With economies slowing down and with pressures of dwindling margins, organizations are asking Learning professionals some tough questions on the effectiveness of Learning programs and their impact on business outcomes before making more learning investments. This article explores ways in which Learning professionals can ensure more bang for their buck and deliver real performance improvements through high impact learning initiatives.

For far too long Training Learning professionals have struggled with organizing learning interventions with much fanfare, experiencing a high from the appreciative participant feedback and then watched as the program fizzled out without making any significant impact on business results or delivering any visible performance improvements. Transfer of learning from the classroom to the job, resulting in improved behaviours, knowledge application and improved performances on the job, has remained a continuing challenge and enigma for LearningTraining Managers over the years. There are training programs conducted in Step 1 and there are Business results expected in Step 3. Some magic is expected to occur in Step 2 linking these two in a meaningful way. This magical Step 2 has been the biggest dilemma for Learning professionals across the globe, often resulting in loss of credibility and a lingering suspicions in the minds of Business Managers on whether development initiatives can indeed impact business results positively. That Step 2 was influenced by other variables like support to apply the new learning etc not under the control of the Learning Manager are not acceptable arguments anymore.

With economies shrinking and growth slowing down, gone are the days when Training and development budgets remained unquestioned mostly, being considered a necessary investment for employee engagement and retention. Learning professionals are having to earn their budgets and share of resources by establishing the effectiveness of their learning initiatives. How did the program impact Business outcomes? What changed or improved qualitatively or quantitatively as a result of investing in the learning initiative? Considering the time, resources, efforts invested, how did the training program impact say- customer satisfaction, quality or cost reduction.

Having spent a substantive time exploring answers to these questions myself, I have had the opportunity

to access some seminal work done in the area of Learning transfer on the job and also learn and implement some best practises in this area that have transformed the way in which we plan and execute Learning. Like any other change process a training program must also be conceptualized by asking the right questions. Infact the quality of the questions asked and the responses sought can revolutionize the impact learning interventions can make within organizations and establish their powerful ability to not only impact business results positively but also transform the culture of the organization.

Here are a list of questions to be asked that can change the approach to planning and delivering high impact learning interventions in very fundamental ways. While this approach appears deceptively simple- it has at its core the power to impact business results positively, change the mindsets of Line Managers towards learning, get integrated into full blown change initiatives and go far beyond the classroom to impact key success measures impacting business results. Start by asking:

Why is the learning program being requested? Which business results will be impacted by conducting this program? What will be the success criteria of this learning intervention? Who will it involve? Why? What will change or improve as a result of conducting this program?

Asking these questions right at the start to the Sponsor or Line Manager who is experiencing the pain points is key. Getting the Manager of the participants to buy into and define the outcomes of the training right at the start can very positively enable support to Participants for transfer of learning on the job.

Asking these questions and building their responses into establishing the success criteria of the program, ensures all are on the same page on the expectations from the program. Infact responses to these questions have the power to change the brief and make it a more expansive exercise than a learning program.

I experienced an instance when an original request for a program on Negotiation skills for the Salesforce of one of our businesses expanded into a full blown program that redefined the roles of many including the participants, lead to restructuring the sales organization to work in a new way, redefined Scorecards for managing performances, impacted the rewards and recognition program differently and lead to the creation of a new Process manual with enhanced Standard Operating procedures- revolutionizing the way in which the entire business will work and deliver business results in the future. While the early feedback on the impact of these changes on business results are very encouraging this is a great example of driving performance improvement through the process of seeking clarity on how learning can impact business results.

– Defining Business outcomes right at the start, enables establishing the design of the program in a manner that will support the transfer of learning to impact the desired business outcomes positively.

– Establishing the desired business outcomes can influence the learning pedagogy, exercises and case studies used, influence the learning activities included and the manner in which the overall program is delivered. Keeping the focus on business outcomes can greatly influence preparation of participants ahead of the program so that they come in with a mindset to transfer the learning. Infact having the right participants in the room is key to ensuring the right inputs are received by the right groups of people to influence the right business outcomes positively. All of us who have managed Learning know the frustration of not delivering the program to the right target audiences sometimes and diluting the potential impact of high quality learning interventions.

– Providing support for learning transfer after the program and ensuring a climate for transfer of learning when back on the job are key steps for ensuring the success of learning programs.

Learning professionals cannot afford to be disconnected with the ground realities of where the participants return to after a program. If what is learned is not refreshed, reminded and sustained after the learning event- it will remain just that- ‘a Learning event’. For the learning to become ongoing and internalized into the world view of the participants, continuing support for learning is a MUST. The finishing line for Learning programs is NOT the classroom. The finishing line has to be extended to where business results get delivered as a result of performance improvement from the transfer and application of Learning. Ensuring transfer of learning would require post program work, assignments, project work, e-modules, job aids to strengthen the learning inputs and internalize key concepts

– Enabling participants to apply what is learnt, experiment with new processes and behaviors and most of all holding the Participants accountable for applying what they have learnt is always highly dependent on the interest and involvement of their Line Managers. Therefore Learning programs no matter how well designed and delivered by the most charismatic Facilitators, will always have limited impact unless the Line Manager of the participant is fully involved with the process of learning, sponsors the learning intervention and most importantly has a personal stake in the participants succeeding by applying new skills or behaviors because it leads to the delivery of important business goals.

– Finally, documenting evidence on the business impact made by the Learning program is key. In most organizations we are so busy doing that we don’t spend time adequately reflecting and documenting information. Data points that help establishing a healthy correlationship between business- outcomes related training and positive business results must be gathered and presented back to the Sponsors of the program. Getting the business to believe in the power of learning is key for enabling transformation on the ground and become a true Learning organization. Documenting and presenting the positive impact and effectiveness of training not only builds credibility but enables a Lessons learnt culture to loop back into newer, more powerful learning interventions for the future. Selling the sizzle internally and publicizing success stories is key for creating a chain of believers in the Learning process.

Learning professionals have for far too long been caught up in loop of proving their contributions by presenting data that is often counterproductive to reflecting their true value and raison de etre within organizations. Number of training programs delivered, coverage of participants vis a vis planned numbers, training mandays etc are the data expected and often the data made provided. While these are all great indicators of the quantum of learning activity, they obviously don’t indicate the extent to which the learning was impactful or how performances improved and contributed to improved business results.

Establishing that linkage is key for closing the loop on demonstrated Performance improvements as a result of Training Learning interventions. This is the reason why organizations invest in Learning Training to begin with, so working on establishing the linkages is key. Any data that substantiates that belief is useful.

Training ROI has remained another area of debate within organizations and while its a good argument for holding all stakeholders more accountable for investments in development initiatives, actual implementation can be unnecessarily time consuming and complex. Instead, starting with the end in mind and conducting the entire learning program and follow through with a keen focus on business outcomes and performance improvement with the Line $anager as Sponsor, can help demonstrate the ROI of Learning to key decision makers.

Organizations often pride themselves on the quantum of learning activity and the obvious buzz and engagement development initiatives can create. However the trick is in constantly asking “Is my Learning activity leading to better productivity?’ , this can help Learning professionals remain focussed on effectiveness. Closing the Knowing and Doing gap is key for establishing credibility so that more Line Managers adopt learning as their key approach for driving and managing change within their organizations.