Miia Oja, who previously held a degree in business administration and had experience in the banking sector, redirected her career path when she began working as a trainee at Utajärven Yrityspuisto, alongside her specialised studies. Her appointment to the project strengthened her role as an expert who supports businesses in Utajärvi, particularly in their growth objectives.
Networking is at the heart of the KASVA project. Miia has now about 1.5 years of experience in this cooperation. She describes learning as a process that has not necessarily involved major upheavals, but rather much smaller insights along the way. And that is learning at its best – not merely reading what's on the slides, but in the moment when knowledge is put into practice.
Networks can be an important support for the development of expertise: sharing knowledge, learning together and developing solutions to common challenges. In expert networks, collaborative learning is key. By interacting, experts not only share knowledge, but also build new understanding and innovative solutions. This requires active participation and openness to different perspectives.
So, what does the growth of expertise mean for Miia?
"You don't have to fit into a certain mold you can be yourself, ask questions and openly admit you don't know everything," she says. According to Miia, working in a network has not only increased her knowledge but also helped her to identify her own strengths.
Interactive learning and reflection are a source of deeper self-awareness. Collaborative learning in different work communities and networks enables workers to meet basic psychological needs, such as a sense of belonging and autonomy. This contributes to well-being and commitment. Miia feels that her current work environment allows her to fully use her strengths and admitting when she doesn’t know something has become easier. Just as important is knowing there’s always someone to ask – and that not knowing is never judged.
While collaborative learning offers numerous benefits, its implementation can be challenging. Achieving effective collaboration requires intentional efforts to foster high-quality interaction among participants. Time constraints also pose challenges. Getting to know each other and building a common understanding does not happen overnight. Trust is not built through coercion but through shared experiences over time. Miia says that it took almost a year for the cooperation between several different organisations to take shape, and it is a pity that the project is nearing its end when it feels like it is just getting started. However, some form of cooperation is expected to continue beyond the project.
Collaborative learning in workplaces and expert networks is a process that requires time, mutual trust, and open interaction. Miia's experience shows that expertise is not only about knowledge, but also about identifying oneself and one's own strengths. When networks support learning, they enable new perspectives and opportunities that would be difficult to achieve individually. The more we dare to ask questions and share our knowledge, the more we can learn together.
KASVA - Sustainable growth in SMEs through regional collaboration of research, innovation, and business development services –project is a group project of public business services, entrepreneurs, researchers and RDI experts around the North Ostrobothnia to promote sustainable growth, renewal and development of businesses in the region, the ability to change and the living and holding power of the regions by launching a peer network of sub-regional business service providers to develop the effectiveness and awareness of business services and to increase RDI cooperation in the region.
Author: Tiina Pääkkö, MA, Leader of work package 1, KASVA project, Faculty of Education and Psychology, University of Oulu
References (in Finnish):
Aaltola, P., Lainema, K., Laajala, M., Hämäläinen, R., Manninen, A., & Koponen, S. (2022). Tiedosta tekoihin: Vuorovaikutus ja yhteisöllinen oppiminen johtajien koulutuksessa. Ammattikasvatuksen aikakauskirja, 24(1), 27–43.
Ryynänen, J., Simonen, A., Karkkola, P. (2020): Psykologiset perustarpeet työelämässä – autonomian edistämisellä kohti työn imua. Työelämän tutkimus, Vol 18 Nro 3 (2020).
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