THEME: LINKING LEARNING TO BUSINESS SUCCESS: THE NEW REALITIES
Overview
The new realities speak directly to our collective journey in evolving people management practice for a resilient and prosperous future. In this new age, learning and business success are inseparable. Knowledge must be improved, challenged, and increased constantly or it will vanish. Our world today demands that organisations continually align learning with strategic goals, building adaptability and sustained growth in every team member. Remember the saying, anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or at eighty years of age, but anyone who keeps learning stays young forever. Let us continue to foster a culture of continuous learning and shared success.
The global workforce is constantly evolving amidst an increasingly competitive business landscape. The digital revolution is reshaping employee dynamics, while a multi-generational workforce adds diversity to workplaces. Additionally, the rapid obsolescence of knowledge has heightened the urgency for reskilling and upskilling. Given these trends, it is more crucial than ever for businesses to implement intentional learning and development initiatives. These efforts not only drive business outcomes but also cultivate a more resilient and agile workforce.
In today’s volatile world, organisations face increasing complexity while striving for success. The true competitive advantage lies not in technology or manufacturing processes—these can be purchased off the shelf, but in the people within the organisation. It is the workforce that drives differentiation. To thrive in this dynamic business landscape, building competencies and enhancing performance are essential. The challenge for each of us is to bridge the gap between learning, whether in classrooms or through other platforms, and translating that knowledge into behaviors and actions that transform organisations and reshape their narratives.
This discussion highlights a fundamental truth, there is no duplicate of you anywhere. Often, a single individual can make a significant difference in helping organisations navigate today’s challenges. The focus is on how HR is strategically positioning its various levers, particularly the learning lever, as a tool for competitive advantage.
Today, we’re exploring how HR can leverage learning to differentiate individuals, making a David Thomas in MTN uniquely impactful compared to a David Thomas in any other organisation. This lever ensures that employees can contribute in transformative ways that drive organisational success.
How can Human Resource ensure that learning and development initiatives are strategically aligned with the overall business goals?
As HR professionals, one of our primary responsibilities is to align HR initiatives with the organisation’s strategic objectives. This starts with a deep understanding of the business’s strategic goals. Once these are clear, the next step is to conduct an annual needs analysis to identify the skills and knowledge areas required to achieve those goals.
This analysis involves reviewing past performance through performance appraisals to pinpoint feedback, developmental areas, and existing gaps. These insights help determine the necessary skills and highlight areas for improvement. Collaboration is key in this process; HR must work closely with department heads and team leads to align skill requirements with the business’s strategic direction. This ensures a unified approach, where learning initiatives are directly tied to the organisation’s goals.
In some organisations, a disconnect exists between business objectives and HR initiatives. For instance, if the business is focusing on enhancing e-commerce capabilities, HR must ensure training needs align with this focus rather than working in isolation. This requires a thorough assessment of capability gaps and identifying areas for retraining or upskilling.
Measuring the impact of learning initiatives is equally important. Traditional methods, such as tracking attendance or course completion, are no longer sufficient. The emphasis should be on assessing performance improvements, behavioral changes, process enhancements, and increased team engagement. These outcomes should feed back into performance reviews, creating a cycle of continuous improvement supported by coaching and development. This approach ensures HR delivers meaningful value and drives organisational success.
What metrics and methods do you use to measure the impact of learning programs on business performance metrics?
In today’s talent-driven landscape, Return on Investment (ROI) in learning and development operates on two critical levels. The first is the organisation’s perspective, investing in learning programs should translate into measurable capacity building and enhanced capabilities. The second, often overlooked, is the talent’s perspective. Employees dedicate their time to these programs, stepping away from their daily responsibilities, and naturally question whether the investment is worthwhile. They ask: Is this worth my time? Is it helping me achieve my career goals?
Thus, ROI must be evaluated both financially and in terms of career development metrics. Employees need to find learning programs engaging, see improvements in their knowledge, and feel more capable of handling new challenges. A crucial part of measuring ROI involves assessing not only business outcomes but also the impact on employees’ personal growth and fulfillment. For talent, self-actualization plays a significant role, employees want to feel they are growing, achieving, and progressing toward their career aspirations. Unfortunately, this second dimension is often under-measured. Organisations must consistently evaluate whether learning initiatives align with strategic objectives, enhance employee engagement, and prepare the workforce for the future. Metrics to consider include:
- Program Completion and Engagement: Are employees actively participating and completing programs?
- Skill and Capability Development: Are there observable improvements in employees’ abilities and competencies?
- Behavioral Changes: Has the training led to noticeable shifts in performance and behaviour?
- Feedback from Stakeholders: Are leaders, managers, and employees reporting that the programs are valuable and impactful?
Moreover, aligning learning programs with business sustainability requires tracking readiness in talent succession planning. For instance, can the organisation confirm that individuals in a 24-to-48-month readiness window have progressed to “ready now” status? Has there been measurable movement in the talent pipeline? These metrics reveal whether learning initiatives are truly equipping employees with the competencies required for long-term organisational success.
By focusing on both organisational and individual ROI, organisations can ensure their learning and development strategies not only drive business results but also foster employee growth and fulfillment, creating a sustainable and future-ready workforce.
How can HR Leverage learning opportunities to boost employee engagement and retention?
A recent survey revealed that only about 16% of employees are actively engaged within their organisations, leaving a significant 84% either partially engaged or completely disengaged. This highlights a critical challenge in today’s workplace, the urgent need for capacity building and competency development for organisations aiming to thrive in the competitive business landscape.
To address this, organisations must evolve strategies that leverage learning as a tool for engagement and development. This involves creating awareness of the benefits employees can gain from both personal development initiatives and organisational competency-building programs. It is essential to maintain a clear alignment between learning efforts and the organisation’s strategic goals.
Research shows a correlation between robust learning opportunities and employee retention. By developing effective learning strategies and actively promoting these opportunities, organisations can reduce attrition and enhance retention. Engaged employees are those who think positively about their organisation, bring enthusiasm and energy to their roles, and act as ambassadors for the company.
Learning initiatives play a pivotal role in fostering this engagement. When employees embrace these opportunities, they develop stronger competencies, which translate into improved performance, enhanced profitability, and better customer interactions. For organisations to succeed, learning must be a core strategy for building engagement and driving meaningful business outcomes.
What roles do digital tools and technologies play in modern strategies? And how can they be effectively integrated in this world of AI and in this world of new things?
The world is constantly evolving, and COVID-19 was a global wake-up call that traditional methods of learning are no longer sustainable. The era of gathering employees in classrooms for in-person training is fading, as most professionals today simply don’t have the time. Modern talent often asks, how much of my time can I give you? a reflection of their busy schedules and competing priorities.
This is where technology steps in as a game-changer. It provides quick and easy access to learning materials, catering to the diverse needs of today’s workforce, which includes generations ranging from Baby Boomers to Gen Z. The challenge for organisations is to adopt learning solutions that are fast, flexible, and accessible on the go. In a fast-paced world where attention spans are short, technology enables microlearning, bite-sized content that fits seamlessly into employees’ daily routines.
Platforms and tools now offer various opportunities for learning, from one-minute educational videos on social media to webinars and knowledge-sharing sessions. Employees no longer need to be physically present in an office or a classroom. Tools like Microsoft Teams enable group learning and collaboration, eliminating barriers of distance, time zones, and location. Whether it’s off-the-shelf solutions or custom applications, technology makes learning more accessible, efficient, and adaptable to individual schedules.
However, adopting these tools requires a deliberate shift in mindset. HR plays a critical role in driving this change, creating awareness, and implementing strategies to transition from traditional learning methods to modern, tech-driven approaches. A change management plan is essential to help employees embrace these new formats. It’s particularly challenging for organisations and employees accustomed to traditional systems, such as attending programs at prestigious institutions like Lagos Business School, to adapt to learning at their desks or on their devices.
Ultimately, HR must champion the value of technology-driven learning, demonstrating how these tools build employee capabilities and align with organisational goals. By effectively communicating this value and fostering acceptance, HR can help organisations stay competitive in a world where adaptability is key.
What are the practices for developing leadership skills through learning?
As individuals transition into more advanced roles, their skills must evolve to meet the demands of leadership. Developing leaders requires a structured approach, starting with an assessment of current leadership strengths and identifying the skills needed for growth. This includes pinpointing gaps and setting clear leadership development goals. These goals could focus on improving organisational culture, attracting and retaining top talent, promoting consistency during business changes, or enhancing employee engagement.
Once the goals are defined, it’s crucial to design tailored development programs that address individual needs. Personalisation is key, as development plans should align with the unique strengths and growth areas of each leader. The 70-20-10 model offers a practical framework:
- 70% of learning happens on the job through experiences such as task rotations or challenging assignments.
- 20% comes from relationships like mentoring and coaching.
- 10% is achieved through formal coursework, certifications, or training sessions.
Incorporating a blended approach is essential. Microlearning, delivering content in small, digestible chunks is particularly effective. This could involve podcast sessions, workshops on specific skills like communication or adaptability, and short online learning modules. Leveraging technology through digital learning platforms allows leaders to access resources anytime, eliminating reliance solely on in-person sessions.
Fostering a culture of continuous improvement is another cornerstone of leadership development. Leadership must actively support this culture, ensuring it becomes ingrained in the organisation. Soliciting feedback and encouraging reflection after training sessions are critical steps. For instance, after attending a program, participants could share key learnings through presentations, which also helps build confidence and communication skills. These insights can be further integrated into performance reviews to track progress and identify areas for continued development.
HR processes should embed leadership development from the very beginning, starting at onboarding. Leadership growth shouldn’t wait until someone assumes greater responsibilities. Initiatives like workplace buddy systems, mentorship programs, and access to learning tools can lay the foundation for leadership skills early on.
By aligning leadership development with organisational goals and implementing diverse learning methods, organisations can cultivate leaders who are adaptable, skilled, and ready to navigate complex challenges effectively.
How important is personalised learning in today’s business context and what are some of the effective ways to implement?
Personalised learning is essential, especially when you recognise that every piece of knowledge you acquire benefits both you and your organisation. It’s about gaining insights from various programs and interactions. Developing your capacity and capabilities to a level where you can make a significant impact will also strengthen your personal brand in the market. In today’s world, where learning opportunities abound, this is crucial for both individuals and organisations.
The competitiveness of today’s world demands continuous self-improvement. To build capacity, enhance productivity, and grow your competencies, it’s important to explore ways to improve through learning. There are countless opportunities available on different platforms, including Artificial Intelligence (AI) and virtual reality programs. For instance, as a salesperson, you can enter a virtual reality space to practice selling skills with a virtual customer. The possibilities for improving competencies are endless.
Mentoring and coaching play a vital role in this process. It’s important to align with the right mentors who can guide you on your journey. In some industries, there’s a need for close collaboration between expatriates and local staff and having a structured coaching plan can facilitate the transfer of knowledge and expertise from expatriates to other team members.
As you progress in your career, taking advice from mentors is key. They will guide you at every stage. It’s also essential to clearly define your career goals and the opportunities you want to pursue, both now and in the future. Identify the skill gaps you need to address and begin focusing on developing those areas.
For example, if you aspire to become an HR manager, assess your current position and determine the steps necessary to reach that goal. Create a structured plan for your development, which could extend beyond the HR Manager role to positions like Managing Director or Board Member. Ask yourself, what skills do you need to get there? With so many online opportunities and resources within professional bodies, you can develop your skills and make a meaningful difference.
Defining your personal skill gaps and setting a clear agenda for addressing them over specific time frames is vital. Moreover, it’s important to recognise that knowledge is constantly evolving. What you know today may become outdated tomorrow, so without continuous upskilling, you risk becoming obsolete. Staying informed about industry trends and aligning your personal development plan with the direction of both your organisation and the broader world will better position you to contribute meaningfully as the landscape changes.
How can organizations adopt agile learning practices to stay competitive in a rapidly changing business environment?
A key factor for organisations today is the ability to adopt an agile learning methodology, which starts with establishing a digital learning hub. Every organisation should have a learning hub accessible both on desktop and, more importantly, mobile devices, allowing employees to access content on the go. Whether they are called learning advisors, learning managers, or officers, organisations must ensure that their HR learning experts are equipped to stay current with industry trends. This ensures that learning programs are not just recycled versions of last year’s but reflect the new realities of the industry. It’s essential that the learning tools or hubs are regularly updated to stay relevant.
Additionally, organisations should focus on creating learning spaces that promote what’s known as action learning. This approach involves translating what employees learn into the development of a product, service, or organisational change, demonstrating tangible Return on Investment (ROI). How many organisations provide opportunities for employees to complete learning programs by developing something practical or innovative? By incorporating action learning, employees should not receive a certificate until they have applied their new knowledge to create something of real value, such as a new product or process improvement.
Collaborations like these are crucial when implementing agile learning in an organisation. It’s also important to integrate learning into the daily activities of the organisation. How many companies include a learning section on their website or apps? For instance, sales platforms like Salesforce should include quick access to product updates and learning resources. Organisations should make it easy for employees to find learning opportunities whenever they log into their systems, with regular notifications about new resources or updates.
Furthermore, organisations can embrace the concept of “being the first to know” by providing employees with regular updates, such as weekly emails, to keep them informed and engaged. A focus on business schools, which offer current, real-world insights that align with organisational growth, can also be beneficial. This agile mindset, focusing on continuous learning, practical application, and real-time updates will benefit both employees and the organisation.
How can HR identify and address future skills gap to ensure the workforce is prepared for upcoming challenges?
When developing a workforce strategy, it’s essential to consider not just the present, but also the short, medium, and long-term goals. This includes identifying upcoming products or services to be launched, as well as the core skills required. You should focus on both technical and soft skills, while also assessing labor market trends and the skills needed to stay competitive. It’s important to ask how your organisation can work differently to meet customer priorities and fulfill commitments, while also achieving future goals.
Next, assess your current workforce, leveraging technology if available to aid the process. If not, start by evaluating qualifications, skills, and experience. Look at their expertise, such as speaking engagements, as well as how they’ve been recognised or rewarded. Analyse recruitment profiles to get a better sense of where your team stands.
The next step is identifying skill gaps, both current and future, and determining what needs to be done to bridge those gaps. With this information, you can develop a workforce strategy that includes a recruitment plan aimed at hiring talent for both current and future needs. This strategy should also include investment in development programs, succession planning to build internal capabilities, and retention strategies to keep top talent.
Additionally, consider compensation and benefits to ensure alignment with your talent strategy, and think about redeployment opportunities. In areas where you have a surplus of skills, explore the possibility of redeploying those resources to departments or areas with skill deficits, ensuring the workforce remains adaptable and future ready.
How do you ensure learning programs are adaptable enough to respond to rapidly changing business conditions while still maintaining quality and measurable results?
The primary goal of our learning initiatives is to align with the strategic objectives of the organisation. First, we aim to develop our people to help achieve the organisation’s current goals. However, it’s important to recognize that circumstances are constantly evolving, making adaptability a crucial principle.
Knowing where you’re heading determines the path you take to get there. As variables shift, the challenge is how to build enough flexibility to enable your people to remain on track and effectively meet changing objectives. As HR practitioners, it’s essential to stay deeply connected not only with HR policies and procedures but with the broader direction of the organisation. By continuously scanning the environment, we can identify changes, emerging opportunities, and potential threats. This allows us to adapt our workforce, accordingly, ensuring they are equipped to meet evolving goals despite external fluctuations.
Environmental scanning is vital, as is creating pathways that help employees adapt and thrive. Intentional learning goes beyond acquisition, it’s about applying what’s learned in the workplace to make a tangible impact.
Why are some organisations resistant to employee’s choice of training that are in line with their personal objectives, but outside their current professional outside their current profession or role?
As mentioned earlier, one of the challenges with learning programs is measuring Return on Investment (ROI), especially when you don’t fully understand employees’ personal goals and objectives. This is why it’s crucial for organisations to create platforms where employees can identify and share their goals and aspirations early on. Leveraging data within the organisation plays a key role in this process.
The question is, how much is your HR data helping to drive engagement and alignment? If you don’t know, for example, that an employee plans to pursue the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) certification, you may miss an opportunity to engage them early. By understanding their aspirations, you can better align them with business objectives or offer them learning programs that resonate with their career path, allowing them to feel connected to the organisation.
The question then becomes: is every organisation collecting this data? At the start of the year, do you have a platform that allows employees to register their career aspirations? This enables those responsible for designing learning programs to view learning opportunities not just from a learning perspective, but from a career development standpoint.
For example, an employee with a degree in computer science may be working in HR, but without knowing their career aspirations, you might assume they are committed to HR. However, by reviewing their career data, you might discover they are interested in pursuing a career in accounting. In this case, learning programs can be aligned with their actual career interests. If their aspirations are not aligned with their current function, you can have those conversations early, which prevents misalignment when offering training.
For example, if you realise that an employee’s career goal is to become an accountant, you might offer opportunities like job shadowing in the accounting department, job rotation, or project participation within accounting. When an employee’s aspirations align with organisational opportunities, it drives engagement and retention. Therefore, understanding employees’ career goals is essential to providing relevant learning solutions. Without this insight, you risk creating solutions that don’t meet their true needs, which ultimately affects their connection to the organisation.
Is there a defined way of identifying training for staff or is it okay to give members of Staff the liberty to decide what training they want to go for, if it’s within training budgets?
When you truly understand your employees, you can better support them. Knowing their career goals allows you to help them select the right training opportunities. However, it’s important to ensure that this training aligns with the organisation’s strategic objectives. These employees should be valued by the organisation, and the ROI should be mutual. It shouldn’t be solely about the individual; there must be a balance that benefits both the employee and the organisation.
What are situations where staff kick back on going for training, using volume of work and other activities as an excuse.
In this context, microlearning can be a valuable tool. It doesn’t necessarily require employees to step away from their desks. There is a distinction between the volume of work and the strategy behind completing that work. Sometimes, people confuse the amount of work with the effectiveness of doing it. For instance, if you’re in the communications team and are expected to handle 1,000 calls in a day, it’s simply too much. This doesn’t mean you’re being particularly productive; you’re just overwhelmed by the sheer volume. Instead of continuing at this unsustainable pace, perhaps the solution is to delegate part of the workload. For example, one person could handle 600 calls, and another could take 400. Therefore, the volume of work alone isn’t a valid excuse for lack of training or insufficient staffing. It may indicate the need to hire additional people and provide them with proper training to maintain efficiency.
Who should identify the training gaps or needs? the staff, the line manager or Human resource training consultants?
This responsibility lies not only with HR but also with line managers, who should engage in ongoing, one-on-one conversations with staff. Line managers are often in the best position to gauge the pulse of their team members. Research has shown that in organisations where employees leave, it’s often because they had little or no discussions about their job satisfaction, performance, or career goals. These conversations are crucial.
By regularly sitting down with employees for informal, one-on-one discussions about their performance and development goals, you can identify gaps and areas for improvement. These discussions help clarify what employees are doing well and where they need to improve, and it’s important to document these insights. This documentation can then be used to track progress over time.
These ongoing conversations tie directly into performance reviews. When HR collaborates with line managers, they can refer to the feedback from these discussions, ensuring that identified gaps and areas for improvement are already on the radar and can be addressed in performance evaluations.
Is there a difference between learning and development and training and development?
Training primarily focuses on acquiring knowledge, which can occur in both structured environments and through less formal methods. However, learning extends beyond simply gaining knowledge; it involves applying that knowledge in the workplace and in daily life. Evidence of learning is seen when an individual’s behavior, actions, and performance improve because of the training.
For example, at the end of a training session, a trainer might ask participants what they plan to do differently when they return to their workplace, what they will stop doing, and what they will improve upon based on the new insights gained. The goal is to move beyond the transfer of knowledge and focus on the effective application of that knowledge. The true measure of learning lies in the wise and positive use of what has been learned, elevating the individual’s performance and impact.
This thought leadership piece is culled from the CIPM radio programme, ‘The Office.’ The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the Guests and do not represent the views of CIPM.
