Learning and development (L&D) departments are becoming the most innovative departments across organizations because they’re embracing new technologies and key strategic partnerships, as well as exploring ways to work with and around the limits and opportunities that come with big data. This is also why they’re no longer the siloed departments that they once were … well, most of the time.
Source: Tashatuvango / Shutterstock
In a world of ever-growing data, instantaneous mobile apps, and constant employee collaboration, siloed departments will not survive because they won’t be efficient enough to keep up. However, a lot of organizations still operate with siloed departments and experience their catastrophic consequences.
But you don’t have to follow their example. Here’s how you can prevent your L&D department from becoming (or remaining) siloed.
Link L&D Initiatives to Business Initiatives
If you want your L&D department to remain relevant to the day-to-day operations of your entire organization, link its initiatives to your organization’s business goals. For example, your sales training programs should reflect the goals of your sales department, and your leadership development program should embody what you want your organization’s leaders to know and do.
If you skip this step, your L&D department will remain siloed.
Constantly Track Progress of L&D Initiatives
Aligning your L&D department’s goals with your organization’s business goals is only the first step. Once that is done, you must continually track and monitor each L&D program to ensure it’s actually serving its intended business purpose. Otherwise, it will quickly become obsolete.
For example, if your sales training program is developed to increase sales revenue for your business, you’ll need to make sure it’s actually doing that by tracking its return on investment. So, you’ll want to make sure learners encounter what they need to encounter so that they can continually increase their sales.
Be Agile
Nonsiloed L&D departments are more agile and simultaneously train employees to become more agile. This focus on agility keeps these departments relevant and essential to their organizations in the modern-day workplace; more agile L&D departments are adept at quickly hiring new talent and upskilling current employees in new skills and areas of expertise as those skills become more important to their organizations.
For more details, read “4 Ways L&D Departments Are Becoming More Agile” and “The Ins and Outs of Training and Developing More Agile Employees.”
Use Cloud-Based Technology
Without cloud-based technology, your L&D department will not be able to share and acquire data quickly with other departments, leading it to become siloed and inefficient, as it won’t know who needs what training and for which business purpose, among other things.
For more insight, read “Why It’s Important to Have a Cloud-Based LMS.”
Institute a Culture of Learning
If you really want to prevent your L&D department from becoming siloed, institute a culture of learning across your entire organization. Implementing a learning culture will keep your L&D department connected to the rest of your organization and its departments because learning will be integral to everything employees do.
To learn more about how to implement this culture, read “How to Implement an Effective Learning Culture for Your Company.”
Follow the tips above if you want to prevent your L&D department from becoming or remaining siloed.