Capability Academies by Josh Bersin Infographic

Today, modern organizations are investing in capability academies: places to go to learn, share, and build expertise together. Unlike the physical corporate universities of old, the new academies build strategic, contextualized skill-sets, the source of an organization’s competitive advantage and the solution to broad problems like “integrated customer service,” “digital transformation,” “sustainability mindset” and “global enterprise sales performance.” Moreover, they crystallize corporate memory and institutional wisdom so that it can be transferred continually to new cohorts. As the culmination of many trends, Capability Academies are the next step in the learning evolution.

Learn more about capability academies in this infographic, or watch the webinar for more in-depth information from Josh Bersin.

How to Capability Academies Evolve the Learning Landscape?

Corporate capabilities are the next wave; they strategically align learning in the flow of work.

Traditional training is:

• L&D or HR-led
• Formal programs
• LMS catalog
• Certification
• Role-based
• Not digital, costly to scale

Self-directed learning is:

• LXP interface and discovery
• Recommended content
• Anyone can author
• Open access
• Volume high, quality mixed
• “System-curated”
• Individual-focused
• Too much content, not enough context

But capability academies are:

• Organized by functional area and strategic need
• Led by SMEs and business leaders
• External content and instructors
• Mentoring and coaching by design
• Assessment and capability models
• Talent mobility and project assignments
• Sponsored by business, constantly adapting

Key Tenets: How Capability Academies Accelerate Organizational Outcomes

Capability academies are a collaborative learning space where people can advance their job-related capabilities.

Use the SPACE model:

• S is for Sharing: Knowledge sharing by internal experts, certified instructors, business leaders, as well as external experts
• P is for Practice: Programs, real work projects tailored to the company’s functions, and developmental assignments (may span multiple months)
• A is for Alignment: Aligned and prioritized to support capabilities identified by business leaders as strategic, proprietary, and high value
• C is for Collaboration: Elements including peer-to-peer interactions, discussion forums, and a mix of synchronous and asynchronous activities
• E is for Expertise: Cultivates expertise in critical differentiators – operations, innovation, customer service, and growth

What a Capability Academy Is Vs. What It Is Not

• Developed in conjunction with the business; NOT off-the-shelf learning
• Related to a specific business function or company protocols in a given domain; NOT a course library, a center of excellence, a corporate university covering every facet of the business
• Collaborative and community-based in a time-based cohort group; NOT solo learning at will
• Projects and assignments tailored to how the business already operates; NOT courseware, examples, and assignments developed by vendors
• Allows learners to make mistakes and get substantive feedback to improve; NOT success based solely on completions and test/quiz results
• Content updated and modified as business evolves, capturing learner feedback; NOT static content

Excerpted from The Josh Bersin Company’s Webinar: Capability Academies: A New Approach for Critical Skills Development — A LX Signature Series