Topic: Educational Pedagogy.
A conversation starter from Combined Arms Consulting:
Points covered
1 - Training is a process, not an event
2 - Establishing trust and connection is critical for knowledge transfer
3 - Enjoy what you do and above all be creative.
I come to this conversation with years of experience in the tertiary sector, teaching over 25 leadership and management subjects, and before that, decades of mentoring and guiding organizations in the pursuit of their goals.
Based on my observations, many educators are transactional in nature rather than empathic or transformational in their pedagogical approach. They tend to teach facts rather than themes, outcomes rather than the critical thinking process.
Considering school days, sat in rows. taking notes, hands up, little interaction, and where there was, it was structural; the teacher was boss. Remind you of your business?
Let's reflect, book a room, have a presenter, folders, note pads, maybe a breakout room, and 2 weeks later, the status quo returns.
Malcolm Knowles, an educationalist, challenged adult teaching methods with a model called andragogy — adult learning through an experiential universe. He realised that you must not discount the years of experience adults bring to the learning table
In addition, I would add that for effective learning to take place, the facilitator must establish a safe space, a human connection with the cohort, and above all, have fun.
So why is this not done?
Dollars are there, motivation is there, and knowledge is there; the challenge may be a philosophical one.
The corporate educators have gone through the transactional university system, and that is their ref base, not in all cases, but in many.
The way an organisation teaches reveals what it actually believes about its people. Do you see them as automatons?
Do you think their experience has real value in a room? Is hierarchical structure more important than organic growth?
Training is not about ticking current boxes, but it can be about identifying new boxes.
It's about creating an innovative thought process within your cohort and encouraging it.
Great organisations don't just employ people. They grow them. They build cultures where every project is a learning opportunity, every mistake earns a proper debrief, and every person believes their development matters.
That isn't a perk. It's a strategy.
Effective transformational teaching does not end in the classroom; it is supported by ongoing mentoring and review models, by a culture that fosters intellectual and personal growth, and by a leadership group that is not driven by personal ego but rather rejoices in the achievement of others.
Is this conversation worth pursuing for your enterprise? Please reach out
Asking questions never asked — Combined Arms Consulting
