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HUMAN LEARNING -
NATURAL DRIFT TO LOOSE COMMUNITIES OF PRACTICE
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 COMMUNITY
OF PRACTICE FOR PFIZER'S LEARNING
Pfizer's learning and development function is properly modelling the central component to knowledge management initiatives - a dynamic, structured learning community of practice. The payoff has been enormous for the operations of their nine manufacturing plants. If an ROI was completed as to the dozens of major and minor intitiatives it may well add to millions of dollars generated and saved. Management has been dramatically convinced of L&D's major value-added role. Learning was not left to remote chance at the water cooler, the coffee-pot, the breakout room, the hallway, the carpark, the client's waiting room couch, the airport lounge, the baggage terminal, the boardroom Friday night drinks. It was not left to any "downtime" or discretionary time as most electronic courseware programs have been left to be. It was not a nicety. Pfizer bit the bullet and said it was a NECESSITY. An IMPERATIVE. They formalised and measured their learning as a professional functional practice. And they showed tangible outcomes. - Can you get away with electronic collaboration tools to do all this ? NO. -
Why ? The number one benefit : High-fidelity meaning transfer ! Participants communicate two to three times better than any textual form of communication. Confusion, misunderstanding and simplistic thinking happen far greater in textual communication forms. True human communication is primarily visual for a more complete understanding to take place.Particularly in complex work roles... where there are huge pools of hidden/ undiscovered/hard-to-explain tasks... face-to-face interaction is the primary vehicle to allow astute knowledge workers to speak out their craft... and to move towards CLARITY. You get immediate feedback from several of your listeners to help you learn to refine your meaning. It starts to become explicit ... codifiable... and therefore useable to OTHERS ! Meaning transfer is happening. No CoP seems to have thrived without regular face to face meetings. The number two benefit : Builds trust and emotional commitment by valuing social relationship. You cannot divorce task functions from social functions in humans. It is dysfunctional. Humans are social creatures. We develop through face-to-face relationships, not through bland text on a screen. Think about it - why do all the organisations in the world esteem their sales teams.... because face- to- face is the best form of preserving a client and for persuasion and trust building. Same too with internal customers ! The group holds you more accountable than just an isolated, sporadic email. Accountability really happens and learning is transformed into real world practical action leading to real outcomes. It
is hard to say how well Pfizer have been documenting their invaluable
insights for quick retrieval and refinement. No doubt this is
happening. - Do you really need a team leader/facilitator ? YES.
...Crucial. -
Why ?... sounds like someone has to do extra work. - Cross-functional or homogenous ? Start with homogenous... it is easier to establish and maintain. So... sales reps with sales reps, product managers with product managers, divisional managers with divisional managers. Pfizer used this approach - L&D training managers with L&D training managers. No need for establishing the ground work and all working towards united cause. - Danger of group think/ silo mentality though ? Minimal... because the aim of the CoP is to challenge their own practices and reasons behind their practices... with a good facilitator. Members can be their own best critics in a supportive social network. It won't be long when Pfizer introduces CoPs to their other corporate functions. They are already winning in R&D and now in L&D. |
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