Time to make a difference

Originally published in Learning Technologies, January 2011

Do L&D practitioners understand business strategy? If so, do they demonstrate this understanding by making an impact? Charles Gould investigates...

Do L&D practitioners understand business strategy? Just as importantly, do they demonstrate that they do when they get the opportunity to influence business impact? This has always been a challenge. Training and personal development are seen as dispensable when times are tough. Major change programmes focus on massive IT implementations while training is often an afterthought, relying on crumbs from huge budgets. And compliance training is a necessary evil, to be ticked off as cheaply as possible. How much are L&D practitioners to blame for this? In short, how can we convince our colleagues that there is value in what we do?

If I look back over the last 10 years since founding Brightwave I see a lot of the same old faces and hear a lot of the same old arguments, seasoned with the odd fad or two. But while our industry has done plenty of navel-gazing, there has, of course, been no shortage of change beyond it. More than ever, the corporate world is asking us: where are you adding value? Don't give me learning at work, give me performance, give me results. If you can't tell how then I'm not interested and I'll spend as little as possible - nothing if I can get away with it. It's all very well us banging on about a knowledge-driven economy or learning culture but, as Martin Sloman of the CIPD says, value is in the eye of the beholder - or budget holder, perhaps.

How many times have you been involved in a learning technologies initiative that actually measures impact effectively? I'm not just talking about ROI but setting clear and measurable objectives that senior managers actually value. In my experience, less than 50% of these initiatives make any concerted attempt to do so. Disappointingly, the Towards Maturity Benchmark report 2010-11 found that only 13% of respondents measure specific business metrics when evaluating e-learning.

While the focus on quality (90% of respondents) as a driver for investment in learning technology is encouraging and demonstrates a spotlight on effectiveness, the findings also show that this effectiveness isn't necessarily translated into an improvement in business performance. Only 30% now agree that there is strategic alignment to business needs compared with 43% in 2008. However, organisations that do show these positive behaviours are up to seven times more likely to declare a business improvement. The report proves that good practice helps to demonstrate value.

E-learning strengthens our chances of sitting at the top table. Why? It provides us with powerful measurement tools. It requires significant upfront investment with minimal ongoing marginal costs and that demands a more strategic view from senior managers. It uses bright and shiny technology that dispels the image of the dusty classroom empowering end users to make the shift from training to genuine learning. It also commands strong cost efficiency arguments for large organisational needs. But cost is only one half of the value equation. If we can't articulate the benefits as well then we have no claim to making business impact.

Many organisations believe they don't have the skills in-house to achieve this. We would recommend sharing best practice with peers in respected networks such as the Learning and Skills Group and Towards Maturity as well as partnering with external experts to build capability for the long-term.

The last 10 years have provided us with a wealth of data on hundreds of organisations who have invested in learning technologies. As well as the quantitative data from Towards Maturity, companies like mine have deep experience in helping scores of clients develop e-learning solutions that make a difference. So, let's learn from that experience.

It's impossible to predict the next 10 years in any detail. But I think that learning at work will be increasingly woven into our jobs. Shorter, more frequent and less formal learning will continue to replace formal training events - an overdue development considering the rapidly changing nature of other aspects of business practice. Just as our sources of communication and entertainment outside work are more ingrained into our lives through multiple channels, so the line between learning and work will also become less distinct. That means that L&D practitioners are no longer on the outside looking in - we're right in the thick of it. But we'll only stay there if we insist on demonstrating the business value of what we do.

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