Experience Transfer
Background
Much of any organisation's energy is spent in developing people to the point that they have the experience to do their jobs expertly. To be expert at a job is to have sufficient confidence, knowledge and understanding to be able to invent new and appropriate responses as new demands occur. Just knowing the rules is not enough. Until now the only processes for gaining experience have involved huge amounts of elapsed time. The word 'experience' implies that we can only gain it that way. We are starting to find ways to disprove this fundamental assumption! Our assertion is that it is possible to transfer experience to a less experienced person quite quickly. It is not easy but it is possible.
Implications
It is possible to have old heads on new shoulders with all the benefits of enhanced performance that this implies. Companies do not have to suffer a catastrophic loss of knowledge and skill when a key employee leaves. The processes of learning, training and development can be much more effective and relevant than any so far developed.
The process of experience transfer
The following describes the most understood case of a single learner and a single teacher. We believe the same principles apply in the more complex case of a teacher and a class. The transfer process involves the learner integrating into their experience 'missing' pieces from the teacher's experience (mind map) which make sense to the learner. This demands that the whole process be client-centred throughout. It is the learners needs that take precedence. We make sense of things starting from what we already know.
The transfer process demands high-level communication skills between the parties and a strong degree of willingness to engage in the process. This motivation is more likely to occur in an atmosphere or culture that is not excessively competitive or judgmental. Both discourage the closeness that is necessary for very delicate communication. The parties need at least to be able to listen to each other well enough to identify and communicate how the learner prefers to learn. This is not necessarily how the teacher prefers to teach. They need to identify what the learner wants to learn and to share the mind maps that encode the teachers and the learners experience.
Implementation
To establish the quality of connection between people required by this process is a major challenge to the managers of organisations but the benefits look to be immense. It has worked 'under laboratory conditions' at an 'Experience Transfer Workshop'. This may help create the commitment required for the much more difficult task of getting the process to work in an organisation.
You can learn the communication skills required through experience transfer practice with review. Counselling skills and attitudes are very helpful. They include client centredness, empathy, being non judgmental, giving good attention and accepting feelings. These are the best approximations we have now to the attitudes and skills needed to transfer experience effectively.
Management commitment to the process and to the establishment of a culture that supports learning and experimentation is essential. Encouragement for people to take time helping each other learn is necessary.
Conclusion
This note describes a new and powerful approach to training and development. I welcome your comments and help to develop these ideas further.
Using these materials
I am entirely happy for you to use
or draw on any these materials in any way you think will be helpful. I am keen
to have my work, and the work of the people I have learned from, used.
Please will you say where you found them? One way might be to give a link back to www.nickheap.co.uk or to info@nickheap.co.uk. This will help these positive ideas to spread, and help my business, too.
Thank you
Nick Heap