Value for Money: Unless Learning & Development (L&D) causes significant business improvement do it!
In tough times, organisations slash training budgets. How can we ensure that we get value for money with L&D? One sure way is to prove that the L&D activity prove their value.
Ask yourself, why would anyone commit people and resources to 'activities' that fail to make the achievement of business easier? Does it not make more sense to focus on those things that add value.
My understanding is that every T&D activity should be appraised quickly by asking, "does this enable business results to be achieved quicker, easier and more efficiently?" If the answer is vague and unsubstantiated, then discontinue training in that area.
Training = Improved Performance
In a competitive world we should have to prove a strong causal link between "training delivered" leading to "business improvement". Any activity that fails to fulfil this equation is a 'nice to have' rather than an 'essential' activity.
Gone are the times when the average company could experiment by committing unlimited resources to 'tree hugging, non tangible' development processes in the vague hope that these would impact upon morale and productivity. Now most businesses are appraising their T&D activities along simple "value added".
I coach managers to add credibility to their HRD activities by challenging them to assess what they should do "more of" and "less of…"
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