Changing the Way We Learn at Work

Transcription

1 Changing the Way We Learn at Work When training just isn t enough The Changing World of Work The way we do business has changed radically over the past 15 years. The increasing rate of change, as well as the impact of technology has shifted the way people work. This creates both a challenge and an opportunity for organisations seeking to improve their performance within a highly competitive operating environment, where there is a need to reduce costs while working effectively at ever increasing speed. The impacts to the workforce are many. Workers now have the ability to work anywhere, at anytime and from any device. Technology and access to information are breaking down traditional organisational hierarchies, silos and control structures that used to dictate how work was done. Increasingly, workers now have the ability to connect with people, ideas and information through communities and networks both within and beyond their organisations. Organisations are also becoming flatter and softer with decision making becoming more distributed 1. So how does business stay ahead of the game? How do organisations develop and keep a high-performing and skilled workforce that can operate at the speed of business? When Training Just Isn t Enough Workers now have the ability to work anywhere, at anytime and from any device. The approach to training and development of workers has traditionally focused on a one-size fits all methodology usually delivered through content laden programs or courses. This is referred to as formal learning. Many L&D departments have relied on the formal as their main way of supporting workers to learn and perform better at their jobs. The problem with just providing formal learning opportunities is that these do not provide the impact to productivity and performance required of business. The solutions are often seen as too costly, slow and inflexible to respond to workplace needs. As a result, the business continues to lag behind because the workforce isn t appropriately equipped or supported. Its people simply don t have the capabilities or resources that enable them to adapt and respond to the situations that ultimately make a modern-day business competitive. There needs to be a change in how workers are helped to take responsibility for their own learning and development and how we equip and enable them to find information and knowledge just-in-time, based on their needs and preferences. 1 Morgan, j The Future of Work, Wiley 1. Changing the Way We Learn at Work

2 A Shift to a More Effective Learning Approach for our Workforce Many organisations around the world and across a variety of industry sectors, are using a strategic learning framework called 70:20:10 as a holistic approach to employee development and performance. 70:20:10 reflects research findings that most of the skills workers need to be effective in their roles are developed in the workplace and as part of their daily workflow, rather than away from work 2. This is a simple fact and most senior leaders, workers and learning professionals understand it. 70:20:10 recognises the important role experience and the support others play in helping people develop and perform: The 70 represents the importance of learning through experience (experiential learning) The 20 represents learning through exposure to others (social learning) The 10 represents structured courses and programs (formal learning) This approach helps the organisation and the L&D function re-focus resourcing efforts across all three learning types, instead of just one - formal, the 10. The 70:20:10 numbers also highlight the range of potential solutions that can be developed to help workers perform and develop: :20:10 Forum 2 70:20:10 Framework Explained, 70:20:10 Forum 2. Changing the Way We Learn at Work

3 Creating the Change The move to a 70:20:10 learning approach requires a deliberate shift from more traditional learning to something representative of learning happening within the workflow. This is best explained using the following diagram (right). This change requires senior managers, line leaders and L&D to work together to enable the behavioural shift across the organisation. It s about moving the expectation from going on a training course to a realisation that most learning opportunities are part of the day to day experience of doing the job. In practice, what this means is: Moving from courses (alone) to a much broader focus on resources All the resources workers can draw upon to make sense, solve problems and improve performance. Resources can include courses, but they extend to a diverse range of tools and channels, including people and networks, checklists, video, help desks and virtual workspaces. Resources are accessed within the workflow, allowing workers to get the right support at the right time, whether they are performing a task for the first time, refreshing or preparing for an upcoming task or responding to a new challenge or problem. Moving from event based learning to continuous learning Instead of being seen as discrete courses and programs that are separate to work, learning is recognised as being an integral part of working. Workers recognise that learning is what they do every day to get the job done, and to get better at what they do. It is part of how they communicate and how they get the information and support they need to solve problems and contribute. Moving from an emphasis on performance impact instead of learning outcomes Activity based reporting (mostly recorded as training hours and spend per employee, course completions, activity in the Enterprise Social Network etc.) only demonstrates how busy the L&D function has been, instead of how successful. A shift to measuring the impact of development on individual, team and organisational performance can be achieved through performance consulting and stakeholder metrics. Real Impact The close connection between 70:20:10 and knowledge, workforce capability, talent and culture means the 70:20:10 framework has the proven potential to deliver a range of benefits, including: A high performance culture Improved speed to productivity Organisational agility and resilience Increased employee engagement A strategic and responsive learning function Increased impact and efficiency of learning Organisations have also reported a reduction of up 75% in training spend through the adoption of 70:20: :20:10 Framework Explained, 70:20:10 Forum 3. Changing the Way We Learn at Work

4 Making 70:20:10 Happen To achieve this there needs to be a mindset change for how key stakeholders view the development of the organisation s people. It involves bringing a clear vision of what the organisation wants to achieve in terms of building the skill base and capability of its workforce, and how this can respond to the overall strategic objectives of the business. Sponsorship To extend development beyond the classroom, senior leaders, line leaders and managers need to support the introduction of new opportunities to: Expand the scope of work, learn through problem solving and new experiences (the 70 ) Learn and develop through others using feedback, structured mentoring and coaching and the involvement in communities and sharing experiences (the 20 ) Take part in structured courses, workshops, elearning modules, professional qualifications and accreditation, or university of business school programs (the 10 ) Strategy Senior leaders, and HR/L&D need to be active in a range of activities which allow the learning and development strategy to be developed, aligned and implemented. These include: Governance, leadership and decision making support Alignment of learning priorities with organisational needs and impact measurement Budget and resource allocations Communication and engagement Execution Line Leaders and HR/L&D work together to bring 70:20:10 to life and to take the learning strategy to the coal face: HR/L&D will require new mindsets, capabilities, and methodologies to support implementation Line Leaders will also require guidance and support, along with expectations and performance measures to ensure they are equipped to support and develop of their workers 4. Changing the Way We Learn at Work

5 Conclusion The changing world of work offers unprecedented challenges for organisations and learning professionals. 70:20:10 is a way for organisations to make sense of these challenges and find a practical way to focus their resources, align their efforts and harness the potential of their people to deliver and sustain results. 70:20:10 is a mindset a way of thinking about development and performance. Once people understand this, they open themselves up to a world of opportunity. The framework enables the shift to a holistic approach to performance and development. It is a call to action for those in the HR, L&D, OD profession wanting to add more value to their organisations, and recognising that greater impact, flexibility, responsiveness or reach cannot be achieved by doing things the way they have always been done. This important change agent answers the call to the challenges brought about in a fast-paced business environment where agility and flexibility mean the difference between failure and success. It is also an opportunity for organisations to step out of the learning and development silo and integrate their approach to worker performance and productivity through the involvement of their key stakeholders at the intersections where work and learning combine. Improving the outcomes of workplace learning The 70:20:10 Forum provides solutions that enable organisations to improve the effectiveness of learning using the 70:20:10 framework. We work to directly improve the outcomes of workplace learning through a comprehensive solution that includes professional development, performance support resources and platforms. Log onto to learn more about our solutions to help you enable, embed and sustain 70:20:10 principles and practices across your organisation. 5. Changing the Way We Learn at Work