“Models are how we think; they are how we understand how the world works. As we go through life we build these very complex pictures in our minds of how the world works, and we’re constantly referring back to them - matching incoming data against our models. That’s how we make sense of things.” – Richard Maybury, Uncle Eric Talks about Personal, Career, and Financial Security

The Academic Model of Learning and Development

Almost all of the professional development events being offered  over the last 50 years have been designed and implemented using a faulty model. This model has remained undefined and unnamed, but yet it is the foundation upon which all other models are derived.

We call this model the Academic Model and it is seriously flawed. It mimics the methods and values present in our academic system and tries to apply them to the business world. It is built on the foundational belief that knowledge is supreme and must come from the Experts.

Paint a picture in your mind. Employees are sitting at desks watching the Expert lecture (online or in person). Think of them as half full containers just waiting to be filled with information so they can comply and do their jobs well someday (once they figure out how the information actually applies to their job). If participants sit long enough or test well enough, they will gain a valuable piece of paper that they can add to their portfolio. They can then present this piece of paper to their future or present employer as proof of their knowledge despite having forgotten most of the content and having grown apathetic to further learning.

 

 

Weaknesses of the Academic Model

The flaws in the Academic Model can be described in this way:

• Assessment of needs are based on organizational requirements - the learner is rarely asked
• Motivation is adversely affected because there is no practical application to the workplace
• Emphasis is on  KNOWLEDGE instead of SKILLS that can be DEMONSTRATED in the workplace
• Instruction is centered on short term memory
• Subject Matter Experts or Learning and Development Professionals present content using mostly lecture, Power Point, and e learning slides
• Customization and application of the content to the workplace is the responsibility of the employee and assumed to take place after the event (which rarely happens)
• Evaluation rests almost exclusively on the ability to complete a certain number of test questions or the ability to attend and complete a set number of hours

 

It's time for a new model.

 

Solomon’s Facilitative Model™

Solomon’s Facilitative Model™ was created to suit adult learners and to benefit business. It differs from the Academic Model by emphasizing a real but unrecognized truth: professionals have EXPERIENCE in the workplace!

Solomon’s Facilitative Model™ respects this experience. It is based on the belief that every professional brings with them knowledge as well as life and business experiences. It seeks to tap into this wisdom in order to grow the individual while benefiting the business.

Under Solomon's Facilitative Model™, it is the employees, themselves, who take the content and make it applicable to the workplace.

Instead of just receiving information, facts, and data, participants are asked to interact with each other and the content through structured activities and discussions. They make application before they return to work. They also adapt or devise strategies to practice. They willingly hold each other accountable and ensure compliance with rules, regulations, and procedures. The solutions that are created are followed and sustained.

Why? It’s because they are created by the people who do the work.

 

Strengths of Solomon's Facilitative Model™

The strengths of Solomon’s Facilitative Model™ can be described in this way:

• Assessment of needs is made by the L&D professional in cooperation with management and the people who do the work before the event but also during the event
• Design and delivery is centered on SKILLS that can be DEMONSTRATED in the workplace
• Events can be designed and facilitated by almost anyone who is trained in the model thus increasing the ability to be agile
• Customization of the content to the workplace is the responsibility of  both the person designing and facilitating the event as well as the participants and takes place during the event
• Participants are engaged throughout and their participation drives the formation of business solutions and innovation
• Participants enjoy the event and want it to succeed because they see it as an extension of their own design and creativity
• Evaluation of the event and skill transfer is made continuously by the designer and the participants as they measure skill development throughout the process and in the workplace

Why is Facilitation the Key to Successful Learning and Development Activities?

Most models of Professional Development push content. They not only PUSH content but they also push their employees into doing their jobs the way the organization says they are to be done. People feel threatened into compliance and punished for not “doing as they are told”. They, in turn, push back by either becoming apathetic or aggressively resisting. This creates a workplace culture of compliance rather than one of commitment to excellence and the business.

Solomon’s Facilitative Model™ is designed to PULL out the experience and wisdom of the employees through the use of facilitated discussions and activities. People are pulled into and encouraged to join a workplace culture intent on solving problems and needs together. This builds employee commitment and allows people to contribute to the success of the organization.

This is why Solomon’s Facilitated Model™ is the solution for designing and implementing learning and training that sticks.