University of Minnesota - UMN Executive Leadership Insights
Learning at Work
Book

Learning at Work

Excellent Practice from Best Theory

John Taylor and Adrian Furnham
Palgrave Macmillan, 2005
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Editorial Rating

8

Qualities

  • Innovative
  • Applicable

Recommendation

Do you know whether the person you hired to conduct a class at your company is truly qualified? Have your employees benefited from previous training programs? Are you spending your money wisely? John Taylor and Adrian Furnham help you answer these sorts of questions and drill down even further to examine the essence of training. In their enlightening and well-researched book, they explore how people actually learn. Once trainers and coaches understand the learning process, they can design better training programs. The authors’ prose is easy to understand and they provide many charts and diagrams, but putting their ideas into practice will take work. getAbstract highly recommends this book to trainers who want to improve their product, trainees who truly wish to learn, and corporate executives who don’t want to waste their money and their employees’ time.

Summary

The Learning Process

Training professionals and the organizations that hire them generally have an overly simplistic approach to training, coaching and mentoring. Trainers typically stand in front of a classroom and lecture. Companies hope the employees will return to the workplace with new skills and knowledge. Neither has ensured that the employees will absorb the lessons or that the company will receive a return on its training investment. Doing so requires taking a critical look at the learning process, and analyzing why some individuals learn and others don’t. With this kind of insight, trainers can adjust their curricula and make better connections with their students.

Training expert Penny Hackett believes that training is about “helping people to learn rather than trying to teach.” Determine whether prospective trainees are willing to learn by considering these factors:

  • “Learning history” – Individuals who fared well academically in high school and college, and enjoyed the experience, have positive feelings about learning. People whose parents encouraged reading and discussion often welcome the opportunity to expand their knowledge. The story...

About the Authors

John Taylor is an independent consultant, coach and trainer. He works with companies and organizations in the U.S., Europe, Asia and Africa. Adrian Furnham is a psychology professor at University College in London and the author of 44 books and more than 600 journal papers.

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