#120—Matt Beane: Mastering the Learning Gap: Skill Building in an AI-Augmented World
Jun 28, 2024
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Matt Beane, Assistant Professor at UC Santa Barbara, discusses 'the skill code' for skill transfer. He highlights the importance of addressing the gap hindering younger workers from learning. The podcast delves into the science and psychology behind human learning, emphasizing the need to bridge the apprentice-master gap.
Effective skill transfer requires Challenge, Complexity, and Connection.
Skill development thrives in discomfort and challenge, promoting growth and adaptability.
Deep dives
Impact of Intelligent Technologies on Skill Development
Intelligent technologies have transformed skill development, enabling experts to self-serve efficiently without the need for novices as before. This shift poses a challenge for the next generation in building essential skills through human interaction and addressing rising complexity. Matt Bean's research reveals the potential consequences of this phenomenon on organizational health over the next few years, emphasizing the need for proactive measures to bridge the evolving skill gap.
The Skill Code Concept by Matt Bean
Matt Bean highlights the concept of the skill code, emphasizing the significance of three C's - Challenge, Complexity, and Connection - in facilitating effective skill transfer. He stresses the importance of understanding skill development under pressure and uncertainty, exploring the broader context of learning, and nurturing bonds of trust and respect among individuals. Bean's insights underscore the critical role these elements play in maximizing skill quality and organizational effectiveness.
Challenges in Skill Acquisition
Skill acquisition thrives in discomfort and challenge as individuals push their capabilities to perform under pressure. Bean's research underscores the necessity of discomfort and focus for optimal skill building, advocating for environments that promote growth through uncomfortable yet rewarding experiences. By embracing challenging situations, individuals and organizations can enhance skill development and adaptability in dynamic contexts.
Navigating Complexity and Connection in Skill Building
Achieving mastery in skill development involves navigating complexity and fostering meaningful connections. Bean emphasizes the value of exploring the broader context to understand interdependencies, while emphasizing the pivotal role of human connections in skill acquisition. By balancing challenge, complexity, and connection, individuals and organizations can cultivate robust capabilities that endure pressure and uncertainties, ensuring sustainable skill development and organizational resilience.
Matt Beane, is an Assistant Professor in the Technology Management Program at the University of California, Santa Barbara. He has conducted extensive field research with robots and AI seeks to uncover systematic positive exceptions that we can use in the workforce. His award-winning research has been published in top management journals such as Administrative Science Quarterly and Harvard Business Review, and he has spoken on the TED stage. Curiously enough, 2012 he was also selected as a “Human-Robot Interaction Pioneer.”
Matt took a two-year hiatus from his PhD at MIT’s Sloan School of Management to help found and fund Humatics, a full-stack IoT startup. All this is testament to his passion for bridging what he calls the “master-apprentice gap.” In this discussion, we dive deep into topics from his book, The Skill Code: How to Save Human Ability in an Age of Intelligent Machines. ___________________________________________________________________
In this episode, Matt shares:
His concept of “the skill code,”— and the 3 Cs needed to ensure skills are able to transfer between humans
The setbacks organizations could face if they don’t address the widening gap that is preventing upcoming workers from gaining skills from more experience workers. Imagine what happens if – doctors, lawyers, engineers, chefs, and other apprenticeship-heavy professions are unable to build bench skills
What science and psychology teach us about how humans have traditionally learned and developed
The steps business leaders can take to ensure that this novice-expert gap remains manageable
_______________________________________________________________________________ Episode Timeline: 00:00—Highlight from today's episode 1:13—Introducing Matt+ the topic of today’s episode 3:18—If you really know me, you know that... 5:07—What's your definition of strategy? 05:50—Matt shares what lead him to the subject his research and latest book 11:20—Learning skills through a three-tiered approach: See one, do one, teach one 14:48— Defining skill vs knowledge 16:38—3 Cs: Challenge 21:35—3 Cs: Complexity 23:42—3 Cs: Connection 28:48—The impact of AI on capability building 31:41— Organizational strategy for skill preservation 34:12—How can people follow you and continue learning from you? _______________________________________________________________________________________ Additional Resources: Personal site: www.mattbeane.com Link to book: The Skill Code: How to Save Human Ability in an Age of Intelligent Machines LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattbeane Twitter: https://x.com/mattbeane
Thank you to our guest. Thank you to our executive producer, Karina Reyes, our editor, Zach Ness, and the rest of the team. If you like what you heard, please follow, download, and subscribe. I'm your host, Kaihan Krippendorff. Thank you for listening.
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