Case
Studies

Shifting Paradigms

Peter's
Story

In the bustling world of workplace training, the challenge lies not only in imparting knowledge but also in shaping behaviors. This case study delves into the transformative journey of Peter, a 23-year-old hydrogeologist, who unwittingly becomes a beacon for change. By examining his story, we uncover the profound impact of experience transfer on human behavior and how it can be harnessed for positive change.

SCENE 1

Peter recently graduated from university and landed a great job. He is extroverted, popular, charismatic, and a casual cigarette smoker. He attends a Tuesday evening birthday party with some friends, even though he has a big presentation on Wednesday afternoon

What would you do in that situation? Make a connection to Peter by picturing your best friend or spouse or sibling. What if it was their birthday?

SCENE 2

Feeling hungover the following day, a client asks Peter to visit their site. They suspect a natural gas leak coming from the storage tanks. Overconfidently, he agrees to a quick visit on his way to the presentation.

Are you curious about what happens next? Would you go if you got that phone call? Or would you let a colleague go? What if the client asked for you specifically, and you wanted to selfishly protect the relationship?

SCENE 3

Peter was not expecting the technical challenge he faced when he showed on site. He was distracted, in a hurry, young and had an attitude of invincibility. He also couldn’t read the instrumentation around the tanks.

What creative solution does he land on, arising from desperation and overconfidence? What do you predict?

SCENE 4

He reached into his pocket, pulled out his cigarette lighter, and caused an explosion that landed him in the hospital for 3 months, nearly killing him entirely.

What insight have you gained from that story? How does it make you feel about igniting a spark around your furnace or your gas fireplace? If participating in that story has shifted your personal worldview, then it has also changed your future behaviour.

Shifting People’s Paradigms

Drawing inspiration from philosopher Thomas Kuhn, we explore the concept of paradigms and their transformation. As crises unfold, paradigms are challenged, leading to newfound insights. We understand the importance of experience transfer in reshaping our worldview and behavior.

An Experience Transfer Solution: OntheJob​

Introducing OntheJob, a revolutionary experience transfer software platform designed to induce positive behavioral change. By immersing learners in real-life scenarios, OntheJob instills curiosity and provides critical insights. The platform goes beyond traditional training, offering gamified experiences that haunt, awaken, and transform. Through short, impactful scenarios, learners are encouraged to question, reflect, and change.

Conclusion

The Power of Experience Transfer

Workplaces send you to training to change your behaviour. Companies spend a lot of money and work hours on courses. But those courses alone will not change the way you act in your job. Not without experience transfer! New experiences haunt learners with stories of loss. They stir up curiosity. They shift people’s paradigms. When learners learn theory, it is forgotten; when they hear a story, they remember it; but when they become the storyteller, they change their behaviour.

At OntheJob, we can package deep workplace insights and transfer them to others. When learners put themselves in a situation, they experience ‘Aha!’ moments. We can capture a coveted commodity: wisdom. OntheJob’s software works to boost existing workplace training, not to replace it. It is designed specifically for experience transfer. Each story is told scene by scene, just as the storyteller experienced it. After every scene, the learner has to think critically and apply course information. The stories are haunting – injuries, deaths, lawsuits, losing lots of money, being fired, etc. They make learners curious about how they might have handled the situation differently. The games are intended to be played in only 10-15 minutes, as short refreshers. Participating in these frequent crisis situations will lead to real behavioural change.