The aim of training is not just working on business and individual performance but making a gradual shift to performance and capabilities development. Learning and development professionals around the world are dabbling in many activities but lack the skills to drive business forward.
As per experts, today’s workers need to be agile, adaptive and ambidextrous to stay ahead in the volatile work environment, aligning individual work to the wider business. For this a fool proof training plan and relevant L&D resources, roles and capabilities need to be in place. A clarity in vision and purpose is required with correct resources deployed innovatively and effectively.
But although organizations are keen to invest in developing their L&D capabilities, more than 50% are reluctant to try areas like learning technology, e-learning, content development and analytics. They put emphasis on productivity and performance but not showing interest in course-based learning.
Focus on Performance and Aptitude
Managing performances and increasing capabilities have become a priority for the majority of organizations today to gain competitive edge and are, therefore, building credible L&D strategies. Traditional learning programs are failing to meet expectations when it comes to delivering the desired performance enhancement. The latest trend in L&D is to step beyond traditional methods and actually help individuals and organizations with their career progression and business growth respectively. The focus is on performance and aptitude, which is about helping individuals to build on their strengths to ensure the future-readiness of the organisation’s skilled workforce.
Learning should be Application-oriented
Certain changes are noticeable and L&D practitioner community is gearing up to delve deeper and looking beyond the training delivery towards a robust performance consulting methodology. L&D professionals are no more just problem solvers but are also slipping into the role of problem identifiers, and associating in tandem with organizational leaders to identify potent opportunities to drive performance. Learning should not be for the sake of learning only but needs to be application-oriented.
L&D professionals also must to adapt and evolve to the changing contexts of work, and the way they guide and mentor individuals and drive organizational performance.
Structured Approach towards L&D
As per industry survey a large number of organizations are creating a structured approach towards building tools, measures and procedures to sustain capability building. Gradually a shift is conspicuous not just in terms of training programs, but also applies to learning technology.
LMSs today are more than just learning systems or platforms, but playing an important role in the larger learning ecosystem that is focused on delivering engagement and productivity.
An ongoing analysis of the modern learners’ learning behaviour must be taken into account.
L&D training programs must be designed in a way to have maximum participation and engagement.
These will help L&D professionals to design effective learning programs that are sustainable and must align its objectives with the business goals while connecting the learning results with business impact.
L&D cannot be a second fiddle but play the role of an active contributor towards delivering performance and capability through innovative approaches, which can be collaborative and easily measurable.
Written By : Dr Sanjib Chakraborty