With the recent announcement of the shortlist for the 2022 Learning Awards we begin a weekly series of L&D QuestionTime featuring those individuals shortlisted – we begin this week with Esmée Tijs – Shortlisted in the Rising Star of The Year Category.
In your opinion what is the biggest anxiety within the world of learning and development at the moment?
I see that after a turbulent period, the world of learning & development has now entered an accelerated innovation mode on its way to the ‘new normal’ and more.
It has of course been an enormous challenge for learning & development to stay important in times of the pandemic. Due to the great pressure that has been placed on a large number of companies, the priority of learning & development decreased.
To remain relevant, we have made the rapid transition from face to face learning to exclusively virtual or blended learning. Despite the fact that I really believe in the combination of face to face workshops, virtual workshops and (independent) online learning, etc., we do make an incredibly large appeal to the adaptive capacity of our customers. Of course we are happy to support in this transition, but it takes time.
Who or what is informing your thinking around L&D?
I am very grateful to have had a number of inspiring mentors in my career, each of whom viewed leadership and learning & development in their own way. Whether or not I could relate to their views, they did provide me with different perspectives that allowed me to form my own vision.
In addition, I have had the opportunity to work in many educational environments. At the start of my career, for example, I was able to experience what working life looks like in South Africa, where they work with SETAs (Sector Education and Training Authority). I now work at Schouten Global, where I am given the space to further develop gamification within L&D and where I can get inspired by blended learning solutions, as this is of paramount importance to us. Schouten also gives me the chance to connect with and learn from different cultures, such as the Middle East where I facilitated a program on Critical Thinking in the UAE with a group of very inspiring participants.
For me it’s all about connection and being curious to stay informed!
What is the most exciting innovation on the horizon for learning?
There are many developments in the field of learning and development. Our creativity has been given a forced boost by the COVID period. The innovation that is dear to me is gamification and game based learning. For me it’s a dream to develop games that make it easier for participants to show their natural style and learn, reflect and experiment from there.
What “game changers” would you like to see and why?
I often see that learning & development is aimed at developing a certain skill that you need to be able to perform better at your job. While I really believe that learning & development has the most impact when we focus on how you can and want to grow as an individual with all your beautiful talents. Skills support this, but are not central. It’s about personal growth.
What do you think the world of L&D will look like by 2030?
I expect some of the trends we’re seeing now will become the new normal. I am thinking of the ease and speed of blended learning: the use of your mobile device to follow e-learning courses and to connect with fellow participants all over the world. Adaptive learning and of course the use of gamification will grow. I also expect that it will become increasingly easier to access and participate in personal development journeys, whatever your (working) life looks like.
Finally, I also hope to be surprised by learning & development innovations between now and the year 2030!
What advice would you give your 21 year old self?
Trust that your talent is your art. To create masterpieces: All you need is the confidence and courage to say YES to adventures, the small and big ones. Enjoy!
About Esmée:
Esmée is Lead Consultant Leadership Development & Personal Development at Schouten Global where she is responsible for developing and implementing (multi-year) strategic L&D programs that contribute to the strategy and vision of large international companies worldwide (EMEA, APAC, NA & LATAM). In this role she is the trusted partner for HR and (senior) management in the field of leadership, change, talent and development.
Esmée started her career in Johannesburg, South Africa in the role of project and program manager. She then started the management trainee program at Enexis Group. There she was able to get a taste of all types of work and departments. After two years of traineeship she knew for sure: her passion is to let people enjoy personal development! She wants to do this by developing distinctive and creative learning & development solutions. So she started her L&D career in the role of Learning & Development specialist at Enexis Group.
Connect with Esmée via LinkedIn
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