Why A Book Circle Over Traditional Training?

Earlier today, I had a conversation with a Head of Learning and Development at a global tech company.

It wasn't a "sales" conversation, just a meeting of the minds and a sharing of what we're seeing in L&D from where we each sit.

I love these conversations because there's no pitching on my part, and no insinuation anxiety and worry about offending me if they say "no."

I learn a lot about what they're looking for in an L&D vendor, and I also get to refine my own thinking through their great questions.

Here's what he says his company is struggling with:

✔️ an insufficient pipeline of high potential leaders, due to underinvestment in leadership over the past decade
✔️ lack of overall business acumen and executive thinking in leaders
✔️ siloed working and thinking, both within the organization and within the global marketplace
✔️ a conservative mindset which doesn't align with the fast pace of technology, and restricts bold decision-making
✔️ too much technical knowledge, and not enough people knowledge, which affects communication in multiple ways

His responses could have been a carbon copy of what I'm seeing across various industries and various countries.

When it was my turn to share about what I do, he asked : "Why a book circle and not a traditional training?"

Here was my answer to him, and what I would say to you:

💚 by taking my coaching background and applying it to a learning environment, people are empowered to make their own decisions
🩷 there are no "sage on the stage" moments because my role is to facilitate and coach, not to teach
🩵 it's slow, and paced out over time, making the content more present, and giving more space for reflection (which leads to more intentional integration)
💛 although I design the sessions, I didn't write the book, so I am more objective about the content, giving space for people to disagree
💜 it's accessible through a variety of means -- the book, the reflection questions, the learning partners, and, of course, the activities that I bring to each session

For those who have participated in the past, what did I miss?
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Does this sound like a kind of learning experience, you'd enjoy?

Originally posted on LinkedIn with comments.

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