Measure First, Design Second

This is the first in a series of weekly articles about measuring the impact of L&D. Be sure to subscribe to ensure you receive them all.

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Do you want to make measuring impact easier? If yes, make sure you measure first, design second.

That's right, we start with measurement. Then, we design.

This may seem counterintuitive. How can we measure something before we have created it?

We can measure first because we aren't measuring what we create. We are measuring the impact of what we create on already existing metrics.

Before we even begin to put the figurative pen to paper, we are determining what metrics exist and how the business desires to change them. We are "measuring" first by establishing a benchmark and a target as it relates to performance.

All businesses have KPIs (Key Performance Indicators). These are the metrics that show how well the business, team, department, or individual is doing. KPIs inform decision-making and identify top performers. They inform strategy, move the needle, and push the business forward towards more success. If we want to be part of working strategically with the business, we must design around these metrics.

What happens if we don't measure first?

Consider these four consequences:

1). Without measuring first, we run the risk of our solution as a "nice to have." I have never seen KPIs on a business performance report that are "nice to have." Businesses and teams aren't measuring work to be nice. The bottom line is always the most important, regardless of what we want to believe. In a time when the economy is demanding efficiency over extras, "nice to have" won't survive.

Inspiration fades and one-and-done is easily forgotten. If we really want to make an impact, we need to start thinking about how impact is made and sustained before we even start to design.

2). Without measuring first, we solidify our place as order-takers. L&D who operate as trusted business advisors (and not order-takers) have figured out how to measure impact. They are invited into strategy meetings and asked to partner in solving the biggest business challenges. They are no longer asked to simply provide transactional products, but included in transformational initiatives because they can tie work to the existing KPIs.

When we start by identifying the business metrics (KPIs) that need to move and design our strategy around them, we can better tell the story of our impact on performance and therefore, more likely to be invited into strategic business conversations.

3). Without measuring first, we get trapped in "prove it" mode. Maybe you have been here? I definitely have. It was earlier in my career when I did not start with measurement. I created leadership development, learning, and training programs. I ran them with efficiency. Participants enjoyed them and reported learning new skills. I knew they were working. Then, I was asked for metrics... [insert crickets].

It seems there were questions about whether the programs I created were worth the cost of the dedicated staff and resources. Now I felt under the gun to go back and "prove" the programs with numbers, not just anecdotes. I didn't even know where to begin.

This is where the fear of measurement starts for many of us. We aren't in the habit of tying our programs to existing metrics (a.k.a. we don't measure first), we do good work, we know in our heart it is working, but we can't provide "proof" when asked.

Then, we are put in a situation where we are under the gun to come up with something while feeling that our jobs are in jeopardy. Is it any wonder that our emotional brain takes over? Our only reason to measure at that point is to prove our worth. But that is NOT and should never be the reason we measure (see this article on "The Real Reason We Measure "). I promise, if you measure first, the panicked need to "prove it" goes away as you have the tie to metrics from the beginning.

4) We create more work for ourselves. We will be asked to show impact. As my friend Kevin M. Yates , a.k.a. "The L&D Detective" frequently shares, "It is more difficult to go back and measure after the project is done."

This is another reason so many L&D professionals despise measurement. We make it harder than it needs to be. The first time I started a project by asking about the existing metrics that need to move and designed around them, it was amazing how easy the entire process became. Now I wasn't going back to try and figure out where the metrics puzzle piece fit afterwards. Instead, that puzzle piece was the starting point. It drove the design throughout as an integral part of the process.

That's when I started to really love measurement. It's really fun, as an L&D professional, to be able to tell the story of impact with performance data. But you can't do that unless you know what performance numbers you are working to impact from the beginning.

What to do?

Start with measurement. Determine the metrics that need to move (get a benchmark) and then design. Work the measurement in with the entire process and watch your ability to talk about impact improve!

Stay tuned for our upcoming measurement articles: Next week: "How to find the measures you need to design for impact " and the following week: "What to do if the measures you need don't exist ."

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Want help determining your metrics or how to design with them in mind? My company, Learning Business Advisor Consulting, is here for you! Message me to talk about how we can work together to improve your impact!