Last week at the CIPD L&D Show, Paul Morgan, head of L&D at O2 (Telefonica) told delegates that his team solved business problems, that's what it was there to do. For the team, that means ensuring there is a business problem to solve.

The good thing about solving a business problem is that it will come with a metric eg current performance is x and it needs to be improved. This is where L&D can measure its success - by designing ways to solve the problem it will see a positive in the metrics.

Paul Morgan said L&D's success at O2 was down to solving one problem at a time and doing that really well. This provided his team with the foundations to do tackle bigger business challenges.

This sounds deceptively simple to me but the challenge is being able to kick back when stakeholders present a training request and not a business problem.

Does anyone else measure their success in this way?

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  • Morning Mike,

    I am just in the process of submitting my L&D M research where I have focussed on Return on Investment and the question of how we can demonstrate the contribution of L&D initiatives to business outcomes.

    You previously wrote on article that discussed Return on Expectations, which for me gets to the heart of the problem and makes this prospective not a retrospective subject.  You have to know the metrics you are looking to influence if you are going to solve business problems, although I prefer to think in terms of improving business performance.

    Working with sales teams has its advantages, business results for them are very objective.

    I would like to reference your piece on ROE, but have struggled to re-locate it, are you able to help me track it down?

    Mark

  • Morning Martin.

    I like the idea of being able to 'kick back' when stakeholders present a training request not a business problem. We hear all too often don't we;

    'We need training on this', 'People haven't been trained on that', 'Let's put everyone on a whatever it's called course', 'The training was no good'.

    It is a case of kicking back I think but also having that courage to challenge. 'Just exactly what are we trying to achieve here?' I often say. I'm not being negative. I'm simply challenging and asking people to deeply consider the reason, their why, their purpose for doing what they are requesting. 

    That starting with the end in mind is key. I think generally L&D people get this well and if we don't we need to. What I think is important is using our personal skills, coaching ability, courage and communication skills to help others around us, at all levels, get this too. 

    I'm interesting in hearing more about the solving one problem at a time and doing that really well approach. This to me sounds like an approach beyond a one hit wonder course, but more an ongoing continuous development journey. I like that. Any experience to share on that too anyone?

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