Welcome to the TTA Community. TTA Connect is where you can manage and update your profile, search, and view opportunities, manage your work, track payments, and more.
Keeping up with the so-called “fourth industrial revolution” is certainly a challenge. Technology titans are dictating terms for virtually all of our businesses like never before. When do organizations decide to plant a flag and say, “This is our process. We will train our workforce on this technology, and we will make sure our training aligns with these current business objectives.” When the avalanche of technology keeps rumbling down the mountain, it’s hard to know when it’s time to turn your back on that cascading evolution so you can focus on your business, rather than always hustling to keep pace with the machinations behind it. Still, to a great degree, it’s critical to create some kind of evolved strategy that includes these tech developments. I mean, I think we know what would happen if your strategy stays right where it is, don’t we? “Falling behind” would be something of an understatement.
Of course, an L&D strategy must align with that technology and the belief that you are pushing your people to achieve their potential. But it’s a fine line between meeting that potential and pushing too much. L&D, more than any other department, must know where that line is and when the company is in danger of crossing it.
An effective L&D strategy is essential for every organization, but it’s particularly important now. Today’s business environment is changing rapidly (see above “avalanche”), and it’s either keep up or get out of the way. L&D’s role in this scenario is vital: building a skilled workforce to handle evolving demands, adapt to technology or otherwise, is paramount. The best case is that it will have measurable business impact and a visibly improved ROI.
Every organization must have a systematic and comprehensive plan that outlines how it should train and develop its people in a way that changes with the times. This strategy is a construct that must align with an organization’s objectives and its workforce’s capabilities: training goals, the learning needs of employees to best function within the company’s framework, and the actions required to address those needs.
Over the past decade or so, organizations have been on a metaphorical exercise bike whose speed seems to be always increasing. As soon as they push to adopt and implement new digital and technological processes, the technology evolves, even improves, and so the process must be repeated so as to make sure they can tell their clients/customers that they are always on the leading edge. And who doesn’t want to say that?
According to Whatfix, a data-driven digital adoption platform, there are ten steps to creating an L&D strategy. For expedience’s sake, I have whittled it down to six.
Once a strategy is crafted, it should encompass various learning methodologies, approaches, and resources to support employee growth and compliance. It outlines the key L&D focus areas, learning objectives, training programs, and training evaluation methods to ensure you have a skilled and engaged workforce capable of meeting current and future challenges. Provided you understand the skills gaps that exist, it’s time to create unique L&D material designed to cover those gaps. Different training methods would be appropriate for different learning styles and so each one should incorporate a range of formats. Once those training methods are in place, you can begin to reap the benefits of all that hard work. Here are a few of the ways a great L&D strategy pays off:
L&D leadership is accustomed to taking risks. But the stakes are high and the rewards are significant. By creating a successful L&D strategy that aligns with business objectives, you’ve already succeeded. By identifying the gaps and enabling the capabilities needed to achieve success, you’ve already nailed it.
Having a solid L&D strategy will give your organization a sturdy training curriculum that will provide critical learning opportunities in a variety of methods for your workforce. The most effective L&D departments, working together with other leadership channels, will result in innovative, relevant, and agile L&D, and the potential to build the baseline of talent required to succeed in the age of technology.
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
Comment *
Name
Email
Website
Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.
