"Training", "Learning & Development", "Leadership & Talent" ......or ????

At the recent Strategic Learning & Development Conference I found myself reflecting on the various titles we use to describe our profession.

While it is widely recognised that most workplace learning occurs outside of formal training - and hence to maximize our impact we need to think broader than 'Training' ... I'm struck by the lack of precision in the phrase 'Learning & Development' ....how does 'Development' differ from 'Learning' ?

It could be argued that we 'develop' the skills, knowledge, & behaviours of others - while learning is undertaken by the individual. Equally, the phrase 'personal development' is widely used.

No doubt, this is also a reason that other terms such as 'Leadership & Talent' are also used



My suggestion is to consider 'Performance & Development'

In my view, this would capture the essence of the outcomes we seek to deliver, namely:

• Performance Improvement (learning solutions to address current needs - based on understanding the skill gaps for delivering current business goals)
• Development of Talent (learning solutions to position key individuals to be skilled to meet predicted future business needs, and to enhance the adaptive capabilities of the organization)

Maybe one day we will be refered to as P&D Professionals ?!



NOTE: This topic is something that has it's foundations in an earlier post relating to the Ulrich model of HR [interestingly, this has proved to be the most read post on this blog to-date this year]

Strategic Learning & Development - 2008 Conference, Amsterdam 21-22 Feb. (1)

Having just returned from the above conference - speaking on 'The Role of the Line Manager in Facilitating Workplace Learning' - I'm encouraged and inspired by the various conversations and presentations from fellow L&D professionals.

Firstly - a big thank you to all those with whom I had the pleasure to swap ideas and share stories ! (and share the odd beer or glass of wine).


Here are a few initial reflections:

• There are significant similiarities in the challenges we face in L&D across all sectors & countries !
• Equally, the business acumen of L&D professionals is impressive ... not only is it a 'given' that L&D services need to be fully aligned with the business strategy of the organization, but there is also clear expertise of applying people-orientated change-management strategies appropriate to the contextual factors of the company.
• Current 'Hot topics' include: Outsourcing of L&D services, and collaborative learning via Web 2.0 technologies and understanding the impact of learning.

Successful L&D strategies tend to have the following common features:

• Active sponsorship from the senior leadership of the organisation - (to drive organizational change).
• Understanding of the need to connect with the emotions of the learners - (since people are choosing to 'reference' vs. retain knowledge as the shelf-life of knowledge dramatically decreases)
• Deployment of web-based L&D technologies - (where global solutions are required)
• Recognise that you can only outsource the systems that facilitate learning - (not learning itself !)

I'll be returning to the insights from this conference in the coming days/weeks - meanwhile I continue to reflect on the question posed by Nick Shackleton-Jones of the BBC:

"What would a perfect learning environment look like ?"

Learning from Visualization of the Competition

I expect that 'The Future of Management' by Gary Hamel will be a text that I will continue to refer to on several occasions over the next few months.

I was particularly interested to read how:

In one company, a few enterprising activists built a "hospital" in the corporate training center. In each of ten or so beds, they placed an effigy of a once healthy competitor who was currently struggling for survival. From the end of each gurney hung a "medical" chart outlining the patient's declining financial health and the strategic mis-steps that had landed it in the ICU.

Apparently more than 3000 employees toured the ward, including the company's board of directors ...helping them start a 'conversation' to spur organizational change.


While the identity of the company is not clear, they should be acknowledged for this creative approach to L&D !