Executive Briefings

Published October 2008

Ken Blanchard on the Future of Learning

Brian Summerfield

For the December issue of Chief Learning Officer magazine, the editors solicited thoughts on which important issues learning leaders will face in the years to come. We were fortunate to get responses from some of the leading minds in the people sphere, and their views will be included in a special feature in that edition of the magazine.

However, we thought it might be nice to share one individual’s forecasts with you before that issue comes out. When we asked management guru and The One Minute Manager author Ken Blanchard what he thought the future of learning held, he outlined — literally — the overarching trends he sees impacting the industry in the years ahead. Here are his predictions:

Changing Demographics
1. Finding different work arrangements for baby boomers other than retirement
  1. Organizations need to be more flexible to keep needed talent
    1. Part-time arrangements
    2. More flexible schedules
    3. Project work
2. Developing Gen X and Gen Y more rapidly to become leaders and managers
  1. Organizations need to provide career planning and intentional development and give attention to what they want or need
    1. Boomers as mentors
    2. Work-life balance
    3. Larger meaning in work
    4. Support more "intrapreneurship" to keep people from leaving
Changing Technologies
1. Engaging digital natives (younger generations) in creating the kind of learning experiences they are drawn to already
  1. Organizations need to pay attention to how social networking, gaming and simulations facilitate real work
2. Increasing isolation and alienation because more people are working from home
  1. Organizations need to be deliberate in strengthening relationships at work, even virtual ones
    1. Productivity/relationship best practices for workers who work at home or independently
Changing Workplace
1. Increasing need to provide just-in-time solutions to problems rather than just-in-case training
  1. Organizations need to provide shorter training and more follow-up
    1. Create ecosystems that support rapid on-boarding of new employees, training with supervisor involvement, coaching and access to information through technology
    2. Get away from one-size-fits-all. People need their own career/development journey mapped out and supported
    3. Custom-built life

To find out more about future trends and challenges in the learning industry, be sure to check out the December issue of Chief Learning Officer magazine.

Brian Summerfield is managing editor for Chief Learning Officer magazine. He can be reached at editor@clomedia.com.

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