3 Things Every L&D Pro Should Be Doing Right Now
I get a lot of questions from both new and experienced learning and development professionals. Here are the top 3 things I believe should guide everything we do.
Providing Value for the Organization
It should go without saying that any L&D team should be providing value to the organization, yet there is evidence that suggests we may be heading in the wrong direction. The 2020 Emerald Works Learner Intelligence Report finds “an L&D industry that is declining in impact while consuming more investment”.
Personally, the fact that L&D teams can be central to the success of our organizations is one of the most exciting things about being in this profession. I’ve talked about how L&D is the ultimate competitive advantage before and if we’re not focused on our organization’s ability to learn and translate that into action we may just be missing the entire point.
Providing value for the people you serve
I’ve spoken with many L&D pros who aren’t sure exactly what they should be doing. As mentioned above, the primary driver should be what the organization needs. Beyond that you should be in-sync with what your staff values the most. If you’re not sure, ask them.
Jane Hart’s annual survey of the most valued ways to learn gives us a broad overview of what people want the most. Notice the what many L&D teams have traditionally focused on, _____, are near the bottom of the list.
If you’re not already doing some of those things that up near the top like knowledge sharing, curation, community-building, and others, what are you waiting for?
If you need some guidance, we’re happy to offer a helping hand.
Be the Change You Want to See
One of my biggest pet peeves is when I hear L&D people tell me they don’t have time to learn new things. That is one of the craziest things I’ve ever heard. As an L&D pro, it is literally your job to stay up to date on the latest developments in our field. (This goes for professionals in any field by the way.)
Are you doing the work of learning to think with the best, to stay caught up, and to understand the state of the art in modern workplace learning? As Seth Godin asks, if you’re not doing the work required to stay current why do you expect to be treated as a professional?
You can’t ask others to do anything you’re not already doing it yourself - at least not with any degree of credibility.
If you feel like there is an opportunity for you to do a better job of this, drop me a note on LinkedIn. I’m happy to share a few ideas that have worked well for me and my clients over the years.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: MIKE TAYLOR
With over two decades of real-life, in-the-trenches experience designing and delivering learning experiences, Mike Taylor understands that effective learning isn’t about the latest fad or trendy new tools. Known for his practical, street-savvy style, Mike is a regular and highly-rated speaker at industry events and consults on organizational learning design and technology at Change 4 Growth in Columbus, Ohio. He is also a professor in the Instructional Design and Performance Technology graduate program at Franklin University.
Mike holds an MBA degree from Ohio University and a master’s degree in educational technology from San Diego State University.