You might be surprised how many of your industry peers plan to:
- Learn new skills and update old ones
- Read more books more often.
- Become better with time-management.
- Network more with colleagues in the field.
- Do more writing.
In many ways, these probably sound pretty familiar, since at least a couple of these are perhaps on your own 2013 to-do list. It was inspiring to see so many people making public commitments to at least try to become better-equipped, smarter, more capable professionals. In light of that inspiration, I think it’s only fitting that the L&D community make a 2013 learning resolution as well. If you’ve read my most recent blog post, you’ll probably see where this is going. It’s related to using and unearthing evidence to support the L&D field.
It’s easy to have a great respect for researchers and scientists. Be they in physics, medicine, or organization development, these people provide new information that helps to support their field and enrich society. But all that new information can also pose a challenge to those who consume the data, especially if one is not a researcher herself. For example, how do we know when a study is well conducted? What kind of sample group is considered representative? Was the article or report reviewed by peer experts? How can we apply the information to our particular areas of expertise? When should we even bother?
There are probably some of you who are already well-versed in separating the good from the bad in terms of research. But for those who have asked these questions, as Ruth Clark has said, “there is no yellow brick road” to all the answers all the time. However, you can become a more critical consumer of research, and you can learn how to use data and hard evidence to support learning initiatives.
In 2013, the L&D community resolves to bring more industry-wide research studies to light and to give professionals the tools to evaluate the data and make evidence a critical part of getting the job done. There may be no yellow brick road. But whatever path you choose in creating and delivering successful learning, together, we can make sure it is not a road fraught with peril. Stay tuned to next month’s Inside L&D for updates!
