As the modern workplace undergoes rapid changes, the pressure on the talent pipeline is increasing. Technology advancements, shifting demographics, and complex business operations are reshaping the demands of the workplace. Learning and Development (L&D) professionals face the challenge of helping employees not only keep up with these changes but also thrive in this dynamic environment.

However, traditional L&D practices are struggling to keep pace with these demands. While the role of L&D is evolving, there is a concern that it is not happening quickly enough to meet the needs of organisations today.
This concern is justified by evidence that suggests L&D faces two fundamental challenges.
• Firstly, there is the challenge of effectiveness – how can learning initiatives drive business metrics and contribute to strategic objectives?
• Secondly, there is the challenge of efficiency – how can learning experiences be impactful, cost-effective, and accessible to all employees?
These challenges are interconnected, forming a dilemma of increasing learning impact while reducing costs. The solution lies in addressing both effectiveness and efficiency simultaneously. This is where Business Impact Learning (BIL®) comes in.
BIL® represents a paradigm shift in L&D, offering a revolutionary approach to tackle these dual challenges. It is a methodology designed for the contemporary workplace, recognising the evolving demands on the talent pipeline and providing impactful and efficient learning solutions.
Cornerstone Performance Solutions (CPS), a leader in the L&D industry with over 23 years of experience, has developed a framework centred around BIL®. Our B2B learning and skills development expertise enables us to deliver exceptional results that meet client and student expectations consistently. CPS focuses on excellence, providing transformative learning experiences that drive success and growth.

In this article, we will delve into the principles of BIL®, exploring how it can transform L&D practices and drive business success. We will examine how BIL® helps organisations navigate the complexities of the modern workplace, ensuring that learning initiatives effectively drive business metrics while being efficient in delivery and accessibility.
Join us on this journey towards a more effective and efficient future for L&D.

The Five Cornerstones of Business Impact Learning BIL®

BIL® is a learning and change methodology that rests on five ‘cornerstones’ – five practices that combine to create truly transformative learning experiences, driving deep learning and sustained impact. The five cornerstones of BIL® are as follows:

Cornerstone 1: RAMPed®: Science-based Learning

One of the biggest challenges in L&D is designing and building learning solutions that truly transform individuals and organisations. That’s where RAMPed® comes in – it’s a science-based methodology for designing and building transformative learning solutions that incorporate psychology, learning sciences, and organisational and business science.

By incorporating neurosciences, constructionism, mindset psychology, structural cognitive modifiability, and mediated learning with the science of success and self-efficacy, we have crafted a sophisticated approach that underpins learning and success. Our data demonstrates its efficacy, with organisations reporting significant improvements in learning outcomes and business performance after implementing RAMPed®-based learning solutions.

Cornerstone 2: Managed and Supported Learning

At CPS, we understand the importance of proactive emotional, administrative, and academic support for enhancing learning impact. We specialise in meticulous tracking of student progress and the use of predictive learning analytics. This allows us to provide seamless delivery to B2B clients and proactive support to our students throughout their learning journeys.

Our approach ensures that learning journeys carry students from A to Z, at scale, with a minimum of fuss and bother. We use data to anticipate challenges and provide support before issues arise, ensuring a smooth and effective learning experience for all students.

Cornerstone 3: Applied, Leader-led Learning

True business capability can be found in ecosystems, ultimately, rather than in individuals alone. Leaders in many cases can see what should be done but may struggle to build depth and momentum in teams. Often they don’t know exactly what learning to drive or how to unlock potential.

At CPS we have repeatedly observed that leader-led expert practice is key to ensuring that learning translates into tangible business value, because it embeds leadership accountability for individual competence, and active engagement with team performance.

That’s why BIL® fosters and structures the engagement of leaders, coaches, and other experts, enabling them to apply Impact Coaching® – based on RAMPed® principles – thereby enabling delegates to apply learning in work settings and gain real results. By doing so, we ensure that learning is less likely to remain merely in people’s memories, and far more likely to translate into the behaviour that drives value.

Cornerstone 4: Adaptive FutureSkills

Finally, we recognize the importance of future skills in today’s rapidly changing business landscape. We focus ongoing research on understanding the emergent landscapes of work and aligning learning and development explicitly to the future of work. This is expressed in our tie-line #shapeyourfuture.

FutureSkills include metaskills like problem-solving and personal effectiveness, specific technical skills associated with the emergence of the digital economy, digital business acumen, customer centricity and sales, and compliance. By focusing on these skills, we ensure that our learners are equipped to navigate the challenges and opportunities of the future, enhancing their value to their organisations and their own career prospects.

Cornerstone 5: CPS LearnTM – BIL® Learning Technology

Our proprietary web-based learning technology platform, CPSLearnTM, enables secure delivery of content, interventions, and learning impact at scale. It is purpose-built to support the RAMPed® methodology. With thousands of concurrent users and minimal downtime, CPSLearnTM is device-agnostic, making it easy for learners to securely access their content from anywhere.

Embracing the Future with BIL®

Together, the cornerstones of BIL® with the hub of RAMPED® create a differentiated approach to L&D that has made Cornerstone Performance Solutions a partner of choice for leading blue-chips across Africa. Our focus is on learning impact value, rather than on accolades, although our client, won the Brandon-Hall Winner’s Award partnering with CPS in 2017.

This is but one form of testimony that confirms that if you, as an L&D leader in today’s turbulent business world, are looking for a partner for learning impact, look no further than Cornerstone and BIL®.

As we navigate the complexities of the modern workplace, BIL® offers a path towards more effective and efficient L&D, driving business success through transformative learning experiences.

Join us as we continue to shape the future of L&D, leveraging the power of Business Impact Learning to drive business metrics, enhance efficiency, and prepare our students and delegates for the challenges and opportunities of the future.

Article by:
Dr. Derek Shirley
CEO
Cornerstone Performance Solutions (Pty.) Ltd.