The future of the L&D function Corporate Research Forum The future of the L&D function Tuesday 23 October 2012

Agenda Introductions What L&D Functions need to focus on What L&D Functions need to become Company examples Open discussion

Operating environment

Initial headlines Intensifying, globalised competition, innovation, economic pressures, VUCA environment Old ways of learning can’t keep up New media revolution making informal learning easier and quicker not just peer-to-peer but collective learning/action digital relationships and brand (internal and external) Digital competence and governance demands new skills, understanding and strategic focus Challenges for leaders, HR/L&D, IT and other central functions

What’s the state of play? A few organisations say they are becoming ‘social’ But….many more are at an early stage Pushed to modernise by customers and recruits Internal connectivity often an afterthought Users’ frustration stimulating bottom-up DIY Debate and divergence re devices Some progress... Everyone now ‘working on’ 70/20/10 Freshening up e-learning ‘content dumps’ By 2012 most are incorporating mobile and social in learning and communication strategies Much more needed to be fighting fit for the future

Learning culture Self-driven learning and improvement part of ‘performance contract’, demonstrating your contribution organisation’s responsibility to be smart provider and recogniser of learning mutuality – develop yourself, your team, the organisation Employment lifecycle – from pre-boarding to alumni Collaboration – and that includes central functions! ‘Social’ and transparent Art of the possible, profiting from mistakes Digitally confident and capable

Learning leaders CEO and top executives Board Managers responsible to stakeholders for learning performance genuinely knowledgeable about learning personal role-modelling of learning, sharing, coaching etc Board ask tough questions about capability, leadership, culture ensuring development is core – including at board level Managers leaders of learning at every level – a core deliverable picking and developing ‘the right stuff’ using L&D to get ahead, not as belated elastoplasts Learning governance as an enabler, not just controls

Learning ingredients Truly embedding 70/20/10 inc. focus on coaching/mentoring as a corporate capability Jobs managed as learning experiences Design priorities – engaging, relevant, tailoring, intuitive, co-construction, linked to desired business outcomes Collective and viral knowledge-sharing Content curation Identify, develop & deploy internal expertise Story-telling, visualisation Gamification, simulation Digital competence across ‘5 generations’

Learning infrastructure Remote/mobile working and learning developing both technical and human systems mobile devices, cloud storage Integrated platforms & software LMS, social media, projects, knowledge, evaluation etc minimising complexity– the user is king Video, video-telephony & conferencing Virtual classrooms, mass teach-ins ‘Intelligent security’ – productivity is the goal Metrics – track activity, engagement, end-results, without undermining employee and customer trust

Social media driving convergence

The learning architects Re-positioning L&D To From Training provider Reactive Improving people Responding to strategy Subset of HR ‘Order-taker’ Trying to get closer to local business needs and P&Ls Weak at numbers, catching up with technology Orchestrator & champions of L&D, knowledge-sharing, collaboration Anticipatory, visionary Improving the organisation too Helping shape strategy Work with top team, board Driver of organisational change, innovation, standards, performance Authoritative influence at both global and local levels Expert in metrics, in business, and developing the digital workplace The learning architects

‘New’ L&D