Opening Keynote #LT23UK

This post was written as a live record of the opening keynote so there may be typos and I have done my best to capture the session and add my take

After Don Taylor had set up the day, he handed over to Nijeri Mwagiru from Stellenbosch University Business School for her session titled 'Living and learning in a world of technological disruption'

We live in a world of technological disruption. Nijeri shared that there is a wider context of disruption that are impacting the technology sectors and which is in turn impacting the world of tech in L&D. Included in that list was the classic and equally important PESTLE (political, environmental, societal, technological, legal and economic) factors.

I loved that this wider context was shaped as in part I often say that context is everything. Also though, we in L&D can often be quite insular looking and almost ignore these wider factors. I often talk about how L&D people need to look up and out more and this was brilliantly reinforced here.

Nijeri outlined some trends that are coming from her research or the research of the wider business school. They included; population decline and growth, democracies in crisis, space exploration, shifts in national economic growth, remote and hybrid work, expansion of education (I ran out of time to capture them all).

Being someone that encourages expression of emotion I valued how Nijeri referenced the overwhelm that can come with this technological disruption and the need to consider vulnerability and insecurity. It was described as 'use the vulnerability and insecurity to share with others and then find ourselves (not just yourself) on solid ground.' This really resonated with me.

Nijeri brought us to a close for her session with a call to action:

Combining insights and action

Building communities of practice

Leveraging shared networks

Act now, anticipate prepare and respond, sustainable and meaningful impacts

Don Taylor asked Nijeri a great follow up question; 'what is a blocker to responding to trends?'

Nijeri's answer was about being discerning about the data we consume, being curious and balancing the strategic lens with the wider horizon.

Robin Tiegland - let's create a digital and green future together

Robin began with reminding the audience of thinking about using what I call the Rumsfeld matrix; what we know we know, know we don't know and don't know what we don't know. That component of not knowing is often a hugely emotive place, if I don't know I am at risk of being challenged, making a mistake and the threat risk has increased. This is where and how emotions and emotion expression are so so so important and I am taking this more to what I am interested in so I will leave it there.

Shortly afterwards, Robin outlined the way we think about the future is directly influenced by the people that we personally and professionally associate with. I love this call to action for people in L&D. At this opening keynote we are looking years ahead. we can also take this learning and applying it to days or weeks ahead. By thinking with different people in our businesses or clients we can start to get a different perspective and view on the future.

It was fascinating when Robin reviewed the potential for AI to deliver the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SGD's) (for more info see here) and that there is a mixed picture. AI has the potential to both deliver and inhibit the achievement of these goals and what was most striking to me was removing poverty. There seemed to be an equal chance that AI can do this and stop it happening all at once. Why? Because of power. Robin counselled the audience to be clear on how power is and can be used. She outlined that we (the audience) creates the future and on the dichotomy of exploitation or exploration, we work hard to be at the exploration end.

Summary

I really enjoyed the opening keynotes and particularly that the thinking was from outside of the UK and were voices that I hadn't heard before. The positions outlined and suggestions that Nijeri and Robin made have application (for me) at the big broad global level as well as the day to day stuff that feels close and near to what we do.