The 20th century systems that we built our education, economy, and social structures on are being challenged. For learning and development this can be an opportunity to lead our organizations to even greater success in these turbulent times but only if we embrace the shift.

1. The

2. On Friday May 17th at 9:45 am we felt an earthquake (5.2 on Richter
scale)
How many felt it?
I Didn’t
On Friday May 17th at 9:45 am we felt an
earthquake (5.2 on Richter scale)
How many felt it?
I Didn’t

3. Geology lesson
Earthquakes everywhere occur on faults within bedrock, usually miles
deep.
So deep in the bedrock lie tectonic plates and their boundaries are
better known as fault lines . Movement of these plates is constant but
the boundaries or faults are rough, they get stuck and when enough
pressure builds, they shift and this is an earthquake.
So movement is constant and mostly unknown to people but
regardless the shifts, big or small, are happening and changing our
world
www4.ncsu.edu

4. See the red line that’s how far that quake would reach in about 46
seconds (2-3KM per second)
Its at this time that the US geological Survey can receive the earliest
data … not thru their traditional seismic technology
Through Twitter reports - TED – Twitter Earthquake Detection System
20th Century solutions were not located and/or fast enough to respond
to the need. The same holds true in our organizations and for the
workforce we support

5. Twitter & Earthquakes – Powerful symbols of the world we live in
today.
When things change fast we need the right information at the right
time in order to respond.
I believe we are in the midst of a great economic, societal,
technological shift.
The shift is altering our perspectives, shaking our foundations and
propelling quickly forward – ready or not!
Globalization, Technology, Learning. Our Profession is not immune.
The economy a great indicator of the shift

6. Lets look at a few supporting examples:
Employment - Syracuse over the past 10 years - GRIM
(From Bureau of Labor statistics)

7. Here today, gone tomorrow … Blockbuster video, Border’s Books, Post
Standard daily, Apple?
With it the ideals of stability, loyalty, trust
Here today, gone tomorrow … Blockbuster video, Border’s Books, Post
Standard daily, Apple?
With it the ideals of stability, loyalty, trust
# of
Years
Decade
Lifespan of S&P 500 Companies
1930 1950 1970 1990 2000 2010
0
20
40
60
Deloitte’s Center for the Edge
15

8. Corporate profits at record highs and yet jobs are scarce – why?
Stability is the exception not the norm. “JOBS” are an icon of the past.
Our work situations our work environments are changing – How can
we make sense of it all??

9. This is Dave Snowden’s Sense making Model – Cynefin (Kunevin –
Celtic …the habitat)
This is a busy slide. Lets look at this another way and how this model
can help

10. Kayaking
In a Pond – (simple - observerable) Known, circular, open, calm, -
internal senses
In a Stream – (Expertise available) Knowable, moving, narrowing, - turn
to experts
In Rapids –Unpredictable, fast-moving, turbulent, treacherous –
multiple feelers/senses on alert, constant small tests/appraoches
In a Tsunami – Act fast, survive.
Known
KnowableUnpredictable
House on
fire
Sense, Categorize, Respond
Sense, Analyze, RespondProbe, Sense, Respond
Act, Categorize, Respond
Complex Complicated
SimpleChaotic

11. Our world and the world of work we support is shifting
1. We have shifted from Simple agrarian models to Complex models.
1. Simple work: mentoring, apprenticeships and tacit
knowledge sharing were appropriate, effective
2. Complicated work: knowledge can be codified, behavior that
was repeatable was valuable.
3. Training was ideal
Today simple work is being automated (ATMs, Forklifts, Auto
manufacturing, etc). Complicated work is sent overseas (Code, call
centers, Custom apparel)
SHIFT!
6. Workers need information today, knowledge is flowing, not static
7. Value is in learning – continuously, through networks

12. Energy is building - Joining and dissolving just as quickly. The world
has shifted from complicated to complex
What does this mean for learning professional?
How do we adjust to support complex work?
L&D shift from:
Content creators to curators
Knowledge management to personal knowledge management
Learning Event coordinators to Continuous learning enablers
Course builders to community facilitators

13. How do we start?
We must connect.
Become more open and transparent. Become nodes in a (Personal
learning) network.
To support continuous learning – we must continuously learn
It is here we Seek – Sense – and Share (Harold Jarche)
Here are my key Thought Leaders and I invite you to reach out to them
– it’s a good starting point.
Harold Jarche
Life in
Perpetual Beta
Andrew McAfee
Race Against the
Machine
John Seeley Brown
The Power
of Pull
Jay Cross
The Working
Smarter
Field Book
Euan Semple
Organizations Don’t
Tweet People Do
Jon Husband
Wirearchy

14. This is the shift.
We can mock it, we can fear it, but we can not deny it.
Take a lesson from earthquakes – if we dismiss the shift, where does
the fault lie?
The

15. References
Dave Snowden - http://cognitive-edge.com/ - @snowded
Jon Husband – http://wirearchy.com/ - @jonhusband
Harold Jarche – http://www.jarche.com/ - @hjarche
Euan Semple – http://euansemple.com/theobvious - @euan
John Seely Brown – http://www.johnseelybrown.com/ - @jseelybrown
Jay Cross – Internet Time http://www.internettime.com/ - @jaycross
Andrew McAfee – http://andrewmcafee.org/blog/- @amcaffe