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also that they develop those skills to enable them to perform
even better when faced with new demands and challenges.
Most learning happens at the place of work, although it can
be supplemented by such activities as e-learning (the delivery of
learning opportunities and support via computer, networked
and web-based technology) and formal off-the-job training
courses. It is your job to ensure that favourable conditions for
learning on the job exist generally in your area as well as
taking steps to help individuals develop. To do this job well you
need to know about:
% the conditions that enable effective learning to take place;
% the importance of self-managed learning , ie individuals
taking control of their own learning;
% the contribution of formal learning;
% the advantages and disadvantages of informal learning and
development approaches;
106 % How to manage people
% how you can contribute to promoting learning and devel-
opment in your department or team;
% the use of such learning and development aids as coaching,
mentoring, learning contracts and personal development
plans;
% how to instruct people in specific tasks should the need
arise.
Conditions for effective learning
The conditions required for learning to be effective are:
% Individuals must be motivated to learn. They should be
aware that their present level of knowledge, skill or compe-
tence, or their existing attitude or behaviour, needs to be
developed or improved if they are to perform their work to
their own and to others satisfaction. They must, therefore,
have a clear picture of the behaviour they should adopt.
% Good learning is more likely to be achieved if learners have
learning goals. They should have targets and standards of
performance which they find acceptable and achievable and
can use to judge their own progress. They should be
encouraged and helped to set their own goals.
% Learners need a sense of direction and feedback on how
they are doing. Self-motivated individuals may provide
much of this for themselves, but guidance, help and encour-
agement should still be available when necessary they
should not be left to sink or swim.
% Learners must gain satisfaction from learning. They are
most capable of learning if it satisfies one or more of their
needs. Conversely, the best learning programmes can fail if
they are not seen as useful by those undertaking them.
% Learning is an active, not a passive process. Learners need
to be actively involved.
% Appropriate processes and methods should be used. A large
repertory of these exists but they must be used with
Helping people to learn and develop % 107
discrimination in accordance with the needs and learning
style of the individual and the group.
% Learning methods should be varied. The use of a variety of
methods, as long as they are all appropriate, helps learning
by engaging the interest of learners.
% Learning requires time to assimilate, test and accept. This
time should be provided in the learning programme.
% The learner should receive reinforcement of correct behav-
iour. Learners usually need to know quickly that they are
doing well. In a prolonged programme, intermediate steps
are required in which learning can be reinforced.
% It must be recognized that there are different levels of
learning and that these need different methods and take
different times. At the simplest level, learning requires
direct physical responses, memorization and basic condi-
tioning. At a higher level, learning involves adapting
existing knowledge or skill to a new task or environment.
At the next level, learning becomes a complex process when
principles are identified in a range of practices or actions,
when a series of isolated tasks have to be integrated or
when the process is about developing interpersonal skills.
The most complex form of learning takes place when
learning is concerned with the values and attitudes of
people and groups.
% The focus should be on individual learning, ensuring that it
takes place when required just-for-you and just-in-time
learning.
Self-managed learning
Self-managed learning involves encouraging individuals to take
responsibility for their own learning needs. The aim is to
encourage discretionary learning , which happens when indi-
viduals actively seek to acquire the knowledge and skills
required to perform well. It is based on processes of recording
achievement and action planning, which involves individuals
108 % How to manage people
reviewing what they have learnt, what they have achieved,
what their goals are, how they are going to achieve those goals
and what new learning they need to acquire. The learning
programme can be self-paced in the sense that learners can
decide for themselves, up to a point, the rate at which they
work and are encouraged to measure their own progress and
adjust the programme accordingly.
Self-directed learning is based on the principle that people
learn and retain more if they find things out for themselves. But
they still need to be given guidance on what to look for and
help in finding it. Learners have to be encouraged to define,
with whatever help they may require, what they need to know
to perform their job effectively. They need to be provided with
guidance on where they can get the material or information
that will help them to learn and how to make good use of it.
Personal development plans as described later in this chapter
can provide a framework for this process. People also need
support from their manager and the organization, with the
provision of coaching, mentoring and learning facilities,
including e-learning.
Formal learning
Formal learning is planned and systematic and involves the use
of structured approaches to learning. It may be provided by the
organization in the form of training courses and you need to
know what is available and its relevance to the learning needs
of your team members. However, people are too often sent on
company courses because they are there . Such courses should
only be used if they are relevant. You should be confident that
the learning acquired on the course is needed by the people
involved and can be transferred to the place of work, which is
not always the case. Informal learning which is under your
direct control, is rooted in the work people do and is contin-
uous and progressive can be much more appropriate.
Helping people to learn and develop % 109
Informal learning
Informal learning is learning through experience. For many
people learning takes place entirely in the workplace while they
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