Changing Words. Changing Practices. Changing Culture. Part II

Several months ago I wrote the first post of this title. In it I shared how through continual conversation and examples I was able to help some key stakeholders stop calling everything training when it came to a performance solution. The idea being that change happens one conversation at a time and that maybe to shift a culture we need to begin by changing the words we use. Words are powerful in that they set expectation and have a connotation.  Take “Social” for example. Early on many saw “social” as a being the same as goofing around. Who wants THAT in their organization?  Today, and equally unfortunate, “social” equates to Social Media which diminishes its value around the verb it is – being human.
Another word that I suspect if we can change in organizations would begin the dominoes falling is the word “learners”.  This term is pretty exclusively an L&D word that lumps people together. And although learner isn’t earmarked as a formal learning only term, it has that connotation, for “learner” is not that far removed from “student” for most hearing it, it generates a context.  If one is a learner it puts them in a learning exclusive situation and a learner needs learning which is typically to be supplied by, you guessed it, L&D.
Most people in organizations see themselves at workers or employees, not learners. They were not hired to learn, they were hired to do.  What happens then if L&D joins everyone else in the organization? What if they drop the name “learner” from their vocabulary and uses words like worker and employee?  I suspect (hope?) the process of changing of words, changes the practices, changes the culture begins.
The L&D practice would become more about helping workers do their jobs. It becomes a bigger focus on the employees needs and their context not L&D’s traditional delivery approach and systems. Workflow solutions, performance support, informal learning opportunities and coaching and mentoring rise, while classrooms, training and courses fall.
What then?
Culture shift.  L&D decompartmentalizes; they become more free agent-like, moving into the workflow as a partner in performance. Work and learning truly begin to merge and employees, with change agents amongst them see a greater personal, professional and organizational value in sharing their work, sharing resources, and collaborating. The inside moves out and a more empowered, autonomous workforce becomes the face of the organization. Improving morale builds greater loyalty and loyalty leads to greater trust across levels. The organization builds a reputation as an employer of choice and the best and brightest gravitate towards it.
Idealistic? Simple? Maybe. But L&D has a lot of potential energy for change, it just needs to get out of its own way. Words are one place to start.
Mark

Mark

About Me

 
I help companies become more social by design.

Mark Britz is an organizational social designer, author, speaker, and consultant who helps companies develop systems for the culture they need to scale their business without losing the things that make it special. Mark facilitates this shift through his workshops, speaking engagements, and leadership coaching.

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