Managers find an informal chat with a colleague is by far the most frequent and effective learning activity according to a new report.

‘How managers learn (in their own words),’ commissioned by online toolkit provider GoodPractice, questioned over 200 leaders and managers about how they assimilate information. Surprisingly, 82% will consult a colleague at least once a month and 83% say it is either very or fairly effective as a means of helping them perform their role when faced with an unfamiliar challenge.

What’s more, “55% of managers will use trial and error at least once a month, and 62% say that this is a very or fairly effective way to perform,” says the report.

Commenting on the survey, Peter Casebow, CEO said: “It’s vital that L&D listen to managers. Managers influence a team’s success more than anything else and we know from this survey that 71% of managers lead training activities for their teams. It’s therefore crucial that L&D understand how managers learn and what they perceive as being effective. How else can you truly support them as they try to improve their performance and that of their team?”

Other findings include the need to bring more informal learning into the workplace, while almost 75% of managers say they feel unsupported when having to lead training activities. In addition the generation gap is also an issue with managers stating that significant differences in their learning habits need to be taking into consideration when developing learning solutions.