#255 The apprenticeship model and transfer learning.

Embedded supports, roundtables, mastermind groups, and coaching support all go a long way toward achieving this goal under one condition - those people understand that information hoarding is not a good way to show up.

As one of the first cohorts of women to become a mechanic in the army, I went through a very formalized apprenticeship model. Women fought long and hard for an opportunity to be allowed in the trades. Of course, I reaped the benefits of that fight. Those women knew that we would need more than enough support if we were going to make a go of it in an adverse environment. After all, as hard as women fought to open up the trades, many others fought just as hard to keep us out. 

Much of the work I do today is influenced by the apprenticeship model. After all, if apprenticing is done well, all of that rich knowledge and tricks of the trade are passed on to the newbie. When it's done wrong - things can go wrong and you will end up in a world of financial hurt. There's nothing worse than having people stand back and wait for you to fail. Information hoarding is another way to ensure that a person doesn't get access to valuable resources. 

I dug deeper into the transfer of knowledge when I studied for my Adult Education Certificate. It was there that I realized that adults are not blank slates and they come to the table with their own information that could enrich the learning experience. With every new client, I walk away as a better business person. There's no doubt that in this day and age, I have often had a reciprocal mentoring relationship with those who knew more about tech than I did for example. 

Have you ever taken a class where you learned about a skill - cashflow comes to mind because many people don't want to know about cashflow when there's no cash flowing. What if you don't need to use that skill until years later? Usually by the time you do need it, you no longer have your mentor. Working in the military, that would never happen because there was always someone there who had experience with the thing you're trying to master. As long as there is a culture of information sharing, you'll likely find someone willing to chip in. I can share horror stories of one idiot watching me try and fail to replace a fuel pump knowing full well that I was doing it wrong. There were many more examples of older men who came alongside and said "let me show you how it's done."

This brings us to the art of relationship building - a good way to prove that others don't belong is to hold back the love - hoard the knowledge and refrain from sharing the tips of the trade. I didn't fare so well at Law School for some of these reasons. Even though I was a first generation university student living with a disability who came from a different social strata than you would traditionally find there, I was mainstreamed. I didn't know what I didn't know and didn't know what to ask for. The writing was on the wall - I likely wouldn't last. For lots of reasons. I walked away knowing that embedded supports are essential to that first cohort.

Embedded supports are so important at the organizational level. Coaching support and masterminds can supplement that when you're out there on your own. You need access to the wisdom.  After all, there's nothing finer than learning from folks who have been down the path that you're trying to clear for the first time. 

www.peoplecanbiz.com