Are we looking in the wrong place for learning impact?

Looking back, on the last few years of striving to improve leadership development to make a lasting impact in the organisations where I've worked, I'd say we have been trying harder and harder to improve everything except the things that actually make a difference. 

"The highest and best goal of learning and development is to accelerate execution of strategy"

I recently came across a recording of a webinar by Robert Brinkerhoff, titled 'Making L&D Matter'. As he so elegantly states, "The highest and best goal of learning and development is to accelerate execution of strategy" and while not all the initiatives in an L&D portfolio will have a return on investment, the mission for much of the learning that is done is to help the company get great results faster. The mission for most learning and development professionals is to be able to demonstrate that this has been achieved.

To achieve this learning nirvana, in recent years, we have moved from workshop intensives, to invest in blended programs with multiple elements that are stretched out over time, we've added technology to create an 'anywhere, on any device, at anytime' experience, we've made learning social, we've added gamification! What if all this is just smoke and mirrors? 

The learning event, according to Robert Brinkerhoff, is a bit player in the job of getting results. Training, as I learned a long time ago, is merely an antecedent for action. Without consquences, the post training application from even the most masterly event is at best a disappointing 15-20%. 

With more pressure to reduce costs and time away from the business while delivering a consistently great customer experience, how do we increase return on the training investment?

There are 3 things that will make a significant contribution:

1. Create focus - Clarify the business goal and how learning will support this. (At this point, it is helpful to consider if a training intervention is the best option, or if another solution will have a greater impact.)
2. Build intent - Having confirmed that you are addressing a skills or knowledge gap, make sure everyone (the exec team, managers of the learners, and the learners) know why the training is important; who will learn what; who will help them use it and who will be accountable for ensuring it is used. Which leads on nicely to the final point...
3. Create alignment - The involvement of the line manager is critical. The line manager needs to support the learner to set behavioural outcomes and they need to be accountable for follow-up conversations that support the application of knowledge and skills on the job. 

If you have been involved in leadership development for very long, this will be no surprise to you! Robert Brinkerhoff and many others have been saying these things for quite a while now. The challenge for Learning and Development professionals has been, and continues to be, how to make it happen.

The point is, results is a whole organisation accountability. The role of L&D, is to move the emphasis and the bulk of the effort away from the event itself and on to supporting line managers, so they can get the impact they are looking for.

Vicky Hughes is an executive coach who is passionate about leadership development; culture change; learning strategy; and performance consulting  Contact her on (021 245 8133.)

Reference: Robert Brinkerhoff - Making L&D Matter 2013