Learning on the Job

Develop learners into fast on-the-job learners who treat work as a laboratory for deliberate skill growth. The module teaches how to seek, receive and give feedback, how to stretch beyond current capability safely, and how to turn mistakes into institutional knowledge through retrospectives. Learners leave able to compound expertise visibly within a team.

Learning Outcomes

Design a deliberate-practice loop around a workplace skill with clear criteria.

Solicit specific, usable feedback from peers, managers and clients.

Give feedback using radical candour that is both caring and direct.

Differentiate mentors from sponsors and cultivate both relationships.

Run a blameless post-mortem that extracts systemic learning.

Negotiate a stretch assignment that balances growth and risk.

Adopt a growth-mindset vocabulary and reframe setbacks productively.

Teach a concept to consolidate learning (teach-to-learn / Feynman).

Topics Covered

Deliberate practice

Seeking feedback (SBI model)

Giving feedback and radical candour

Mentor vs sponsor

Shadowing and observation

Teach-to-learn / Feynman

Stretch assignments

Retrospectives (start/stop/continue)

Blameless post-mortems

Growth vs fixed mindset

Learning journals

70-20-10 development model

Psychological safety

Lessons-learned registers

Peer learning circles

Skills Developed

Deliberate practice design Feedback giving Feedback seeking Facilitation Reflective writing Risk-taking Mentoring Coaching questions

Suggested Resources

{'title': 'Peak', 'author': 'Anders Ericsson', 'source': 'Houghton Mifflin, 2016'}

{'title': 'Radical Candor', 'author': 'Kim Scott', 'source': 'St Martins Press, 2017'}

{'title': 'Thanks for the Feedback', 'author': 'Stone & Heen', 'source': 'Penguin, 2014'}

{'title': 'Mindset', 'author': 'Carol Dweck', 'source': 'Random House, 2006'}

{'title': 'The Fifth Discipline', 'author': 'Peter Senge', 'source': 'Doubleday, 2006 revision'}

{'title': 'The Making of a Manager', 'author': 'Julie Zhuo', 'source': 'Portfolio, 2019'}

{'title': 'Google re:Work guides on psychological safety', 'author': 'Google', 'source': 'rework.withgoogle.com'}

Assessment

Portfolio of learning artefacts plus knowledge checks.

MCQ quiz25%

Feedback role-play recording25%

Deliberate-practice plan25%

Blameless post-mortem write-up25%

Practice bank: 200 MCQs · Timed mock & self-paced modes

Start Practice →