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If you're like me, you probably remember installing Microsoft Office 97 from a CD-ROM (I know, I'm showing my age now), firing up MS Word only to be met by an odd and extremely irritating paperclip with boggly eyes. It'd say things like "I see you're trying to save your document, would you be interested in...?".

No I wouldn't.

But what if that paperclip was actually far more advanced than any one ever gave it credit for? What if it was so ahead of its time that it would never be truly appreciated?

You see, that paperclip was attempting to provide learning (or at least support) in the flow of work! It was there to provide hints and tips when it looked like you were struggling to achieve something.

Modern workplace learning

Many believe we are currently witnessing the beginnings of a paradigm shift in the way learning happens in the modern workplace. This is of course nonsense. Learning has always happened the same way.

Instead what we are seeing is a reluctant acceptance that the old models of training, and slightly newer models of e-learning, simply aren't fit for purpose. Instead, employees are now independently leveraging platforms and technologies to enable them to overcome the barriers they face and improve their own performance. Where organisation wide innovation is occurring, it takes the form of platforms designed to facilitate in workflow learning and chatbots who can offer help and tutorials to employees at their point of need, much like that old annoying paperclip!

Welcome to the Digital Disruption of L&D

This new approach to workplace learning holds great appeal for all.

For organisations it offers reassurance that learning is relevant and timed to coincide with times of learner need. Guaranteeing that employees have the knowledge and skills they need at their fingertips as and when they need it. It's also incredibly efficient. There's no lag between the learning need arising and the learning intervention. There's also no bloat or filler in the learning materials. Employees learn how to complete their work better, that's it.

For employees this digital disruption at work mirrors and validates their experiences of accessing learning to tackle problems in non-work settings. Outside of work they will happily Google how to do something, or watch someone installing a car seat on YouTube several times until they can do it themselves. That was a fun Sunday afternoon by the way!

More importantly they get the help and learning when they need it. Not in 3 months time when the relevant workshop next runs again. They're not expected to know the theory or history of what they're trying to learn, only the skill itself. And the assessment boils down to one question, "Can you now complete this as part of your day to day work?" Rather than a lengthy and stressful test.

But what about L&D?

This new world order of digital instant learning is set to cause the most disruption to the people who currently design and deliver learning, L&D.

In some ways the new technology offers us a kind of alchemy, the opportunity to transform our practices in to gold. By gold I mean tangible business benefits, the kind of credibility we all crave within an organisation, and the satisfaction of actually providing learning which works from the perspective of organisations and employees alike.

But it comes at a cost. It'll cost us our old outdated mindsets around corporate learning. Our role must change to stay relevant in this new world. No longer the provider of learning, instead the trusted guide and partner along the journey.

Personally I'm all for it, I just hope I don't have to see that bloody paperclip again!