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Why Everyday Development Is Crucial To Closing The Skills Gap
The companies that will thrive aren't those with the most sophisticated training catalogs, they are ... More the ones whose managers can turn everyday interactions into accelerated learning experiences.
Research by the World Economic Forum suggests that skill gaps are the "biggest barrier to transformation" as new AI and robotics technologies automate the workplace in the next five years—with 59% of workers needing upskilling or reskilling. Leaders face a challenge of cultivating the mindset, skills and organizational culture to support learning. But are their managers equipped to support this development effort?
The Development Dilemma Hiding in Plain Sight
Managers are expected to drive performance, deliver results and guide their teams toward organizational objectives. But in today's pressure-cooker environment, where deadlines dominate and resources are constrained, employee development can often feel like just another item on an already overcrowded to-do list. Even well-intentioned managers find development work squeezed out of congested schedules and relegated to quarterly reviews, formal training sessions and the occasional feedback conversations.
The result? Inefficient and slow skill development that is bad for business and bad for morale. Employees struggle to apply what they've learned, managers become bottlenecks for problem-solving, and organizations fail to build the adaptive capacity they need to thrive.
But what if development didn't require separate meetings or additional time blocks? What if the conversations already happening—team check-ins, problem-solving sessions, project debriefs—became powerful learning moments?
This is the core insight behind everyday development: transforming routine managerial interactions into opportunities for growth. Rather than adding new responsibilities, it's about bringing developmental intention to existing conversations. The goal isn't more meetings or separate meetings for learning and development; it's making everyday interactions matter more.
The Research Behind How People Actually Learn
The idea of everyday development aligns with the 70-20-10 model, an observation dating back to the mid-1980s about how humans acquire skills. The model suggests that about 70% of our development comes from what we learn while doing our jobs, 20% through our engagement with peers and only about 10% from formal training. Many organizations focus their development efforts (and budgets) on the 10%—courses and training—while neglecting the 90% where most learning happens. It's not an argument against formal training; it's an argument for reinforcing formal training by incorporating its lessons into the routine of how we work, from putting things into practice, how we interact with others and the feedback we receive naturally as we get things done.
The Manager's Critical Role in Learning Transfer
Research by Professors Brian Blume, J. Kevin Ford, and Jason Huang confirms what the 70-20-10 model suggests: managers play a crucial role in whether learning translates into improved performance. Their comprehensive review of studies on informal learning found that managers who effectively support employee development typically provide three types of support:
Direct Assistance: Managers provide resources and remove obstacles to learning. They can hold casual conversations or formalized reviews where they discuss gaps in skills and help employees develop learning plans. Managers can then create opportunities where these new skills will be used and conduct regular check-ins on how skills are being put into practice.
Guidance: Managers offer feedback, help employees reflect on their experiences and provide advice on how and where to apply new learning. They coach employees through the learning process, making room for failure and encouraging experimentation. Managers can boost motivation by discussing how a new skill will benefit the team member and the company.
Emotional Support: Managers should foster a safe environment where employees feel valued and motivated to learn. Throughout their discussions with team members, managers should also respect the employee's current abilities and agency. Finally, managers can play a role in boosting employees' confidence as they learn new skills by showing interest in their development.
The researchers say managers are 'a key source of support for employees and assist employees in navigating the opportunities for informal learning that exist in their environment. Managers can inspire and encourage learners to be self-driven in learning the information they need, which fosters curiosity.' Without this support, even the best training programs fail to translate into improved performance.
Everyday Development in Practice
Managers and leaders constantly give feedback, from notes on an active task to long-term strategic guidance. Sometimes an employee comes to the manager for help. At other times, the manager notices an area for improvement. In both cases, the default is to "fix and tell." This approach can occasionally resolve the immediate issue, but it ensures that when an employee encounters a future problem, they'll return to you to solve it. That takes up your time and takes away an opportunity for growth. Everyday development is as simple as switching a directive to a question. So the next time an employee asks for help, instead of saying "Here's what you should do," you can ask "What are the barriers getting in your way?" or "What do you think we should do next?"
That's it! That question becomes an invitation for the employee to share what's really going on—and for the manager to really listen. The difference isn't more training, it's developmental intention in everyday interactions.
Building Learning Velocity: Three Core Skills
Organizations that master everyday development create the ability to acquire and apply new skills faster than change happens around them. This requires managers to develop three foundational capabilities:
1. Listening to Learn
Move beyond listening-to-respond or solve problems. Focus on understanding what's really happening for the other person. Practice asking "What else?" to go deeper into their thinking.
2. Powerful Inquiry
Ask questions that expand possibilities rather than narrow them. Replace "Did you follow my suggestion?" with: "What options are you considering?" or "What's your take on this situation?"
3. Practical Empathy
Acknowledge the emotional reality of learning something new. Sometimes the observation, "That sounds challenging," provides more value than immediate technical advice.
Three Questions That Transform Any Conversation
Here are three questions that can turn routine interactions into development opportunities:
These questions work because they respect the other person's thinking while creating space for growth.
Making It Work: Start with Your Next Conversation
The beauty of everyday development is its accessibility. You don't need budget approval or formal programs to begin. You need intention and practice with the three core skills.
Feedback is an abundant entry point for everyday development, but there are other routine interactions:
The Competitive Advantage Hidden in Plain Sight
In a world where AI can automate routine tasks faster than organizations can retrain workers, the companies that will thrive aren't those with the most sophisticated training catalogs, they are the ones whose managers can turn everyday interactions into accelerated learning experiences.
This isn't about adding more to managers' plates. It's about being more intentional with conversations they're already having.
The 59% of workers who need reskilling won't develop new capabilities through training programs alone. They'll grow through thousands of everyday interactions with managers who understand that development doesn't require special occasions—it requires special attention to ordinary moments.
Your next conversation is an opportunity. Will it be just another status update, or will it be a moment that helps someone grow?
