Emerging trend in L&D
July 12th, 2010
The 3rd Annual L&D Summit was a great experience. Apart from learning what NOT to do in a 45 minute presentation (i.e. have too many activities that stop core content being explained in depth) several of the presentations referred to a recurring theme in the L&D industry I’ve noticed over the past few years - the 70:20:10 principle.
Head of Global Learning at Reuters, Charles Jennings, says it well:
“About 70 per cent of organisational learning takes place on the job, through solving problems and through special assignments and other day-to-day activities.
“Another 20 per cent occurs through drawing on the knowledge of others in the workplace, from informal learning, from coaching and mentoring, and from support and direction from managers and colleagues. Only 10 per cent occurs through formal learning, whether classroom, workshop or, more recently, e-learning
“But most organisations invest at least 80 per cent of their training budgets in formal learning, where little of the learning takes place. And formal learning is also generally less effective than informal learning.”
In fact, I spoke of this whilst on the Learning Leaders Panel at last years Asia Pacific LearnX Conference in Sydney. However, due to a wee bit of professional ignorance, I wasn’t aware of the model and hence could only articulate it by way of ‘Manager as Coach’ being the future direction of L&D. Whilst others rhapsodised about Web2.0 (which I love by the way) and endorsed community learning & the value of tribes (read Seth Godin – the tribe master!), I proffered that the most powerful learning occurred in the workplace with the manager constantly providing new on-the-job, stretch experiences and a feedback/learning loop.
I feel like a dolt that I didn’t KNOW of the model, but feel MOST validated that I instinctively was on the right track.
My guru quest challenge this month is to challenge the status quo about how to develop our people in my firm. It’s got happen first at a strategic level, and that can’t occur without education. What are some of the ways you think I can go about this?
Check out these links to learn more:
www.princeton.edu/hr/learning/
The Corporate Leadership Council (if you don’t have a membership you must get one!) have created the first research to verify the veracity of this model: https://clc.executiveboard.com/Public/Default.aspx
http://www.astd.org/NR/rdonlyres/6341D41B-2212-49D8-8DE7-4F8BCDDE0E83/0/JanusCapitalGroup.pdf
http://seventytwentyten.wordpress.com/about/
It’s Charles Jennings, not Charles Denning.
jay
Bless you Jay – ur right! Thanks for the pick up – will make the edit now.
Have you applied this concept to any of your work recently?
Cheers
Wendy
Hi Wendy. I read your piece in TDA Mag based on this principle and I really enjoyed it.
In the article you ruminate over the rise of OJT in the corporate sector, and whether the result of that will be the demise of the L&D professional. I suggest the answer is a definite “No” – on the contrary, the trend will increasingly allow us to concentrate on where we can add real value, such as consulting, research, analysis, strategy, facilitation and community management.
Hi Ryan – thanks for dropping by & leaving a comment!
I think you’re right – or maybe we’re both right – in organisations with sophisticated HR integration (those who ‘get it) the role of L&D Manager will not be what it was in the past. It will morph more into (maybe) an OD type role. Or do you see OD as something different to ‘consulting, research, analysis, strategy, facilitation and community management’?
Hi Wendy, just so you and your readers know that Deakin Prime is bring out Charles Jennings later this month (September). Whilst I”m sure he’s a wise man, to me this model is a bit of state the bleeding obvious. Call me synical, but we need to make the distinction between learning and education. Just a thought. Having recently moved from a TD role with a strong workplace learning focus, I am thoroughly enjoying my new challenge of executive development in the higher ed sector. At long last, my grey matter is being used! Keep up the great blog.
Karen that’s fantastic- could you post any more information you have about his visit? Great opportunity . THANKS for the heads up!