Laura Overton chaired an interactive session with over 50 L&D leaders at Learning Technologies 2015 (#LT15uk) alongside a panel consisting: Garry Hearn Programme Manager Training Business Change Ministry of Defence (DCTT) Velda Barnes Head of Learning and Development Addaction Jane Daly Global Head of Learning & Development M&S Offices Laura Overton Managing Director Towards Maturity Laura Pettit Academy Lead, Leadership and Talent Bupa Global Market Unit The group drew on data from the Towards Maturity 2015 Towards maturity benchmark (http://towardsmaturity.org/2014benchmark) and discussed practical ideas around how to deliver learning excellence and the characteristics of learning leaders. This resource summarises the collective thinking of the room, providing insight and inspiration for those not able to join.

1. BusinessTransformationThroughLearning Innovation
Feedback from an
interactive workshop
delivered at Learning
Technologies 2015

2. This session is all
about learning from
the panel and from
each other. These
slides reflect all the
conversations that
took place at
#LT15UK

3. You!
Jane
Daly
Garry
Hearn
Laura
Pettitt
Velda
Barnes
Laura
Overton
You
Inputs from
seminar
participants
will be
highlighted
in gold
Inputs from
the panel
will be
highlighted
in blue

4. WHAT DOES
EXCELLENCE IN
L&D LOOK
LIKE?
It provides:
A customer-centric not learning-
centric service
Relevant learning experiences
That are immediately applicable
And aligned to business needs
It Supports:
Career paths
On the job transfer
A critically questioning and caring
community
Maintained motivation
It results in :
Engaged staff
Positive Return on investment

5. WHAT IS
HOLDING US BACK
FROM DELIVERING
LEARNING
EXCELLENCE?
Ourselves:
L&D leaders are not leading change
We are poor in articulating our value
Training still seen as a means to an
end (rather than learning seen as
the start of the journey)
Business Perception:
Perception of training as an add on
rather than an integral offering
Lack of resources
Not meeting the expectations of our
customers
Employees not encouraged to take
ownership of their learning
Organisational learning culture (or
lack of!)

6. WHAT DOES THE EVIDENCE SAY?
600+ learning leaders
45 countries
5000 learners

7. L&D professionals
today want
even more.

8. L&D is Using more Technology
200%
increase since 2010
19%
budget allocated

9. 200%
increase since 2010
19%
budget allocated
Delivering Efficiency
- 17% Cost reduction
+21% Volume
- 22% Delivery time
- 20% Study time
L&D is Using more Technology

10. INCREASING
PERFORMANCE GAP
87% wanted change 2014
74% wanted change 2010
51% reported benefits
31% reported benefits
53%Top Q
63%Top Deck

11. Delivering New Products & Services
SO WHAT CAN LEARNING
INNOVATION BRING
TO THE TABLE?
EXCELLENCE IS DEFINED BY THE BUSINESS
Gaining Market Share
Talent

12. Gaining Market Share
17% rise in customer satisfaction
10% improvement in revenue
Talent
9% reduction in attrition
17% improvement in engagement
14% improvement in productivity
12% reduction in time to competency
Delivering New Products & Services
Change new products & services 23% faster
Roll out new IT applications 26% faster
& improve
efficiency!
EXCELLENCE IS DEFINED BY THE BUSINESS

13. How do we
shift the
focus from
input to
outputs?

14. How do we
shift the
focus from
input to
outputs?
Turn your attention to the business
and to customers rather than on the
L&D team
Attend the right meetings to
understand the business need
Make sure your team is equipped to
have conversations about outputs
Use evidence to illustrate that you
can deliver more than just courses
Be clear about your role in
improving performance
Be clear about manager’s roles and
responsibilities

15. WHAT DOES THE EVIDENCE SAY?

16. WHAT DOES THE EVIDENCE SAY?
600+ learning leaders
45 countries
5000 learners

17. T O W A R D S M A T U R I T Y I N D E X
TOP LEARNING COMPANIES
11 years of research show that results improve with maturity

18. T O W A R D S M A T U R I T Y I N D E X
TOP
DECK
TOP LEARNING COMPANIES
11 years of research show that results improve with maturity

19. T O W A R D S M A T U R I T Y I N D E X
TOP
DECK
TOP LEARNING COMPANIES
11 years of research show that results improve with maturity

20. DNA OF THE TOP DECK
COMPANIES
WE LOOKED AT WHAT
THESE COMPANIES ARE
DOING TO ACHIEVE
SUCCESS

21. DNA OF THE TOP DECK
COMPANIES
97% AGREE THEY
SUPPORT THE SKILLS
THE BUSINESS NEEDS

22. DNA OF THE TOP DECK
COMPANIES
97% PROACTIVELY
UNDERSTAND HOW
STAFF LEARN WHAT
THEY NEED

23. DNA OF THE TOP DECK
COMPANIES
100% CONSIDER THE
COURSE AS ONLY ONE
OPTION FOR BUILDING
SKILLS AND
PERFORMANCE

24. DNA OF THE TOP DECK
COMPANIES
90% ENSURE
INDIVIDUALS HAVE THE
CHOICES AND
INFORMATION THEY
NEED

25. DELIVERING PEAK PERFORMANCE
3X LIKELY TO SEE IMPROVED PRODUCTIVITY & APPLICATION
2X LIKELY TO RESPOND FASTER & SUPPORT CHANGE
Improved application
of learning in the
workplace
Faster response to
changing business
conditions
Increased
productivity
on the job
TOP DECK Average

26. How do we do this
in practice?

27. Create business steering
groups to support initiatives;
have a regular L&D presence
at critical business meetings;
review priorities against
business objectives
quarterly or sooner if the
business needs it; be
prepared to change.
How do we do this
in practice?

28. Create business steering
groups to support initiatives;
have a regular L&D presence
at critical business meetings;
review priorities against
business objectives
quarterly or sooner if the
business needs it; be
prepared to change.
Develop an active learner voice
Find out how staff are currently
learning what they need – use the
data as learner data tells a more
powerful story than assumptions
Use learner data to influence
change: informing decisions and
engaging senior leaders in new
thinking.
Share learner success stories: an
appetite for learning increased
sales in distributor network which
then went on to capture the
attention of internal sales teams
How do we do this
in practice?

29. Create business steering
groups to support initiatives;
have a regular L&D presence
at critical business meetings;
review priorities against
business objectives
quarterly or sooner if the
business needs it; be
prepared to change.
Develop an active learner voice
Find out how staff are currently
learning what they need – use the
data as learner data tells a more
powerful story than assumptions
Use learner data to influence
change: informing decisions and
engaging senior leaders in new
thinking.
Share learner success stories: an
appetite for learning increased
sales in distributor network which
then went on to capture the
attention of internal sales teams
Stop focusing on ourselves & look
at the customers and businesses
we are supporting
Create time to think:
Building an innovation team that
involves inputs from business
technology and education. Ask:
What can we do for the business?
What processes need to be
changed in business?
How do we design differently?
How do we do this
in practice?

30. Create business steering
groups to support initiatives;
have a regular L&D presence
at critical business meetings;
review priorities against
business objectives
quarterly or sooner if the
business needs it; be
prepared to change.
Develop an active learner voice
Find out how staff are currently
learning what they need – use the
data as learner data tells a more
powerful story than assumptions
Use learner data to influence
change: informing decisions and
engaging senior leaders in new
thinking.
Share learner success stories: an
appetite for learning increased
sales in distributor network which
then went on to capture the
attention of internal sales teams
Stop focusing on ourselves & look
at the customers and businesses
we are supporting
Create time to think:
Building an innovation team that
involves inputs from business
technology and education. Ask:
What can we do for the business?
What processes need to be
changed in business?
How do we design differently?
Go to where your customers are already gathering
Use the internal intranet to communicate
Publish evaluation data: let success breed success
Build links between online resources and the classroom
Advertise everywhere – even the back of the toilet door
– if it’s good enough for google, it’s good enough for us!
How do we do this
in practice?

31. NEW MODELS OF LEARNING
Integrate
Learning
& Talent
Develop
Learning
Culture
Transform
Training
ALIGNING TO NEED
Customer
Activated
Learning
2 Way
Business
Alignment
EQUIP L&D AS AGENTS OF CHANGE
THE TOWARDS MATURITY NEW LEARNING AGENDA – A ROADMAP FOR CHANGE
ONCE YOU HAVE ESTABLISHED YOUR GOALS, STAY
FOCUSSED THROUGHOUT THE JOURNEY:

32. Data-Driven
Decision Making
Business leaders use data to:
Predict
Plan
Persuade
Personalise
Generally, L&D don’t do this!
Only 1 in 5 use learning
analytics or benchmarking to
improve service and
performance
Learning leaders must take
a fresh look at data-driven
decision making
“
”
LauraOverton
TowardsMaturity www.towardsmaturity.org/2014benchmark

33. What are the
characteristics
of a learning
Leader?

34. What are the
characteristics
of a learning
Leader?
Learning leaders
Listen and are able to ask the right
questions without an agenda
Say no when needed
Credible in the business
Effective
Passionate about learning AND
the business we are serving
Are resilient, agile, curious,
visionary, tenacious & stubborn!
Are able to leverage their social
capital in the business
Are able to capture attention
through storytelling
Get on with things rather than
talk about them
Learn positively from mistakes
Know about adding value
Keep up with the latest
developments

35. What is the
single most
important
strategy for
modernising
learning?

36. What is the
single most
important
strategy for
modernising
learning?
Think positively
Get under the skin of
your business
Create the time to
think and innovate
Be willing to say no to
anything that doesn’t
improve outputs!
Be willing to let go of
the past in order to
move forward into
the future

37. DRIVING
LEARNING
EXCELLENCE
BusinessTransformationThroughLearning Innovation
What is the
one thing that
you will do
differently as
a result of
today?

38. DELIVERING LEARNING EXCELLENCE – ACTION PLAN #LT15UK
BusinessTransformationThroughLearning Innovation
Change focus to outputs: me and my team
Ask myself if what I’m working will deliver
and is aligned to strategy
Say NO when not aligned to outcomes
(Say NO more!)
Listen to what the business needs
Invite myself to meetings that I
need to be in
Agree priorities - link the stakeholders to
achieve a collaborative way forward
Listen to my customers more
Plan a learner survey
Adapt to the needs of my customer
Think without constraints - work out
how to deliver a more personalised
learning experience
Use Towards Maturity
Research to engage
with the business
Create the capacity to think:
look at an innovation role
learners
business

39. DELIVERING LEARNING EXCELLENCE - WHERE TO GO FROM HERE?
The Towards Maturity
Benchmark Report is
free to download
thanks to the support
of our Ambassadors:
Ask us about our Free
Resource pack :
Research links
Download our FREE resource pack:
Powerful Research for an Evidence-Based
Learning Strategy
Effective L&D Practices in a Nutshell
Unique Learner Insights
Stimulate Debate in Your Organisation
Essential Reading list
Next Steps and Keeping Updated