Ditch perfection.

Tonight I joined a panel to discuss how social media impacts learning in an organisation.

In my experience, one of the biggest challenges L&D professionals face has less to do with technology and more to do with planning and managing ‘the change’.

Adding social to workplace education introduces a new concept: rapid iteration. Information is constantly refreshed. Anyone can add to it. Learning spills outside the classroom walls. Education doesn’t have to ever stop at a scheduled time.

These consequences require a major shift in thinking and attitude.

Primarily, no more perfection and control.

Previously, these sort of traits were well-matched to rolling-out workplace learning programs. Boxes were ticked. Competency evaluation forms were completed.

A+, 100%, 10 out of 10.

These are qualities we strive for in most areas of life.

As years of schooling will testify, to achieve a perfect score in anything requires an enormous amount of discipline. You have to lay out – in advance – all the parts necessary to fill the ideal whole.

But what about when you can’t control or foresee all the moving parts?

Earlier this week Sarah wrote about the advantages of not knowing where you are going. Joe Robens wrote about letting go and cherishing moments. Last week I learnt a lot about the constant tension in chasing harmony.

Our world is in a constant state of flux – thanks in part to a revolution in technology.

As we become more connected, we create more opportunities, we add complexity and fluidity.

This mirrors the fundamental shift in the way that learning is happening in organisations. Social media means that everyone can access a range of people and services to support their own learning, and knowledge is forever in ‘beta’ – live and constantly updating.

Any efforts to maintain a rigid grip on our lives and learning experiences go against the grain.

In order to make sense of where we are now, we need start loosening the old anchors.

Ditch perfection.

Instead, stay nimble.

And don’t let all those blind spots get in the way, just get on with it.