First, a clear, customer-back picture of the capabilities the

organization needs. As we’ve argued before in this blog, that pictureshould be based on customer expectations—in other words, builtfrom the customer back. Efficient, digitally-enabled processes andskilled people create the most value when they improve the

experience of customers.

Second, systems to track skills within the organization and

incentives for individuals to invest time and energy in developing their skills. Leading companies create a skills matrix for specific roles,for example, along with a multi-level system of credentials forindividuals who can demonstrate those skills. They link theachievement of credentials to a range of financial and non-financialincentives, including career progression options and access to further learning and development opportunities.

Third, experiences, tools, and resources that enable employees toacquire and apply new skills as they work. That is likely to involve a mix of methods, including traditional classroom learning, self-service digital training, stretch assignments, on-the-job support, coaching, apprenticeship, and mentoring.

Eliminate the need for learning. Can a task be automated, or

designed to be as intuitive and error-proof as possible? There

is a good reason why the simple checklist is a standard tool

used to support complex tasks in surgery and aviation.

Provide resources at the moments that matter. The best

time to learn something well is right when you need it. That

might be the first time somebody uses a new approach, the

first time they hit a problem, or when established processes

change. By embedding learning resources—such as

quick-start guides, videos, or animations—into the tools that

people use every day, companies can ensure that focused,

context-specific help is just a click away at these key

moments.

Offer experiences and apprenticeship, not courses. In other situations, people may not realize they need new capabilities or that the work they do will be changing. Moreover, some skills are too complex, too different, or too risky to learn on the job. That’s when experiential learning can be invaluable. At a digital capability center or model factory, for example, people can try new tools and approaches that show what’s possible, in an environment designed to be a safer and faster version of the real world. Over the longer term, learning at the side of an expert is the oldest capability-building approach of all. And it works. Companies are now adapting the traditional apprenticeship model to the needs of the modern organization, giving everyone in their organization the responsibility to learn and the responsibility to teach.

The relative importance of these complementary approaches to learning and development is difficult to overstate. Since the 1980s, many organizations have followed the maxim that managers learn:

70 percent of their skills on the job

20 percent through social interaction

10 percent through formal training courses.

In a world where rapid upskilling is an imperative, that principle can be applied to everyone in the workforce.