This Approach will Change your Perspective About Learning

Most organizations can be broadly categorized into two units irrespective of their internal hierarchies. They are Profit Centers and Cost Centers.

For those who are not familiar with the terms, think about a Profit Center as the revenue generating arm of an organization. In other words, they are tasked with and recognized for 'bringing in money' for the organization. On the other hand, a Cost Center is pretty much the opposite - they are not tasked with 'bringing in money' for the organization, they are tasked with using money that has been brought in. In other words, they exist to be invested in by the organization without the expectation of generating revenue.

Profit and cost centers are also industry-dependent or industry-specific. That is to say, a functional role like say, IT, in a company in the manufacturing industry may not be expected to generate revenue, while the same IT department in a software-based industry will be expected to generate revenue.

"What is this drivel? How does this apply to Learning (as a field)?"

The reason to lay that foundation is simple: there's a near general consensus among organizations globally that "Learning" or more specifically, "Learning & Development (L&D)" is a Cost Center.

There's a near general consensus among organizations globally that "Learning" or more specifically, "Learning & Development (L&D)", is a Cost Center.

This nearly unanimous understanding creates an impression of "charity" at best or "waste" at worst, when the question of Learning & Development (L&D) is brought up among organizational senior leadership.

L&D is almost construed as constituting run-of-the-mill routine sessions to be grudgingly had, or an appendage to accommodate, rather than an intrinsic part of the business. Little wonder, when it's time for layoffs or similar 'business realignments', the apparent "waste" is discarded almost at first resort.

The Approach

The approach is delineated under six (6) categories or disciplines and is culled from the book, "The Six Disciplines of Breakthrough Learning: How to Turn Training & Development Into Business Results" by Roy V.H. Pollock, et al.

These six (6) disciplines are illustrated below;

The idea of this approach is simple: by aligning Learning to business goals, the impact of Learning becomes significant towards the revenue generation of an organization because it integrates very deeply with an organization's primary resource - its people, through the above six disciplines.

The impact of Learning becomes significant towards the revenue generation of an organization because it integrates very deeply with an organization's primary resource - its people, through the above six disciplines.

The delineated areas of this approach are listed below;

Define Business Outcomes

The first discipline emphasizes the importance of identifying clear business goals and outcomes that a learning initiative aims to achieve. Instead of focusing solely on the training content, it encourages aligning the learning objectives with the broader strategic goals of the organization. This involves engaging stakeholders to understand their needs, defining measurable outcomes, and ensuring that the learning program is designed to drive these outcomes. By starting with the end in mind, organizations can create learning experiences that directly contribute to business success, rather than just checking off training requirements.

Revenue generation primarily ties into the first discipline. For instance, clear business outcomes should include revenue-related goals such as, increasing sales, improving customer acquisition and retention, or launching successful new products. These goals should ensure that learning initiatives are designed to contribute directly to revenue growth, and the success definition should be on the basis of meeting strategic goals set before the training.

Design the Complete Experience

This discipline stresses the importance of designing a holistic learning experience that extends beyond the traditional classroom or e-learning modules. It involves considering the entire learning journey, including pre-work, learning events, and post-training reinforcement. The aim is to create an engaging and continuous learning process that facilitates real-world application and behavior change. By integrating various learning methods such as workshops, on-the-job training, coaching, and digital tools, organizations can ensure that the learning experience is effective and sustained over time.

This is where both learning engagement and learning effectiveness is properly tracked.

Deliver for Application

Focusing on delivering training that is immediately applicable to learners’ jobs is the essence of this discipline. It's about ensuring that the learning content is relevant and practical, so participants can quickly translate what they've learned into actionable skills and behaviors. This involves using real-world scenarios, hands-on activities, and interactive elements that mirror the learners' work environment. By prioritizing application over theory, this approach helps learners retain knowledge and feel more confident in using their new skills, ultimately leading to better performance and results.

Drive Learning Transfer

Learning transfer is crucial for ensuring that the knowledge and skills acquired during training are effectively applied in the workplace. This discipline involves creating strategies and mechanisms that support and reinforce the application of learning on the job. This can include follow-up sessions, performance support tools, peer collaboration, and managerial support. By actively managing and facilitating the transfer of learning, organizations can maximize the impact of their training programs and ensure that the investment in learning translates into tangible business improvements.

Deploy Performance Support

Performance support provides learners with the tools and resources they need to apply their new skills and knowledge effectively in their daily work. This discipline highlights the importance of just-in-time learning aids, such as job aids, checklists, templates, and digital resources, that can be accessed when needed. By offering these support mechanisms, organizations can help learners overcome challenges and reinforce their learning in real-time. This approach ensures that the learning process is ongoing and dynamic, adapting to the learners' needs as they encounter different situations in their work.

Document Results

The final discipline focuses on measuring and documenting the impact of learning initiatives. This involves tracking key performance indicators (KPIs), collecting data on learning outcomes, and analyzing the results to understand the effectiveness of the training program. By systematically documenting the results, organizations can identify what works and what doesn’t, making it possible to continuously improve their learning strategies. This evidence-based approach not only demonstrates the value of learning to stakeholders but also ensures that future learning interventions are informed by data and aligned with business goals.

Earlier, I mentioned that the first discipline caters primarily for the revenue-generating arm of the business. But in addition, this sixth discipline does the same job, from a retrospective perspective.

In that vein, when documenting results, organizations should measure the financial impact of the training on revenue, over the short, medium and long term. This can include:

1. Sales Growth: Increase in sales figures attributed to improved sales techniques or product knowledge.
2. Market Expansion: Revenue generated from entering new markets due to enhanced strategic planning and execution skills.
3. Cost Savings: Reduction in operational costs leading to increased profitability, which indirectly affects revenue.

These six disciplines collectively provide a comprehensive framework for designing, delivering, and evaluating effective learning programs that drive real business impact, where Learning or "Learning & Development" is considered an intrinsic part of the business.

This approach ensures that we are moving away from a narrow-minded view of what "Learning" should constitute, into what the business fundamentally requires.

If you have any other idea in mind, it will be glad to hear them!