Rob Hockings

Workplace learning and capability development contributor

Rob Hockings, identified as Robert Hockings in his chapter biography, contributes a practical perspective on adult learning to Secrets to Success. His background includes 34 years in telecommunications and 31 years supporting a government public-safety environment. The experience described in his biography spans technical engineering, management, organisational change, communications, mentoring and workforce capability development.

Rob's chapter begins with a familiar workplace problem: an experienced employee can suddenly look incapable when asked to use an unfamiliar system. He asks managers to look closely at the task and the point of confusion before deciding that the person is resistant or unwilling. That distinction runs through his discussion of demonstration, practice, correction and feedback.

Years of seeing people respond differently to the same information led Rob to develop the practical lens he calls Intuitive Behaviour. His contribution explores how familiar patterns, uncertainty and trust affect what happens when classroom learning meets real work. Completing a training session, in his account, does not establish that someone can confidently perform the task.

The chapter is written for managers, supervisors and people responsible for helping others learn. Rob encourages them to ask where a learner gets lost, make room for another attempt and support the new behaviour in the workplace. His emphasis is on understanding what the person needs to do next and making that next attempt more useful.