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

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

3. Operating environment

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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’

9. 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

10. Social media driving convergence

11. 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

12. ‘New’ L&D