Hi all,
Am about to embark on LNA for a project in 2018 - and due to the nature of what needs to be delivered at a high level, the anticipated learning outcomes will involve a mix of both technical and soft skills.
I've conducted a number of LNA's during my 15 odd years in L&D but am conscious that broadly speaking, my approach is based on that which I took from completing my CiTP back in the early noughties. It still feels like it is robust and comprehensive but am just keen to make sure I am not missing anything!
Can anyone highlight any new areas of best practice that have emerged in last 10 years that I should consider when undertaking LNA?
Thanks all,
Duncan
Replies
Hi Duncan
Hope you are well.
Some great information below from Ady and Kathryn.
I find that a successful LNA starts with understanding what the expected business outcomes of the learning intervention are. A question I always ask at the beginning is what is the problem you are trying to solve? Followed by if this was to a success what would "good' look like? It is imperative we understand this at the outset to determine whether it is indeed a learning solution that is needed and if so the desired results would be.
Let us know how you get on.
Karen :)
Thanks Karen, great point. Will be working on some success criteria and these will then I turn help with E&M.
Duncan
Great post thanks Duncan. Some great info from Kathryn too.
I'll pretty much bet that your approach to learning needs analysis is working. I don't think the attributes of curiosity, the skills around the conversations that need to take place and the consultative approach that is required haven't really shifted much over the years.
What I do think has shifted is the increased need for L&D to demonstrate the value added in everything we do. The 'performance consultant' is a term that's being used more widely to reflect the approach we should have in ensuring learning initiatives deliver real results. Interestingly, in another post this week on the community, (L&D Trends in 2018) 'Better alignment of L&D goals to business goals' came out as being the biggest challenge for L&D professionals.
Often, I hear people saying start with the end in mind. Quesitons like 'What are the performance changes we need to see and how can those be measured?' allow us to think up front about the business benefits and how learning interventions can best be structured to meet those outcomes.
In your experience, what at the approaches you use to align learning to business goals Duncan? I'll bet there's a few on here that will benefit from your experience...
Thanks Ady, some good points to consider there.
I think my main learning around aligning learning to business goals would link to when working with high level business strategies. In a previous organisation I worked with, business strategies were often presented in a one page document. These looked good visually and were very concise in their use of text. The challenge was that they just didn't have sufficient detail to work with when undertaking a TNA. It was essential to find a stakeholder that could spend time taking you through it all, elaborating on each strategic theme and talking about what was involved in detail. To go one further it's useful to talk to a number of stakeholders to do this as depending on someone's role / focus we might find they have different perspectives on what's important.
Thanks Kathryn, a couple of useful reads there. I'll have a listen to the podcast too. Thanks for your help.
Duncan