In today’s fast-paced professional landscape, organisations frequently grapple with the challenge of equipping employees with skills that go beyond the superficial. As Kyle Harwell (cited by Peter Lauria[i]) articulates, many corporate training programs fall victim to “naive practice”—a process characterised by repetitive actions without targeted goals or actionable feedback. While this approach fosters activity, it fails to yield significant skill enhancement and limits progress, much like a golf player endlessly practicing a swing without refining their technique. In the corporate world, this translates to generic, one-size-fits-all training that leaves employees disengaged and inadequately prepared for their roles. One of the methods to address this challenge is to implement structured Learning Paths as defined in the book Learning Paths by Rosenbaum and Williams[ii].

The concepts of naïve- and deliberate practice were introduced by K. Anders Ericsson. Ericsson[iii], along with his colleagues, who researched and defined these concepts in their 1993 paper on the acquisition of expert performance. To understand how organisations can overcome the pitfalls of naive practice, it is necessary to distinguish between the various types of practice approaches that shape skill acquisition and performance improvement. These definitions provide a foundation for integrating structured learning paths that align with the principles of deliberate practice, ensuring targeted, sustainable growth for employees.

Based on the work of Harwell and Southwick[iv],  Visser[v] and Passarotto et. al.[vi]  the three types of practice can be described as follows:

Type of practice	Description
Naive Practice	Naive practice is characterized by repetitive engagement in activities with the expectation that repetition alone will lead to improvement. It typically lacks explicit goals, feedback, or a structured plan for development. As a result, learners often reach performance plateaus and fail to achieve meaningful progress. For instance, a person playing the same piano piece repeatedly without focusing on improving specific sections exemplifies naive practice.
Deliberate Practice	Deliberate practice is a highly structured, goal-oriented approach to skill development designed to improve specific aspects of performance. It involves activities tailored to the learner’s current level, with immediate and informative feedback, often guided by a qualified teacher or coach. This form of practice emphasises intense focus and repetition to refine skills systematically over time. For example, a violinist practicing challenging scales under the supervision of a music tutor to enhance finger dexterity and accuracy embodies deliberate practice.
Purposeful Practice	Purposeful practice shares some characteristics with deliberate practice but typically lacks individualised guidance from a coach or teacher. It focuses on well-defined goals, incorporates immediate feedback, and challenges the learner to step outside their comfort zone. Purposeful practice is often self-directed, making it suitable for tasks where external guidance is unavailable. An example would be a self-taught coder deliberately working on debugging algorithms with feedback from automated tools.

Harwell and Southwick[vii] summarised Ericsson’s classification of differentiated practice as follows:

The Learning Paths methodology as explained by Rosenbaum & Williams[viii] and Rosenbaum[ix] is based on deliberate practice. Proficiency is one of the core concepts in the Learning Paths methodology. Rosenbaum and Williams define proficiency as “the measurable outcomes and observable behaviours of doing a job or task correctly at the desired level of performance.” This means that proficiency isn’t just about knowing the right steps, but actually demonstrating the ability to perform tasks effectively and accurately.  The Learning Paths approach starts by building a concise, complete and measurable definition of proficiency (Rosenbaum[x]).

A Learning Path is defined as “the ideal sequence of learning activities that drives employees to reach proficiency in their job in the shortest possible time.” Learning activities are described as  structured, sequential steps designed to efficiently guide learners toward proficiency. This approach views learning as a complete process rather than a single event, aiming to reduce time, waste, and variability in training. By structuring learning activities in a logical and efficient sequence, Learning Paths help employees achieve proficiency more quickly and effectively. The purpose of the learning path is therefore very clear – to help learners to achieve proficiency by structuring learning in a systematic and efficient way.  

Rosenbaum and Williams emphasise the critical role of practice in achieving proficiency and advocate for learning activities that incorporate  structured and deliberate practice. This involves:

• Repetition: Practicing tasks repeatedly to build muscle memory and familiarity.
• Real-World Practice: Learners benefit greatly from practicing in real-world scenarios to give them experience learning to apply skills in different circumstances.
• Feedback: Receiving immediate and actionable feedback to correct mistakes and improve performance.
• Incremental Challenges: Gradually increasing the difficulty of tasks to continuously challenge learners and promote growth.

Rosenbaum and Williams further highlight the importance of mentoring and coaching as integral components of a Learning Path. They emphasise that as part of the Learning Path and its associated activities, experienced employees or mentors should provide guidance, support, and knowledge transfer to new or less experienced employees. Managers and coaches play a crucial role in providing continuous feedback, setting performance goals, and helping learners improve their skills during the implementation of the Learning Path. Coaching ensures that learners receive personalised support and are able to apply what they’ve learned in real-world situations.

The alignment between the Learning Paths methodology and deliberate practice is evident as can be seen in the comparison table below:

As Peter Lauria[xi] notes, business leaders often struggle to find and train the talent needed for an agile workforce. By integrating deliberate practice with structured learning paths, organisations can shift from delivering generic training to fostering genuine skill development​.

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[i] Lauria, P. (n.d.). Eye for a Star. Korn Ferry Insights. Available at https://www.kornferry.com/insights/briefings-magazine/issue-65/gold-medal-leadership/eye-for-a-star. Downloaded on 2 January 2025.

[ii] Rosenbaum, S. and William, J. (2004). Learning Paths: Increase Profits by Reducing the Time It Takes Employees to Get Up to Speed. Pfeiffer.

[iii] Ericsson, K. A., Krampe, R. T., & Tesch-Römer, C. (1993). The role of deliberate practice in the acquisition of expert performance. Psychological Review, 100, 363-406. doi:10.1037/0033295X.100.3.363

[iv] Harwell, K., & Southwick, D. (2023). Beyond 10,000 Hours: Addressing Misconceptions of the Expert Performance Approach. Journal of Expertise, 4, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12117-021-09345-2

[v] Visser, C. (2020). Confirmation of the Importance of Deliberate Practice in the Development of Excellence. Progress Focused. Available at https://www.progressfocused.com/2020/08/confirmation-of-importance-of.html Downloaded on 2 January 2025.

[vi] Passarotto, E., Preckel, F., Schneider, M., & Müllensiefen, D. (2022). Deliberate practice in music: Development and psychometric validation of a standardized measurement instrument. Psychology of Music, 50, 1637-1655. https://doi.org/10.1177/03057356221101945

[vii] Harwell, K., & Southwick, D. (2023). Beyond 10,000 Hours: Addressing Misconceptions of the Expert Performance Approach. Journal of Expertise, 4, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12117-021-09345-2

[viii] Rosenbaum, S. and William, J. (2004). Learning Paths: Increase Profits by Reducing the Time It Takes Employees to Get Up to Speed. Pfeiffer.

[ix] Rosenbaum, S. (2018). Up to Speed: Secrets of Reducing Time to Proficiency. BookBaby.

[x] Rosenbaum, S. (2011). Learning Paths: The Evolution of Training. Available at https://www.learningpathsinternational.com/Learning%20Paths%20whitepaperPDF.pdf Downloaded on 3 January 2025.

[xi] Lauria, P. (n.d.). Eye for a Star. Korn Ferry Insights. Available at https://www.kornferry.com/insights/briefings-magazine/issue-65/gold-medal-leadership/eye-for-a-star. Downloaded on 2 January 2025.