There is an argument that we all need to learn less if we want to know more. The ‘learning’ referred to here is what we know as formal structured learning activities - classes, courses, programmes, and eLearning. The argument goes like this. Although formal learning only constitutes about 10-20% of the actual learning that occurs in organisations, it’s the visible part of the iceberg and the part where most of the budget and L&D resource is focused. When we look at the structured learning taking place in organisations we find that the vast majority is content-rich and interaction-poor. MORE >>

It’s generally accepted that most of the learning that occurs within our organisations takes place outside formal training and learning events. The majority of our learning comes from the new and different experiences we have in our daily work. Our learning also comes from practice and from conversations and from taking the opportunity to reflect on our experiences and on those of others. Good managers do this in a number of ways. Of the three actions that have most impact, two involve experiential learning. The table below shows the top three actions this research uncovered. MORE >>

He references The Masie Barometer which provides a late-March 2009 snapshot of learning & development in a range of organisations – 77% of respondents based in the USA. THE MASIE BAROMETER and CIPD 2009 SURVEY It is useful to look at the Masie Learning Resources Barometer data alongside the UK CIPD data gathered a few months earlier. When looking forward to 2009, the outlook was about the same – 86%. Last month Tony Karrer wrote an very insightful piece on his eLearning Technology blog about the Business of Learning. It has no other option. The Masie figure is 88%. MORE >>

This first post is a long one. certainly expect my regular jottings to be more succinct. But I thought it a good starting point for a new blog about performance, learning and productivity. In early 1939 McGraw-Hill published a profound little book that should be on the reading list of everyone involved in learning and training today. Copies can still be found in dusty bookstores and even on Amazon at times. Selling at $1, this book was a light satire on education and educators that carried a heavy, and still very relevant, message. It’s called ‘ The Saber- Toothed Curriculum’. MORE >>

A month ago, on April 21, Jay Cross at learntrends co-ordinated a round-the-globe series of online conversations on how learning can impact performance in organisations. Starting on the US West Coast and ending somewhere east of New Zealand, these virtual conversations opened up a whole Pandora’s Box of issues around the challenges and opportunities that learning & development faces if it is to really have an impact of organisational effectiveness. Jay’s reflections on the event are worth reading. Here are some of the core capabilities identified: 1. the ability to ‘speak business’. MORE >>