Top Learning and Development Strategies

𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝘁𝘆𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻’𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝘀𝘄𝗲𝗿 — 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝘀. I recently read Using Learning Science Strategies to Enhance Teaching Practices and Empower Adult Learners, and it reinforces a critical gap I see inside organizations every day: 𝗪𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 — 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹, 𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲. This paper challenges persistent 𝗻𝗲𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗺𝘆𝘁𝗵𝘀 (like learning styles) and highlights 𝘀𝗶𝘅 𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲-𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗲𝘀 that actually improve how adults learn: 🔹 𝗥𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗮𝗹 𝗣𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲 🔹𝗦𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝗣𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲 🔹 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 🔹 𝗘𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 🔹 𝗗𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗼𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 🔹 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗲 𝗘𝘅𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲: • Training dollars are wasted when learning doesn’t transfer • Poor retention increases errors, rework, and safety risk • Cognitive overload slows time-to-competency • Employees lose confidence when they “should know this” but can’t recall it 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗜/𝗢 𝗣𝘀𝘆𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻. I/O Psychology helps organizations: • Design training around how people actually learn and perform • Align learning to job demands, risk points, and performance outcomes • Replace myths with data-backed instructional strategies • Build learner confidence, self-efficacy, and readiness to perform When learners understand how learning works, recall improves, stress decreases, and performance follows. If we want training that sticks, we have to stop designing for preference and start designing for 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝘀. Source: Rehak, K. M., & McGinty, J. M. (2023). Using learning science strategies to enhance teaching practices and empower adult learners. Adult Learning. #WorkplaceEngineer #IOPsychology #TrainingAndDevelopment #LearningThatSticks #ManufacturingExcellence #HumanCenteredDesign

I learned the hard way, whilst leading L&D at scale, the difference between a strategy that looks good on paper and one that actually moves the needle. Here are a few essential Learning Strategy Do's & Don'ts I wish I'd employed earlier: DO anchor your strategy in business performance. If your strategy can't clearly articulate how it helps your organisation to win (in whatever format your org determines success), it’s not a strategy. It’s an activity list. DON'T start with solutions. Starting with programs, frameworks or platforms before deeply understanding the problem is how L&D ends up busy but peripheral. DO treat stakeholders as partners, not customers. Real influence comes from consulting with the business, not taking orders from it. DON'T mistake alignment for agreement. Being strategically useful sometimes means challenging leaders, not simply reflecting their preferences back to them. DO think like a product manager. Defined audiences, articulated outcomes, iteration, marketing and adoption all matter far more than elegant content. DON'T hide behind learning language. If you can’t explain your strategy in plain commercial terms, it won’t survive a serious leadership conversation. DO plan for impact and credibility. A great strategy without the trust, data and visibility behind it will quietly die. DON”T expect your good work to speak for you. The common view of L&D is to provide learning in programs and platforms and change is an option. DO shout about your impact. Amplify your successes (no matter how small) to anybody and everybody so they learn what effective L&D can do for them if they accept it may look and feel different. These lessons weren’t learned from theory. They came from getting it wrong, fixing it and watching what actually moved the needle and drove results. If you want a seat at the table, your strategies have to earn it.

🚨 Most L&D programs start with learning objectives. But the most effective ones? They start with business strategy. Here’s the truth ↓ When L&D teams ask: ❌ “What should employees learn?” They often miss the mark. But when they ask: ✅ “Where is the business going—and how can we prepare people to get us there?” Everything changes. Learning becomes a growth engine—not just an expense. Here’s a simple 5-step formula to align L&D with business strategy: 1️⃣ Business Strategy Alignment Understand key business goals, not just training needs. 2️⃣ Capability Mapping Identify what people need to do—not just what they need to know. 3️⃣ Skill Gap Analysis Find the delta between today’s talent and tomorrow’s goals. 4️⃣ Learning & Enablement Plan Design experiences that drive action, not just attendance. 5️⃣ Impact Measurement Measure time-to-competency, internal mobility, retention, and business KPIs—not just completions. 💡 Real example: A tech company expanding to APAC. Instead of launching generic cloud training, their L&D team collaborated across departments to create just-in-time learning paths tied to product readiness and market-specific needs. The result? Faster ramp-up, better performance, and real business impact. 📣 If you're ready to stop checking boxes and start enabling outcomes... 💡 Want the full breakdown of these 5-step formula? ⬇️ Read the full article 🎯 Let’s transform learning into your competitive edge. --- ♻️ Did you enjoy this post? Repost it so your network can learn from it, too. For more content like this, follow Christina Jones, StackFactor Inc.! #LearningAndDevelopment #BusinessStrategy #FutureOfWork #SkillsGap #HRTech #StackFactor #WorkforceTransformation #LMS #LeadershipDevelopment #CapabilityBuilding #Upskilling #TalentStrategy #LandD

Elevating Leadership Development Programs with Positive Interventions Customize Development Pathways with Individualized Learning Plans Instead of a one-size-fits-all approach, create individualized learning plans that align with each leader’s strengths, challenges, and career aspirations. These plans should be co-created with the leader, incorporating 360-degree feedback, self-assessments, and goal-setting sessions. The Center for Creative Leadership shows customized learning plans increase leadership effectiveness by 25% and accelerate leadership readiness by 30%. Implement Action Learning Projects Integrate action learning projects into your development programs, where leaders tackle real business challenges while developing their skills. This hands-on approach not only enhances learning but also contributes tangible value to the organization. According to HBR, organizations that use action learning see a 20% improvement in problem-solving capabilities and a 15% increase in leadership agility. Foster Peer Coaching Circles Establish peer coaching circles where leaders can share experiences, provide feedback, and support each other’s growth. These circles create a safe space for discussing challenges and learning collaboratively. Leaders involved in peer coaching circles report a 28% improvement in leadership confidence and a 22% increase in their ability to navigate complex situations (Journal of Management Development). Incorporate Mindfulness and Emotional Intelligence Training Integrate mindfulness and emotional intelligence (EI) training into your leadership programs. These skills are crucial for managing stress, improving decision-making, and fostering strong team dynamics. The World Economic Forum identifies emotional intelligence as a top skill for the future of work, and research shows that leaders with high EI are 31% more effective in their roles. Create Leadership Development Ecosystems Move beyond isolated training sessions by creating a comprehensive leadership development ecosystem. This includes continuous learning opportunities, mentoring, on-the-job experiences, and regular reflection sessions. According to McKinsey & Company, organizations that adopt a holistic leadership development ecosystem see a 22% improvement in leadership capabilities and a 19% increase in employee engagement. #LeadershipDevelopment #EmployeeEngagement #LearningAndDevelopment #LeadershipTraining #PositiveInterventions Center for Creative Leadership (CCL). (2021). The Impact of Individualized Learning Plans on Leadership Effectiveness. Harvard Business Review. (2022). Action Learning: A Strategic Approach to Leadership Development. Journal of Management Development. (2020). The Role of Peer Coaching Circles in Enhancing Leadership Confidence. World Economic Forum. (2020). Emotional Intelligence: A Critical Skill for the Future of Work. McKinsey & Company. (2023). Creating a Leadership Development Ecosystem for Long-Term Success.

If you’re in Learning and Development… And you’re optimising for "checking the boxes" on training programs… IMO, we’re missing a trick. The likelihood of driving real behaviour change through surface-level programs is low. But when we focus on how people actually learn and grow? Game-changer. So, what should we be optimising for? ✅ Optimise for brain-friendly learning. Understand how the brain processes and retains information. Use spaced repetition, storytelling, and active engagement to make learning stick. ✅ Optimise for emotional engagement. People don’t learn well when they’re stressed or disengaged. Create safe, inspiring environments that spark curiosity and connection. ✅ Optimise for growth, not perfection. Shift the focus from “getting it right” to embracing mistakes as opportunities. Build a culture where learning is continuous, not a one-and-done event. ✅ Optimise for relevance. Every brain asks the same question: “Why does this matter to me?” Design programs that are actionable, personalised, and tied to real-world challenges. ✅ Optimise for habits, not just skills. Skills fade if they aren’t reinforced. Help people build habits that embed what they’ve learned into their daily work. AND DON’T FORGET… 🎉 Optimise for your own development. L&D professionals often pour into others but forget themselves. Stay curious. Seek out trends. Connect with peers who challenge and inspire you. CLO100 If you treat your role as a learning journey—for both yourself and your organisation—then the impact you create will be exponential.

When you align learning strategy with how the brain actually learns you'll find that performance improves. In many organisations, learning still means content delivery - I battle this challenge regularly. L&D teams measure outputs like number of courses, completions, attendance rather than outcomes. But humans don’t learn by consuming information. They learn by connecting ideas, making meaning, and putting their knowledge and skills into practice over and over again until their brains physically change. If you want to genuinely change behaviour and performance in your organisation then your whole strategy needs to be designed with the brain in mind. Here are three practical principles to share with your design and delivery teams: 🧠 Space, don’t cram Learning needs time to settle. Encourage teams to design experiences that build over time rather than delivering everything in one go. The return on retention is remarkable. 💡 Engage peoples emotions People remember what feels relevant and real. Challenge your designers to stimulate learners emotions with hooks like stories, challenges and personal connections. Don't just design pretty slides. 🔄 Practice and retrieval Learning journeys, rather than one off events, give people time to apply, reflect, and test new skills where it matters - on the job. This doesn't mean repetition for its own sake; it's simply how neural pathways are strengthened. When your learning strategy aligns with how the brain naturally works key metrics like engagement, performance and business impact improve. How do you enable your teams to bring brain science into the way they design and deliver learning?

What’s a major L&D skill that isn’t talked about enough?👇 CURATION! With so many learning resources available at our fingertips, effective content curation is more important than ever in Learning & Development to save teams time and their budgets. It’s time to move away from a build-everything-from-scratch mindset and start curating with intent from the vast array of content libraries and resources we have available to us. Great curation isn’t about dumping resources into a library—it’s about creating clarity, relevance, and learner-first experiences. Here are 7 practical tips for curating content that actually drives learning: 1. Understand learner needs – Get clear on what learners are trying to achieve. 2. Use diverse sources – Combine paid (e.g. LinkedIn Learning, Udemy etc) and free (e.g. YouTube, podcasts) content. 3. Evaluate critically – Look for relevance, credibility, and engagement potential. 4. Design experiences – Mix formats (videos, articles, interactives) into a coherent journey. Think of it like a music playlist. 5. Test and launch – Validate the flow and usability before publishing. 6. Maintain regularly – Keep content fresh and links active. 7. Analyse and adapt – Use data and learner feedback to fine-tune your approach. And to truly make the most of curated content, focus on these areas: • Define clear learning objectives – Content should directly support specific outcomes. • Prioritise relevance – Choose resources that resonate with current learner needs. • Seek continuous feedback – Let learners shape your strategy through input and insights. • Leverage microlearning – Bite-sized, just-in-time content boosts engagement and retention. • Evaluate continuously – Track what’s working, and evolve accordingly. • Communicate value – Promote curated content with strong internal messaging. • Organise content libraries – Use tagging, categorisation, and archiving to keep things usable. Final thought: Your L&D strategy doesn’t need more content—it needs the right content. With a clear plan, a learner-first mindset, and a commitment to quality over quantity, you can turn your content library into a powerful tool for development to save your L&D team time and effort! #LearningAndDevelopment #ContentCuration #LXD #Elearning #DigitalLearning #LearningStrategy #CuratedLearning #LearnerExperience

🎓 Why I Stopped Designing Around “Learning Styles” This might surprise some people in L&D, but I used to be a big believer in learning styles. You know the idea — some people learn best by seeing, others by hearing, others by doing. It felt intuitive. It made sense. And it became a staple in how we thought about training design. But here’s the kicker: the science doesn’t back it up. Researchers have found no solid evidence that matching learning delivery to someone’s preferred “style” actually improves learning. What does matter is matching the method to the content — for example, using visuals for geometry, or discussion for leadership development. So, if learning styles aren’t the magic formula, what really makes a difference? Here’s what I’ve learned (and seen work time and time again): 💡 Structure building – helping learners connect the dots and see how new information fits into the bigger picture. 🧩 Rule learning – teaching people how to apply principles, not just memorize examples. 🚀 Active learning – using retrieval practice, spacing, and reflection so learning actually sticks. 🧠 Dynamic testing – focusing less on “what do I know now?” and more on “what can I get better at next?” It’s freeing, actually. We don’t need to label people. We need to design learning that stretches everyone — visual, verbal, hands-on, or otherwise. Real learning isn’t about preference. It’s about progress. What about you? Have you noticed a shift away from learning styles in your organization? #LearningAndDevelopment #LearningScience #InstructionalDesign #GrowthMindset

How do you actually know if your learning and development program is working? It’s a question that comes up all the time for AEC firms. There’s no shortage of ideas when it comes to training. New tools, new frameworks, new skills to build. The challenge isn’t generating ideas. It’s knowing which ones truly matter. In this clip, what stands out to me is a simple but powerful approach: let the project work itself tell you where to invest in L&D. At BWBR, their Landmark Learning program for emerging professionals is shaped directly by feedback from the people closest to the work—quality assurance and construction administration teams. These groups see, in real time, where projects succeed and where they struggle. They assign grades across key categories—like how well teams are handing off projects—and look for patterns. If project teams are consistently underperforming in a certain area, that becomes a priority for training. That same system creates a feedback loop. The issues identified by QA and CA teams inform the training agenda. Then over time, those same metrics show whether performance is actually improving. You’re not guessing if the training worked because you can see it in the data, in the field, in the way projects are delivered. And that’s where learning and development starts to feel less like a set of programs and more like a system for continuously improving how a firm operates. Because the goal of learning and development isn’t to deliver training. It’s to improve the performance of individuals, of project teams, and of the firm as a whole. When you design a feedback loop like this in your L&D efforts, prioritization becomes clearer. Investment becomes more intentional. And learning becomes directly connected to outcomes. This clip comes from “Redesigning Learning for the Next Generation of AEC Talent | Dan Hottinger and Kari Shonblom of BWBR”, episode 1 of the Smarter by Design podcast. 📺 🎧 Watch or listen to the full episode here: https://lnkd.in/gevBva5y #AEC #KnowledgeManagement #ModernLearningOrganizations #SmarterByDesign

Wanna increase your organization's ability to learn? 👀 I’m a big fan of frameworks. Although they are an oversimplification of reality, they give us a way to start when we don’t know exactly what the first step is. Systems thinking, experience design, behavioral science, and other disciplines have come up with AMAZING ways for discovery, design, measurement, and experimentation and I chose a few of my favorites to share with you. 💜 ✨ For discovery you can use － The Iceberg Model to uncover hidden factors that shape your learning culture － Causal Loop Diagrams to map feedback loops and understand how different elements influence learning behaviors － The Fishbone Diagram to identify and analyze the potential causes of the discovered problems － The Self-Determination Theory to identify if people have the incentives to be internally motivated, and act upon the results. ✨ For strategy & design, you can use － The Impact - Effort Matrix to prioritize problems or solutions based on their impact (how much they will contribute to goals) and the effort required to solve them － Participatory Design to involve everyone directly in the design process to ensure solutions are relevant and user-centered. － Kotter’s 8-Step Change Model to create a plan for change and sustain it long-term － Appreciative Inquiry to increase awareness about the initiatives that already work well, and scale them ✨ For implementation, you can use: － Communities of Practice to build peer networks for ongoing knowledge sharing and problem-solving － Co-Development to create spaces where peers collaborate to solve real challenges, share insights, and co-create solutions through structured group discussions. － Action Learning to use real problems to drive team learning and reflection. ✨ For measurement, you can use: － Randomized Control Tests to test solutions on a small scale, measuring their impact and ensuring they deliver the desired results before scaling up. What's another one you'd add to the list? 💬 #learninganddevelopment #learningarchitecture