Have we reached the transformation stage in the customer experience hierarchy? If so, the role as an expert may have diminished substantially, and we are now seeking facilitators to guide us through our journey.
Some of you may not know what I mean by the customer experience hierarchy and how it relates to the transformation stage. In this video, Joe Pine explains the final offering in the Progression of Economic Value, the foundational model for understanding the role of Experiences in the history of economics. It was introduced to me in The Experience Economy, Updated Edition by Pine and Gilmore. It is worth the time to hear the message direct from Joe Pine.
Of course, everyone is not ready for this type of learning or experience. We all learn in different ways and at different rates. As a coach, I must be willing to adapt my thinking, my delivery to the learning methods that is best suited for the particular group, I am working with. This is an area that I believe is difficult for many facilitators due to the wide disparity of participants.
In a recent Lean Sales and Marketing Workshop, I found that my participants were Value Stream Managers, both Sales and Marketing Professionals, Vice-Presidents and Small Business Owners. I found it difficult to construct a message that would meet all their needs. If this was just a presentation but it was a full day workshop. In the end, my presentation was well-received but I did not have the interaction between the participants that I wanted.
I have realized that I must either narrow the message, I deliver such as Lean Service Design Trilogy Workshop or divide the group receiving the message. The Lean Sales and Marketing Workshop is now divided among three groups; Lean Champions, Sales and Marketing Professionals and Lean Consultants.
This is how I have tried to meet the new challenges in training and coaching. The other part of the equation is the participants and their organizations. They need to evaluate the training on whether it can be implemented and the cost of implementation. I believe that if organizations would take the time and develop a learning action plan before they attend a “learning experience” that they would reap much greater benefits. See my blog post and A3, Turning your Conference Learning into Action.
Granted, you may learn something that is not covered in the initial plan. In fact, I would actually hope that is the case. However, like all planning it is the act of planning that is important and the ability to adjust that plan to new circumstances. Without a dedicated plan of attack beforehand the likelihood of making a plan afterwards is more remote than what you may think.
Back to that transformation thing, I would contest that in the act of planning that you may find significant gaps in your ability to implement workshop learning without additional support. Transforming that learning requires additional time and more than likely coaching which often means additional expense. The question you will have to ask yourself,. How valuable is capturing the knowledge versus transforming the knowledge?