Do Self-Directed Learning Strategies Work? 😱

Today’s Thoughts ☠️

Hey there 👋,

I turned another year older this week. I realise my age as I now prefer chinos over jeans (comfort over fashion). Ted Lasso has become my style icon and I’m cool with that.

One thing that never changes? Learning. It never stops.

Let’s delve into today’s chat

In today’s chat 👇

• The self-direct learning dream

• 3 key takeaways from Josh Bersin’s Understanding AI in HR report

• How to become smarter with tech to do your best work

The Big Thought

Do Self-Directed Learning Strategies Work?

I've been thinking a lot about this recently. Mostly because companies keep telling me they want to create a self-led learning culture where employees fulfil their own learning requirements.

I see 3 problems with this:

1. Most people don't know what they don't know.

2. The sheer volume of available content distracts us from what's most valuable.

3. Individuals can't validate what good looks like.

To ask individuals to find the right content/experience/people to help them with the challenges they face on their own is not effective.

The common mistake across the industry is to buy a piece of tech and/or content library and expect people will know how to use it and what to get from it.

This is a dangerous game to play. The real power of an L&D team is to bring context to all of this.

Through curation, commentary and consulting, L&D teams shine a light on the user’s path to guide them to the right destination.

I'm curious to know, what are your views on the topic of self-led learning in corporate organisations.

Deep Thought

Josh Bersin: Understanding AI in HR Report - 3 Key Takeaways

Here’s a quick breakdown of Bersin’s AI in HR research. You can download your copy here. These are my personal takeaways.

1️⃣ Data is key

As the report rightly says, AI tools can feel human but they lack our critical thinking capabilities.

All of the popular generative AI tools you use today like ChatGPT are trained on the worlds data. That data is also full of bias, opinions, fake news and more. This is what causes many of these tools to produce outputs we disagree with or know to not be true.

Our output can only be as good as the input. In other words, the data you feed any generative pre-trained tool is essential. You wouldn’t put coconut oil as fuel into a Ferrari.

AI's effectiveness in HR is closely tied to the quality and relevance of the data used.

See page: 6

2️⃣ The 3 categories of AI solutions you need to know

Josh introduces a clear distinction between emerging, first-generation, and second-generation AI solutions.

While first-generation focuses on adding AI functionalities, second-generation solutions are built upon AI from the ground up, providing a more integrated and advanced experience.

1. Emerging AI

2. First Generation (AI Added On)

3. Second Generation (AI Built In)

These categories seem to be defined by their capabilities:

Emerging AI (Added on)

This includes tech like predictive analytics, natural language processing, intelligent chat, image generation, and generative AI. All the good stuff currently blasted across your social feeds.

These are bolt-on AI features.

First Generation (AI Built-In)

This encompasses machine learning, predictive analytics with external data, advanced candidate matching, and content recommendations, with examples being platforms like Workday, LinkedIn, Cornerstone, and SAP.

Second Generation (Pure AI)

This is all about large language models, neural networks, vector databases, external data, and advanced models (ya know, the smart stuff). These are “next generation” systems that are built for AI from the ground up.

You could say these are pure AI solutions.

See pages: 2 - 4

3️⃣ Cutting through the vendor noise

In an already bloated technology market, adding AI solutions to the mix won't make it easier.

This is where we need to combine the knowledge of the 3 categories of AI solutions today and the right questions to put to our local learning tech vendors. Lucky for us, Josh and the team provide this on page 17. Make sure to copy and paste that one 😉.

I’m sure many of you have been burned with multi-year contracts from vendors with platforms that never fulfilled their potential.

A little research and preparation can go a long way. Help yourself by getting familiar with this and making those tech salespeople work for their money.

See page: 15 -18

LinkedIn

I post so much on LI, even I lose track of all the stuff. Here’s a quick roundup of drops to keep you and me in the loop:

1️⃣ Why good products die fast

2️⃣ 5 tools to be a better human

3️⃣ How are generative AI tools trained on the world’s data?

4️⃣ The daily struggle for modern L&D teams

5️⃣ Google tried to prove managers weren’t needed…they were wrong

Make AI Your Partner, Not The Problem 🤝

I’m making learning Gen AI tools like ChatGPT simple and easy to empower you at work and save tons of time!

Join L&D professionals future-proofing their skills with AI in hours, not days.

Get started with my beginner’s crash course

Smart Thoughts

Content that has caught my attention and might interest you too.

🤔  10 surprising career insights from the world’s most successful banker

Do you know I write another newsletter? I know. Madness, right?

The ‘Career Game’ is where I focus on breaking down tools and frameworks to use in the 9-5 world of career development. This post unpacks insights from JP Morgans's CEO on designing your career.

💡 Gen Z wants to learn from human peers, not AI

Connection matters.

The next generation of the workforce clearly sees this as human (yay for us!). AI is cool but people love to learn from people. Get more on this from research shared by NovoEd and Executive Networks.

🔥  Becoming smarter with tech to do your best work

It’s taken some time, but I’ve seen that my talk from the Learning Technologies conference has been released online.

If you couldn’t be there late last year (those tickets ain’t cheap, I know!). You can get all the thoughts, insights and tools whenever you like right now.

This talk was mere weeks before the explosion that was generative AI with the release of ChatGPT.

Some of the things I cover include:

1. Learning technologies best kept secret

2. The workplace tech crisis in numbers

3. How to enable performance through tech

4. How to keep up to date with tech and work with vendors

If you're curious, here's three ways I can help you 👇

1/ My L&D toolkit stack with 20 free tools.

2/ Join my ChatGPT Crash Course for L&D Pros to improve your generative AI skills

3/ Work with me on your projects and L&D challenges.

Please share your thoughts with me on these pieces or anything I share on LinkedIn or hit 'reply'. Chat to you soon.