Setting Up and Developing a Structured Social Learning System to Improve Performance Competence
Published January 21, 2022
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Book Cover:
Book Description:
409 pages.
Table of Contents
Preface.
Foreword.
Section A: Introduction to Structured Social Learning.
Chapter 1: Performance-Based Structured Social Learning in an Enterprise Learning Context.
Chapter 2: The Oil Field Explorationists Story.
Chapter 3: Enterprise Social Learning Continuums, and Blends of Modes and Media.
Chapter 4: The Roles and Responsibilities in Structured Social Learning.
Chapter 5: Structured Social Learning Guides.
Chapter 6: Implementing a Structured Social Learning System Overview.
Section A Summary.
Section B: Structured Social Learning Development Processes.
Chapter 7: Conducting the Analysis Efforts.
Chapter 8: Conducting the Design Efforts.
Chapter 9: Conducting the Development Efforts for Performance Tests.
Chapter 10: Conducting the Development Efforts for Structured Social Learning Guides.
Chapter 11: Conducting the Testing Efforts for Structured Social Learning Guides Before Implementation.
Section B Summary.
Section C: Standing Up, Administrating, and Maintaining a Structured Social Learning System.
Chapter 12: The Design of a Structured Social Learning System’s Subsystems and the Key Roles Involved.
Chapter 13: Planning & Implementing a Structured Social Learning System.
Chapter 14: Ongoing Operations & Administration of a Structured Social Learning System.
Chapter 15: Evaluation and Continuous Improvement of the Structured Social Learning System Results.
Section C Summary.
Section D: Book Summary.
Appendices and Back Matter.
Appendix A: Modular Curriculum Development Phases and Tasks.
Appendix B: Example Project Tasks Per Phase for the Design & Implementation of a Structured Social Learning System.
Appendix C: References & Resources.
About the Author.
Index.
Detailed Table of Contents.
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Foreword
David James
Chief Learning Officer at Looop by 360Learning
London, England
What happens in organisations today before they introduce a Learning & Development team?
Well, the leaders set the tone for what kind of organisation it is. Intentionally or otherwise. Employees follow their lead and role model their leaders’ language and actions. New starters are shown the way – again, either intentionally or otherwise – so they can understand what is expected, what is acceptable and how they might get the right things done there.
Then, as the organisation grows and things become more complex this model is rarely scaled. Instead, those who work there look to the outside for education on how they may improve the way people work. This may be in the form of events, training courses and online content and the genesis of Learning & Development is born. Those recruited into the Learning team afterwards are often tasked with maintaining and developing the education part, which is so prevalent that it may seem pedantic of me to challenge it.
But where this approach falls short is that it’s very rare that corporate education relates to the work that people are in any given organisation to do. Of course, it is intended that it will affect the work, in some way, but largely without any understanding or practical incorporation of what anybody is expected to deliver at the organisation.
Social Learning is the first approach described above. It is rich in context and, at its most effective, inextricably linked to performance and outcomes. But where it gets lost in the world of L&D ‘solutions’ is that there is no silver bullet that can be implemented to ‘do’ Social Learning for us – and therefore there is no external programme or learning technology platform implementation that can do the analysis for L&D or provide context rich-experiences and content that is required to make a reliable and demonstrable difference without it. Hence, Social Learning is largely misunderstood, over-simplified or dismissed as too time-consuming.
But what if I told you it may be the only chance you have of actually affecting performance and outcomes as well as closing the impending skills gaps? Interested? You should be.
With ‘Structured Social Learning for Enterprise Impact’ Guy Wallace proves again that, without doubt, he is the foremost authority on performance-oriented Learning & Development.
In this book, Guy acknowledges and addresses a complete approach for structured social learning for performance outcomes, not shying away from all contributory factors at the ‘point of work’ whilst addressing the cognitive aspects of performance, not just behaviour change. It’s with all of these considerations – in addition to decades of experience of doing this himself – that Guy is able to inspire and equip the reader with the tools to utilise Structured Social Learning (from analysis to testing) within their context.
This is not purely a theoretical book. It’s road-tested theory that I can see has its roots in what people in organisations do and need in their pursuit of expected and rewarded performance and outcomes.
I’ve run Learning & Development departments and I can be incredibly critical of approaches that seem fanciful and unlikely to get engagement – let alone results – or would fail to get sufficient support outside of HR. Believe me, I’ve seen many in this profession. This book is the path to Social Learning that works and not one that relies on it perhaps happening without L&D; or L&D relying on untended consequences – or nice-to-haves – as a result of their activity.
Any L&D leader could fast-track their own professional development by reading this book and following Guy’s lead. Another must-read from the inimitable Guy Wallace.
Early Reviews
Matthew C. Day
Anthropology PhD Research Student
UK National Health Service
England
This book provides a complete guide for establishing systems of social ‘coached’ learning that enable an organisation to cultivate learning and expertise transfer for targeted performance competence. The text starts with a detailed introduction to ‘Structured Social Learning’. The reader is provided with a detailed breakdown of key categories for interpreting necessary performance variables, an outline of the system, its constituting roles, features, and functions, and how to identify and define desired outputs. This thorough introduction is supported by a rich and personal case-example from Wallace’s experiences developing and applying such systems of social learning.
The main body of the text builds on this introduction to sequentially guide the reader through processes of analysis, design, development, and implementation for developing social learning systems. This includes a sophisticated application of Wallace’s ‘modular curriculum development’ to construct ‘the building blocks of structured social learning guides’ along with a detailed range of modes and media for learning/instructional designs and tests for performance competence. These guides and tests are generated by, maintained, and organised through a phased process of clearly defined leadership, core, and support structures that enable transparent and credible governance and assurance models for concise communications, administration, monitoring, reporting, and change management. Wallace’s approach makes accountability clear throughout and ensures that the production of social learning is cohesive, economic, and measurable: ultimately targeting efforts to where rewards and risks are high for an optimal output from time and resources.
In addition to providing a detailed method to design ‘structured social learning’ through a systems approach, the book offers equal attention to the operation of such systems, the management of pertinent data, and the balance between legitimate continuity and continuous improvement. This book, like the other current texts in Wallace’s 2020s books series, requires no previous introduction to Wallace’s approach. However, I felt at substantial advantage having read Conducting Performance-based Instructional Analysis (2020), The 3 Ds of Thought Flow Analysis (2021), and Performance-based Lesson Mapping and Instructional Development (2021). Structured Social Learning for Enterprise Performance Impact is an excellent addition to the series. Wallace presents an authentic and pragmatic approach for developing structured social learning, particularly ideal for those leading, designing, or reviewing organisational learning and development strategy. This book provides proactive and tangible methods that are responsive to the popularising epistemological interest in ‘cultures of learning’, the increasing value placed on local situated leadership, and the importance of transferring expertise within the workplace.
Chuck Georgo, CPT,
Executive Director, NOWHERETOHIDE.ORG, LLC
USA
“In my personal experience, Structured Social Learning (SSL) is the most natural of ways that humans learn; that being from other humans. It begins early in life when your parents taught you to hold a spoon or to ride a bicycle. Later in school, although you weren’t aware of the fact, SSL was how you learned to play a musical instrument or to kick a field-goal. In his 18th book, Guy Wallace lays out a comprehensive “how to” for bringing the SSL approach into your organization as a tool to increase the performance and fluency of your staff, in turn helping your organization to better achieve its financial and societal goals.
Matthew Richter
President, The Thiagi Group
USA
“Coaching has become a driving support for performance management for decades now. Countless books, trainers, and thought leaders have preached heavily on the need to coach. But, as far as I can tell, none have broken down the mechanics of social learning structure (the grandparent of modern coaching) in a way that is so readily transferrable to the work environment as Guy Wallace has done in his latest treatise on performance support.
In STRUCTURED SOCIAL LEARNING, Guy breaks down the mechanics for how coaching in the workflow happens in various contexts, how you can adopt and adapt it into your workflow, and how to evaluate whether what you have done actually worked. The book is densely filled with practical and prescriptive formats you can readily apply to your own contexts. Buy the book! Please read the book!! And then give it to all your colleagues and friends.”
Harijanto Tjahjono, EdD
Instructional Designer
Lecturer and Researcher in Learning and Development
University of Surabaya
Indonesia
A must have for learning professionals! Reading this book feels like walking next to an expert in performance improvement (which Guy Wallace is) and listening to him guiding you through every step of implementing a system of social learning (otherwise known as on-the-job training).
Mr. Wallace’s years and years of experience in guiding companies building their learning system shines through in this book. If you are an L&D professional this book is a valuable addition to your personal or company library.
There are so many gems and references on how to develop your learning system that you will check the book frequently for Mr. Wallace’s wisdom. I know I will!
John W. Toups
Owner and CEO of eTracker
USA
I am personally and professionally impressed with the thoroughness of this book! This process will help the employee with clarity and support to develop the right behavior and critical thinking that the work and the environment will reveal. It is sure to produce a fulfilling experience and win-win results!
Sofie Willox
Senior Learning Architect
Owner of So We Grow
Belgium
Social learning is one of the most powerful and oldest ways to learn. Organizations today are changing their focus (fortunately) from classroom trainings towards Social Learning. However, what we don’t always do, is doing so following a structured approach.
In this book expert Guy Wallace guides the reader step by step to a structured approach and takes structured social learning to the next level. By following this process, L&D professionals make visible and non-tangible behaviors and decision making processes tangible. This does not only lead to a more transparent and objective approach, but also maps out the ROI of social learning.
This is a book for both Talent Development professionals, working in generic functions as well as for learning designers dedicated to dive into the topic of structured social learning.
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