The Future Experts: Life-long learners in innovative teams
Tamar Yehezkel, Roee Bigger, Elad Persov, Industrial Design, Design and Innovation Management, Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design
Introduction
As an experience product designer, I started to think, ‘how do I get to an interesting link, event or a podcast? How many of them are saved on my device for later and how many really influence my work?’. I realized that alongside my full-time position, I have an additional part-time job to manage ‘to stay up to date’. With that notion, during my design management master’s degree in Bezalel Academy of Art and Design, I decided to focus on learning about the future experts and Lifelong learners in innovative teams.
This research focuses on informal knowledge sharing between future technology, management and design experts. In order to find how professionals in hi-tech can stay up to date with knowledge and tools which will enable them to lead in a rapidly changing world, I conducted research that was based on a literature review and qualitative research methods such as in-depth interviews, observations, informal conversations, including design thinking, global trend analysis and prototype testing. I identified the new experts that are required to frequently enter new fields of information as part of their work, side projects and hobbies.
Findings from this research illustrate that informal peer learning is the ‘magic’ enabling the flow of new ideas between professionals in teams and communities of practice, both in and outside of work. Furthermore, informal peer learning is a key driver to keep evolving with personal inner curiosity and passion, required for entering new fields of knowledge.
The Changing Job Market
Over the next ten years, the factors that will have the greatest influence on the way we work will be our ability to adapt to a fast-changing world and to the constant flood of new information. In the knowledge economy, the problems as well as the technologies from which one can build solutions are changing. Machine learning, data, AI, and automation are becoming more important (Budds, 2017). Thus, rapid evolution of information has changed the way in which companies innovate and generate value for their customers (Calabretta and Kleinsmann, 2017). While revolutionary technologies take place, creativity arises as a significant economic force (Prisecaru, P. 2016). A business’s ability to lead depends directly on its employment of experts who have the right knowledge and skills (PwC, 2014). Therefore, it is necessary to acquire skills and knowledge for creative problem solving, that the labor market is willing to pay for (Florida, Mellander, King, 2015).
Creativity, Complex Skills and Design
While creativity becomes a transformative innovation force (Florida, Mellander, King, 2015), we must free ourselves from the notion that creativity is a born skill, and acknowledge that all people are creative (Gaul, Patty, 2016). Creativity is a practice, not just a talent we are born with. Gaining creative confidence — the natural ability to come up with new ideas and the courage to try them out is essential for success in any discipline and business (Kelley T, Kelley D, 2012, 2013).
In tech companies, it requires interdisciplinary collaboration and communication, decentralized decision-making, information sharing and teamwork, all of which are key to innovation (Gaby, 2019). Critical thinking, problem-solving and Lifelong Learning skills help make connections between information and arguments as well as analyze and evaluate alternative points of view. Collaboration is an essential aspect of the designers’ daily work, therefore, collaborative design as knowledge-sharing and knowledge-integration processes are critical to the success of the process in a multidisciplinary team (Kleinsmanna, Dekena, Dongb, Lauchec. 2012).
Thus, companies adopting the value of a more “designerly” way into the development process and using “design thinking” as a tool, a human-centered and social approach that puts the observation and discovery human needs, in a tacit way, at the forefront of the innovation process (Gruber, de Leon, George, and Thompson. 2015). Since 2015, more than 60 design-related companies have been acquired by leading corporations to be integrated and implemented lead in businesses, engineering and design innovation processes (Maeda, 2019). What distinguishes these companies from others is the shared seat at the table for their designers and engineers together from the beginning to the end (Katz, 2015). Design presents an interplay of technology and psychology both of which the designers must understand (Norman, 2013). Moreover, for design to be relevant it must be as close as possible to the edge of where technology meets society (Budds, 2017). The design process is set up together with a positive thinking that encourages innovation with a built-in goal for making products and services with betterment for humankind and the environment. Who succeeds in bringing it into teams, it opens an opportunity for designers, linking technology, social needs and build for trust as technology moves further (Justice, 2019).
Lifelong Learning
For professionals practicing these key 21ˢᵗ century skills, success lies in being able to share and use information to solve complex problems and in being able to adapt and power of technology to create new knowledge (P. Griffin et al. 2012). Today, Lifelong Learning is a norm among professionals in the creative economy, regardless of status. It is motivated by individuals and is made possible by companies and communities. The new standards for learning should be immediacy, relevance, and ease of access in time of need (Parker, Ann, 2016). It is a core ability to learn fast and be able to produce in high-level quality, mastering hard things again and again (Newport, 2016). Therefore, this network of knowledge is crucial for our ability to access new information that is relevant for our decision-making and for when the information age drowns us with an unprecedented flood of data that amounts to information overload (Roetzel, 2018). Since information is constantly changing, our information management and usage are critical, where every day is a test of knowledge and expertise through challenges and decisions (Hoffman, Casnocha, 2012).
Who Are the Future Experts?
Dialog and Innovation
In multidisciplinary teams, experts play different roles either as information searchers, information connectors or knowledge owners. These roles are important for collaboration, acquiring new knowledge through others and constant maintenance of a Lifelong Learning state of mind.
When differentiating information sharing and dialogue, a dialogue leads to a spiral of knowledge transfer. Furthermore, prior positive mutual sharing experiences may lead to continuous collaboration. This team dialog is a platform to collaborate, solve problems, gain credibility and also have a seat at the table. That is why we constantly need to have relevant information to work with and share it with the team.
The Journey to Stay Relevant
I took the above team dialog structure and compared it to how do experts get to relevant information today? Looking at the expert’s journey, I identified two different needs and drivers to search for new information with the search for deep understanding as part of a problem-solving task and the ongoing search for broad information in order to stay up to date. These drivers help professionals to stay relevant, collaborate with multidisciplinary experts and gain accountability in their field of expertise.
Experience gained by experimentation as part of a task or a side project creates a broad array of skills that can be offered in the future as a personal professional toolbox. Companies that also understand this will try to offer and provide a bridge to the next career step, in or outside of the company.
Future Experts Capsule
Future experts are constantly tested on their ability to translate the accumulated knowledge into different fields and on their flexibility to keep learning, gain new knowledge independently and stay up to date. The level of expertise is determined by measurable parameters such as the quality of recent work, the contribution to direct influence on a product, and the professional network in and outside of work, along with the ability to have an in-depth conversation about a topic of expertise and share their knowledge. These are the 3 parts of the capsule that future experts put efforts to manage: what they know, what they do with that knowledge as a platform, and with whom as reference to the level of talent.
Peer learning from observation and/or by doing (“know what”, “know how”) is based on the level of knowledge and experience of people (Skyrme, 2011). Learning and using the information creatively (Duffy, Robera L., 1999) is motivated by individuals and is made possible by companies and communities (Parker, Ann, 2016).
The Magic of Sharing
In the research findings, it illustrates that when experts do find effective informal peer learning in teams or in communities of practice, they also find ‘magic’. The informal knowledge sharing described is a key, as it enables the flow of new ideas and drivers the curiosity, personal innovation and passion, required for entering new fields of knowledge again and again.
Knowledge is fluid and mobile along with people, meaning it does not stay in one company’s frontier. In the age of knowledge, globalization, and open organizations, professional networks have a crucial impact on the content available through experts in various roles, and serve as a key potential for personal growth which may lead to new experiences and self-fulfillment.
The Gap
One of the most prominent topics discussed by experts is a major gap they experience daily between the high level of independent management required of them, and the method of sharing and absorbing content in everyday life. Based on this research and patterns, there is a clear gap and difficulty getting to relevant information today, both inside and outside the company. Sharing and consuming information is being conducted through various formats such as: events (meetups, conferences, hackathons and more), articles (posts, blog posts, stories and more), audios (audiobooks and podcasts) and videos.
Due to the numerous tools available, range of formats, and overload of information, a need arises for fast scanning and independent control over relevant sources of content and consumption time. Research participants preferred to receive filtered content, selected and managed for them rather than to continue investing large amounts of time scanning information and dealing with the fear of missing out (FOMO).
What’s Next? Opportunities & Suggestions
Experts who choose to work and lead in hi-tech fields, which are under constant change, must adopt the following skills: collaboration, communication, entrepreneurship, personnel management and Lifelong Learning. Having flexibility to change, entering new areas of knowledge and to stay up to date with knowledge and skills is part of the daily problem-solving work. Maintaining these skills takes constant work in the knowledge economy, but is crucial for growth and to thrive. What stood out most from the literature review, interviews, and prototype was the need among experts to control how, when and through whom they consume information. This notion of who we know and with whom we collaborate, directly affects our personal growth.
This research illustrates industry’s current lack of a tool for self-managed, personalized exposure to relevant information, through professional networks and experts that can be used effortlessly and everywhere.
The research suggests adopting the values of sustainable Lifelong Learning, to aspire to have focused experience as opposed to a fragmented and scattered. Be able in a tool to choose and manage, as opposed to fear of missing out, adding value to others and enjoying it. Such future experts who will manage how they consume information, internalize it and share it with others, this approach will afford them better positioning, more opportunities, and a feeling of self-fulfillment that can continue to drive their curiosity and passion. Also hopefully make better products and services and impact others.
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About the Author
Tamar Yehezkel
A product designer with experience of over 10 years, passionate about observing and learning from people’s behaviors, to create better products. Former lead UX/UI designer at Autodesk, where I planned and designed, collaboration and integration tools.
I enjoy the mixture of Design-Tech and pushing boundaries, while working with multidisciplinary teams to solve complex problems.
Based on my masters in design management and innovation, from Bezalel Academy of Art and Design, today, my main professional interests and focus are the challenges of the lifelong learners, knowledge sharing and digital well-being experiences.
