This is the year of pivotal change within the L&D industry. For years we have spoken about the future of L&D and how it has been changing, but we know in our hearts that there has been hardly any movement. The profession was continuing year on year with very little change.
Until this year nothing really had changed. As the global and local economy becomes more stretched and every penny counts in businesses, people are starting to question the value they are getting from their investments. It is so interesting to see the merry-go-round conversations about insourcing and outsourcing of ‘training’ and whether the first line to be cut in any change should be the ‘people/training’ investment line.
The heart of any company is people. Look at how health and safety, wellbeing, occupational health and people interventions are becoming more pronounced. Businesses are starting to realise that the one lever to make a difference to long-term revenue growth, customer satisfaction or customer churn is investment in their people. I believe that every other avenue has been exhausted and ‘people investment’ is the area that is delivering the most immediate return and impact on the bottom line.
So what is the future of learning? The future of learning is to make a real impact on your business, align your function to mark the organisation, and stop using language the business doesn’t understand. Be clear on your purpose and ensure that this aligns with your executive board. Stop worrying about ROI/ROE. Stop implementing new LMS' or tools that no-one wants. Build your reputation and hire people that have the desire to make a difference and who speak the business language you are aligned to.
Gone are the days of quoting pointless figures on training numbers without really understanding whether you are solving a business problem, making an impact, or investing in programmes that the business wants. If more L&D departments thought of themselves as business units and not ‘order takers’ or a production line of content, the world would be a better place. We need to move our teams from production to consultants who feel ok about curating content. Stop worrying about the past and focus on the future.
The CIPD is realising this with its move into new qualifications and CPD for L&D. So is the LPI and no-one more so than Towards Maturity with its 'Make it Happen' campaign. Be part of the new world of L&D and leave the past behind. Being respected as part of the business and not some production house feels great and we are making a real difference. It can be done. Just join the movement and make it happen.
Paul Morgan is head of learning and development at O2/Telefonica
