Collaborative Learning: How to Upskill from Within and Turn L&D into Your Competitive Advantage

by Nick Hernandez

Collaborative Learning explains how to leverage the knowledge and experience of existing employees to upskill your entire workforce from within.

This practical guide explains the basics of collaborative learning, outlines its many benefits, and explores why it is needed in a nimble, fast-moving business world. It also explains the science behind shared expertise and how to encourage people to learn from each other. This book illustrates how a culture of collaborative learning can combat low learner engagement and employee burnout, as well as how it can guide the full employee journey from pre-boarding and onboarding through to promotion and progression. This book also explains why collaborative learning is not a top-down cascade of information from the most senior employee to the most junior, but is an inclusive approach to learning across functions and teams, across hierarchies, and across job titles or tenure.

This book is full of expert discussion about why collaborative learning is a culture enhancer and skills enabler, and contains advice for overcoming common obstacles when making collaborative learning part of a company's learning strategy. Packed with case studies and examples from global firms who have implemented and benefitted from collaborative learning including Mitsubishi Electric, Slack, AlphaSights, and Safran. This book is a blueprint for all L&D professionals who are looking to embed collaborative learning in the workplace and upskill from within, but aren't sure where to start.

240 pages, Paperback

Published April 25, 2023

About the author

Born and raised in Miami Fl, spent many years surfing South Beach up to Cocoa Beach. Fishing, boating, skiing, water skiing and outdoors are my hobbies. Earned a bachelor's degree and many professional licenses in the construction sector. Love animals and helping others through volunteering in charities. Love to see children laughing and playing, no worries...
Love people that care.

Dislikes, scammers.

Author of Sea Tales The Guardianship

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/nick+...

Mythology, sci-fi and the nature of man (people) clash to open the eyes of some old friends that must face their demons. Fictional adventurous short stories, with a prequel as a free down load, titled Sea Tales South Beach.

Reviews

[J Kromrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC.

"Collaborative Learning: How to Upskill from Within and Turn L&D into Your Competitive Advantage" by Nick Hernandez is a timely and insightful exploration into the transformative power of shared knowledge in the workplace. Hernandez, with a forward by Josh Bersin, delves into the practicalities of leveraging the collective expertise of employees to foster an environment of continuous learning and development.

The book is structured in a way that guides the reader through the journey of understanding and implementing collaborative learning. It begins by laying the foundation of what collaborative learning is and why it's crucial in today's fast-paced business landscape. Hernandez argues that traditional top-down learning models are no longer sufficient and that a more inclusive, cross-functional approach is necessary for sustainable growth.

One of the strengths of this book is its practicality. Hernandez doesn't just preach the benefits of collaborative learning; he provides a blueprint for it. The inclusion of case studies from companies like Mitsubishi Electric, Slack, AlphaSights, and Safran adds a layer of credibility and shows that these concepts have been successfully applied in the real world.

The book also tackles potential obstacles head-on, offering strategies to overcome common challenges in shifting to a collaborative learning model. This is particularly useful for L&D professionals who may face resistance or uncertainty when introducing new learning paradigms.

However, the book is not without its limitations. While it is rich with ideas and strategies, some readers may find the content to be dense at times, requiring a committed and focused read to fully grasp the concepts presented.

In conclusion, "Collaborative Learning" is a valuable resource for any organization looking to upskill from within and create a competitive advantage through a culture of learning. Hernandez's work is a commendable effort to push the boundaries of traditional L&D and pave the way for a more collaborative future.

[AnnieM · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was interested in this book because my day job is learning and development. It is clear that what we know (or thought we knew) about how people learn continuously evolves and it is important not to get complacent. The author does acknowledge some of the constraints we are under -- how learning and development departments are structured (and locked in to a "purpose") and resourced as well as the limitations of learning management systems. But the biggest constraint could be mindsets - from those of us in the field as well as from people who don't want to share their knowledge out of fear of losing their job. The introduction of this book is by Josh Bersin, who is a respected authority in this space. The essence of collaborative learning is a training methodology where employees share their knowledge and expertise to each other. Collaborative learning is modeled after how people actually learn - through peer observation and hands-on active participation. What is especially valuable in this book is the many sources at the end of each chapter and how to overcome obstacles and barriers to changing how we learn in organizations. I found this book to have some great ideas to consider.

Thank you to Netgalley and Kogan Page Ltd, for an ARC and I left this honest review voluntarily.

[Cristian Buița · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is everything that Nick says it is : a guide for implementing collaborative working practices in your organization . It is the recipe and you’re the chef. There’s no one size fits all, that’s why you can add your own twist.

Maybe a bit generic when it comes to advice for measuring impact, but other than that the book wraps up L&D quite well.

[Yevhenii Kanivets · Rating 5 out of 5]

Formal education is something I tried to ignore as much as I could. I was always wondering how the educational system succeeded to make the essentially fun process of learning so boring. I guess they put massive effort into that 😅

The effort could bring much better results if directed into the amplification of what's natural for human beings instead of inventing the artificial system from scratch. But when was the last time we asked about the ROI of the learning?

Just compare what you remember from most of your school classes versus collaboration with your peers. I mean the difference is so huge, that we could possibly replace 80% of classes with a few group projects and notice only a positive impact on outcomes 🚀

That's the power of #collaborativelearning. I'm happy there is now a book that tries to formalize the approach. Yes, it's for corporate learning for now. But I hope that one day we will bring it to the masses. I truly recommend the book to everybody interested in how people learn and how learning can make this world a better place!