Enabling Change through Transformative Learning

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Change is Inevitable

We experience change in both personal and professional aspects of our lives. We navigate changes constantly, sometimes without noticing the gradual change of seasons throughout the year, our evolving choice of hobbies and priorities as we grow older, and even the ever-changing landscapes and buildings in the cities we live in. Consequently, without realizing, we internalize new lessons that accompany each change -we update our wardrobe to stay warmer in the cold seasons, we learn new skills to pursue those new hobbies that excite us so much, and we learn which roads to avoid on our way to our favorite spots in town. Thus, I think it’s safe to say that two inevitable constants in life are that we continuously change and as a result we consistently learn.

While we readily accept many of these changes as simple facts of life that occur in organic ways, other changes can be more challenging for us. Take for example navigating an upcoming restructure within the organization, taking on a new responsibility at work or collaborating in a virtual environment. These changes can be challenging even when we know exactly what we need to do to successfully execute them.

Leading Change as Instructional Designers

It’s likely that change will continue to be a constant due to increased competition, continuous digital enhancements, and unpredictable insurance and regulatory trends. Consider for example, a digital transformation initiative for an important process within your organization… For this change to be implemented successfully, instructional designers must play a key role as we are often at the forefront of the change, leading efforts from a training perspective. But the reality is that beyond providing training, there is a much bigger role to play as we become a key liaison between the digital transformation for example, and the employees who need to bring this change to life. 

We become important agents of change, when we work to create awareness of the change, provide employees with the knowledge and skills they will need, and identify gaps through our evaluation processes. Furthermore, through this evaluation, we can further examine each individual’s change journey and determine key areas where we need to provide additional reinforcements to ensure the successful implementation of these new expected behaviors. 

As Prosci states, “organizations don’t change, individuals do”.  If all the individuals do not change, the digital transformation initiative we use in this scenario might not look like what the organization had originally set out to accomplish. Thus, as learning leaders we actively have the power to transform by carefully designing learning experiences that cater to our employees individual learning journeys and that create positive transformative experiences.

Transformative Learning

So how can we do this? As instructional designers, we can leverage the power of transformative learning. Paronetto describes transformative learning as a process that “aims to develop a profound shift of consciousness and trigger emotional and cognitive reactions that transform one’s behavior and thinking”. She argues that by using transformative learning, we can develop a culture that fosters individual and shared reflection, ultimately helping us drive the change we want to see within the organization.

To facilitate transformative learning, we can use Jack Mezirow’s ten systematic steps as a framework which Paronetto summarizes into four main categories: disorienting dilemma, critical reflection, collaboration, and implementation.

Lohe describes the disorienting dilemma as “an experience that challenges one’s current beliefs/understanding and – importantly – requires a fundamental shift in perspective in order to resolve the dilemma.” The disorienting dilemma establishes that “aha” moment for learners. This is followed by critically reflecting on the scenario’s main assumptions and the consequences that entail. Learners proceed to collaborate with their peers who are within the same exploration phase and navigate the change by exploring new roles and solutions, this in turn can help build a sense of community. Finally, learners arrive at their planned action, and pursue the solution. Once learners have internalized this new way of thinking, they will integrate it into their problem-solving process moving forward.

Transformative Learning Opportunities

Let’s examine a few examples you could leverage to help create transformative learning opportunities for your employees: 

1. Mentoring programs- Willard suggests mentoring can facilitate the process of learning of skills and tasks described by Mezirow, which is focused on acquiring experience through problem-solving. 

   
   

2. Scenario-based learning- These type of learning activities, provide a safe environment where employees can encounter real life scenarios. You may consider leveraging more seasoned employees who exhibit model behaviors to facilitate scenarios that challenge your target employee’s way of thinking, triggering an assessment of their past assumptions while encouraging the generation of new ways of thinking. Willard provides an alternate way to accomplish this by using Virtual Reality. He brings forth the case of Bank of America’s use of VR to train staff on how to emotionally charged situations with customers. In this example, the AI simulates a customer’s responses to whatever the learner says. This provides the learner with a safe space to test assumptions based on their prior experiences as well as try new ways of approaching problems. 

   
   

3. Facilitating Active Learning Conversations- Faller, Marsick and Russell (2020), suggest a five-step process to develop active learning conversations between peers: (1) problem sharing, (2) open-ended questioning, (3) assumption sharing, (4) reframing, and (5) action planning. These can be incorporated as part of workshops where employees are encouraged to reflect on the disorienting dilemma, collaborate with their peers to explore solutions together that result in actions that help drive the change.  

   
   

4. Collaborative Learning Opportunities- The company could also leverage stretch project opportunities within the organization to encourage collaboration between departments. This can help improve an employee’s knowledge, understanding, and ability to work differently by exposing them to scenarios that might challenge their existing assumptions.

Lasting Change through Transformative Learning

As instructional designers, you have the power to make a lasting impression on learners. Change can be a positive experience when handled correctly. Furthermore, by leveraging transformative learning, we can build learning experiences for employees that drive successful change within the organization.

References:

Faller, P., Marsick, V., & Russell, C. (2020). Adapting action learning strategies to operationalize reflection in the Workplace. Advances in Developing Human Resources, 22(3), 291–307. https://doi.org/10.1177/1523422320927298 

Lohe, D. (2017). The Power of “Disorienting Dilemmas. The Notebook. Retrieved October 23, 2022, from https://reinertcenter.com/2017/12/13/the-power-of-disorienting-dilemmas/

Paronetto, V. Transformative Learning: A Way to Develop Our Mindset for Organizational 

Change. ELearning Industry, Retrieved October 23, 2022, from elearningindustry.com/transformative-learning-a-way-to-develop-our-mindset-for-organizational-change.