Work-based Learning: A new perspective in developing managers in a South African context

Arnold Palmer once described golf as “deceptively simple and endlessly complicated”. The same can be said about developing managers in a South African context.

Empowerment through appointing and developing managers is becoming a prerequisite to doing business in our context. Learning is the key to empowering not only the individual, but also impacting the organisation.

Learning is a process, not an event. Without learning something, you cannot change the way you think. Everything in life starts and ends with learning, however modern day society unfortunately demands quick fixes:

“I think we’ll send John on the next New Manager development programme when things get quiet later in the year – after that, I will make him a middle manager – as easy as that!”.

Unfortunately learning has always been associated with something academic, making learning in the workplace seem difficult, complicated, not timely or irrelevant. Learning however, needs to become a way of life in our organisational systems.

What is Work-based Learning?

Work – based learning is not a widely known concept in a South African context. The fast – tracking of managers in South Africa has also created a wrong perspective of management development. Development does not merely refer to positioning oneself for a rapid ascent up the managerial hierarchy. It means learning those skills that will inspire both individual and organisational performance. Work – based learning brings a more balanced perspective to the development of potential managers.

Work – based learning merges theory with practice and knowledge with experience. It recognises that the workplace offers as many learning opportunities for learning as the classroom.

Those of us that have children know that you cannot just send your child to school with the expectation that the school will develop your child into a perfect young person, with all the skills and knowledge needed for life. Most “things” are learnt at home (the workplace). Similarly, executive education cannot be held accountable to develop a perfect manager.

Conventional (management development programmes) learning methodologies tend to be theory – based classroom experiences relying on explicit knowledge. Explicit knowledge means “knowing how”.

This however is not enough in the modern VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, Ambiguous) world. “Knowing that” seems just as (if not more) important. “Knowing that” represents tacit knowledge, which serves the very purpose of work – based learning.

Work – based learning provides a platform to blend theory – and – action (knowing how and knowing that).

If one has learnt something you know it and can do it. Knowledge and skills combine to develop competence. Learning needs to take your “behaviour” to the next level and at this level, you need to demonstrate the degree of competence by an improved application of skill.

Work – based learning differs from conventional training (learning) in that it involves conscious reflection on actual experience. Such learning needs to be centered around reflection on work practices.