Create a Learning and Development Strategy
Transform your learning and development function from reactive to strategic.
- Organizational leaders remain unsatisfied with the performance of their current L&D functions.
- Employees are leaving organizations because they are not receiving the training and development that they were promised when they were hired.
Our Advice
Critical Insight
- L&D can’t be all things to all people. It needs to focus on proactively identifying and developing the critical learning needs that will enable the organization to deliver on their strategic objectives.
Impact and Result
- Highly effective HR departments create programs that are deeply aligned with the strategic needs of their organizations. L&D departments need to do the same.
- Involve key stakeholders from the beginning and perform a comprehensive needs analysis to understand the type of support from L&D that would be most valuable.
- Create an L&D framework that details a vision, objectives, primary learning needs, employee groups, core delivery methods, measurement, and governance to ensure that your L&D function has a clearly articulated purpose and roadmap for the future.
Create a Learning and Development Strategy
1. Conduct a needs analysis
Form an L&D steering committee to define the project vision and complete a comprehensive needs analysis.
2. Define the L&D framework
Identify the primary learning needs for priority employee groups in order to determine delivery method(s) and key accountabilities that will form the core of a governance model.
3. Create an action plan
Address gaps between the L&D framework and current state that will produce the greatest impact.
Learning & Development Strategy
1 to 1.5 CPD hours per course.
McLean & Company is recognized by SHRM and can award Professional Development Credits (PDCs) for the SHRM-CP® or SHRM-SCP®.
HR Certification Institute’s® official seal confirms that McLean & Company meets the criteria for pre-approved recertification credit(s) for any of HRCI’s eight credentials, including SPHR® and PHR®.
How to complete this course:
Use these videos, along with the Project Blueprint deck above, to gain an understanding of the subject. Start with the Introduction, then move through each of the Course Modules. At the end of each Module, you will be required to complete a short test to demonstrate your understanding. You will complete this course when you have completed all of the course tests.
- Number of Course Modules: 6
- Estimated Completion Time: 1.5 hours
Learning Outcome
Explain the process of creating a Learning & Development strategy, with a focus on creating and implementing strategic principles that will guide current and future learning initiatives.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this course, learners will be able to:
- Describe the value a strategically aligned learning function brings to an organization.
- Analyze their own organization to identify learning gaps and needs.
- Explain the different considerations that guide the creation of L&D strategic principles.
- Describe the critical steps involved in implementing an L&D strategy.
Course Modules
Academy L&D Strategy: Introduction: Transform your Learning and Development function from reative to strategic
Academy L&D Strategy: Module 1: Conduct a Needs Analysis
Academy L&D Strategy: Module 2: Define the L&D Framework
Academy L&D Strategy: Module 3: Measurement and Governance
Academy L&D Strategy: Module 4: Identify Critical Gaps
Academy L&D Strategy: Module 5: Create an Action Plan
Workshop: Create a Learning and Development Strategy
Workshops offer an easy way to accelerate your project. If you are unable to do the project yourself, and a Guided Implementation isn't enough, we offer low-cost onsite delivery of our project workshops. We take you through every phase of your project and ensure that you have a roadmap in place to complete your project successfully.
Module 1: Conduct a Needs Analysis
The Purpose
- Ascertain a vision, objectives, and strategic metrics for L&D.
Key Benefits Achieved
- A defined L&D strategy project vision
Activities
Outputs
Clarify the strategic direction of the organization.
- Organizational strategy clarified
Conduct a SWOT analysis.
- SWOT analysis conducted
Identify insights for learning.
- Major themes and critical issues identified
Create a vision for L&D.
- L&D vision set
Define L&D objectives and identify strategic metrics.
- L&D objectives and strategic metrics established
Module 2: Define the L&D Framework
The Purpose
- Identify the primary learning needs.
- Identify the core delivery method(s).
- Create a standardized measurement approach.
- Identify key accountabilities to form the core of a governance model.
Key Benefits Achieved
- An L&D framework that clearly identifies the desired future state of the learning function
Activities
Outputs
Identify the primary learning needs.
Prioritize the primary learning needs.
- Primary learning needs determined
Identify employee groups and create learner profiles.
- Learner profiles created
Select core delivery methods.
- Core delivery methods chosen
Outline a measurement approach for standardized evaluation.
- Measurement approach for standardized evaluation outlined
Create a governance map.
- Governance map built
Module 3: Create an Action Plan
The Purpose
- Identify gaps between the current state and desired L&D framework.
- Prioritize gaps that will have the most impact.
- Create an action plan to address the priority gaps.
Key Benefits Achieved
- Gaps in the L&D framework are addressed with an impactful strategy and action plan
Activities
Outputs
Examine integration with other HR practices.
- Integration with other HR practices investigated
Identify gaps in L&D portfolio.
- Gaps in L&D portfolio identified
Examine learning infrastructure.
- Learning infrastructure examined
Assess L&D capability.
- L&D capability assessed
Prioritize gaps.
- Gaps prioritized
Create an action plan.
- Action plan created
About McLean & Company
McLean & Company is an HR research and advisory firm providing practical solutions to human resources challenges via executable research, tools, diagnostics, and advisory services that have a clear and measurable impact on your business.
What Is a Blueprint?
A blueprint is designed to be a roadmap, containing a methodology and the tools and templates you need to solve your HR problems.
Each blueprint can be accompanied by a Guided Implementation that provides you access to our world-class analysts to help you get through the project.
Need Extra Help?
Try Our Guided Implementations
Get the help you need in this 3-phase advisory process. You'll receive 4 touchpoints with our researchers, all included in your membership.
Guided Implementation #1 - Conduct a Needs Analysis
- Call #1 - Identify project steering committee and discuss needs analysis.
- Call #2 - Review results of needs analysis.
Guided Implementation #2 - Define the L&D Framework
- Call #1 - Discuss elements of framework and implications of needs analysis.
Guided Implementation #3 - Create an Action Plan
- Call #1 - Review action plan to verify timelines and identify related McLean tools.
Contributors
- Veronica Ambrosini, Talent Management & Organizational Design Expert
- Jan-Willem Bouwmeester, Group Manager Learning & Development, Maser of Science, Royal De Heus Group
- Siobhan Calderbank, Director of Learning & Development, Intelex Technologies
- David Hayden, L&D Consultant, CIPD
- Bill Goggin, Director, Adult Education, St. Francis Xavier University
- Stephanie Kerr, Director of Organization Effectiveness, Harley Davidson Motor Company
- Lisha van Leeuwen, Leadership and Team Excellence Leader, Roche
- Brett VanderHoek, Manager, Talent, Tolko Industries
- Dr. Iris Ware, Chief Learning Officer, City of Detroit
- Linda White, Vice President of Global Learning & Development (retired), Scotia Bank
Several anonymous contributors were also interviewed.