Recognizing learning and development needs is an essential step for those wanting to improve operational effectiveness. Translating those needs into an actionable plan, however, is the key to unlocking true potential and the only way shift will occur. In this episode, AEU LEAD Director Joe White will share recommendations for developing a comprehensive learning and development strategy that works.
Transcription
Announcer:
The SOS podcast is a production of AEU LEAD, an organization redefining how mid and frontline managers are developed.
Joe White:
Hello and thank you for joining us. I'm Joe White and this is the Supervisor Skills Secrets of Success podcast. Today's recording is the second of four episodes we'll be releasing in 2025. With a themed emphasis this season of helping those who help develop frontline supervision, I'll be taking a deep dive into the topic of growing needed skills.
In our first episode, I covered steps that can be taken to identify developmental needs. Today, I'll be sharing thoughts and ideas for pulling together a comprehensive training strategy based on your needs assessment. If you're joining today having not heard the previous episode, it may be worth pausing here to do so. The four episodes planned for release this year are designed to build on one another, and sequence is important.
As mentioned in my previous recording, very few organizations have comprehensive learning and development strategies. Where they do exist, most are outdated and in need of revision. Regardless of where you might be relative to this topic, our recommendation is to pursue improvement and not perfection with any action you take. No plan is perfect, and trying to achieve the standard of performance will only paralyze any momentum you can and should be building. That said, let's get into our topic.
By literal interpretation, a strategic plan represents the process or means of transitioning from a current to a desired future state. Tools used in developing a strategic plan involve a vision statement and a needs assessment for orientation. In most instances, a vision statement is used by planners to clarify where the organization is going and a needs assessment is used to position where it currently is at any given point in time. These two points of reference are critical for planning and are essential for success.
In creating a learning and development strategy, I highly suggest using a participative approach. In the last episode, I outlined ways to identify past, present, and future needs. This information is the foundation of any discussions you may have, and should be used to guide what's ideally an interactive process. Through stakeholder input, you can better understand and help define a desired future state that others will more readily buy into. The input received will also serve as the underpinning of detailed plans required for the upskilling or reskilling to occur.
As noted, the primary objective of today's episode is to share recommendations for pulling together a strategic plan based on your specific learning and development needs. While it largely reflects recognized gaps, it should also contain other supplemental information required to succeed. Combined, these elements describe where you're going, how you'll get there, and what's required for the desired transition to occur. For those wanting to learn more, here are several thoughts I'd like to pass along for consideration:
1. Sort and prioritize needed skills.
An output of episode one, identifying needs is critical to improving performance outcomes over time. An input for plan development involves sorting and ranking these identified needs. While all are important, they're not equally important. List development needs, get input to understand and establish priorities, and be transparent about where the line is drawn given resources and any constraints you may have.
2. Clarify critical learning objectives.
Closely related to understanding prioritized needs involves clarifying critical learning objectives. As an example, building digital competency is a catch-all term used extensively to express a need many organizations now have. What exactly does this entail? The answer to the question forms the basis of learning objectives specific to any training you may be providing. Determine what you want to achieve through development efforts and design or select content required to deliver it.
3. Determine instructional format.
Options for how training takes place have never been greater. Whereas past training practices were limited to a classroom, that's no longer the case. Build your strategy around engagement methods that will work given operational parameters and limitations you know exist. If, for example, your supervisors work remotely or are distributed, getting them together at a single place and time is riddled with challenges you'll struggle to overcome. Find an approach that will work, commit to the process, and incorporate it into your strategy for implementation.
4. Select instructional resources.
With needs prioritized, objectives outlined, and barriers in delivery recognized, we must then focus on selection of instructional resources. This is about matching the hatch and setting ourselves up for success. If, for example, online learning is a format you plan to use, who will develop it? If the topic involves a new technical competency, who will provide subject matter expertise? These are the probing questions you'll need to process to fully prepare your learning and development strategy.
5. Assign time parameters.
A wise person once said, "What gets measured gets done." A learning and development plan is developed for implementation. By design, it's intended to deliver results. To accomplish desired outcomes and performance, responsibilities and corresponding dates of completion must be assigned. Equally as important, stakeholders must hold themselves and one another accountable for completion. This step isn't about doing the extraordinary, it's about doing the ordinary extraordinarily well.
Organizations that consistently achieve operational excellence do so as a byproduct of strategic planning. It requires perspective regarding future needs and an unbiased view of where you are. With orientation, plans can be developed and used to determine how transformation will take place and what steps will be required for it to happen. For those wanting to improve performance outcomes, it often requires growing operational competencies. A structured approach is the key to success, and the playbook required is a learning and development strategy. If you're in need of one, I encourage you to get started today.
Thank you for joining us. It's my sincere hope you found benefit in our discussion today. We'll be back in October and we'll continue our discussion on the topic of developing supervisors. In our next release, we'll discuss implementation and execution of training assignments. I look forward to reconnecting with you then.
Should you have any questions or need additional information regarding today's topic, or any we've covered in the past, just let me know. My contact information is provided in the show notes accompanying this episode. For those that may not have reviewed or rated your experience with this show, I would greatly appreciate you doing so.
That's it for now. Stay safe, and thanks for listening.
