A couple of months ago, I was involved in a group discussion focusing on building capabilities in young managers. One of the points of emphasis within the group was that new managers (and some senior leaders) thought of development as a formal program designed and delivered by the organization (e.g., mentor programs, training). Given the budget cuts many organizations are facing, group participants wanted to know what they could do to develop young talent.
A great starting point to answer this question is the 70, 20, 10 Rule many organizations use to focus employee development. The 70, 20, 10 Rule states, employee development should consist of 70% on-the-job learning (i.e., project work, stretch assignments, greater responsibilities/autonomy), 20% exposure to people (i.e., mentoring, networking, team project work), and 10% training and formal education.
In addition, since many think of development as a formal process, it is imperative that directs reports understand how on-the-job experiences qualify as development opportunities. A fantastic example of this was offered by one of my peers. When she assigns a new project to a direct report, she:
- Outlines the objectives of the project;
- States how success will be measured (timelines, resource needs, deliverables);
- Includes 3-5 skills that will be attained as a result of completing the project (e.g., leading a project, developing facilitation skills, learning how to influence without direct authority, etc.).
These skills are the link the direct report needs to see the project work as development. By completing the project, her direct report is getting on-the-job exposure to a great development opportunity.
Related Articles: Our Approach to Learning; Developing Talent; Invest in Top Talent
Tags: 70-20-10 rule, Beyond the Jargon, Calibra, formal education, Leadership Development, mentor programs, networking, on-the-job learning, Paul Dillenburg, Talent Management, training
