Ongoing, Performance-Focused Learning

Are formal training programmes enough for workplace learning? No. They are certainly important, but they are not sufficient. How can we manage to support the other parts of workplace learning that are so important?

Through research and experimentation, the McKinsey Learning Research and Innovation Lab has developed a way to unlock learning opportunities at scale and democratize skill building in ways that formal programmes cannot. This approach requires an organization to adopt a new approach, removing hierarchal and top-down learning models and creating instead a shared responsibility for everyone to be a teacher and learner. In this session, the speakers will share insights - and failures - in adopting this approach, but primarily will focus on helping delegates apply it in their own organizations.

Learning Technologies Conference Chair, Donald H Taylor, said, "So much important learning occurs at work, informally, in conversations between people, rather than in formal courses - usually unplanned. How can you help this happen more often, and systemically, so that managers and employees learn from each other regularly, surfacing crucial tacit knowledge and skills? McKinsey have developed an internal process to tackle this issue, and they are here to share it with us."

Heather Stefanski and Michael Edwards' session, "Moving beyond Formal Programmes to Ongoing, Performance-Focused Learning", takes place on day one of the conference, 3 May, and covers

• surfacing tacit knowledge and teaching the invisible
• embedding these practices into the flow of work
• influencing senior leaders through experimentation
• building foundational skills across the workforce
• practical advice on what to do next