In earlier blogs we have written about the development of top talent through experiential interventions. This is an approach that benefits all employees by accelerating learning and enabling them to develop faster within an organisation.
Line managers, for example, face particular pressures. They are expected to hold onto staff, engage them and somehow foster ongoing innovation as part of the employee DNA in times of change. But these expectations, without better learning interventions, carry too great a burden. Over recent years, line managers have seen their workloads increase and their spheres of influence widen; yet the forces shaping these changes have also led to pressures on learning and support, driven by an overwhelming desire to reduce costs. Fortunately, there is a way to reconcile better learning with lower costs.
There is still a tendency to view learning and development as being about going on a training course. But at the same time, you probably already know, or have read, that experiential learning is the most effective form of workplace learning. In fact, 70% of learning and development comes from work experience and only 10% from training.
For anyone to gain new skills and behaviours from their work experience, they need to be given appropriate experiential work to challenge and stretch them, accompanied by support and guidance to perform the new tasks successfully – and immediate support to be able to reflect on what they’ve learned. Fortunately, it is possible to combine world-class consultancy with new technology in order to bring learning simulation to the fore. For 2 or 3 hours, the simulation becomes their job as new challenges are addressed, goalposts are dramatically and deliberately shifted and situations change.
It’s not always easy to explain the benefits of simulated learning within organisations, so here are a few statistics to help. The research suggests that the time for in-person assessment centres can be reduced from 1 or 2 days down to as little as 2 or 3 hours; that the simulations carried out are 250% more accurate than job interviews; and that combining technology with high quality consultancy can cut the cost of in-person assessment centres by around 80%.
Leaders can’t change a business on their own – they needs teams who are also benefiting from experiential development. Any successful organisation also needs, individually and collectively, to adapt its collective style to suit all circumstances and this can be better achieved faster, and at lower cost through experiential challenges.
The Scala Group combines world-class consultancy & PinsightTM technology for better leadership hires, talent reviews & impactful leadership development. Click here to find out more