Training is part of your job

Summary form only given. Engineers and other knowledge workers must continually learn both to stay abreast of current technology and to advance in their careers. Their total set of competencies and skills represents the value they bring to the firm. Expertise becomes the currency by which their worth is measured. Much of their learning must happen in a "job-specific" setting where they apply conceptual knowledge to mastery of the tools used in pursuit of their work objectives and deliverables. Content experts have the duty and responsibility to deploy knowledge to all who need it in the organization. They must teach the rest of us to use the knowledge that they possess. If an engineer writes a new specification, develops a new process or invents a new software tool, the job is not finished until the users know how to apply it. The deployment happens via knowledge transfer which is the broadest definition of training. In our lives and work, we both teach and learn and so it is for engineers as well. As novices, we may do move learning than teaching, but even with experience, we can never stop learning, we simply have to teach more. The solution to this seeming work load dilemma is to learn and grow through teaching. These are some of the fundamental precepts of the "Learning Organization". We illustrate how these concepts are being practiced in the high technology industry and how "knowledge products" are deployed through training. We also demonstrate with cases and methods how engineers can and must become successful teachers in order to do their jobs.