How Do You View Knowledge and the Learning Process?

Would you say we create knowledge or does it already exist and we merely discover it? How does the difference between these viewpoints affect the learning process and why does it matter, or does it?

Imagine that knowledge is at the apex of a pyramid. Standing below it is an instructor or teacher, and below him or her, at the base of the pyramid, are learners. In this model, the instructor is all knowing; he or she filters knowledge based on self-world view to the students, who sit at the foot of knowledge, waiting to be enlightened. These learners do not interact directly with knowledge, nor do they even necessarily interact with the teacher. Instead, they passively receive knowledge through the instructor and may be expected to recite or regurgitate that knowledge to demonstrate their understanding of it. In this model, the instructor is the subject-matter expert.

Now consider a second model in which knowledge is at the center of a circle and all around it at the same level are learners. They can interact directly with knowledge; there’s no filter to impede them. They get to decide what to think of knowledge, and they bring their previous experience and biases to the circle in which they sit, which affect their perception of and interaction with knowledge. Just outside this circle of students is the facilitator, whose job it is to help learners make sense of knowledge by questioning it, reflecting on it, and discussing it with each other. To do this well, the facilitator must engage learners and balance numerous factors, including expectations from the organization that he or she represents.

Which of these models is better? You could argue for either one depending on whether you think knowledge is created or whether it exists and we merely discover it. The point is to look inside yourself and understand which perspective you are coming from when you teach or facilitate, as it will affect the way your learners receive and interact with knowledge.

Additionally, how do you respond as an instructor when you are stressed or under pressure? In many cases, we revert back to the way we learned, mimicking what we are most comfortable with. Which model is that for you? Knowing your tendencies will help create awareness about how you facilitate and empower you to make conscious decisions about how to improve.

Climb Every Mountain

A few days ago I walked into my mom’s living space (our renovated basement) for the first time in nine weeks. It was an occasion and she treated it as such.

It wasn’t that I had been avoiding her; she’d been up to visit me many times. And it wasn’t so much that I walked; I can really only hobble in my giant Frankenstein boot. It was just that I broke my right leg in mid-November and, after many weeks of being confined by my injury, I was finally able to tackle the stairs between us.

The past few months of my life have been defined by milestones that would have seemed laughable prior to the night I slipped on ice: leaving the house for the first time; being at work alone; finding out which movie theaters really care about their disabled patrons; cooking from a wheelchair; relearning every day how to climb stairs with crutches; taking a shower without my husband’s help. The big one is yet to come... driving!

As happens so often, my personal life informs my work life and vice versa. This experience has been a validation of EPI’s mission: empowering people to accelerate performance.

My boss and coworkers have empowered me by being flexible with my work environment and schedule while I’ve been physically hampered; they’ve also been there to cheer me on as I face each new challenge. Last week I decided to venture outside the office alone, wheeling myself backward up a long asphalt incline to Starbucks. Nobody tried to deter me. In fact, they encouraged me.

It’s easy to overlook the power of encouragement with your employees, but it can be the most effective weapon in your arsenal as a leader. Encouraging a struggling employee to head up the hill either literally or figuratively may not seem like much, but you can bet that as she’s sailing back down it she’s thinking: “I’m glad I work here.”

It's that time...

Do you know the strategic plan of your organization? Is your department aligned to the overall goals? As a contributor, do you know what goals you are accomplishing in 2010? I’ve surveyed some of my students at Regis and colleagues to find that they don’t know the answers to these questions.

When we don’t know where we are going, we don’t know our purpose. Organizational leaders must communicate the mission, vision, values and strategic plan for the organization on a regular basis. This gives employees purpose and motivation to contribute to the bottom-line. When the organization, departments and employees are aligned overall performance improves.

During the last three weeks, I’ve been involved in strategic planning for EPI, Regis, and Colorado SHRM State Council. Here’s a little background that will hopefully help you:

1. Michelle Kelly, President of EPI hosted a team meeting for our strategic planning. She had the mission, vision and values displayed for our team to reference. We defined our objectives, developed our strategies, determined responsibility, and assigned due dates. The EPI team knows where we are going and how we are going to get there!
2. Yesterday, I was invited to a call with Regis MSOL leadership. Given that I’m not a full-time employee, but an affiliate faculty member it was advantageous for them to host this call to keep us all aligned with where Regis is going. They also communicated how we add value to their overall strategic plan.
3. This past weekend, I developed my strategic plan for the Colorado SHRM State Council Board, where I serve as the Diversity Director. Their template for strategic planning includes: strategies, measurement for performance, and an action plan. Once I developed the plan, I welcomed my new team through e-mail (there are seven diversity representatives throughout the state) and provided the plan. In the next few weeks we will all have a conference call to discuss the plan and ensure we are all aligned to accomplish our 2010 goals.

I share the steps that were taken in each of these instances to provide you additional ideas for developing a strategic plan. It is important that everyone in your organization knows where they are going and how they are going to get there. This is purpose and why we show up at work to perform and contribute.