Only 40% of companies say their learning strategy is aligned with business goals. Being out of sync with business needs means learning is unable to be truly effective. For more content like this, check out Acorn Labs: http://acornlabs.education/

1. Learning &
Development
Strategies
How to make them
impactful

2. What is an L&D strategy?
A learning and development (L&D) strategy outlines how an
organisation uses employee training to develop workforce
capabilities, competencies, knowledge and skills.

3. Why is one important?
Only 40% of companies say their learning strategy is aligned
with business goals. Being out of sync with business needs
means learning can’t be truly effective – and even if it somehow
is, you likely can’t retrace your steps to prove direct causation.

4. Making it truly effective
A truly effective L&D strategy follows people strategy, which in
turn takes its cues from business strategy. That means at any
point in time, a solid L&D strategy should be systematically
addressing high-level business needs like capability gaps.

6. Guided learning
But it’s not just about upskilling anymore. Proactive and guided
learning interventions are necessary for developing the
capabilities essential to business success, so you have them
when you need them.

7. L&D Strategy
Questions

8. 1) What are our business needs?
L&D can’t be all things to all people. It should look at the
bigger picture. Identify gaps in knowledge, skills and
attitudes that are holding the company’s desires back from
becoming reality. You can then develop training to address
these gaps.

9. 2) What does an L&D plan look like?
Prioritise the gaps, and therefore the training, that will have
the biggest business impact. Consider starting with jobs that
will be most affected by new technologies.

10. 3) What framework will we work in?
Creating a framework for an L&D strategy gives a
comprehensive foundation for the scope, purpose and
activations. It also shapes the desired future state of your
L&D function.

11. The 70/20/10 framework
The 70/20/10 approach is perhaps the most well-covered
approach in L&D literature. Its formula is as follows:
• 70% of learning occurs in real life, on-the-job experiences.
• 20% of learning comes from feedback and observation.
• 10% comes from formal training, which usually forms a base
of knowledge and skills.

12. The 70/20/10 framework
While you don’t have to follow this to a tee (managers probably
come closer to a 50/30/20 split), we mention it because as
much as an L&D strategy should consider the learning element,
you need to think about how professional development is
contextualised and applied.

13. Achieving L&D
Strategy Buy-In

14. 1) Translate L&D ROI into business language
Business leaders are looking for more strategically impactful
metrics than just knowledge retention or time to proficiency.
Therefore, you need to start talking about your L&D strategy
in the financial and operational language of the business.

16. 2) Establish stakeholders in organisational L&D
Ineffectively marketing L&D and its value is the pitfall to
avoid here. You need not just the L&D team, but key roles
across the business to advocate for L&D at every touchpoint.
This includes business leaders, line managers, HR leaders, IT
and even employees.

17. You can learn more about this
topic by checking out the full
article:
https://acornlms.com/enterprise-learning-
management/learning-and-development-
strategy