Causes for complacency

The world is changing fast, but not that fast. Surprisingly, the forces of conservatism can be at their strongest in the training department. We may send our executives on expensive courses at top business schools to learn about the management of change, but we’d rather not have too much of that around here, thank you. And even more surprisingly (touch of sarcasm here), the IT department is even more resistant to change. They’d like you to carry on training in the classroom, preferably with an OHP, because then they don’t have to provide any support.

And many learners will be understandably sceptical about the prospects of learning from a computer. After all, they’re used to just turning up at the required time and place, smiling nervously and waiting to be processed. Rather like the dentists, in fact. Although the idea’s been around a long time, many people have yet to come to terms with the idea of taking responsibility for their own learning and, indeed, their own careers. That requires self-discipline and facing the reality of an uncertain future.