Learning and development
Learning and development are the keys to having effective people in organisations. We say “learning and development” instead of training, because people can be given training and then go back and operate in the same old way in the workplace. The goal of the learning and development (L&D) practitioner (the trainer) is not just to “deliver training”, but to ensure that learning and development occur.
Of course, this is still only part of the picture. If employees are to improve their capability and performance, they also need appropriate workplace conditions – good leaders, supportive managers, suitable remuneration and recognition, career opportunities, worthwhile goals, sound strategies and clear work processes. But having a serious, consistent commitment to L&D is the best way that organisations can ensure that they find sustained success.
Training was once a straightforward function concerned with imparting technical skills to employees. Now it is a function with strategic impact on the organisation. Organisations rely on the effective management of knowledge for their competitiveness, and on the broader capabilities of their employees – not just their technical skills, but their skills in interpersonal communication, relationships, decision-making and innovation.
What does it take to establish L&D as an effective core function of an organisation? We can look at the challenge in terms of (a) systems, and (b) cultural perspectives:
- The systems approach gives an account of goals, the processes involved, the resources required, the outcomes, and ways of quantifying and evaluating outcomes. It discusses the choices that are available in each of these areas and the factors currently affecting the L&D practitioner’s options.
- The cultural perspective looks at the human factors in L&D – the values and motivations of employees and executives, and the interpersonal networks that foster learning.
The message for HR and L&D practitioners is that L&D initiatives have to become more sophisticated – more in touch with the business agenda, and more integrated into ordinary work practices, rather than being a separate activity that struggles for effectiveness and relevance.
Recommended reading
Managing Training & Development, CCH Australia's subscription-based information service covers all aspects of training, learning and development. It includes management of training, business aspects and evaluation, design of L&D programs, organisational development, employee development, government policies on and regulation of qualifications and apprenticeships. See www.cch.com.au.
(I have been the writer/editor for this 1,500-page information service for 12 years.)
Australian Master Human Resources Guide, CCH Australia, current edition - I contribute several chapters on L&D topics. See CCH website as above.
Links to websites on learning & development
American Society for Training and Development: www.astd.org