For organizations whose employees are one of their main differentiators, their advantage is wholly dependent on how employees learn, retain, and execute their knowledge. That means that an employee’s tacit command of skill has become an integral part of the product or service that an organization offers.
An organization’s pain point arises when the learning and development is hindered with outdated methods of teaching new skills.
According to research by the Aberdeen Group, 24.3% of organizations are concerned about the lack of key talent in the marketplace. Coupled with the need to deliver learning across multiple geographies, it makes sense for organizations to adopt new learning delivery modalities to satisfy a variety of learning styles to keep up with the advancement of new technology. It is more and more evident that new technology encourages sharing information in a social context. This is where peer influence comes in.
The Benefits of Peer Influence
The original 70:20:10 learning framework, developed in the 1980s, suggested that 70% of learning is informal and happens through experience-based learning and 20% occurs through coaching and mentoring by a senior level employee.
In an attempt to update this framework, Aberdeen performed research that showed that 17.5% of the learning was referential (based on feedback from managers) and another 17.5% applied to relational learning that happens during collaborations, using social networks, and through different communities of practice.
Peer-to-peer learning not only contributes to the company’s success but also to the following:
- Loyalty to the company through loyalty toward friendships developed within
- Increased job satisfaction through collaborative involvement
- Increased emotional engagement through strong and genuine peer relationships
- Increased camaraderie through the collective celebration of milestones
Programs to Facilitate Learning
Lunch and Learn – This brief and informal method of teaching involves enticing employees with catered lunches (if possible) in order to impart new skills, product information, personal development classes, and more. Hold these meetings in a conference room to reduce noise levels. These voluntary interactions provide an excellent ROI due to the minimal cost incurred and the efficacy of time-use.
User-Generated Video Content – Some knowledge is difficult to externalize through traditional methods of dissemination. Devices such as smart glasses, badges with RFID chips, virtual reality headsets, and wrist displays are streamlined methods that capture real-time interactions. Their ability to be quickly and effectively recorded also allows for easy archiving and distribution.
Gamification – This incorporates gaming mechanics and techniques for participants to motivate themselves to achieve certain goals. Through this method, companies can reward users who accomplish certain tasks through a point or badge system. Gamification can be incorporated into certification or training programs to increase healthy competition, reward achievements, and increase engagement. Leaderboards can encourage participants to complete tasks in a timely manner.
Webinars – These allow instructors to conduct seminars through live meetings, training programs, and internet presentations. Popular tools to conduct these meetings include Webex, Adobe Connect, Goto Meeting, and Live meeting.
Social Networks – People can distribute articles, links, video content, or anything else that can supplement learning and development. The information being distributed doesn’t have to be restricted to company topics, but can also include common interests and topical news.
Podcasts – Podcasts have infiltrated every corner of the learning market. One of the driving forces behind the success of this online media is the ability for individuals to download these files directly onto their internet-connected devices and access them depending on their workload and availability.
Integrated Collaborative Workspaces – These virtual environments allow groups to interact and share information quickly and remotely. If you’re company works in project teams, this can be an easy way to share resources, ideas, and files to facilitate learning.
For more information on how your organization can support peer learning to enhance your human capital, check out Aberdeen’s full report, “The New 70:20:10: The Changing Face of Learning.”
