There are a number of trends that we’re seeing that almost all our clients are responding to by focusing on building capability both in the job and on the job, rather than as a formal training adjunct to normal BAU work. 70/20/10 has been around for a long time; unfortunately the 70% (applied learning on the job) has often existed in name only and while some forms of coaching, knowledge bases and support exists, it’s often the case that there is very little investment in this part, with time and effort going to into formal training programme development.
Some of the trends that are pushing us towards a focus on on-job capability uplift are:
- A greater recognition of the need for evidence of demonstrated value in investment business cases. This is seeing the focus of programme design shifting from knowledge acquisition to behavioural change.
- Capability and competency frameworks are becoming more pragmatic and grounded in role reality. They have sometimes been crafted at such a conceptual level/level of complexity, that they were too difficult to implement.
- The continuous and accelerating pace of change means that traditional training programme development cycles using Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) and learning designers struggle to build material that remains current and applied.
- Scarce availability of SMEs means Learning & Development and Knowledge & Capability teams lack what they need to build effective uplift experiences.
- Business owners sometimes see capability uplift as the support function’s responsibility – ‘I’ll release them to you – you develop them, and send them back….’ This often means operational KPIs and role responsibilities dominate, and time for true application of learning to roles doesn’t meaningfully happen.
- Resourcing constraints seeing substantial cuts to organisational support capability to undertake capability uplift work.
At the same time, technology is opening up opportunities that are making on-the-job capability uplift more achievable:
- Platforms and systems are stronger at weaving social and peer-based learning and also performance management/capability development into structured packages of learning.
- Ai and machine learning can give us a clearer view of the real need for help on the job, thus reducing resource development costs.
But the challenge is not just about shifting the capability uplift model more to ‘on-the-job’. It actually raises some wider governance challenges if it’s going to be truly effective.
- One is that Support Services such as Organisational Development and Learning and Development traditionally focus heavily on the learner and their needs. Of course that’s important, but it is sometimes at the expense of the needs of the business owners and the wider organisation – there can be a lack of focus on the business outcomes that justify the investment in capability uplift in the first place. Support Services are being challenged to shift their focus from their client being the learner, to the client being the business function – the operational reality of the business is just as critical as the learning needs of the staff they manage.
- For the business function, the idea that you can hand over responsibility for capability uplift to a support service and expect to get staff back as higher performing is problematic. If the pressure to deliver 100% of role KPIs remains while at the same time staff are expected to shift how they work, something will give, and usually capability uplift goals suffer.
- Similarly, true on-job capability uplift models such as Practice Improvement Groups require the structured design of capability uplift activity in the day-to-day and working week, and that requires a high level of collaboration between the business and support services.
The danger is that we evolve our uplift models without consciously shifting how we think about and work with the various business entities that have to align for the new programme design to work. If there is not alignment and shared commitment at a governance level, the best conceived uplift models are likely to struggle. As always, strong governance is a precursor to organisational success.