In Transforming Training Mackey and Livsey engage a very challenging but also very timely debate. We might be in the “learning age”, in the midst of a skills revolution, underpinned by a knowledge economy but are many of our organisations' learning functions appropriately designed and managed for the job they are increasingly expected to perform ? Explaining their title, the authors position their text as one about “journeys and road maps to better places”, by which they mean a state of “learning excellence”. But, these clichés aside the book is fundamentally about examining the approach an organisation might adopt in its efforts to manage learning most effectively in terms of organisation success. Thus, role and responsibility are central. Indeed, an aspect of the book I particularly welcomed was its discussion of the “one man band” scenario where one individual may be the only permanent resource assigned to learning and development.
The authors adopt the notion of “Learning Architecture” as the central organising theme within the book. How do organisations create, design and manage the building blocks of an effective learning environment within which systems and processes can deliver what is required? Critical, therefore, is the role of the “learning architect”, which it is argued provides a strong insight into the nature of the changing roles of the “Trainer Manager” and all the other more conventional titles used by organisations:
Managing learning as a tool for the modern organization requires leadership, craftsmanship, strategic thought and keen operation execution.
Four types of “learning architect” are developed. These are:
- 1.
The corporate learning architect: responsible for learning within an organisation – senior position managing a team of learning professionals.
- 2.
The tactical learning architect: responsible for learning within an organisation – senior position with learning and development background and no directly reporting team.
- 3.
The functional learning architect – responsible for learning in one area of an organisation. Probably with no learning and development background.
- 4.
The individual learning architect – mainly responsible for learning for individuals.
With this framework in place the book proceeds to foray into the sorts of challenges and issues problems and that will be faced by the range of architects described. Thus, broadly, the first half of the book concentrates on the processes of creating a learning environment from the view of both the organisation and those in the learning function. The second half looks at the skills and qualities required by “learning architects”.
My main concern with the text is that it is somewhat “thin” on what I would call a critical review of practice. Take corporate universities, for example. These get only a brief mention. But, from one case study the reader may conclude that this “vehicle” is one that might well be pursued by the corporate learning architect. In my mind, though, this warranted some considered reflection of the key issues raised by a nation of a corporate university (re‐arranging deckchairs, qualifications, research, etc). Similarly, the politics of learning management and development is touched on in terms of the discussion of the qualities of the “learning architect”. But it does not really address the point that, in all organisations of which I have any experience, learning is contested terrain. Some architects seek to challenge the way we think about buildings and how we use and relate to buildings. Perhaps here was a missed opportunity in terms of the “learning architect”. Even though four different learning architects are discussed, all are primarily underpinned with an orthodox view of learning as a contributor to organisational performance and profitability.
The book is very readable. One never doubts the authors are speaking with authority and experience. I liked the case studies, of which there are plenty, although it was a little odd that these remained anonymous. If I write a case study for my students it always seems to be perceived by them as not quite the “real thing”. Transforming Training deserves a place in the library of any student of learning, alongside the more practice oriented and “how to do it” texts.
