David James is CLO at 360Learning, host of The Learning & Development Podcast and former Director of L&D for The Walt Disney Company.
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Experience, defined by 16th-century scholar Roger Ascham as “[finding] out a short way by a long wandering,” is often a key to success. It’s the knowledge that we gain over time—often selectively, unequally and inefficiently—that determines our success at our organizations.
Inefficiency manifests because some people are exposed to impactful experiences while others are not. On top of that, their responses are primed by factors that may include, but aren’t limited to, their upbringing, privilege, previous work experiences and key relationships inside and outside of work. So much is wrapped up in the acquisition of beneficial experiences that there will always be winners and losers. But there's certainly more that learning and development teams can do to ensure a more balanced race takes place in their organizations and that more people are running in sports shoes (or at least on an even track).
Now, L&D teams won’t necessarily know how every employee was brought up or what formative experiences may be holding some people back or propelling others forward. What we can do is contribute to sharing many of the implicit expectations of our organizations. By that, I mean the unspoken expectations that lead some people to be recognized and rewarded over others, which L&D leaders can name and share for the benefit of all.
5 Ways To Unpack Implicit And Tacit Know-How
If experience is acquired through efficient meandering, then how can we create straightforward paths for more junior employees to tread? How can we guide them to gain experience in more planned, predictable ways so they can learn more efficiently?
We need to amplify local insights on par with the vast amount of instruction made available by L&D. But what does this mean in practice? The vital information and experience gained in an organization are ingrained with the context and stories of those employees who’ve learned hard lessons. There are some incredibly valuable ways that this knowledge can be elicited for the benefit of all. Here are a few approaches you could consider introducing to your organization.
1. A Conversation With...
Invite your more experienced employees and leaders to take the stage and tell their stories. When I was at Disney, I invited employees of all levels to do this, provided they were making the most of their experience and performing at a high level. It’s important that you don't focus on senior leaders as candidates to share their insights; theirs will be a long way from what associate or junior employees have been able to experience.
2. Panel Discussions
Gather three or four employees from various levels for a career-related panel discussion. For example, a panel topic at Disney was the tactics and approaches the panelists took to become renowned for getting the right things done and improving their prospects at the company. This strategy can be a hugely insightful way for attendees to gain valuable knowledge and learn the kinds of experiences to pursue.
3. Mentoring
Matching junior-level employees with more-experienced mentors can help fast-track the mentee's experience and have an incredible impact on their development and experience. A mentoring program is a classic "right thing at the right time" intervention. It’s not the panacea some think it is, but it can make a huge difference for both individuals and large swathes of the organization on a planned basis.
4. Sharing Insights Digitally
Ideally, we’d all be guided and supported by experienced colleagues every step of the way. Unfortunately, this isn’t possible. But imagine if your most-experienced employees could answer their coworkers' questions about how to establish themselves or what tactics could lead to making fewer mistakes and achieving the required outcomes. One way to accomplish this is with recorded content.
Conducting podcast conversations or recorded interviews with experienced employees can benefit many others and provide different styles and flavors of insights. Internal podcasts also present opportunities for senior and influential figures to discuss business priorities, approaches and the background behind decisions being made. So few people are privy to the conversations that determine where the organization is going and how it will get there, and the key enablers, pitfalls and information can be withheld, misinterpreted or lost. By giving leadership a platform to address these matters, it can help rally an entire organization behind decisions.
Sharing information through podcasts or video content will allow you to explore insights in one of the most engaging ways possible: conversations. Don’t underestimate the way that hearing it from the horse's mouth can impact employees’ understanding and actions.
5. Show The Paths
Perhaps the most efficient way to fast-track experience is to show the right path. Today, skills ontologies can shed light on what experienced employees in any given role are able to do and have mastered, so that others can follow their lead. This creates transparency for both those less experienced in a role and those with some experience who have their eye on the next step in their career. If the breadcrumbs are laid out efficiently and comprehensively, development efforts can be targeted and meaningfully contextualized to inspire and empower a more capable and confident workforce.
There’s no substitute for lived experience, but we can make progress more attainable. By becoming more transparent about success journeys, intentionally unpacking your company culture and helping to connect you can ensure your workforce is gaining the knowledge it needs to grow.
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