White Paper

The Eight Truths of Social Learning. Now.

Executive Summary
PAM BOIROS Vice President, Product Management, Books24x7

Many learning professionals are keenly interested in the topic of social learning but relatively few organizations have begun to implement it. One reason is that it is difficult to separate the hype from reality and focus on the elements that are really important. This paper seeks to uncover the fundamental requirements for a successful social learning program. Based on early experience with our own social learning tool, this list of eight truths has been compiled to provide a foundation for learning professionals who are launching social learning in their organizations.

APRIL 2011
SSWP.1621.0411

The Eight Truths of Social Learning. Now.

A little less than a year ago I wrote the original Eight Truths of Social Learning as a blog post on the SkillSoft corporate site. It was one of the posts that generated a surprising amount of traffic and discussion. Clearly this is a topic that people are seeking information on and there is no lack of it out there: webinars, workshops and white papers galore. But even with the tremendous amount that has been written and spoken, relatively few organizations have jumped into social learning with both feet. A recent report from ASTD found that only 24% of survey respondents reported that their organizations informal learning activities include a social networking element.1 And in my conversations with SkillSoft customers, I still find a great deal of uncertainty about how best to implement this new approach. So I thought I would revisit my Eight Truths now, given that we have about a year under our belts with our own social learning platforminGenius. (Theres nothing like having your own horse in the race to really make the topic more meaningful!) In the year since the introduction weve learned a lotnot only about social learning, but about the organizational dynamics that surround it. Most of what we initially believed has held up pretty well, but weve also expanded our thinking in some unexpected ways.

topic, and people are still hungry for guidance and straightforward answers in the midst of the hype. And while Ive done some tinkering, the basic ideas behind the eight truths have held up pretty well. This paper elaborates in more detail than the original post, and brings in learnings Ive found in my discussions with many HR and Training professionals, as well as social media gurus. Like all topics social, this one would not be complete without your voice. So please go to the SkillSoft Facebook page (www.facebook.com/skillsoft) if you would like to contribute your own truths!

1. Social learning is a three-legged stool

In the original blog post this observation was tucked into the introduction, but it deserves its place among the Truths because we have found this to be the most important concept for those who are venturing into social learning. To be successful, three elements are needed: a technology platform, a vibrant community and great content. If one of these legs is missing, it can spell an early and disappointing end to your social learning initiative. The platform is pretty obviousyou need a place to capture the interactions of your organization. Hopefully its a place thats easy to find and use in the course of everyday work. But with just a platform you risk having what John Ambrose (our vice president of strategy and business development) refers to as the dreaded empty drum syndrome. People may come to visit your new social platform once or twice out of curiosity, but if there isnt anything there to engage them (interesting content) they wont be back. If they dont come back, you will never develop a vibrant community. However, if you seed your platform with great content, it is much easier for employees to jump in and offer their first

The Eight Truths One Year Later

The idea behind the Eight Truths blog post was to try to uncover the fundamental requirements for successful social learningthe things that would hold true for organizations of all sizes and types. This is a tall order, but in a world where there are new buzzwords, fads and products popping up all the time, we need to be able to cut through the hype to the bedrock principles that can form the foundation for social learning programs. Since this was written, there is certainly no less interest in the

Paradise, Andrew, Laleh Patel, Holly B. Tompson, Mark Vickers, and David Wentworth. The Rise of Social Media: Enhancing Collaboration and Productivity Across Generations. ASTD. 2010. Books24x7. http://common.books24x7.com/book/id_38019/book.asp

The Eight Truths of Social Learning. Now.

comments. Nuggets of content act like magnets for comments, and these comments attract other comments and before you know it you have a flourishing community thats engaged in active discussion. But it all starts with the seed of content. Starting with the right content is also important. It should be something that is not only interesting to your audience, but also provides business value. And as learning professionals, we have trusted information and learning content that can form the basis of these discussions. So building your social learning program around your existing base of learning content makes eminent sense. With valuable business or technical content as the seed, you are much more likely to surface conversations that add unique business value (as opposed to gabfests about the weekend social scene).

platform allows users to post comments on the material contained in the book or course, this can create a layer of unique business knowledge on top of the trusted knowledge contained in the resource. So, for instance, a book on networking may be annotated with the specifics of your own organizations networking topology. Positive comments and discussions can draw attention to a little-known book or report that may be used for instant problem-solving, but social interactions can also support long-term outcomes. When one member of the community recommends a course or development program that helped them in their professional career, you are likely to see a flurry of interest in that program. This is one of the ways that social platforms can help bring about more selfdirected learning within your organization. Word-of-mouth has always been the most credible form of advertisingand it still is!

2. Use social learning to address the problem of information overload

With trusted business or technical 3. Make social part of your blended We are all bombarded with new messages content as the seed, your social learning strategy and bits of information all day long, and learning initiative will be more focused For years now learning leaders have been many learning professionals are managon serious business issues. creating programs that blend traditional, ing content collections with thousands instructor-led learning experiences with of assets. Over time this rich abundance online learning. They have found that there are benefits to of content can become a challenge. When a user needs some both approaches, and used in conjunction, they can reinspecific piece of information to solve a business problem, force each others value. With social learning, we now have it can be impossible to find! Social learning communities, another tool to make our existing instructor-led and e-learnwith their power to amplify the most relevant content, can ing initiatives better, more engaging, and with improved act like a spotlight on the most useful resources. This in turn learning outcomes. drives a higher level of productivity, because time isnt being wasted searching for the proverbial needle in the haystack of The role of social learning in the new blended learning information. paradigm takes several forms. Some organizations have found by enhancing the social experience of learning, they There are a number of ways your community can do this. are likely to get better participation from employees, espeIf your social platform allows users to recommend or like cially if programs have a significant element of self-directed certain assets, this can be very helpful in directing people learning. With the ability to reach out to peers involved in to the most relevant content for their needs. If the social

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the same program, or get help on a particular topic, learners are more likely to stay engaged and complete their program of study. This can also be enhanced with face-to-face or virtual group interaction at key points in the program, such as a kick-off or the achievement of a milestone.

Another way that social learning can enhance the overall organizational learning program is by supporting the knowledge transfer and actual behavioral change after the formal learning event has ended. Lets 5. Dont overlook the importance of face it: the only kind of learning that is discovery valuable is the kind that gets applied in Building on the idea that your organizathe workplace and contributes to imtion is a network of experts, the issue proved business outcomes. And making quickly shifts to the ability to search for the link between a learning event that these experts and find them quickly. The may occur away from the job (sometimes knowledge captured within your system literally away in a classroom or often just will be of little value if it cant be pinpointoutside the flow of work) and the work ed when a need arises. A social learning itself can be difficult. If a learner encounplatform with the right set of features for ters a problem, or simply does not receive capturing information and then discoverreinforcement for the new behavior, the ing it later at the point of need is turning effects of the learning can be lost. Social A social learning platform with the right set of features can help out to be a very effective way to achieve systems can be used to encourage and employees quickly locate internal the goal of expert location. recognize performance, and this can experts. make the difference in whether the For this to work, the platform needs: learning actually transfers into a new and improved way of working. A way for experts to self-identify, 

a persons range of skills and expertise. With so many of our knowledge workers operating from remote or home offices, the informal transfer of knowledge is much more difficult. So the social learning platform becomes a sort of virtual water cooler: a place for colleagues to gather and exchange information. In this way social learning can contribute huge productivity benefits by helping to find that resident expert, whether that person is three cubicles away, or three time zones away.

4. Build the equity of experts

One of the greatest values of social learning is that it helps to identify your internal experts. The line between learner and teacher is constantly blurring in todays highly specialized workplace. Often the person with deep knowledge of a topic is sitting three cubicles away, but the difficulty in finding that person, or the exact nugget of information needed to solve a business problem, can be immense. This is especially true in todays global, virtual, dispersed organizations where job titles dont tell the whole story about

 A way for community members to recognize others for their expertise, And a search function that identifies experts as learning  resources. Achieving these goals starts with a user-created profile. The profile often captures interests and skills that are not at all evident based on job title and the profile may be a more accurate portrayal than the organizational view. Also, in some cases these profiles may contain some level of personal

The Eight Truths of Social Learning. Now.

interest (I breed Golden Retrievers), and these personal facts can become the basis for a human connection between far-flung employees. Again, the function of social learning as the virtual water cooler should not be undervalued. In addition to the profile that a person creates for himself, the ability of others to recognize expertise is also very important. Having the ability to recognize others as experts, or for an individual to build a reputation over time based on participation in various discussions, helps bring the most knowledgeable members of the organization to the fore. The ability to rate experts can also be used to inform search, pushing these individuals to the top of the results. Soa search for six sigma certification may produce a list of courses, books and your own internal experts. The contributions (comments, notes, discussions) should also be searchable, so that valuable nuggets of information can be recalled as needed.

grandparents than grandchildren in the workplace, a situation that hasnt occurred since 1948.2 So its vitally important that we create an environment that is welcoming to the entire enterprise. Ease of use is one key, but as part of the roll-out, you may also want to look for ways to develop reverse mentoring. Millennials can be your best spokespeople in marketing the program internally. So consider creating a team of internal champions who can talk up the benefits of the system and also act as personal guides to employees who are less comfortable using online social systems. The value of these relationships goes both ways the experienced employee gains benefit and often the younger employee comes away with new appreciation for a part of the job they may have not fully understood.

7. Capture tacit knowledge (before it walks out the door)

The impending retirement of the baby boomers has long been a source of hand-wringing by managers, HR professionals, and executives concerned about losing the decades of institutional knowledge thats in the heads of these key employees. An Aberdeen study of Web 2.0 technology found the most common use was capturing and transferring knowledge.3 Social learning can be a strategic tool in capturing tacit knowledge, especially when social learning can be intertwined with the daily flow of work. Often the most important pieces of information that can be captured have to do with seemingly mundane institutional know-how: processes, people and systems that are unique to the organization. Managers have long known that the ability to tap this organizational knowledge is one of the most important factors in the success of individual employees. David

6. Make sure your social initiatives have crossgenerational appeal

Organizations need to appeal to the entirety of the work force if they want to achieve maximum benefits. Its not a stretch to think that Millennials will gravitate to social learning toolsthey grew up with these technologies and experienced them as an integral part of their formal education during high school and college, not to mention that they are a huge part of their lives outside of work. But social learning tools should also appeal to your Gen-Xers, Boomers, and even Traditionalists. This is especially true because capturing tacit knowledge (Truth #7) is such an important part of the rationale for implementing social learning to begin with. Today we are living in a time when there are more
2

Meister, Jeanne C. and Karie Willyerd. How to Prepare for a Multi-Generational Workplace. Soundview Executive Book Summaries. 2010. Online Audio File, Books24x7. http://common.books24x7.com/book/id_40301/book.asp Martin, Kevin. Workforce Collaboration and Web 2.0: Improving Productivity by Facilitating Knowledge Transfer, Benchmark Study, AberdeenGroup 2008 http://www.aberdeen.com/Aberdeen-Library/4882/RA-workforce-collaboration.aspx

The Eight Truths of Social Learning. Now.

Mallon, a lead analyst for Bersin & Associates, has noted a tendency for knowledge systems to become bloated over time, obscuring the ability to find that nugget of information that makes a person more productive.4 So rather than focusing on capturing brilliant insights, think about the value of nitty-gritty details that contribute to daily productivity.

8. Make it simple and secure

Consumer-oriented social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter have set the bar high in terms of ease-of-use. Learners in organizations will expect a similarly intuitive experience from organizational social learning technologies. If your social learning tool mimics the basic elements of already-accepted social systems, this will simplify and speed the process of getting people started. Also, keeping the initial requirements of setting up a user profile to fairly basic elements will encourage users to jump in. They can always add more color to their profiles in the future.

There are also some important ways you want to differentiate your social system from social networks like Facebook. HR managers across the globe lose sleep over the private company and employee data that can (deliberately or inadvertently) leak out to the Web. Social learning initiatives need to allow for free collaboration between colleagues, without risking leakage to the wider Web. So make sure that the system you are using has appropriate safeguards for security, and also make sure that your employees understand that this is a system focused on serious business information. Consider publishing a Dos and Donts for participation in workplace forums (Andrew McAffee, author of Enterprise 2.0, has provided some excellent tips in a recent blog post on Harvard Business Review.)5

You should also consider the privacy of the individuals participating in the system, which can be a bit tricky. The participants should be able to choose what information is included in their profile and they should also make the decision Make sure your social learning on whether their participation becomes platform has appropriate safeguards, Time-strapped learning professionals public. Be aware that some social sysand communicate to employees the dont have the bandwidth to support a Dos and Donts of participating in a tems are designed to automatically infer business-focused social network. new program that requires hand-holding expertise based on usage. So, for instance, or a lot of encouragement. So your social if a participant searched frequently for learning initiative needs to provide obvious value, be easy information on a particular topic, this could show up as an to find and also be relevant to employees. This is also the area of expertise while the user may not want to be identified beauty of building a social learning platform on top of existwith this particular area. Allowing employees to search the ing learning and information resourcesyoure leveraging system and keep information private is an important feature. existing content and behavior to drive adoption. At the same time, employees should also understand that information that is contributed also becomes the intellectual

Mallon, David and Clarey, Janet. The Problem of Content Part 2 I Want It Now. Blog post dated August 31, 2009. http://www.bersin.com/Blog/post/TheProblem-of-Content---Part-2---I-Want-it-Now!.aspx McAfee, Andrew. Dos and Donts for your Works Social Platform, blog post dated September 28, 2010. http://blogs.hbr.org/hbr/mcafee/2010/09/dos-anddonts-for-your-works-s.html#

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property of the organization. Finally, it is important to carefully review the background of the company that is providing your social system. With new companies and applications popping up daily, it is important to understand whether you are building your program on a durable system that will be supported over the long term. Your social learning platform will increase in value over time, as more and more information is added, so you absolutely want to make sure your partner has a track record of customer support and a viable future.

In Closing
Are you ready to get started with social learning? There is no time like the present. The sooner you begin the more you will learn and the greater the benefit to your organization. Be sure to check out SkillSofts social learning layer, inGenius, and visit the SkillSoft Learning Re-Imagined blog on a regular basis to stay current on this emerging area.