Jennifer Zach is an executive coach, thought leader and firm believer in human potential. As someone who combines coaching with modern learning, she has noticed how much the learning landscape has changed over the last few years. She agrees that the one-and done, one-size-fits-all approach to learning doesn’t grasp the needs of individual learners or create meaningful behavioral changes that positively affect business outcomes. She believes that coaching opens the door for learning to go beyond simple training.
Organizations need a modern approach to learning that provides a broader array of pathways to support the various ways learners want to learn and that guides them to learning assets they will benefit from and want to apply. Talent development professionals play a key role in meeting this need.
Jennifer came across the Learning Cluster Design (LCD) Model, and like many of you, found that it is a holistic answer to many of the most pressing challenges L&D professionals encounter, including how to:
- Engage learners
- Adapt learning to the flow of work
- Build a culture of continuous learning
- Focus on soft skills, like emotional development, not just technical step-by-step skills
As a reminder, the OK-LCD five-action model builds on the best of existing training models to effectively leverage new technology and multiple learning assets to provide a learner-centric performance road map for creating authentic learning experiences. It consists of a learning cluster that measures transformation. A learning cluster is composed of multiple learning assets, such as job aids, blogs, classes, e-learning modules, podcasts, infographics, books, and more.
In February, Jennifer worked with Crystal and Lisa to write a blog piece for the ATD website to further depict how to create a flow-of-work experience. You can explore the full blog post here: https://www.td.org/atd-blog/create-a-flow-of-work-coaching-experience
Key takeaways from the blog include:
- A Larger Learning Opportunity With the LCD Model: See a real-life example of how Jennifer used the model to coach a client. Applying the LCD model created a safe environment for her client to learn without being pulled away from his work setting at length. In return, he maintained a high level of engagement throughout the coaching period.
- Driving Performance: Meeting the needs of nuanced learners in the flow of work can drive performance more rapidly than waiting for a training course or workshop to be developed. Getting and keeping the learner’s attention is critical to their acquiring new knowledge and modifying behavior. L&D professionals who enlist the help of an accomplished coach well versed in the LCD model play an essential role in protecting their organization’s investment in education.
- The Bigger Reward: Every workday brings with it new business challenges and development opportunities. By helping your leaders learn and adapt in real time, you help your organization build a competitive advantage in an increasingly competitive marketplace.
We want to hear from you! Have you ever applied the LCD model with a focus on coaching or social learning? Join the conversation on LinkedIn!
