“Prove it.” Every learning and development professional has heard this from their management team. What used to be a request has now become a mandate — and while it is not always easy, it is a shift we thoroughly embrace.
In a recent Australian Training & Development magazine article*, Forum Asia Pacific managing director, Cynthia Stuckey, discusses the ways for L&D to win over management through measurable results.
“Senior management buy-in remains one of the biggest challenges when it comes to learning and development initiatives. The tough economic climate is making it even harder to justify budgets for learning and development, as cost reduction strategies take precedence in today’s boardrooms.
To gain management’s commitment to learning and development, professionals have to strongly demonstrate the impact of learning investments on the bottom line. The problem is, while the majority of companies investing heavily in learning and development recognise the benefits of measuring results, many of them have yet to formalise their measurement process.”
The article goes on to highlight recent research findings, best practices for aligning learning to the business, and suggestions for what you measure with examples of metrics and accountabilities. You can read the full article here.
For more information on measurement best practices and building a business case for L&D, check out our Asia Pacific on-demand webinar, Using Measurement to Drive Impact & Effectiveness of Your Leadership Development Programmes. To discuss learning and development measurement strategies in Australia with Forum, email [email protected], call +61.2.9080.4160 or visit www.forumaustralia.com.au.
*This article originally appeared in Training & Development magazine February 2014 Vol 41 No 1, published by the Australian Institute of Training and Development.
