This page contains a Flash digital edition of a book.
29
Learning Trends
Lead interview
will disappear anytime soon – however, interventions. There is nothing very typical
it will be increasingly complemented and in L&D, it could be design, requirements,
partly superseded by technology-based talking to executives, or employees. There
capabilities that put the individual learner are lots of new and exciting things, like
in the centre. Key industry players have working around management systems, but
voted with their feet regarding the need for there is no typical day as such.
having an industry group representing the
value chain and ecosystem for learning – Q: What in your opinion is IBM’s
ELIG has grown membership by more than best-known initiative?
50 per cent in 2008! Diana: I would say traditionally we
have been known for our leadership
Q: In what way would you say your development, how we grow leaders. From
roles at IBM have impacted on L&D? the very basic all the way up to our senior
Richard: I was previously working for a leadership and executive programmes. We
number of years directly in learning and take a look at the new employee and how
Dr. Richard Straub believes we are at the threshold
development as one of the divisional of a real paradigm shift in learning we can ensure success from the time they
chief learning officers (that is where I met enter IBM till the time they leave, what are
Diana many years ago) and after a number the things they need to be truly thinking
of years we thought that the expertise, about in their own personal career, so to
which we developed inside IBM, could net that out, we are taking the best of
be used for the benefit of our customers. what we have learned in our leadership
I then got the responsibility to establish programme and applying that to the new
a unit in Europe with the mission of paradigm that is looking at the overall
marketing and selling learning solutions global workplace and how we all succeed.
for our customers. In this sense we had a
direct exchange from the learning on the Q: Is IBM involved in web 2.0
inside, to the solutions we offered our applications?
customers. I was also lucky that IBM has Diana: Yes – absolutely. IBM is one of the
been committed for many years to take an leaders in deploying web 2.0 throughout the
active role in open industry groups such enterprise to support communication and
as ELIG. Hence I have become a fervent collaboration at all levels. However, it is not
believer in the importance of sharing,
Diana Bing explains that all IBM employees have
only about the technology and how people
exchange and cooperation between
their own specific learning plan learn and their growth experiences in the job
market participants, even if they may be they are doing. This is a major paradigm shift
in competition here and there. In today’s Q: Is training available to all at IBM? in that we are formally looking at how we
world the border lines are blurred – we Diana: When I started in IBM we made a make those experiences more rich for the
have more and more competition AND big shift from the traditional education and employee by using them in non-traditional
cooperation (‘coopetition’). After all, every training to becoming an organisation that ways, non-traditional in a sense that we
market participant sits in the same boat provides learning to all employees, and part really did not focus on that aspect years ago.
and is keen to see the market develop in a of the shift was moving learning resources
good direction. and learning capabilities of life. And so today Q: Do you have any predictions for
at IBM employees have specific learning plans new trends in learning?
Q: How important is learning at IBM, and they get help from the system to develop Richard: I believe the most important
does it feature high on the agenda? their learning, they get recommendations on trend is the increasing flexibility and
Diana: It’s a cultural tradition and has been the type of learning experience they should individualisation in learning. Self-directed
part of our DNA for many years. That old go through, they have records on the system learning gets a new meaning – it does not
ideal has been kept. I would say that over about their learning, and they become just mean to move through a structured
the last 10 years it has been specifically confident of their skills. and predefined online learning programme
aligned within the business, and so you by oneself. It increasingly signifies the
see business taking a look at its overall Q: What is a typical day in the L&D learner taking control of the overall process
strategy and saying “what are the things I department at IBM ? and shaping it. As we are mostly learning
need to do from a learning perspective to Diana: What is typical? Dependent on your on the job, we are doing this in an informal
ensure success in my business?” Learning job, you could be designing or developing way every day. However, with the new
and talent are viewed as strategic functions particular course content, you could be tools and capabilities we can integrate this
in IBM. I would say that traditionally it’s with customers and understanding their much more effectively in the overall work-
been very important and it has grown in requirements, you could be working process. Learning and work are converging.
importance over the years and now has with businesses to understand their However this requires a much deeper
significant prominence. requirements and translate those in learning understanding for each individual •••••
Learning Magazine
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52
Produced with Yudu - www.yudu.com