The News on Workplace Learning in 2018
I was excited to see that LinkedIn have released some new research surveying 4,000 professionals on the state of workplace learning in 2018.
I was particularly interested in the top finding – that training for soft skills is the number 1 priority for talent development teams. Leadership and communication skills came in at a higher priority than collaboration or role specific skills. If soft skills is key – then learning transfer must also be high on the agenda!
Another top finding was one that won’t be surprise to any of you. As we all know the rise of digital is inescapable, and the research found that talent developers are depending on online solutions more than ever before.
49% of employees are preferring to learn at their point of need.
It seems time is a big issue. Finding time is the number 1 challenge for employees who are engaging with learning. As talent development professionals we must ensure that employees are equipped with the means to prioritise their learning, even in busy times.
LinkedIn also found that Manager involvement is critical for employee engagement in learning. 56% of employees said they would invest more time in their learning with their manager’s direction and support. Talent development professionals must equip managers to understand the impact they can have on employees with their learning.
Managers can also be an essential piece to the learning transfer puzzle.
If the Manager is left responsible for learning transfer support, they can often make or break success.
We are moving towards a time where a “coaching culture” is becoming the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
If your organisational coaching maturity is very high, and managers are equipped with the skills to help employees embed their learning, then that’s fantastic!
However, if they don’t have the time or skills, or it’s simply not a priority, managers are not necessarily the most appropriate person to help a learner apply their new skills or knowledge.
Many managers think they are coaching and quite frankly – they aren’t. You probably see some of them in your organisations. They confuse coaching with giving advice and don’t even realise when they are doing it. Just because they sit down to have a conversation it doesn’t mean they are coaching. Many managers seem to have mastered the art of the “queggestion” – a question disguised as a suggestion! While it might feel useful, it does not encourage internal dialogue and reflection. (Thanks to Michael Stratford who coined this excellent phrase!)
Understanding your organisation’s level of learning maturity will help gauge if they are best placed to fulfil that role or not.
TAKE THE LEARNING & DEVELOPMENT MATURITY MODEL SURVEY
Give managers enough structure that they can really wrap their arms around in terms of implementation. Give them more than a model. Go beyond the basics of GROW, which in its simplest form will be successful in 20-30% of conversations. A nuanced skill requires robust learning and transfer to really develop. Equip them to excel and support them to deal with all types of coaching conversations. Talk with us to find out how we can help!
With soft skills training at top priority in 2018, it’s an imperative that an effective learning transfer solution is on table.
To arrange your learning transfer diagnostic with CEO Emma Weber – and start turning soft skills learning into action at your organisation: contact us today.