Some Cannot See the Forest For the Trees

Promise Me Anything – But Give Me Valid Practices

Actually – Promise me Valid Practices. And promise me that there will be “no indifferent acceptance to Invalid Practices.”

I’ve been caught up recently (and again) on LinkedIn and Twitter exchanges about Learning Styles. Learning Styles as “Foo Foo” has been a thing for me since the late 1980s when I was first exposed to it at NSPI (now ISPI) and I’ve been publishing about it myself as being nonsense since 2000. In November 2011 I published this in elearning magazine:

Why Is the Research on Learning Styles Still Being Dismissed by Some Learning Leaders and Practitioners?

Many others have published on this Myth. Many times Many – but alas and alack – we still have miles to go. Collectively. As a profession. L&D. Learning & Development.

Or whatever flag you fly under.

Why is this such a BIG DEAL?

What Responsibility Do We Have – To Each Other and To Our L&D Clients & Stakeholders?

Good Stewards of Shareholder Equity: DO NOT Practice Invalid Methods.

Invalid Methods and Models, Tools and Techniques waste Shareholder Equity.

BTW – ROE – Is “Return on Equity” – Not “Return on Expectations.”

What Can We/You/I Do?

We can improve the Wisdom of Our Crowd – by following those who are established L&D Foo Foo Fighters. And re-Sharing what they share for the benefit of those who follow you. Be worth following.

Who would be on Your List of Debunkers?

When it finally is available, Clark Quinn’s newest book, “Millennials, Goldfish & and Other Training Myths” will provide you with a starting list of Myth Busters in our field. I suggest following them and those in their networks.

We can also join Will Thalheimers’ Debunkers Club to stay current on the Fads and Foo Foo in L&D worth and needing Debunking – and what to do/use instead. And to find even more Fellow Debunkers.

But Wait – There’s More…Unfortunately…

It’s not just Learning Styles. It’s not.

I started collecting my own Foo Foo Topics back in 2009 and have complied – but not kept current – the rebuttals from others about each in the list – on this set of pages on my website:

Foo Foo/Myth Fighting

• For Free: There is Too Much Foo Foo in ISD  – Many Links on Many Myth Topics – my attempt to codify what I have been taught to avoid by the wisdom of my crowd – at ISPI and elsewhere.  

Guerilla Foo Foo Warfare

You don’t have to declare yourself. Or you can.

But if our field is to have any credibility we have to find our way past invalid practices to proven practices and avoid the quicksand of Foo Foo on our journey. Become part of The Resistance to Foo Foo.

And…

We have to be Business Champions First and Practitioners of Valid Practices Second – for even Vaid Practices should be avoided if they squander Shareholder Equity. You’d feel the same way if it was all your money.

Carry on.

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