Based on my experience of working with L&D leaders across enterprise businesses I have pinpointed three key indicators that highlight the problem you're trying to solve requires a strategic approach - rather than a focus on execution.

 

1. You can’t articulate the ‘why’ behind the need for learning.

Crafting an effective learning strategy begins with a deep understanding of purpose. A good test for this is if you can explain why you are beginning a learning initiative in a single sentence: one that doesn’t include the words ‘learning’ or ‘training.'

Understanding the true purpose behind a learning need is critical for developing effective and impactful solutions.

By digging deeper into the root causes of the issues you're trying to address with your learning, and the motivations, challenges, and desired outcomes of the wider organisation, you can ensure your learning will have a lasting impact.

To help identify the why, I would consider the following:

• Stakeholder interviews.

Engage with key stakeholders across different levels and functions to gather different perspectives on the perceived need for the training and its broader implications.

• Root cause analysis.

Use techniques such as the "5 Whys" to peel back the layers and identify the root causes driving the need for training.

• Align with business objectives.

Map the identified needs to the organisation's strategic priorities, key performance indicators, and long-term goals to ensure alignment, relevance and buy-in.

• Define success criteria.

Create clear and measurable success criteria that go beyond completion rates and satisfaction scores, focusing on tangible business outcomes and performance improvements.

 

2. Your implementation and evaluation processes feel like they’re not telling you anything meaningful. 

If your implementation and evaluation processes fail to give you confidence in your results, I would suggest reassessing how those processes serve your learners and the wider organisation. Traditionally, success indicators in L&D have focused on output metrics, a strategic mindset demands a shift towards aligning learning initiatives with organisational priorities. From there, you can look at the best methods for delivering, communicating, and measuring your learning.

With this approach, you can transition from surface-level, siloed solutions to comprehensive, strategic implementations that directly contribute to achieving overarching business goals. By closely integrating learning initiatives with strategic priorities, you can ensure interventions are designed to maximise effectiveness and deliver long-term impact on key performance indicators.

You can achieve this by:

• Embedding evaluation frameworks from the offset.

Develop robust measurement and evaluation frameworks that align with the defined success criteria, enabling data-driven decision-making and demonstrating the long-term impact on business performance.

• Ensuring accessibility and inclusivity.

Design learning experiences accessible to all learners, fostering an inclusive and equitable learning environment.

• Incorporating relevant trends and tech.

Stay up-to-date with developments in learning design, such as new approaches to microlearning, gamification, or immersive experiences, to enhance engagement and knowledge retention. However, it's vital not to simply jam the latest shiny gadget into your learning programs – the method of delivery must be appropriate to the learning itself; a virtual reality solution might be fantastic for hands-on, health and safety learning that could be dangerous to experience first-hand but will not be appropriate for learning an updated accounting process.

 

3. Your learning is often a ‘one and done’ solution.

If your learning efforts tend to be isolated events rather than part of an ongoing culture of learning, it suggests the need for strategic transformation towards continuous learning.

Transitioning from one-off solutions to continuous learning involves fostering a culture where learning is ingrained in the organisational DNA.

By instilling a culture of continuous learning, organisations can adapt more effectively to change, stay ahead of industry trends, and ultimately achieve long-term strategic goals.

This can be achieved by:

• Fostering open communication.

Encourage open and transparent communication channels between internal and external teams, creating a safe space for sharing ideas, challenges, and feedback.

• Making use of complementary strengths.

Identify and apply the unique strengths and expertise of each team member, creating a synergistic effect that amplifies collective capabilities.

• Facilitating knowledge transfer.

Implement mechanisms for knowledge transfer, such as joint training sessions, mentoring programs, or communities of practice, to facilitate cross-pollination of ideas and best practices.

• Encouraging employee ownership.

Provide resources and support for employees to take ownership of their learning journeys, such as offering access to self-paced learning platforms or implementing mentorship programs.

Adopting a strategy-first approach to learning initiatives is crucial for driving meaningful impact and aligning L&D efforts with broader organisational goals. This can be broken down into three key areas that, when kept in mind while designing and implementing learning programs, will help you create strategic interventions that resonate with learners and contribute to organisational success:

• Uncover root causes and true motivations behind perceived training needs.
• Optimise implementation with robust evaluation, multimodal design, and accessibility.
• Foster continuous learning through open communication, knowledge sharing, and employee ownership.

With these strategic areas in focus, you can strive for impactful, enduring learning interventions that drive meaningful behaviour change and contribute to the achievement of organisational goals.

 

Josh Cardoz 

Chief Creative and Learning Officer at Sponge Learning