4.7 Stretch assignments

One way to learn is by taking on a (temporary) assignment outside the current responsibilities – perhaps in a more senior position, or in a different department or team

Advantages

Natural way of learning

Highly motivating – benefits the individual and their career as a whole

Provides rich experience with new and different perspectives

Can see the challenges others are facing, get an appreciation for their colleagues work – at a level that would be impossible through other approaches

Continue to contribute whilst learning

Disadvantages

An opportunity may not be available when needed

Learning is unlikely to be structured. If a specific skill is needed, that may not be learned.

Hard to scale if multiple people need the same skills or experiences

Often confusing about cost charging

Not a “safe” learning environment – mistakes have real-world consequences