Recently, a Learning professional colleague asked us, \u201cWhy is workplace learning so complicated? Isn\u2019t it simply about improving people\u2019s performance?\u201d<\/p>\n
\tShe had a point. Upon reflection, we wondered, \u201cDid the complexity result from business leaders\u2019 demands for accountability? Is it self-inflicted by those in the workplace learning space? Or is there something else at play?\u201d<\/p>\n
\tSince we both have more than 20 years of learning experience, we wanted to discover why and how this \u201ccomplexity\u201d arose.<\/p>\n
\tEarly in our careers, employee training was simply about equipping people with the required skills and knowledge to effectively do their jobs. Soon after, training\u2014or \u201clearning\u201d as it began to be referred to\u2014focused more on improving employee job performance.<\/p>\n
\tFurther raising the bar, improved employee performance then had to lead to improved organizational performance. Ultimately, scarce resources and competitive environments led leaders to seek financial accountability for every dollar allocated to a business activity. Put this all together and what you have is a significantly more demanding role for Learning professionals.<\/p>\n
\tBut it doesn\u2019t have to be complicated. From a leader\u2019s perspective, it is pretty straightforward. All they expect is for \u201clearning\u201d to simply get and keep employees\u2019 skills current so they can meet business expectations and objectives. The problem is not with your business leaders. They didn\u2019t complicate anything. This is the way they\u2019ve been formally educated to act and ask the same questions. The problem lies with us in the Learning profession giving the wrong answers to their questions.<\/p>\n
\tWhether it is because of what leaders demand from you or simply human nature, Learning professionals are seeking a quick fix to answer the accountability question. Equip yourself to answer these questions by doing the following:<\/p>\n
\tDevelop your business literacy.<\/strong> The one glaring skill gap is not with employees, it is with the people in the Learning department. While Learning professionals are hired for their training expertise, it is insufficient for current business demands.<\/p>\n \tHaving a fundamental comprehension of business and financial concepts is essential for today\u2019s Learning professional. Why?<\/p>\n \tFirst, leaders don\u2019t differentiate between activities; they only see each as investments toward achieving organizational objectives. They expect every business activity to provide a financial or non-financial \u201creturn\u201d for the money allocated. Workplace learning\u2019s return must focus on non-financial performance improvements.<\/p>\n \tSecond, clearly communicating the results to your leaders is essential. Speak in their language. Keep in mind you are in their \u201ccountry,\u201d and when in another country, you must adapt to their customs and communicate in terms they understand. Leaders don\u2019t need to understand our \u201clearning\u201d jargon\u2026all they want to know is that your initiative delivers results.<\/p>\n \tDemonstrate performance.<\/strong> Here\u2019s a well-known secret: Your leaders expect workplace learning to improve employee performance, not to provide positive financial results. This is not to say financial results are irrelevant; however, your leaders consider workplace learning as a cost center affecting how learning activities contribute to business objectives.<\/p>\n \tSo begin by addressing the primary business activities; determine the specific business objectives; then discover the objectives\u2019 performance expectations.<\/p>\n \tUse this information to conduct a needs assessment that aligns with these performance needs. Finally, develop targeted learning solutions that meet the learning needs and business unit expectations.<\/p>\n \tKeep it simple.<\/strong> Leaders don\u2019t expect complex or convoluted solutions. They simply want one thing from workplace learning: a partner that drives continuous improvement. Don\u2019t fall into the rabbit hole of confusion. Stay focused on your leadership\u2019s business objectives. Doing so allows you to work through the organization, addressing each level of operational needs.<\/p>\n \tBegin with these steps and your efforts will become more focused and deliver tangible results. First, build up your business skills, identify and focus your learning efforts, and then communicate performance results. Finally, continually adapt and evolve with employee needs and business requirements.<\/p>\n \tAjay M. Pangarkar, CTDP, CPA, CMA, and Teresa Kirkwood, CTDP, are founders of CentralKnowledge. com and LearningSourceonline. com. They are employee performance management experts and threetime authors, most recently publishing \u201cThe Trainer\u2019s Balanced Scorecard: A Complete Resource for Linking Learning to Organizational Strategy\u201d (Wiley 2009). Help them start a \u201cWorkplace Revolution\u201d at blog. centralknowledge. com or contact ajayp@centralknowledge.com.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Recently, a Learning professional colleague asked us, “Why is workplace learning so complicated? Isn\u2019t it simply about improving people’s performance?”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":35,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[24],"class_list":{"0":"post-9778","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-magazine","7":"tag-last-word","8":"magazine_issues-november-2013"},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n