Training Industry Magazine - September/October 2020 - 15

JULIE WINKLE GIULIONI

PERFORMANCE
MATTERS

CHANGE-READY L&D:
INGREDIENTS FOR SUCCESS

I don't know about you, but our family has
been spending more time in the kitchen
recently. Early on in quarantine, we
dabbled in baking bread before migrating
to other foods we never had the time to
make from scratch. Maybe that's why I'm
looking at life and learning with an eye
toward new recipes these days.
When it comes to the learning and
development (L&D) landscape, it's become
increasingly clear that there are a few
common ingredients making a delicious
difference in learning organizations. While
the current crisis has left some training
departments immobilized or consumed
with technology-related challenges, others
appear to have effortlessly stepped up to
the plate. They pivoted quickly, adjusting
their approaches and offering meaningful
and collaborative solutions.
When I asked an L&D leader from a
particularly effective organization how
her team readied themselves to adjust
to dramatically changing conditions,
she jokingly responded, "We were born
ready." In reality, they had cultivated
a set of competencies during stable
times that were serving them during
these unstable times. And other L&D
organizations that are thriving today
possess these same three ingredients
for supporting success.
RISK TOLERANCE
The L&D organizations that are partnering
effectively and producing results today
are leveraging sensibilities and skills
honed long before the pandemic.
They continue to embrace these skills

while simultaneously accelerating
experimentation, understanding that
success may not follow a direct trajectory.
They know that they might not get it right
the first time but persevere, understanding
that failure isn't fatal. They engage in
rapid prototyping to offer an 80% solution
to those in need - and then iterate to
achieve the remaining 20%. They assess
the risk, weigh it against results and
mitigate where possible - never allowing
the pursuit of perfection to stall progress.

THE L&D
ORGANIZATIONS THAT
ARE THRIVING TODAY
ARE LEVERAGING
SKILLS HONED LONG
BEFORE THE PANDEMIC.
OUTCOMES FOCUS
Most L&D initiatives begin and end
with a set of learning or performance
outcomes defining success. Yet, once
those outcomes are established, we shift
our focus to how we're going to make it
happen.
The "how" takes us away from an aerial
view down into the pine needles, and
it's easy to lose perspective. It's easy
to double down on existing technology
solutions or fall in love with a great
new application. It's even easier to
reiterate the way we've always done it
- particularly under stress and pressure.
However, L&D functions making a
difference today remain ferociously

focused on what they seek to achieve
rather than how they'll achieve it. In the
process, they have discovered new -
and often easier - approaches, earned
credibility from executives and delivered
aligned results.
INCLUSIVITY
L&D departments that are thriving today
appear to share one final ingredient: A
genuine and enduring commitment to
collaborating broadly and including a
variety of diverse perspectives in the
planning and evaluation of their work.
This plays out in numerous ways during
times of crisis and calm, including:
* Empathetic listening to employees,
leaders,
customers
and
other
stakeholders.
* Commitment to partnering with other
departments to achieve results.
* Finding meaningful ways to support
user-generated content that meets
the learning needs of employees.
It's no coincidence that the first letters
of each of these ingredients - risk
tolerance, outcomes focus and inclusivity
- spell out ROI (return on investment). L&D
professionals who cultivate these qualities
will be poised to cook up success as we
emerge into the next normal.
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 - BUILDING A GREAT TRAI NI NG ORGANI ZAT I ON I WWW. T RAININGINDU S T RY . C OM/ MAGAZ I NE

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Training Industry Magazine - September/October 2020

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