Ever feel like change is happening so fast and you just can’t keep up? In a digitised, rapidly shrinking world, there has never been a time when employees need effective development more, but the reality is, the old paradigm of Instruct, Practice, Test is simply no longer viable for organisations operating in complex problem solving environments.

At BSG, we recognise this and, to meet the increasing complexity, have inculcated the 70-20-10 model of learning, with 70% of knowledge coming from practical ‘learning on the job’, 20% from learning from others and the remaining 10% via formal highly experiential training programmes. An essential part of this learning framework is our blended approach to mentoring, where we have integrated traditional peer mentoring with social learning tools and Community of Practice forums (CoP), including a more recently introduced Trend Talks learning initiative, where by internal and external experts share knowledge. This has created an Agile Mentoring culture that is responsive, sustainable and performance driven. It aligns with the decision made a couple of years ago, for BSG to move away from the out-dated backward focused Performance Management, to future-focused Performance Growth which is all about connection, empowerment and growth.

In an Agile Mentoring culture, networks of peers across business units, generations and geographic regions, who share common values and goals, connect via social learning tools. At BSG, our collaborative system, called MyWorkLife, is a flexible, dynamic and inclusive space, where peers share freely and support one another to find solutions in real time. MyWorkLife is a great tool for information sharing, job or project-related feedback, problem solving, affirmation and friendship.

This platform encourages employees to establish and develop problem solving approaches that address personal and organisation challenges and goals. This type of Agile Mentoring delivers a number of benefits such as acclerated learning and innovation, improved on-the-job effectiveness and job satisfaction, it fosters a culture of inclusiveness and collaboration, and enhances relevance to employees.

One of the key strengths of BSG is the quality of our people, all hold STEM based academic qualifications, and are either entering as top performing graduates or join as experienced hires with exceptional consulting and technology backgrounds. This creates a powerful environment with BSG people learning from one another, whether via sharing on social spaces, participating in CoPs and Trend Talks or working together on client projects. Support groups create a safe environment that allows authenticity, quick wins and incremental performance lifts. Creating mutual support and shared stories is far more valuable than spending a day on a training course that is divorced from the reality of the workplace and challenges faced by the individual. Line management can support Agile Mentoring by ensuring they make time for their people to participate.

At BSG, our Agile Mentoring programme offers mentor one-on-ones, social learning via MyWorkLife and various CoP forums. This blended approach equips our Business Consultants and Software Developers to embrace and deal with rapid change, thus enabling them to help to accelerate performance within the client environments in which we operate.

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