There’s no doubt about it, Learning + Development Managers have a difficult balancing act – having maintain training targets despite budget cuts and other notable challenges.
The struggle is real.
Consider some of the main challenges faced by L+D Managers today:
- Going virtual: many organizations across the globe have been forced to operate remotely and this trend looks set to disrupt the office-bound industries enormously.
- Employee redundancies: the economic impact of COVID-19 has dealt many industries and sectors a massive blow and as such, employees are bearing the brunt of this.
- Mental health amongst remaining employees: it goes without saying that employees who are fortunate enough to still be working, are generally feeling the pressure to perform and/or they tend to be taking on more responsibility with the added expectation to deliver within the same frameworks as before, this can have a negative impact on their motivation, commitment and productivity.
- Budget constraints: one of the first areas to be hit by budget cuts is training and development, this is a mistake because the impact that the right employee development process can have is massive.
- Immature technology: with employees working remotely, access to and adequate training on e-learning platforms and devices can be a major hurdle in achieving L+D targets.
How can business consultants help L+D teams bridge the challenges and achieve their goals?
- Develop: experts in the field can help L+D teams to review their initial learning requirements and design to see what opportunities there are in the current environment.
- Implement: it’s up to these specialists to assist L+D Managers to use all available virtual tools and structure learning programmes in such a way that makes the information flow easily. For online learning, tactics like interactive PDF’s, email, virtual conferencing, video, etc makes the learning experience engaging and efficient. Not all e-learning platforms work in the same way, so it needs an expert opinion to determine what the needs of the L+D team is, before committing to a platform. This is why it’s encouraged to work closely with industry experts in order to make the right choice.
- Evaluate: stumbling blocks in any new approach is a given, but it’s how you bounce back and learn from those stumbles that will really amplify the rate of success. Be prepared to fail in some instances, take on the advice from specialists and use the learning for future learning programmes in any areas that need improvement.
Working with a company whom you can trust to impart the best possible guidance for a renewed L+D plan can be one of the best decisions to make. Why? A lot of the legroom has already been done, learnings from other companies can further add to the approach (that is, learning from others’ mistakes) and it frees up more energy for the L+D Manager to focus on meeting targets and employee wellbeing.
Contact the team at Summit about how they can help you implement a relevant and successful L+D strategy that speaks to the current climate and beyond. We work with you to develop a robust approach, no frills or time-wasting.