Experiential learning: sustaining changes in people development

However, the results seem to fall short of expectations in the consistency and sustainability areas, while the investment in effort, time and money in developing people is not tangibly returned.
These critical issues are now in the spotlight as human-resource heads and chief executives alike want to find some other solutions or options for people development that can sustain the changes in behaviour and results.
Experiential learning has come into play in many leading organisations. This is the process of learning through experience, and is more specifically defined as “learning through reflection on doing”.
Based on America educational theorist David Kolb’s model, experiential learning starts from “acting” – gaining concrete experience through well-designed activities, simulations or real situations.
Then, learners “reflect” on what they have done. Reflecting is a crucial part of the experiential learning process, as it will lead to self-awareness and enhance the belief and feeling to change.
It is safe to say that bringing about experiential learning and reflection is challenging, but “a skilled facilitator, asking the right questions and guiding reflective conversation before, during and after an experience, can help open a gateway to powerful new thinking and learning”, according to educators Micah Jacobsen and Mari Ruddy.
“Conceptualising” is the third step. Learners will use analytical skills to conceptualise the experience.
Then, experiential learning ends with “applying” – the process by which participants use decision-making and problem-solving skills to apply the new ideas gained from experience to their real work situation.
It is clear that experiential learning can be used at any stage of development.
Use it at the very beginning of the learning programme to create awareness and buy-in from participants to the topics that they develop, and to engage all stakeholders – such as bosses, peers, subordinates or even customers – in their development programmes.
This process will encourage all stakeholders to build a supportive environment for participants to really be able to apply what they have learned in the real work situation.
When used as the last development session, it will let participants apply the knowledge and skills they have learned through the well-designed learning experience.
Experiential learning promotes the retention of learning concepts through concrete experience and self-reflection, and then learners can easily catch up the concepts and immediately apply what they’ve learned to their real work situation.
It creates a burning platform to change and the eagerness to learn.
The bottom line is that experiential learning is a unique intervention that goes back to the basics by making people “want” and “willing” to learn first, so that the tendency of continuous improvement and sustainable change will be and can be increased.

Boonchai Pongrungsap, a senior consultant in APMGroup’s leadership and talent development business unit, can be reached at [email protected] or www.facebook.com/apmgroupthai.