Adult Learning and Human Resource Development: a critical analysis of personal experience (NLP in Transforming Stress to Motivational Energies)
This paper presents an analysis of a personal experience in terms of adult learning. The author took up a short course offering in the past month. Specifically, it is called as the NLP in Transforming Stress to Motivational Energies. This experience is associated to the theories and models of adult learning particularly on workplace or organisational learning and setting.
In order for an organisation to be more competitive in the marketplace, the management must always see to it that they use a management system and strategy that would sustain the capability, strength and competitive position (Pearce and Robinson 2000; Thompson and Strickland 2003). One of the most effective management strategies that are irrevocable and proven to be effective is allowing learning to take place within the bounds of the organisation and its people. Learning is universally acknowledged as a fundamental human ability and constantly develops among people until the end of life excluding special cases. In the organisational context, learning is related to achievement and productivity in terms of performance (Bell et al. 2004). Learning is generally known as a process in which rational individuals acquire knowledge, skills, attitudes, values, beliefs, emotions, and senses (Griffin et al. 2003, p. 4). Today, learning is not only focused on knowledge acquisition and development in behaviour but also used in social institutions like learning society, learning organisation, and even permanent learning itself. Due to the current situations in the global marketplace (i.e. rapid and continuous change), managers are facing the challenge of having the best and practical strategies leading to sustainable development and success in the future. The management of knowledge capital is among the most potent strategies that promotes organisational goals towards sustainability and competitive advantage. Knowledge capital is managed through learning. Dealing with the organisational context, it is understood that most individuals are considered adults. Thus, learning processes for adult learners are specialised. People learn in various styles. Yet most theorists counteract the definition that learning styles is characterised by the presence of four (4) essential categories namely: visual (learning by seeing); aural or audial (learning by hearing); reading/writing (learning by processing text); and kinesthetic or practical (learn by doing) (Sternberg and Zhang 2003; Sims and Sims 1995). Instead, learning is all-encompassing. It is argued that learning occurs in various locations – in the workplace, at home, in groups, or alone – and not only, or primarily limited within the bounds of formal educational environment (Raggatt et al. 2002). Organisational learning is a significant feature that plays a major role in the development of latest and relevant competencies and innovations. It also serves as vital instrument in addressing changes within the organisation and its bounds. According to Pham and Swierczek (2006), the potential role of employees in improving organisational effectiveness is rooted on the need to focus on the types of knowledge and skills learned at work including on how these types of knowledge and skills can be supplied, supported, and developed. As there are necessary, countless, and profitable consequences visible, learning is very much relevant particularly in linking the holistic development of people and organisations as well as the overall processes involved in the general environment. The related mechanisms are also important in planning the future operations and activities of the organisation. Through learning, the organisation is able to identify needs, predict trends, eliminate risks, solve problems, and cope up with the challenges in the market.
Beechler and Bird (1999) consider organisational learning as associated with the transfer of managerial knowledge from subsidiaries to the parent company. It can also be the case that the transfer is from one overseas affiliate to another. On this case study, learning is not directly with this idea; instead, it delves with transfer of learning from agents of learning through selective means. The transfer of learning or the need to learn suggests that the importance of organisational learning is rooted on the perception that all organisations must have better understanding of the ways on how to deal with the existing trends in the markets that they have decided to penetrate as well as the culture of the industry that they decided to operate into. According to Lau and Ngo (2004), human resource development is now concerned not just with training but with broader issues of workplace learning and change, generating a new field of practice and study, organisational learning. Historically, the past 30 years have fundamentally altered the condition of adult education as well as philosophy about adult learning. There are disappearances of specific university extension education while universities have expanded their professional education offerings. Community-based education has had to become largely self-supporting, and so has become much more businesslike in both its organisation and course offerings. Technical or vocational education similarly has long-drawn-out and diversified, adding ‘further education’ to its title in many countries. Numerous fields of practice have generated their own distinguishing forms of education and the management aspect is not kept apart.
Initially, learning is important to the employees and employers as this could increase the competitive power of an organisation. Learning through performance requires active discovery, analysis, interpretation, problem-solving, memory, and physical activity (Foreman 2003). The growth of technologies did not only change the way people work and function, but also the demand of business companies all over the world. For instance, employers are now on the lookout for flexible employees who can easily adapt with changes and can work with minimal instructions and supervision. This type of attitude towards how an employee should react is contrary to what traditional methods of learning implies. Companies do not always want employees to rely on instructions and commands from superiors, instead they want employees who can think for themselves. This then would suggest that there is a great opportunity to explore the practice of discovery or progressive learning.
Today, the adult education class strives to provide adult learners an opportunity to use and apply what they have learned. It encourages the learners to think critically and to constantly redefine the content and process of the learning experience. Adult education is also expected to heighten individual awareness of community issues, motivate learners to create opportunities, embrace new ideas and give direction to positive change. In adult education and learning perspectives, an article written by Sue Scott (1998 cited in Kagan and Meidow 2002) identified five philosophies in adult education namely: liberal, progressive, behaviourist, humanist, and radical. With this particular fact, the argument of what kind of pedagogy will be used may be based in these given philosophies. However, Kagan and Meidow (2002) argued that these five philosophies provide a clear framework to understand the different definitions, goals, roles, concepts, methods and scholars within adult education. They noted that importance of realising that in reality, the personal philosophies of every individual in education do not fit exactly into specific categories and that while majority of people may identify primarily with one philosophy, others may share elements of the others (Kagan and Meidow 2002).
Adult education is certainly affected by the ambiguity that characterises the contemporary global situation today. Increasingly, there are difficult questions posed about what constitutes the field of adult education and what are its values and purposes (Bryant et al. 1997). In times when a greater number of adults coming from a diversity of backgrounds enter an increasing variety of programmes, another set of problems is emerging. The difficulty in coping with the current uncertainty is compounded by the nature of the contemporary situation, which itself is difficult to characterise and interpret. Whilst there is general agreement that the world is extremely witnessing profound economic, technological and cultural changes, there is less agreement on whether these constitute a continuation of quality education.
To Chapman (1999), adult learners in most situations have to plan from scratch, in other words, be self-creative. However, it is not enough that such learners are dependent to what they discover along the way. There is a need for them to validate the credibility and factualness of the knowledge they learned by themselves by using the standards of evaluation present in formal learning. Thus, the role of professional mentors in monitoring is important. Chapman’s study clearly indicates that adult education uses both traditional and non-traditional pedagogical methods and guaranteed that the combination of both can obtain more positive results.
As people move from the ‘field’ of adult education to a ‘moor land’ of adult learning, so the guiding paradigms of adult education, its theory, purposes and practices, need reconfiguring and new conceptual resources are required to make sense of the contemporary conjuncture and of the place of adult education within that (Bryant, et al. 1997). Bryant and colleagues affirmed that it would be difficult to argue that adult education can sustain itself, as it is presently constituted in the face of the challenges posed by late modernity/post-modernity.
As compared from other authors, Dinmore (1997) conducted his research focusing on the importance of interdisciplinarity and integrative learning in adult education. He deemed that experiential learning is more appropriate in adult education especially in terms of interdisciplinary studies, thus, involving interaction to either formal or non-formal learning environments. Adults learn in a variety of ways. Regardless of whether their learning is derived in a formal or an informal setting, the way in which they learn is closely connected with the diverse experiences in their life (Dinmore 1997). Previous adult education scholars like Lindeman and also practitioners noted the apparent tendency of adult learners to integrate their experiences in an attempt to assign meaning. This fact means that adult learners are inclined to self-learning and personal discovery. Dinmore’s study proves the mutual effectiveness of traditional and discovery or collaborative learning in adult education. Similarly, he acknowledged the unique abilities of both approaches especially in terms of knowledge assimilation of interdisciplinary subjects. The individual evaluation of teaching methods particularly the teacher in traditional classroom setting was also included. Based on the findings, an important factor in many adult students’ evaluation of teaching effectiveness is whether their instructor has been able to make connections between course content, the rest of their study program, and their own experience (Dinmore 1997; Dinmore and Rohrer 1996). At the end of his research after his recommendation for further investigation, Dinmore suggested that interdisciplinary studies and integrative learning is more appropriately match the needs of learning (adult) population when its resources are manage carefully.
In any industry, the employees are adult and the learning attitude and motivators are different from the children. To motivate the adult to learn, the implication method is different from children and necessary to understand adult learning process. Knowles’ theory of andragogy is specifically for adult learning. It emphasised that adults are self-directed and expect to take responsibility for decision. According to Knowles (1984), adults are themselves a richer resource for one another’s learning than youths. They are less dependent on the vicarious experiences of teachers, experts and textbooks. Adults have a broader foundation of past experience on which to base new learning. From their past experience, adults may have more fixed habits of thought and ways of doing a task, and sometimes this gets in the way of their better habits. When the trainer conducts training at the workplace and the participants are more experienced than the trainer, the participants are not willing to listen or even challenge the trainer, as they believe they are the experts. In this situation, trainer may consider allow the trainees to take the leading role and allow them to have more experience sharing. As Knowles (1984) stated that adults learn more effectively through experiential techniques of education such as discussion or problem solving. Moreover, adult have a strong need to apply what being designed not only according to the needs of the learner, but also learner can apply new acquired skills or knowledge at workplace.
In general point of view, HR Development (HRD) is an integrated area of study of the developmental practices of organisations so that they may accomplish higher levels of individual and organisational effectiveness (Sambrook 2000). The development of intellectual capital is seen on how individuals work towards their own motivations (willingness or commitment) and application of behaviours (capacity or competencies). The missing element of opportunity is provided using training and development mechanisms (Noe 2006) that aim to identify, assure, and help individuals to perform current or future jobs with planned individual learning accomplished through training, on-the-job learning, coaching or other means. In these ways, knowledge capital is developed towards productivity and performance.
NLP in Transforming Stress to Motivational Energies
The following is the directly quoted content of the HRD intervention the author has personally experienced.
Course Name
NLP in Transforming Stress to Motivational Energies
Aim & Objectives
With this fast pacing society that we are working & living in, everyone is facing more and more stress. Without the ability to master Emotion and Stress effectively, we may soon be “Burnt-out.” What benefits will be there for the persons as well as for the organization? Is there a way to oversee and take charge of our Emotions / Stress?
Come & join the workshop: Be the CEO of your Stress!
Course Content
What are Emotions?
- Are Negative Emotions useful?
- What is Stress?
- Where does Stress come from?
Managing our Stress
- Body-Mind-Emotions system
- Are you at ‘Cause’ or at ‘Effect’?
- Effects of Beliefs & Values
Effective NLP techniques
- Mission Positive
- Visualization
- Redefine meanings of stress
Transforming Stress into Motivational Energies
- Positive Thinking Strategies
- Eliminating ‘Thought Virus’
- Building the mindset for success
Training Format
Face to face lectures
Mingles, Group Discussions,
Demonstrations, Exercises
Role plays, Case Studies
Managing Workplace Stress: an application
In the present day work environment, expectations exceed regarding the workloads and task requirements among employers and employees. Multi-tasking defines the current situation in most of business organisations as advances in technology especially in the use of the computer and the Internet continues.
Stress lowers the efficiency of the employees to perform their tasks. Some forms of stress management should be undertaken to alleviate the stress and its negative effects to the goals of both the organisation and the individual. Employees should perceive they are going to benefit or they will not voluntarily participate. Organisations must believe the benefits will outweigh the costs or they will not establish any stress management program.
According to Crampton and group (1995), in order to help organisations alleviate stress within them, they must consider the forms of strategic management. The major stressors in the workplace must be properly identified and assessed, and the concerned personnel must help their employees identify their major personal sources of stress. Developing goals or the program may not be as effective as possible and the results will be difficult to measure. The goals should be clear, as specific as possible, and measurable. They should focus on attitudinal adjustments, modification of behaviours, and any skills to be acquired. In addition, individuals and organisations must perceive the goals as realistic and attainable.
There must be a support by top management. Also, there must be a communication with employees about the benefits of stress management. They should explain what stress is along with the health implications of excess or dysfunctional stress, and employees should be encouraged to lead healthier lives by lowering their stress on the job as well as at home. Furthermore, the employees must be assisted in identifying their own stressors and stress tolerance levels. Before learning how to deal with stress, employees first have to identify those stressors which they react to because not everyone responds the same way to the same stressors. To aid this process, organisations might provide health risk appraisals which test for their employees’ levels of stress.
Employees must be taught to recognise symptoms of excessive and dysfunctional stress. Taking for example on the cases of earlier studies, symptoms often include intestinal distress, rapid pulse, frequent illness, insomnia, persistent fatigue, irritability, nail biting, lack of concentration, and increased use of alcohol and drugs (Miller 1988). The common methods used to help identify stressors and symptoms include self-report measures (e.g., interviews and surveys), behavioural measures (e.g., observation and performance measures) and physiological stress measures (e.g., heart rate and blood pressure) (Fleming and Baum 1986).
Individualised programs must be developed in order to meet the needs of the employees. Moreover, the organisation must communicate with its employees. Providing more information about their jobs and other factors that affect them will help employees feel more in control of their circumstances and can help build cohesion. Organisations must also communicate and describe the stress management strategies available to employees and help them develop personalised action plans. The programs should also be implemented in stages. If all aspects of a program are implemented at one time and parts of the program fail, employees will lose faith in the program and in management. This will be another cause of anxiety and stress for the employee.
Lastly, the organisation must help the employees to keep a positive perspective on life and feel a sense of purpose. It is important for employees to feel they are making a valuable contribution to the organisation. However, Crampton and group (1995) emphasise that there is evidence that stress management programs are not only cost effective but also improve relationships and the overall quality of life within the workplace. Developing effective stress management programs can be complicated and time consuming. However, providing such programs should be viewed as an investment rather than an expense, because they ultimately can make employees healthier and happier and the organisation more successful.
To end, before categorically defining which effective and quiet ineffective pedagogical approach is, it is important to know that learning depends to some degree on the theoretical lens a person use to look at it. For instance, the behaviourist lens sees it as the acquisition of knowledge and skills that changes a person’s behaviour. On the other hand, the cognitive theorist’s lens focuses more on the acquisition of knowledge than on the resulting behaviour change. Thus, it is safe to state that whatever strategy in learning used in education, effects will be remain constant given the fact that the subject of application, area of study, the teacher’s and students’ factors, and other potential affecting factors are carefully studied and considered. Based on the discussions above, it is found out that the concept of learning can serve as strategy that the management can take to build-up its competitive edge. The ability of a business to stay in significant period of time in the industry where it belongs is one measure of its success. This means that being able to survive is a necessity and survival translates to the ability of a business to compete. This is done through learning – may it be individual or organizational in nature.
References
Beechler, S and Bird, A (1999) Japanese Multinationals Abroad – Individual and Organizational Learning, Oxford University Press, New York
Bell, M, Martin, G, and Clarke, T (2004) ‘Engaging in the future of e-learning: a scenarios-based approach’, Education + Training, August, 46: 6/7, 296-307
Bryant, I, Johnston, R, and Usher, R (1997) Adult Education and the Postmodern Challenge: Learning beyond the Limits, Routledge, London
Castronova, JA (2002) Discovery Learning for the 21st Century: What is it and how does it compare to traditional learning in effectiveness in the 21st Century? [online] (cited June 11, 2008) Available from http://chiron.valdosta.edu/are/Litreviews/vol1no1/castronova_litr.pdf
Chapman, B. S. (1999). Praxis: An Adult Education Practicum. Adult Learning. Vol. 11, No. 1, p. 14.
Crampton, SM, Hodge, JW, Mishra, JM, and Price, S (1995) ‘Stress and Stress Management’, SAM Advanced Management Journal, 60: 3, 10+
Dinmore, I (1997) ‘Interdisciplinarity and Integrative Learning: An Imperative for Adult Education’, Education, 117: 3, 452+
Dinmore, I and Rohrer, T (1996) ‘Adult student work experience and teacher performance evaluation’, Proceedings of the 21st International Conference on Improving University Teaching, presented under the auspices of the Nottingham Trent University and the University of Maryland University College
Fleming, I and Baum, A (1986) ’Psychobiological Assessment’, Journal of
Organizational Behavior, 8: 2, 9+
Foreman, J (2003) ‘Next Generation Educational Technology versus the Lecture’, EduCause Review, July/August, [online] (cited June 11, 2008) Available from http://www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/erm0340.pdf
Griffin, C, Holford, J, and Jarvis, P (2003) The Theory & Practice of Learning, Kogan Page, London
Kagan, T and Meidow, A (2002) ‘What are some of the main philosophies in the field of Adult Education?’ in Schugurensky, D. (Ed.) Questions and Answers on Adult Education, Department of Adult Education, Community Development and Counselling Psychology, The Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto (OISE/UT) [online] (cited June 11, 2008) Available from http://fcis.oise.utoronto.ca/~daniel_sch/faqs/qa4.html.
Lau, C and Ngo, H (2004) ‘The HR system, organizational culture, and product innovation’, International Business Review, 13: 6, 685-703
Miller, A (1988) ‘Stress on the Job’, Newsweek, 40-45
Pearce, JA and Robinson, RB (2000) Strategic Management: Formulation, Implementation and Control, Irwin/McGraw Hill, Boston, MA
Pham, NT and Swierczek, FW (2006) ‘Facilitators of organizational learning in design’, The Learning Organization, 13: 2, 186 – 20
Noe, RA (2006) Employee Training and Development (4th Edition), McGraw Hill Irwin, New York
Raggatt, P, Edwards, R and Small, N (2002) ‘Introduction: From adult education to a learning society?’ in Raggatt, P., Edwards, R. and Small, N. (eds), The Learning Society: Challenges and trends, Routledge/Falmer, New York, pp. 1-9
Sambrook, S (2000) ‘Talking of HRD’, Human Resource Development International, 3: 2, 159-178
Sims, RR and Sims, SJ eds. (1995) The Importance of Learning Styles: Understanding the Implications for Learning, Course Design, and Education, Greenwood Press, Westport, CT
Snell, RS (2002) ‘The Learning Organization, sensegiving and psychological contracts: a Hong Kong case’, Organization Studies, July 7 issue
Sternberg, RJ and Zhang, L eds, (2001) Perspectives on Thinking, Learning and Cognitive Styles, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Mahwah, NJ
Thompson, AA and Strickland, AJ (2003) Strategic Management: Concept and Cases (13th Edition), McGraw Hill, New York
Reflection
One of the most effective strategies that are irrevocable and proven to be effective is allowing learning to take place progressively. Learning, according to Griffin and colleagues (2003, p. 4), is generally known as a process in which rational individuals acquire knowledge, skills, attitudes, values, beliefs, emotions, and senses. Popular beliefs affirm that today’s learning is not only focused and limited on knowledge acquisition and development in behavior or confined within the corners of academies, colleges, and universities but also occurs in social institutions like learning organizations, learning societies, and others. The continuous and permanent process of learning naturally occurs on every person on constantly expected basis and it is up to his/her ability to utilize such learning for his/her survival. For learning is a continuous lifetime process, I always see to it that in everything I do, I will gain knowledge or innovative information that will make me a better, rational and worthy person. To complement with the dynamic changes of the society and provide the high-end demands of daily life, I must adhere to the idea that every person who thirsts for knowledge or information needs to subject him/her self to learning in order to sustain such changes and demands.
A significant part of learning is the development of existing and acquisition of new skills and abilities. The Group Facilitation Exercise, DIY Tripod that was presented by our group aims to develop skills and abilities. Through the exercise the following outcomes are realized:
- terminal behavior – tripod is made by yourself using recycled materials (e.g. chopsticks and strings)
- a statement of standard – participants know how to make some basic knots through steps by steps
- a statement of conditions – creative thinking, applying the knot skills to make another products, teamwork and cooperation are learnt during the learning process
As among the designer, developer and facilitator, I assumed the following responsibilities:
Þ prepare task allocation sheet
Þ prepare Evaluation Form
Þ prepare training materials, e.g. recycled chopsticks and strings, scissors, chocolate/candies
Þ give ideas during the group discussion
Þ as facilitator to help participants in practical exercises, assist them to complete the target
Þ comment each group’s performance, recall learning objective, introduce advance training
Þ distribute evaluation forms and handouts to all participant
These responsibilities allowed me to learn in simple ways like dealing with other people and creative thinking. Dealing with people, particularly in teams, help me realize the important of cooperation and teamwork. With my group, I was able to socialize with them by sharing ideas that will make our presentation more compelling and educational in purpose. The presentation proper also developed my self-confidence because I need to speak in front of everyone with conviction and the assurance that I know what am talking about. I can say that I am very successful with this. Communicating before a large audience is very scary at first thought because it requires a lot of courage. But then, I was able to do it successfully because of the innate social skill, which I develop better in this exercise. The social skills that I have is very useful in dealing to all people I will encounter in the future. Also, the comments that I shared provided opportunity for each participant to be more rational individuals. They are stimulated by possible and other alternative ideas. Active discussion was started through the ideas that I am sharing with them. In my group, I was able to develop the essence of teamwork. Teamwork is manifested when a group is working together as team towards the achievement of a common goal. In our team, there is a communal sharing of roles and responsibilities and development of new skills to improve the team’s performance is prioritized at hand. Rather than looking to a leader to define the goal and approach, we identify and reach consensus to our common goal and approach, especially on the learning outcomes of the exercise. All in all, I can say that this exercise developed the spirit of teamwork in all of us. In terms of creative thinking, we are able to convert recycled materials (e.g. chopsticks and strings) into a useful thing – the tripod. Creativity is very important because it measures the ability of a person to think beyond what is already known. All ideas from a creative person are considered innovative or fresh. The exercise is the manifestation of this creativity that I and my group hold.
There is no hard part in learning on this exercise because the presentation involves simple learning process. What is outstanding in this exercise is the ability of the whole team to successfully finish the exercise and present it to the audience. In sum, the experience allowed me to develop existing social skills and acquire further self-confidence as I presented the activity to an audience. Teamwork was maximized. The undying cooperation that each of us in the team possess made us successful in accomplishing this endeavor. I also realized that teamwork is important in achieving a common goal. Every member of the team is expected to share his/her own resources – may it be tangible or intangible in nature. I also reached the peak of my creativity. Together with my teammates, we are able to come up with a simple tripod and teach (and even learn) knot tying techniques that we can use in domestic activities. Doing the exercise allowed me to expand my horizon on learning. Even if it was just a simple exercise, I am able to share what I have to the whole group. Learning is rewarding if it resulted to a successful endeavor. But in case we are not successful in this exercise, I still believe that learning will take place. Again, learning is natural. It is constant. Looking forward with the demands of contemporary life, I am always open to new learning processes and outcomes. As I continue to educate myself and subject it to further learning, I will be better in time. Learning is my ultimate weapon in achieving success, not only in my academic life but also in my entire existence.
Reference
Griffin C, Holford J and Jarvis P 2003 The Theory & Practice of Learning. London: Kogan Page.
Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com
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