life. However, disruption can be good for us, depending on our ability to adapt. The great news for professionals in the training industry is never – in the history of industrialized work – has it been more critical for people to be properly trained to do their jobs. The demand for highly trained and uniquely skilled leaders will continue to grow exponentially while the demand for untrained, unskilled followers will drop at a similar rate. In order to “make it” in this brave new world, organizations and their people will have to double down and invest in the training that creates strong leaders, one-
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of-a-kind contributors and indispensable experts. They’ll have to do their jobs more creatively, more efficiently and more prosocially. And, because their livelihood depends on this training, they’ll want to see proof that it works. Before we get into that, here’s a quick refresher on our industrial revolutions and their implications on training:
FIRST INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION:
Water and steam power pushes us out of manual, agrarian work and into machine-driven manufacturing. We move from apprenticeships to training mass amounts of unskilled laborers to create and operate these machines.
SECOND INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION:
Electricity and oil pushes us to assembly lines and mass production. We need to train
unskilled people to contribute to this mass production.
THIRD INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION:
Electronics and information technology automate production. Computers push us to desks and digital communication to be more productive. We need to train people to work in teams and use technology to their advantage.
FOURTH INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION:
Technology is blurring the lines between the physical, digital and biological world. Smart technology dictates the way we live, work and interact. Speed and efficiency dominate the marketplace. We need to train people to harness technology in a way that makes the world a better place.
