Here are the last few unanswered questions in a session I attended at the CIPD Festival of Work and my thoughts.

70-20-10 still relevant with tech changing the way we work?
I think so. I recognise and understand the criticisms about it as a framework/model/approach (choose your naming convention). However, it focuses people on the benefits of learning away from formally designed structures which happens even more now. For example, who goes on Excel courses now? How often do we turn to colleagues next to us to ask how to create pivot tables? How many of us just look up pivot tables on YouTube. It’s dated and there are some suggestions how it might be updated, but as a way of speaking with people about moving learning from a ringfenced function, it still has a relevance.

What methods of measuring long-term impact of learning solutions do you deem effective from your experience?
FOCUS. ON. PERFORMANCE. In my book about Proving Impact I suggest a load of approaches to consider when looking at evaluation and performance. There are two key elements. Firstly, know what the baseline performance – not training metric – you wish to change is. If you don’t have that – and we often have vague statements about “better”, or “efficient” as performance descriptors – you can’t prove impact. Secondly, know where you can, will, and should collect the data from to support your analysis. Happy sheets and simple questionnaires won’t cut it any more so know what you’re measuring. For example, if you’re running leadership and management programmes, how is the organisation performing better as a result of your input, support and activity. If you can’t prove an impact, why are you there?

What are you using co-pilot for on a regular basis?
I’m not. I find it clunky, difficult to configure, and over-reliant on the 365 ecosystem. For someone who is operating across many organisations, each with their own tech stacks, it doesn’t suit me to use any proprietary tool.

What should L&D professionals be prepared to let go of in 5 years’ time?
There are a few things which we’re giving up and the first is simply content. You don’t own it any more – and you never really did – so hand it over. Ringfencing it won’t work; people will find it elsewhere when THEY want it and NEED it. Similarly, the linear pathways from basic to intermediate to advanced are shifting; knowledge is contained in smaller clumps and people may not need ALL the things we have considered in the pact before. This also means the course and learning first mindset needs to change. Start working upstream by influencing culture, systems, leadership behaviours, and workflow design.

That’s my thoughts over the last few days – do you agree? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

#CIPD #FoW25