It should come as no surprise that we are big proponents of learning and development (L&D) activities in companies. After all, we are firm believers that a company’s human capital is one of the—if not the—most valuable assets. So, we are surprised when we see research and data showing a relative disregard for the importance of L&D. Unfortunately, this lack of respect is fairly prevalent in businesses around the globe.
What can you do about it?
No Strategy for Learning
In an article for Forbes by Karen Higginbottom titled “Learning and Development Not Valued by Organizations,” Higginbottom reports that, according to a recent survey of 200 learning and development senior decision makers conducted by Open University Business School, “two-fifths of international organizations don’t have a global strategy for learning.”
According to the article, there are a number of factors that contribute to this trend. “Forty-two percent of L&D decision makers voiced concerns that they lack direction from the top and the leadership team does not value learning,” writes Higginbottom. “Local resistance is an issue affecting two fifths of organizations. Outdated technology is cited as another barrier: in nearly two fifths of companies the L&D team believe they do not have the technology to coordinate learning globally.”
While the findings reported in Higginbottom’s article are obviously disappointing, particularly for those in L&D roles, the findings also highlight the fact that the barriers to a greater embracement of L&D activities are far from insurmountable.
L&D’s Role
L&D professionals themselves have an important role to play here. To what extent are you evaluating, assessing, and—most importantly—reporting the results of your L&D activities? If C-suite perceptions are “wrong,” it’s up to those in the trenches to change them. Addressing these issues is a matter of persuasion, which can only occur through frequent and ongoing communication focused on real, and measurable, results. That communication needs to occur not only at the top of the organization but also down through to the masses to ensure that all recognize the real value that L&D brings.
What are you measuring? Most importantly, what are you communicating?