In today's Internet-driven world, more and more knowledge workers prefer to have a say in how the company facilitates their learning. With so much of the world's workforce connected to Social Media, that's where most workers are turning to informally seek their knowledge. In this article, I will cover informal learning and how Social Media tools can be used in learning. I will also cover the points that need to be considered to ensure effective learning through Social Media tools. This is the age of the "knowledge worker" - there's no question about it! Companies, both big and small, invest vastly in delivering workers the knowledge they require to do their jobs successfully. The more knowledge a worker assimilates, and the quicker he/she absorbs it, the more competitive and profitable will he/she become for the company. Informal Learning - Not a New Concept While companies spend a huge part of their personnel development budget on "formal" learning, such as training … [Read more...] about Social Media Tools – Taking Informal Learning To New Heights
informal learning
Critical Knowledge Transfer- Managing Your Company’s Best Brains
Many organizations experience high employee turnover rates. The biggest problem with this is the lack of knowledge transfer. Because new employees who come onboard are not equipped with the knowledge and tools needed to be successful at their new job, they often cannot contribute to the optimal level. It is clear that all organizations must have a system for transferring existing knowledge from departing employees to those who come onboard. While limited time and resources are all contributing factors to the lack of knowledge transfer, it is essential to obtain managerial support before the organization can successfully implement the knowledge transfer initiative. Here are some of the common knowledge transfer practices that any effective organization should consider implementing: On the job mentoring, coaching, and shadowing Formal training (classroom courses and eLearning pieces), and Informal learning through social media and other knowledge repositories Nowadays, … [Read more...] about Critical Knowledge Transfer- Managing Your Company’s Best Brains
Does Informal Learning Really Work?
In this blog post, I want to talk about informal learning and its value in the training industry. Informal learning is the unofficial and spontaneous way people learn to do something. While formal training events play a significant role in our learning, we also learn while talking to our colleagues, during meetings, by simply observing what other people do, and most importantly, through trial-and-error. In fact, according to research, formal learning only accounts for 10 to 20 percent of what people learn at work. When people attempt to answer the question how they really learned to do their job, most of us agree that it wasn’t through formal schooling, webinars, or trainings, but rather through reading professional literature, searching the Internet, talking with experts and more experienced colleagues, and through either a coach or a mentor. Learning does not happen overnight. It is a skill that requires practice. As you practice and become more experienced at what you do, the … [Read more...] about Does Informal Learning Really Work?