Today’s workplaces are very different environments from what they were 20, or even 10 years ago.  Not only has the nature of what we do at work changed, so has the way it’s done, the way it’s managed and the way we’re remunerated.

As contractors replace fulltime employees, and laptops and hot-desking replace office cubicles, it’s not surprising that the appropriateness of previously accepted workplace learning methodologies is now being questioned.

In fact, the upheaval in workplace practices has been so significant it’s left many people asking whether corporate learning is actually broken – and if it is, what needs to be done to fix it?

These were among the issues to surface at our September Think Tank when we discussed the popular 70:20:10 learning model, and whether or not it is still fit for purpose.

You can read the full report from the Think Tank here. At the session, the wider question as to whether corporate learning was broken emerged out of our exploration of the pros and cons of 70:20:10.

The discussion included questioning whether this particular learning ratio (70% informal, 20% social, 10% formal) remains relevant and effective given all that’s changed in the modern workplace.

Reasons for questioning whether it does include:

• the growth of the gig economy which has seen a slide in the dominance of the full-time employee model (where it was possible for the workforce to be strongly controlled by management) in favour of a more transient workforce;
• the rapid growth in accessibility to information which has fuelled the rise of self-managed and continuous learning;
• the impact of technology, including how it has pushed out the boundaries of learning, especially for tech-savvy millennials who are less accepting of rigid workplace structures.

The divide between training and business objectives

In our last blog, we looked at how a range of societal and workplace disruptors have led to a disconnect developing between business objectives and the training solutions necessary to achieve them.

In the wake of overwhelming change, including seemingly endless technological developments, corporate learning professionals have been left increasingly frustrated and dissatisfied.

This is concerning because their inability to implement and deliver effective organisational development solutions to an evolving workforce could potentially have significant implications at the top of the management ladder.

If the benefits of operating a learning and development programme that delivers a return on investment are not articulated to – and therefore championed by an organisation’s CEO - then that programme is in deep trouble.

And if an organisation is promoting the type of organisational development initiatives that enable it to attract and retain industry-leading staff, it will lose its competitive advantage to those who are prepared to make such an investment.

Finding a way forward

While opinion on the 70:20:10 learning model is divided – it certainly still has its supporters – our Think Tank on the subject highlighted that there is a strong desire to continue the quest for the most effective corporate learning opportunities in a business environment beset by disruption.

In our discussion, most saw the ratio as more of a guide than a defined prescriptive approach. And while it is perceived as a logical breakdown – and probably very common amongst employees and organisations – the argument is that while it may be useful as a guide, it does not necessarily qualify as a strategy.

One criticism of the 70:20:10 model is that in these turbulent times, leaving 90 per cent of learning up to informal and social means leaves corporates exposed to too much risk by a ratio that's unlikely to deliver the results they require.

The Think Tank also discussed whether the entire concept was counter-productive, given that today’s tech-savvy millennial workforce is less accepting of structure.

That’s a view shared by Chris Osborn, who argues it’s pointless to arbitrarily assign percentages to different forms of learning.

Instead, he says, among the solutions organisations need to adopt to ensure an effective corporate learning regime is to embrace technology-enabled learning.

“It’s impossible to be present at each and every moment when employees need an answer to a question,” Chris says.

“But technology can be ever-present. It already is in our daily lives. We use phones and tablets everyday to learn things, answer immediate questions, gain knowledge, etc. Provide your employees access to the information THEY need in the same way - mobile, personalized and easy to access.”

This is a theme that’s also picked up by Josh Bersin, who puts it this way:

“In this world of automation, business transformation, and continued obsolescence of skills, companies are realizing that delivering on a compelling, digital learning experience is critical to business success.”

There seems little doubt that while technology has been a major factor in creating the divide between corporate culture and effective workplace learning, it also offers (at least part of) the solution required to bridge the chasm.

In our next post we’ll look in more detail at what technology – everything from gamification to social tools and artificial intelligence – has to offer when it comes to organisational development.

In the meantime, we’d like to invite you to join us to discuss the issues we’ve raise here.

Be part of our next Think Tank

Do you agree corporate learning is broken, and if so, how can it be fixed?

Our next Think Tank will discuss these questions in what we intend will be the first event of a series of session focused on workplace learning and what needs to be done to help businesses to be ready for the future of work.  Here are the details:

Time:     7.30am

Date:     Friday 3rd November

Place:    The Clarian Room, 20 Beaumont Street, Auckland (upstairs)

We’d love for you to join us for a robust and informative discussion, as well as some breakfast and a chance to swap ideas with other OD professionals.

To register for this event, please click on the button below.

See you there!