Where does Learning & Development fit?
Picture: The Company (continued)
Of course there are more questions that require answering and areas to investigate to gain a complete picture of the company. Not discussed in the previous post is determining where learning and development as an organizational activity fits. Is it a stand alone department that has a seat at the organizational leadership team table or is it a sub-group that reports to HR or I/T? Clearly the answer to this question will necessarily colour L&D goals and objectives.
Stepping back for a moment to the concept of culture, what role do the shareholders of the organization play? Determine if the C-level team within the organization consider the shareholders a key component of the structure and consider the delivering of profit to shareholders as trumping everything else, or if the shareholders are seen as one component of many when decisions are made.
What do you know about the company metrics? If the organization operates in an environment that has very focused metrics and runs a by-the-numbers shop, be sure to investigate just what that means. Are costs and margins razor thin as a result of the industry that the organization is involved in, resulting in tight controls and little flexibility, or are the key metrics viewed in a more holistic manner, meaning that they are an important part of the whole, but not the only factor considered when training initiatives are advanced. And this brings us to the “B” word: budgets.
An important question that needs answering before any program development can take place is the budget question. How much will be available (in dollars and other resources)? Through the process of investigating some of the issues mentioned previously, it will become apparent as to what type of monetary and resource constraints (or not) you will be working with. Up front you should know if you will be operating on a shoestring budget, a negotiable as required budget, or the best of all possible worlds, an unlimited budget. Knowing these broad parameters at the beginning of any program development is important, because going in on a wing and a prayer will ultimately lead to the failure and frustration that it is critical to avoid (see the post on trust). The sooner you can hone in on a number, the better you will be able to sell those to whom you report on the program itself. There is no room for ambiguity here. As much as those of us in the learning world want to say that it’s all about the learner, we can never forget that the learner will never get what they need without the support of the organizational leaders.
Picture: The Company (continued)
Of course there are more questions that require answering and areas to investigate to gain a complete picture of the company. Not discussed in the previous post is determining where learning and development as an organizational activity fits. Is it a stand alone department that has a seat at the organizational leadership team table or is it a sub-group that reports to HR or I/T? Clearly the answer to this question will necessarily colour L&D goals and objectives.
Stepping back for a moment to the concept of culture, what role do the shareholders of the organization play? Determine if the C-level team within the organization consider the shareholders a key component of the structure and consider the delivering of profit to shareholders as trumping everything else, or if the shareholders are seen as one component of many when decisions are made.
What do you know about the company metrics? If the organization operates in an environment that has very focused metrics and runs a by-the-numbers shop, be sure to investigate just what that means. Are costs and margins razor thin as a result of the industry that the organization is involved in, resulting in tight controls and little flexibility, or are the key metrics viewed in a more holistic manner, meaning that they are an important part of the whole, but not the only factor considered when training initiatives are advanced. And this brings us to the “B” word: budgets.
An important question that needs answering before any program development can take place is the budget question. How much will be available (in dollars and other resources)? Through the process of investigating some of the issues mentioned previously, it will become apparent as to what type of monetary and resource constraints (or not) you will be working with. Up front you should know if you will be operating on a shoestring budget, a negotiable as required budget, or the best of all possible worlds, an unlimited budget. Knowing these broad parameters at the beginning of any program development is important, because going in on a wing and a prayer will ultimately lead to the failure and frustration that it is critical to avoid (see the post on trust). The sooner you can hone in on a number, the better you will be able to sell those to whom you report on the program itself. There is no room for ambiguity here. As much as those of us in the learning world want to say that it’s all about the learner, we can never forget that the learner will never get what they need without the support of the organizational leaders.
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