This guide is part of a progression set comprised of Core, Advanced, and Emerging Learning & Development practices.

What it is

Creating and building a Learning and Development (L&D) capability ensures the acquisition and expansion of skills necessary for employees to perform their duties, adapt to changes in work methods, and prepare for more advanced roles. This enables the achievement of company goals through the continuous growth and syndication of critical skills and aggregated capabilities. Developing an L&D function requires understanding the business's and its employees' evolving needs, designing and purchasing course content, delivering structured learning to employees, and measuring learning outcomes.

“Learning” and “development” are separate but related terms that refer to the method or circumstances under which people acquire new job-related knowledge, skills, and capabilities. Learning involves gaining an understanding of new knowledge or skills, while development refers to applying that knowledge in actual or simulated task performance. The difference is significant, as people tend to add skills and capabilities through a combination of both, which the L&D function should leverage and demonstrate through the design of its education and application programs. For example, learning new concepts and skills can occur in the classroom, through online reading, or via explanations from expert coworkers. On the other hand, developing those skills requires practice, experimentation, and repetition, such as through hands-on or interpersonal classroom activities, online simulations, or guided on-the-job task performance.

This capability at this level of sophistication is sometimes referred to as “Training,” which involves the formal teaching of concepts and methods, as well as how to perform specific tasks. Still, it excludes informal development, such as experiential learning. On the other hand, “Training and Development” encompasses not only learning and development activities but also those covered under “organizational development (OD),” which leverage activities designed to enhance individual, team, and organizational performance. Examples of OD activities include team building, business process improvement, or individual and team coaching, now also more broadly referred to as “Organizational Effectiveness.” The most current terminology encompassing learning (formal and informal) and individual/organizational development is “Talent Development,” which integrates learning with career and succession management concepts, such as mentoring, job rotations, stretch roles, and project assignments. The term “Learning and Development” is used throughout this progression to refer to all activities associated with individual growth and development.

Knowledge and skill acquisition needs are formally documented at the core level, and the associated approaches for delivering such expertise are defined. Once those are identified, learning or development programs are designed and delivered in the most appropriate style, using either live, self-paced, or self-initiated development methods. A key decision is whether to utilize internal or external sources and resources for content and delivery, typically based on the availability of necessary expertise, budget, and time within the organization. Those decisions are made through formal processes in collaboration with internal finance and outsourcing experts. Creating a measurement methodology is critical to these practices. It clarifies the efficiency, effectiveness, and impact of delivering and acquiring new skills and capabilities for employees.

The following practices represent an adaptation of the classic ADDIE model (analyze, design, develop, implement, evaluate), which has been used in organizations for many years. It has been updated and enhanced for contemporary learning and development programs, methods, and professionals.

Why use it

Learning and development programs offer tremendous value by complementing an organization’s business and operational evolution with an associated growth of its employee base. As company strategies, products, and services expand or contract, new technologies emerge, market shifts occur, and leadership changes bring new direction and thinking, the L&D function can align employees’ knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) with such changes. The ability of a critical workforce segment (or the entire workforce) to adapt to such changes is a crucial measure of the success or failure of implementing those strategies and changes.

Using consistent and standardized methods to identify learning gaps and needs, and design, deliver, and evaluate programs brings maturity to the function, resulting in more reliable outcomes. Organizations can determine which methods work best under different circumstances and for various employee types, offering a more sustainable future for knowledge and skill growth across the enterprise. A disciplined approach to evaluating the value and relevance of learning content across various types of delivery, including formal classroom instruction, eLearning, and informal development activities, brings credibility, objective decision-making, and clarity to continuous improvement efforts.

Learning and development are key motivators for employee performance and retention. They meet the human need for growth, advancement, and a sense of contribution to the greater good. Alongside this, they provide employees with the sense that they are valued enough for the company to continue investing in their growth and ability to contribute in current and future roles.

Outcomes

Adopting practices at this level formalizes the learning function, establishing new standards for approaches to needs identification that are precisely aligned with business plans and needs. They bring a disciplined approach to the design and development of content, which enhances cost-effectiveness while addressing the skill and knowledge needs of the workers. It brings expertise that may not exist within the organization through external resources, with the necessary content proficiency and design, development, and delivery know-how to create new offerings more effectively than the function might otherwise be equipped to handle. These practices yield formal learning plans that guide the development of content into business-aligned skill enhancement programs. They also bring objectivity and greater confidence in the function through well-conceived metrics and reports that help HR, L&D, and leadership teams understand how much the programming delivered meets its stated goals and is within budget.

Practice guides at this level

Defining learning requirements to clarify purpose and desired outcomes.

Understanding the organization’s direction and strategies, how they translate into learning requirements, as well as current and near-future learning needs at the functional employee level.

Identifying the approach for developing and delivering learning content.

Assessing the aspects to consider for deciding to internally or externally design, develop, and deliver priority learning and development programs.

Using internal resources to create learning programs that impact employee knowledge, skill, and ability acquisition.

Conducting a formal design process when internally developing learning programs, including live/virtual classes, eLearning, or less formal approaches.

Leveraging external partners to meet learning needs.

Identifying and evaluating outside experts in instructional design or eLearning from a wide range of providers and types of learning available in the marketplace.

Delivering formal live or eLearning programs to enhance learner understanding and retention.

Engaging learners with active content enhances their understanding and retention of the material, leveraging the most effective learning and development methods.

Developing a learning measurement process to monitor progress and results and communicate value.

Measuring efficiency, effectiveness, and impact of learning and development to provide a comprehensive view of the individual and aggregated programs’ value to the organization.