New McKinsey Report Highlights Need for a More Agile Training Model

In a brave new world of business powered by the digital revolution, what roles do brick and mortar corporate universities and digital learning opportunities play in successful, forward-thinking companies?

McKinsey Quarterly's "Learning at the Speed of Business" addresses that question, offering an in-depth look at the evolution of corporate learning and development (L&D). Building on research culled from queries to over 1,500 global executives in 2014, McKinsey sharpened its focus to approximately 120 senior L&D officers and a handful of chief learning officers from some of the most successful companies in the world in 2015.

The results of this research uncover some deficiencies in more traditional training models, and point to the need for re-structuring the way in which organizations train and develop talent. Global L&D leaders project that corporate learning will, of necessity, change significantly within the next three years to incorporate a wider variety of learning tools and approaches.

While noting that brick and mortar corporate learning centers still offer significant benefits to employees, McKinsey contends that digital learning and cloud-based training will play an increasingly important role. A hybrid approach to training and development, which includes both brick and mortar and digital approaches, is projected to yield the best results in terms of continuous talent development at the speed of business.

This concept aligns well with ASLAN Training and what ASLAN observes in the article "Big Data Behind Sales Training". The article notes: "One of the biggest dilemmas facing sales managers today is how they can balance the need for their salespeople to receive training, with the need for them to be out in the field finding new business. This has led to the prevalence of seminar-style "training events" that take up a full day (or multiple days) and immerse salespeople with training all at once, with a goal of using training time efficiently."

Pointing out that such blast training does not always meet the objective of true development, the ASLAN article continues: "A system of reinforcement and practice over time is necessary to ensure that sales skills are both learned and retained ... If you can find a personalized delivery method that is tailored to the individual talents of your reps, your company will reap exponential benefits from investing in taking your sales team to the next level."

The McKinsey report shares this premise, stating: "Ultimately, we believe, the future of corporate academies lies in blended learning, which combines classroom forums, in-field applications, personal and results-oriented feedback, and online engagement. There is no magic number for allocating time between digital and in-person learning; different industries, and different companies within them, must determine the mix that makes the most sense for their circumstances and capability-development priorities. Connectivity allows organizations to meet many of the most important learning objectives: avoiding disruptions in day-to-day business, delivering content consistently (as opposed to in-person training with different facilitators), and sustaining learning for employees (who review the content after the end of each lesson and then update and share their new knowledge in real time)."

This new, more agile form of L&D is disrupting the way companies are training top talent today. The report continues: "Corporate academies are poised for change on the order of magnitude experienced a century ago, when they developed from low-level workshops into mature institutions. The disruption now underway is remarkable, representing a transformation even when compared to what had been standard practices at the end of the 20th century, when the focus was largely on classroom-based learning. Achieving the next level of change ... will require a nimble balance between digital and physical platforms, cultural messaging and technical content, and real-time and actively shared learning. The sudden emergence of a more digitally engaged generation and the stepped-up pace of technological change suggest that time is of the essence. Successfully navigating the coming transformation will require not just a shift in tools and approaches but also an agile, engaged organization."

Read McKinsey's "Learning at the Speed of Business" in its entirety here. Contact us to learn more about ASLAN Training & Development.