I’ve always thought I lived more in the future than in the past or present. Ismail Salem, author of Exponential Organisations, and Peter Diamandis, co-founder of Singularity University understand what living in the future is about.
Together, these mind-blowing leaders focus on helping CEOs understand the disruptive trends that are likely to impact their industries, making bold claims that “any business designed for the 20th century will not last in the 21st century”.
With technology’s capability doubling every year, the world is becoming digitized, dematerialized, disruptive and democratized and disruptive businesses are continuously impacting the education, learning and development industries.
The Khan Academy (www.khanacademy.org), a non-profit educational organization created in 2006 by educator Salman Khan, provides "a free, world-class education for anyone, anywhere". Producing micro lectures in the form of YouTube videos, the organization currently has over 20
videos, the organization currently has over 20
million registered users.
If organizations like the Khan Academy continue with their mission, it challenges the big expensive business schools and universities. What might happen to the training business if all the leadership and soft skills training that an organization might need is made available free of cost?
A startup in Dubai is already offering services to parents and children in the region through TeachMeNow (www.teachmenow.com)—an open marketplace similar to eBay, but for online tutors. Anyone can learn and teach online, anytime and anywhere: all you need is a Wi-Fi connection. With over 800 experts from around the world, including graduates from LSE, MIT, Harvard, Yale and Princeton.
As L&D professionals, we not only need to be aware of the changes in our training toolkit, we also need to be conscious of the learning needs our executives have, in order to adapt and embrace this level of change in the business.
Chris Tchen, Client Director at Eden McCallum, a global consulting firm, cautions us all: “It’s not that incumbent companies don’t see disruption coming, but rather that their governance, financial and risk management systems all unwittingly conspire to suppress action."
COLUMN - What's Next?
BY HAZEL JACKSON
what's next?
40 | TRAINING MAGAZINE MIDDLE EAST JAN 2015
in learning & development