My favourite episode of Blackadder is the one in which Baldrick burns the manuscript of Dr Samuel Johnson’s dictionary. As Edmund scrambles to re-write the tome, Baldrick contributes a definition of “dog”: Not a cat.
While his definition is comically inadequate, it’s also unassailably accurate. Indeed a dog is not a cat; so if you understand what a cat is, the contrast will help you understand what a dog is.
I reminded myself of the skit as I ruminated over the ever-louder call in Organisational Development circles for a “skills-based learning” strategy. At first blush, the phrase seems paradoxical (if not inadequate). You may be forgiven for wondering: Isn’t all learning skills based?
But on second thought, most of us will arrive at the conclusion that it’s not. Which prompts another question from those still wondering: When learning isn’t skills based, what is it?
Well, two answers spring to my mind…
1. Knowledge-based learning
We’ve all done those e-learning modules with a quiz at the end that’s effectively a memory test. Which means it isn’t very effective.
Remembering the wording of Clause 2.4 of the company’s Anti-Money Laundering policy is unlikely to prevent any money laundering from taking place.
That’s not to say that knowledge-based learning is necessarily ineffective. On the contrary, a solid foundation of knowledge is critical to performance.
In other words, knowledge is to skill as mindset is to behaviour; ergo, knowledge-based learning is effective when it’s in the service of skill development.
2. Role-based learning
Given how ingrained the industrial-era notion of organisational structure is in the corporate psyche, this is where many of us gravitate when we think of workplace learning.
For example, we might think of the induction of new starters, which is often segregated by division; or of technical training, which is typically segregated by team.
Also, it’s important to note that “role” doesn’t necessarily equal job title. For example, multiple monikers across the organisation might fulfil the role of people manager, or vendor relationship manager, and training will target them accordingly.
Skills-based learning
Returning to skills-based learning, we see now that – just like a dog – one way to define what it is is by defining what it’s not:
- Skills-based learning is not knowledge-based learning: rather than developing what you know, it develops what you do.
- Skills-based learning is not role-based learning: rather than targeting a specific role, it applies to any role.
The latter definition is becoming increasingly important as we realise a future of work in which the traditional career path is transforming into a Wonkavator.
Demand is rising for skills that are transferrable from role to role.
Hence we need skills-based learning strategy.
E-Learning Provocateur 
But most role-based training is precisely focused on skills and producing job outcomes.
As it should be, John, as the point of learning & development is to improve performance. However from a semantic perspective, I contend role-based learning focuses on specific roles, whereas skills-based learning focuses on skills that are transferrable across any role.