Experiential or on-the-job learning activities should comprise 70% of all learning and development activities. This is achieved through hands on experience with daily tasks and challenges, applying theoretical knowledge in a practical environment. Formal learning and social learning provide some of the foundation, but people need to experience things first-hand for it to really be effective. Generally experiential learning progresses from guided observation, to practice, to performance. It involves evaluating or reflecting on what was done, identifying what worked and what was important, and then using that new knowledge or ability to perform a similar task.
There is a strong link between effective experiential learning and the culture of an organization. Organizations should strive to create a culture where staff feel safe to try new things. Staff will benefit from exploring AM practice, as it aligns with the organization’s vision and objectives, with a safety net for their fear of failure, or things not being perfect the first time.
Below is a table of example activities that you can use in your Competency Management Program implementation planning and/or competency development planning. Each activity description includes one or more examples of the activity that can be used in relation to the competency noted. The table also notes the suitability of the activity to the scale of the organization.
Experiential Learning Activity Examples
Activity |
Description |
Example(s) |
Scale Suitability |
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| Assignment of new responsibilities or increased accountabilities | Getting hands on with a new challenge or experience is proven to be a significant contributor in expanding an individual’s competency. This could include getting involved with a specialized task force or committee. | Expand the responsibilities of an individual in their existing role(s). [All AM Competencies]
Expand the responsibilities of an individual to include roles or accountabilities in a new area that will allow them to develop the target competencies. [All AM Competencies]
Look for opportunities to provide staff with new responsibilities or accountabilities to address a team’s competency gaps. [All AM Competencies]
Have staff facilitate an internal workshop or take a turn at chairing their next department meeting. [Collaboration, Leading Others]
Have someone start to develop the organization’s first AM plan, or AM policy. It is ok that all the data or information required is not there. The process of starting to develop these documents will significantly boost individual AM understanding and help the organization better understand its position. [AM Expertise] |
X | X | X |
| Participation in a project or working group | New challenges or experiences do not have to occur only on an individual basis. They can also be part of a team effort in the organization. This can be a way to share the burden of a significant initiative or get an individual comfortable with learning in an unfamiliar area. | Perhaps the AM plan that was started is too much for one person to tackle on their own. Put a team together and have them work on it as a group. [AM Expertise, Collaboration, Leading Others]
Just interacting constructively with others and working towards a common objective has the added advantage of improving on several of the AM Competencies, regardless of the nature of the project. [Collaboration, Leading Others] |
X | X | X |
| More interactions with experienced staff and senior subject matter experts** | Experienced staff and senior subject matter experts hold the knowledge capital of the organization. But it is only valuable if it is used and transferred to others. Simply seeing how an experienced, highly proficient person does a task can be an effective method for transferring this knowledge and skill. This also gives less proficient staff the opportunity to observe and ask questions in a focused way. These experiences have the added benefit of strengthening working relationships between coworkers. ** We recognize that for Small / New to AM communities there may not be someone in the organization that is already engaged in AM practice and individuals may need to look externally for this experience. See below for other options like working with consultants or external mentoring relationships. Also look for those in the organization that may exemplify one of the AM Competencies, but may not necessarily have an AM background. Many of the AM Competencies are similar to competencies for other professions and practice areas. |
Have new hires or team transfers shadow experienced staff in their roles and at meetings. [All AM Competencies]
Have experienced staff support new staff while they work through existing systems, processes, and procedures. [All AM Competencies]
When new initiatives, processes or systems are implemented in the organization have the staff who worked on them communicate about, support, and reinforce their use. [All AM Competencies] |
X | X | |
| Living the AM Competencies | From a cultural and change management perspective, it is important for staff to see managers and subject matter experts ‘walking the talk’ on AM. Having managers and subject matter experts communicate the importance of and exemplify the competencies identified in this framework can be very powerful for staff. | Managers should dedicate time to communicate AM principles, the value of AM practice, and how the AM Competencies will help improve performance. [All AM Competencies, especially Leading Others for manager and subject matter experts]
Managers and subject matter experts should also prepare for and look for opportunities to highlight the above points in day-to-day situations. [All AM Competencies, especially Leading Others for manager and subject matter experts]
Managers and subject matter experts should work to consciously align their behaviour with the expected behaviours of the AM Competencies and support each other in doing so. [All AM Competencies, especially Leading Others for manager and subject matter experts] |
X | X | X |
| Working with experienced professionals | Some organizations utilize consultants and/or service-providers to support their AM efforts. Consultants and vendors can bring new skills and competencies closer to an organization and staff. Leverage this as an opportunity for staff to learn new things. | Follow the process the consultant uses to support the development of the organization’s AM strategy. [Leading Others, Collaboration, Holistic Thinking, Contextual Analysis, Decision-Making]
Observe how the consultant facilitates a risk management or investment planning workshop. Note how the session is structured, what framework(s) they follow, and what questions they ask during the session. [Collaboration, Decision-Making, Risk Analysis, AM Expertise, Service Focused]
Have a staff-member shadow the consultant in the condition assessment process. Observe how site assessments are conducted and what assumptions are made. Note how age can be used as a proxy for condition. [Infrastructure Management, Information Management] |
X | X | X |
| Participation in a job rotation program (if available) | Typically done in onboarding programs for new graduates in larger organizations. New hires spend a few months in different departments across the organization to experience the breadth of the organization and better understand its functions, interests and needs. | An AM job rotation program could be developed in an organization, encompassing some of the departments which overlap the AM Functional Areas [All AM Competencies] |
X | ||
