EMEA Reporter: What’s Changing in Learning? For Most of Us, Not Much!

That is the startlingand disturbing finding from the Towards MaturityBenchmark since I last reported their findings exactly three years ago. However, for the topdeck of benchmarked organizations whose L&D leaders are moving forward itis a very different picture.

First, a recap…

Towards Maturityclaims to be the only global benchmarking organization that focuses on theimpact of L&D on improving business performance. My previous piecedescribed the TM Benchmark and its increasing influence as a dispassionateglobal analyst. Since 2012, TM has added 1,800 L&D leaders to its benchmarkdatabase, now over 4,000 participants, of whom over 30 percent are from outsidethe traditional West European footprint. Influential in that process has beenthe creation of a network of global Ambassador organizations who promote Towards Maturity’s work. Theyinclude SPEEXX (Germany), Kydon (Singapore), and DOCEBO (Italy), amongst many more familiar globalbrands such as Kineo, Skillsoft, and LEO.

The 2015 benchmark is open. Already 750 L&D leaders from over 40countries have taken part. There is still time to take advantage of thisinvaluable free and confidential opportunity until August 14! Participation isnow truly global, covering all sectors of the economy and civil society.

So what is the TM benchmark uncovering about whatwe are doing in L&D? How is it helping our organizations and the people whowork in them?

Laura Overton, TM’s managing director, told me “The findingsover the last three years make us really excited but also quite depressed!Since our research started in 2003 we have always focused on the alignment ofL&D to business and performance outcomes. We have firm evidence from thelast three years that learning innovation, done well, is delivering realreturns. L&D leaders around the world who have become more business savvyand embraced alignment have reaped huge dividends for their work. Thatunderstanding has served to generate a hunger for change in the industry. Wesee that alignment to business is key to success, but successful organizationsare also taking account of the new cohort of technology empowered,self-directed learners and are balancing individual and organizational needs”

Two years ago, TMlaunched the Learning Landscape Audit, capturing how workers are learning what theyneed to do their job (with or without the help of L&D!). Laura says, “Eighteenthousand learners globally have taken part in the Learning Landscape, whichacts as a complement to the TM Benchmark. It is a powerful tool for comparingwhat L&D are offering against what learners actually experience for themselves. The badnews is that in most places there is a discrepancy between what and how learnerslearn for their job and what L&D is offering—and the gap is widening!” Abrand new report on the state of leadership development and the use oftechnology to enhance it, to be published by the end of July, will emphasizethe point further.

“That all seems likebad news but there is real good news as well,” says Laura. “Those usingbenchmarking as a business improvement tool are storming away in demonstrableresults. These top-deck organizations are three times more likely to be able toshow real business results, three times more likely to be able to demonstrateagility amongst employees, and three times more likely to see application oflearning in the workplace. Their approach to alignment sets them apart, balancingorganizational and individual needs, and designing beyond the “course”—shiftingfrom course provider to value deliverer.”

Top performing organizationstalk about business key performance indicators such as time-to-market for newproducts, time-to-competence in on-boarding, and reduced attrition in talentmanagement, for example. These are the kind of performance benchmarks at theheart of the Towards Maturity Benchmark process—organizations achieving theseare worth benchmarking against.

“The top performers have something to teach us all—they take action!” says Laura, “Over the past threeyears the expectations on L&D to deliver more value have significantlyincreased. L&D is investing in more technology than ever before and yet isless likely to achieve real results than a few years ago. One reason is thatlittle progress has been made in actively pursuing successful practices thatmake a difference. By contrast, top performers have an unremitting focus on aligningL&D to solving business performance issues. They report great results year onyear. Our benchmark is about using their practices to improve your own!”

At DevLearn 2015 Laura will share “ten lessons from top performing L&Dteams”—a great chance to check out the wealth of information and insight underthe Towards Maturity banner!

Editor’s Note

L&D professionals around the globe are able to confidentiallybenchmark their L&D strategy for free until July 31 at www.towardsmaturity.org/benchmark. All participantswill receive their Personalized Benchmark Report in September once allresponses have been collated and analyzed.