We recently heard a story that made us reflect on the obstacles that block learning transfer within organisations — the missing link between learning new skills and embedding workplace learning to make it really count.
The story. Some managers attended a Leadership Development Programme that provided new and exciting thinking, new leadership skills and a desire to implement change back in the workplace. However, the end result for the organisation was that, within a year, every single one of the managers that attended the programme had moved on to new roles in different companies.
Why? It was not because they saw the opportunity for better jobs elsewhere but simply that the culture and processes within their organisation were not set up to harness their new potential. There was no plan to re-integrate these people with their new skills back into the organisation and make the most of them. The participants became frustrated and eventually left. The organisation would probably have viewed the learning as a poor investment.
It could have been very different for both parties.
So, how do we set up our teams and organisations to get the most ROI from learning?
The 70/20/10 framework* shows exactly why training in the classroom alone doesn’t embed new learning in an organisation. Research shows that 90% of learning transfer happens away from the training environment. The focus, therefore, should be on creating a team and an organisational culture that fosters new thinking, skills and behaviours. That means developing business processes that encourage rather that stifle new skills.
Yes, embedding workplace learning is difficult — because it is rarely made a priority in amongst the ‘real’ priorities that sit on everyone’s to do lists. If you are serious about embedding the learning that you have spent precious budget on, it’s vital to develop a process that supports and enables someone coming back into the business after training. Most importantly, they must be given opportunities to actually put their recently-acquired skills into practice, and to teach them to others.
*70/20/10 Framework
| 10% | Educate
Give people great learning opportunities that are related specifically to their role. Make sure they’re clear on how the learning supports them and how they need to demonstrate the new skills when they return. |
| 20% | Expose
Ensure that the manager has the time and ability to coach the new behaviours. The best result occurs when this is planned as carefully as the learning itself. Make it a priority for the team to make room for the new skills in their everyday processes, collaboration and personal networking. This is most effective when role-modelled by the manager. |
| 70% | Experience
Give the individual the chance to practice their new skills in their roles straight away — and to inform and train others. There is no better way to embed skills than to practice them in a real-world situation, teach them to others and see the results. |
Learning does not start and stop at the door of the workshop or learning event. If we can change our mind-set and see learning as a continual process, then change our organisational culture, embedding workplace learning more powerfully, we will create real return on our investment.