How the world of intelligent (audio) speakers can support learning and development?

8 benefits

4 Cautions

4 Ways to get started

Reading a tweet this morning by Jo Cook who suggested listening to a podcast by asking Alexa made me laugh and also realise the power of tools. Alexa / Google Home and Apple Home are all intelligent voices that allow you to get your questions answered. In a world where people want to have things at their fingertips and sorted quickly I thought this is a fantastic idea that hadn’t occurred to me before.

So how could a simple speaker allow you to improve your performance, your productivity and prosperity (wellbeing)?

1. Support you in answering questions that you feel embarrassed to ask #hidingbehindmycomputer

2. Get the answers without wasting time hunting for them, thus improving your productivity

3. Give you answers you can share with your mentor / mentee and team.

4. Reduce your stress levels as you achieve more

5. Provide teleconferencing for webinars and online meetings.

6. Add a security layer and then allow all your team to use it for learning and more

7. Pull together business data and analytics to support learning outcomes like Watersheds LRSand Towards Maturity

8. Acts as a modern learning professional as described by Nick Shackleton Jones below

A word of caution, be careful of the following:

1. Is the answer given the right one to support the context, culture of your organisation or your own ‘Me plc’ brand?
2. Getting the answers so quickly may mean you communicate less with your colleagues and network and remove the opportunity to build your brand
3. Reduce your step count (aerobic exercise) by not getting up and asking the queston to your colleagues which reduces your opportunity to maintain a healthy heart
4. Dont assume its the only source of information

How to #getstarted:

1. Collaborate with your team and you (if you are #hidingbehindmycomputer) of the best criteria for using the tool
2. Place the technology so it is easily accessible for all agreed parties to use
3. Keep a Rookie Mindset to ensure you remain curious and get the best outcomes from the tool
4. At the start keep an awareness of what you are using the tool for and how this can support your learning and development audience and their needs and subsequently the L&D Strategy
5. Keep in regular communication with your IT department as to what their digital transformation strategy is and how tools like intelligent speakers are part of the wider plan.

What’s your successes with technology and learning?

Lizzie Rhodes James is a Performance Coach and Facilitator who specialises in helping teams and individuals exceed their potential at work and in life. Having successfully transitioned from a successful Army career into the Corporate world, Lizzie brings an exceptional and distinctive blend of discipline, focus and agility into her practice. Lizzie is also passionate about health and wellness, and adds a depth of thinking to align body and mind, enhancing overall performance and encouraging clients to transcend their limits.