Workplace productivity worldwide is facing a steep decline because business organizations have failed to keep up with the changing workplace landscape. How can they course correct? Business organizations can do this by replacing traditional training programs with strategically designed Learning and Development initiatives led by L&D experts and aligned with organizational business goals.
Learning and Development Programs vs. Traditional Training
Learning and development initiatives in an organization help in the professional growth of their employees and make them feel empowered, engaged, and satisfied. L&D leaders create the right objectives and activities, focusing on learning that is more innovative and well-designed and that addresses new workplace norms.
According to a Training Mag study, two out of three talent development leaders look for new solutions, strategies, tools, and programs to help transform their people, pushing them toward accomplishing organizational goals. L&D leaders align training goals with business objectives, utilizing strategies that help in the ongoing evaluation of business plans and learning objectives.
Why Is L&D and Business Goal Alignment Necessary?
Training and development initiatives aligned with an organization’s strategic vision, and business objectives incorporated into learning goals, help make employees more efficient and effective.
With learning programs designed for strategic business growth, employees understand how they contribute to business objectives. This leads to their “buy-in,” enhancing their performance toward goal achievement and reducing resistance to training.
How to Align L&D with Business Objectives
There are simple strategic steps you can take to align training goals with business objectives. They include:
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STEP 1: Define the Organization’s Vision, Mission, and Goals Clearly and SMARTly.
SMART goals are defined as ones that aim for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-bound objectives. L&D leaders must recognize the strategic business goals and design training objectives associated with these goals, such as increasing productivity and revenue. Additionally, they can set training goals aimed toward enhancing softer business objectives, such as building the brand image, improving the customer experience, and enhancing organizational culture.
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STEP 2: Initiate the Training Needs Analysis (TNA) Process
It is necessary to evaluate how employees perform against the business goals. L&D leaders also need to check whether employees possess the proper knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) required to accomplish the organizational vision. This helps L&D leaders identify skill gaps and direct the training goals development process appropriately.
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STEP 3: Set up Upskilling Training Programs
Training goals should be aimed toward upskilling employees to work efficiently, manage their time effectively, and align with business goals. L&D leaders should set strategic learning and development objectives to bridge the gaps identified by the TNA process (from Step 2).
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STEP 4: Clearly Communicate the Program Objectives
Employees must understand the purpose behind a training program and utilize what they learn to fulfill the organization’s long-term objectives. In other words, L&D leaders must make employees understand the connection between the activity and the business goal so that every new skill they learn improves their performance and brings work efficiency to the organization.
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STEP 5: Select a Learning Management System (LMS) for Training Success
Training should be engaging, encouraging, convenient, accessible, and designed as per the business objectives. With the help of a robust learning management system (LMS), such as MyAthina, learning content can be customized and delivered based on the learners’ preferences and competency levels. Concepts shared through microlearning packages, like infographics and short videos, make learning convenient and easy.
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STEP 6: Create a Culture That Encourages Continuous Learning
Training and upskilling are not one-time processes in the workplace. Training can have a long-lasting impact if employees embrace a culture of learning at the workplace. To do this, there needs to be a top-down approach, where senior executives and management actively encourage continuous learning and development in the workplace.
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STEP 7: Evaluate and Repeat
Learning is a lifelong process. However, investment in learning and development needs to be measured against several criteria, including learners’ feedback, training completion duration, the performance of employees’ post training, and more. It is necessary to measure SMART business goals against employees’ performance objectives to recognize areas for further improvement.
Evaluating the reasons behind training and setting up learning goals aligned with the business objectives helps influence employees’ attitudes and perception toward learning and development programs.
