No more black plimsolls for all: why learner choice matters

Employees live in a world of consumerism. People professionals must give them tailored L&D – not trite picture quizzes, says Andy Lancaster

by Andy Lancaster 4 August 2023

We have come a long way since Henry Ford allegedly uttered the statement that a customer can have a car painted in any colour that they want, so long as it’s black.

In our contemporary world, consumer choice exists in almost all decisions. Take coffee. As a child, my experience was that coffee came in a jar, with the limited choice of a cheap supermarket brand or an upmarket version. The key personalisation was the option of adding either milk or sugar, or both. Now, in a coffee shop we face a disorientating choice of an americano, cappuccino, cortado, espresso, flat white, latte, macchiato, mocha or ristretto, to mention a few. And if you feel overwhelmed by that, be careful in ordering a sandwich, which could demand a bread choice from an equally long list.

Thinking back to my childhood times of limited choice, I vividly remember PE at junior school. We all wore exactly the same black plimsolls; alternatives weren't allowed and specific uniform stockists were designated. Recently, my children, now in their twenties, treated me to a new pair of high-quality trainers. To ensure a perfect choice, I underwent an in-store personal diagnostic session, which began by defining my typical types of exercise and then involved a digital gait assessment (how your feet hit the ground) by walking across a sensor pad. This provided a personal data-driven screen presentation. It turned out that my pace length is uneven, and I slightly turn one foot in. The summation of the data suggested specific trainer options, with advice on additional arch support insoles. Having worn these personalised trainers for a couple of months, they are undeniably good, and have improved my exercise, even though they do come at a higher price.

Learning is no different from other areas of life. Personalisation matters.

However, in a world that increasingly promotes preference, learners are often subjected to a ‘one size fits all’ approach of standard courses and perhaps most starkly embodied in the compliance learning thrust upon staff. Imposed mandatory learning frequently lacks any pre-assessment of competence, has generic content and imagery, lacks organisational or personal context, and is finished with a common, trite quiz, which all must pass at 80 per cent. The truth is such learning is often for the convenience of the audit department, who require a tick in a box, rather than being an inspiring personal learning experience. It’s no wonder many learners are disheartened by the limitations of the organisational learning offer.

There is compelling research to back the notion that choice-driven intrinsic motivation is foundational for effective learning. An internal impetus for meaningful development creates greater engagement, learning and transfer than through external incentives, which in the case of mandatory compliance training can be punitive rather than positive.

In the 1960s, Malcolm Knowles popularised the term ‘andragogy’, a theory of adult learning emphasising self directedness, experience-based learning, stressing the importance of the learners' autonomy, prior knowledge, practical application and their need to be involved in the learning process. This was in stark contrast to ‘pedagogy’ in which learners are taught.

Step forward to the 2000s and the adult learning debate was further advanced with the concept of ‘heutagogy’; a truly self-determined approach placing ownership of the learning topic and process with the learner, who determines not only what will be learned, but how.

So, if everything points towards personalised learning experiences being more motivational and powerful in driving performance and productivity, how can people professionals provide more tailored options?

Two key steps (pardon the pun) from the purchase of my trainers. First, data. My personalised fit was informed by insights. Through data gathering the shop assistant was able to define key things that would benefit me. While people professionals have some learning-related data, this is frequently around participant satisfaction or engagement. But sadly, the pursuit of data stops there.

The insights that support more personalised learning journeys lie within the organisation and can be found in performance reviews and development plans, operational systems, customer feedback and service logs, system analytics, skills and gap assessments, sales and revenue data, customer and employee surveys, operational efficiency studies, project monitoring, compliance, regulatory and health and safety data, and people metrics. There is a wealth of existing, available data that underpin a more personalised and contextualised approach. It just needs tapping.

Second, product choice. While there wasn’t an infinite number of training shoe solutions for me, there were many options, and certainly beyond the black plimsolls of my childhood. Through a mix-and-match of design criteria that included gait analysis, options for foot shape, size and alignment, cushioning, support and stability, flexibility, fabric breathability, insole options and activity-specific features, I was provided with a specific, tailored solution.

In a similar way, people professionals must think about creating, sourcing and signposting a spectrum of learning options, and particularly beyond formal courses to support learning in the moment of need.

Personalised performance support in the flow of work requires a suite of resources that are accessible, anytime anywhere. And staff and managers must be trusted to make the choices that are most meaningful and beneficial to them, including connecting with others in socialised learning.

With so much free content available, of which much is excellent, people professionals must equally place curation as a priority. There must be a proactive, passionate commitment to unearth brilliant resources that can be accessed when relevant. Similar to the concierge in a hotel, who knows exactly where to direct you to for a solution, people teams must listen to the unique development needs and requests of staff and teams and be able to point them to great options and solutions.

Learners are now sophisticated consumers, used to the benefits of choice. It’s time for people professionals to respond with customised learning options founded on insightful data, inspired design and intentional curation. If we are serious about improving performance and productivity, we need to be serious about personalising learning.

Andy Lancaster is head of learning at the CIPD

The podcast market is well known for being saturated, and even the savviest learning professional can struggle to find the ones worth their time. To help, Andrew Jacobs rounds up his favourites

Shona Marshall has decided to take her foot off the learning gas for a moment, to reflect and reorganise. Here she shares the personal and organisational benefits of stopping every once in a while

A newly announced AI certification for learning and development practitioners prompts experts to debate whether the sector needs an official qualification