Training Industry Magazine - July/August 2020 - 15

JULIE WINKLE GIULIONI

PERFORMANCE
MATTERS

LEARNING: THE ULTIMATE BUSINESS
CONTINUITY STRATEGY

Recent events have challenged every
part of our personal and professional
lives. Yet, the disruption has served at
least one positive purpose: To reveal the
depth of what learning and development
(L&D) is capable of delivering.
L&D has long been recognized as a
value-adding function of the business,
but it's taken a global crisis to
demonstrate that learning can operate
at an even more strategic level. In fact,
many organizations have discovered
that learning is a powerful business
continuity strategy.
Previously, leaders and employees
have enjoyed just one dimension of the
contributions learning can make to an
organization: the ability to disseminate
information, build competencies, and
magnify capacity. In the process, L&D has
contributed to organizational culture and
results. However, this was just the tip of
the iceberg.
CAPACITY CONTINUITY
Enter COVID-19 and the upending of
business as usual. Organizations were
forced to pivot overnight in many cases.
Employees needed to adapt to different
ways of interacting quickly. Processes
changed and new systems were
instituted. L&D responded by supporting
reskilling, business transformation, and
shifts to digital channels and strategies.
But in many organizations, L&D has
done much more, distinguishing itself
and offering services associated with
supporting continuity of additional
elements required for business continuity.

HUMAN CONNECTION CONTINUITY
Decades ago, researchers Deci and
Ryan determined that connection is
one of the three powerful psychological
needs people bring to the workplace.
This awareness has recently become
increasingly acute. In a study I conducted
with Advantage Performance Group,
respondents reported that isolation was
the second most challenging dimension
of working from home.
Interestingly, L&D has found itself at the
center of data gathering efforts around this
issue. The training director in a professional
services firm I work with conducted weekly
well-being surveys. The L&D manager
for a manufacturing client didn't collect
new data but mined employee assistance
program trends. Other organizations
used their employee monitoring software
to identify individuals and parts of the
organization that might not be engaging or
communicating sufficiently.
Organizations then used available data
to create strategies for keeping staff
connected; many have leaned heavily
into L&D activities. From targeted webinar
series to development coaches and
partners, L&D took action to promote
learning that offers human connection
continuity in service of business continuity.
ORGANIZATIONAL CONNECTION
CONTINUITY
While maintaining vital connections
among employees is important,
ensuring strong connections between
the individual and the organization is also
necessary to safeguard the strength of a

business during both normal and unusual
times. L&D professionals facilitated this
through developmental experiences that
reinforced the big picture and learning
that reminded people their role in the
mission, vision and needs of customers.

L&D HAS FOUND
ITSELF AT THE CENTER
OF DATA GATHERING
EFFORTS.
CONTRIBUTION CONTINUITY
Learning has played a role in helping to
maintain the well-being of employees
and their ability to contribute despite
volatility and uncertainty. Training capable
of capturing learner attention delivers
more than learning outcomes; it delivers
opportunities for people to help regulate
their nervous systems by offering
something productive to focus upon.
Additionally, many organizations have
expanded their offerings related to
mindfulness, work-life balance and
leadership skills to support the holistic
well-being of teams.
In the months and years to come, we'll
likely be able to trace greater engagement,
discretionary effort, retention and loyalty
back to the efforts of L&D. And in this way,
learning will have become the ultimate
business continuity strategy.
Julie Winkle Giulioni has 25 years of
experience working with organizations
worldwide to improve performance
through learning. Email Julie.

T R A I N I N G I N DUSTR Y MAGAZ INE -DATA FLUENCY IN LEARNI NG 2 02 0 I WWW. T RAI NINGINDU S T RY . C OM/ MAGAZ I NE

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Training Industry Magazine - July/August 2020

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