Comments

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  Rick Tomlin April 29, 2009 at 11:31am

  L&D is typically seen as a support function or overhead that is usually buried in HR/HRD without the authority to make an impact on the business performance. After all we're only a cost centre, right?
  Thankfully our organisation has seen the light and sees L&D as an enabler to increase profitability, performance and customer satisfaction. We employ the account management and best practice analysis already mentioned below. We are arranged with a central focus but with input from geographically located and responsible teams so we tick most of the right boxes. I'm not suggesting we have it right since we are still going through the change to this new mode of operation but I feel we are on the right path.
  The biggest improvement is that we are now a business unit in our own right and report directly into the executive board. One of the major issues we are tackling right now is how to bring a mindset change to the organisation away from seeing development needs as training needs. We promote the 70/20/10 approach to learning but it seems that the only people to truly understand the concept are the learning professionals.
  We are also attempting to improve the targeting of the L&D by understanding the competences needed by job roles, by measuring the current state of our people and targeting the gaps. By doing this we improve the cost efficiency we provide to the company.
  There is a lot of hard work still to do but, for a learning professional, these are exciting times.
  Rick
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  Karyn Romeis April 29, 2009 at 11:09am

  Charles's article is excellent and he makes a very good point. If we are to survive as a concept at all, we need to align ourselves with the org's vision, goals, etc. etc. Everything we do needs to address those or we will not be able to persuade he-who-signs-the-cheque that we are relevant.
  
  L&D needs to have a relationship with key stakeholders in the business, so that conversations can happen along the lines of: where are wer achieving our goals as an organisation? Where are we not? Why is this so? What should/could people do differently to change that? These are the key questions to serve as a springboard to effective learning resources.
  
  The problem comes in for those who, as individuals, can't endorse the company's stance on a particular point for whatever reason. In a stronger job market, I'd say such a person needs to find another job. In this job market... well it's a tough call!
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  Charles Jennings April 29, 2009 at 10:56am

  Without being blatantly self-promoting, an article of mine focusing on what L&D departments need to do to remain relevant was published by HRzone and TrainingZone earlier this week. There may be something of interest relating to this discussion topic in it:
  
  'Stop Talking Learning, Start Talking Business'
  
  Charles
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  Mike Collins April 29, 2009 at 10:53am

  We also have adopted something similar and taken a project management approach to our learning requests. Our team of design and development consultants would engage our stakeholders within the business and actually contract with them, so the overall training plan in terms of content, media, delivery and evaluation is set at the outset. Karyn your absolutely right it is imperative to carry out post delivery meetings and we use these opportunites to identify any continuous improvements which are then agreed as an on-going programme by our team.
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  Simon April 29, 2009 at 10:45am

  We're developing an 'internal account management' approach (not that we'll be able to call it that). This demonstrates our collaborative approach and understanding of what the business or business units are trying to achieve and exactly what HRD/L&D is doing to support their people in pursuit of their straegic goals - all aligned to the corporate goals. The 'account plan' generates a consultative discussion with stakeholders as to what they are doing/not doing with/to help their people acheive the goals they're setting themselves.
  
  Totally agree with Karyn's comment regarding the bneed for a candid de-brief after projects - if ongoing 'what are we doing well/not so well' sessions can be built into the planning process and run at regular intervals it can improve the quality of a programme outcome
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  Karyn Romeis April 29, 2009 at 10:35am

  In my view, it is critical that an L&D department should not be bogged down in a numbers game. Whatever other provisions are put in place, every effort should be made to keep the passion and enthusiasm alive. With KPIs that focus on numbers to the exclusion of all else, you very quickly find yourself with a team that just goes though the motions.
  
  I would also suggest that a percentage of the team's time and budget should be spent on exploring new tools, emerging thinking, different technologies, etc. Not simply in the interests of chasing after the flavour of the month, but in order to ensure that the tools and approaches that are used are a matter of informed choice.
  
  A 'lessons learned' session at the end of each project can be useful, too - especially if you have a large enough team that not everyone works on every project. However, this requires an ethos of openness. Acknowledging that you would do a thing differently if you were to get a 'do over' takes a level of candour not rewarded/supported in every org's culture.
• Donald H Taylor April 29, 2009 at 9:40am

  There has already been some interesting comment in this thread by Mike. I'm sure that there are plenty of other resources out there. If you've used any method for understanding what a good L&D department looks like, please share it here!