L&D Measurement Is a Collaborative Activity

Measurement is another area where L&D can’t go it alone and be successful.

Many of us in Learning and Talent Development (L&TD) have heard the messages and felt the pressure to measure our impact. Without “proof” of success, it can feel like our jobs are at risk.

So, we put a strategy in place to evaluate our programs. We include Kirkpatrick’s level 1(satisfaction) and track activity metrics (how many, how often, how much). We may venture into Level 2 (knowledge retention) and even touch Level 3 (behavior change/application) by asking the participants about what they know and whether they plan to apply what they learn. If we get really fancy, we might even send a follow-up survey after the program asking how much they were able to apply.

And these efforts matter. We absolutely should be asking these questions and tracking this information, but it isn’t enough. Evaluating courses and programs through participant surveys, activity metrics, and knowledge checks only shows us part of the story.

Fulfilling the Purpose of L&TD

Let’s step back from measurement details for a moment to consider the reason L&TD exists in any organization. I’m not talking about your team’s mission and vision statements, but the reason the organization decided to pay the salaries of an L&TD team.  

In the current economic climate, where it seems, everyone is asked to do more with less, organizations can’t afford to fund “nice to have” functions. L&TD must contribute to business outcomes, just like any other department. This is possible, but sometimes we get buried in our own work and forget our purpose is bigger than us or the programs we create.

Our purpose is to develop the skills and expertise needed to move the organization forward towards its goals, vision, and priorities. The skills and expertise we choose to develop in people must address challenges, remove blockers, and advance key initiatives.

Yes, satisfaction matters. Yes, participation and budget metrics matter. But those measures don’t tell us whether we are fulfilling our purpose. They tell us that people like us and we are busy. As my senior leader used to say to me, “Everyone’s busy. Busy for what?”

We need to know whether our efforts are accomplishing what we are paid to do. We need to know if the skills and expertise we are covering are equipping and empowering employees to solve challenges, remove blockers, and advance initiatives. We need to know if the work we are doing is driving performance or simply putting smiles on people’s faces for the day. These are not the same.

Measurement is a collaborative activity

So, why is this type of measurement so difficult for L&TD?

Sometimes it’s because the lines that connect learning to performance are more difficult to draw, especially when it comes to intangibles like leadership development and related topics. But more often, it’s because we try to measure from the L&TD perspective alone.

I’m convinced that the reason we lean primarily on surveys and knowledge checks isn’t only because the results are easier to see and interpret, but because these are the methods that are within our control. We decide what questions to put on a survey, when to administer it, and how we collect, analyze, and share the results.

We don’t control the metrics that actually define business success: quality scores, sales numbers, safety incidents, turnaround times, NPS, and more. We often can’t access them easily, or at all.

Yet, those metrics are essential. They tell us whether we are fulfilling our purpose. They tell us whether our work is making a difference for the business.  We really need to know:

• Are people performing better?

• Are challenges being addressed?

• Are blockers being removed?

• Are initiatives moving forward?

Because we don’t own these measures, we can’t measure impact without the participation of others.

Measurement for L&TD is fundamentally a collaborative activity.

We still use surveys and knowledge checks, but to see the full picture, we must partner with stakeholders and incorporate the metrics they care about. Part of our measurement should be their measurement.

Feedback loops are the key to success

Which brings me to another point. Measurement isn’t about proving our worth, it’s about making better decisions. Like any other function, we measure to determine where to iterate, what to scrap, and when to lean in and do more.

We already do this with satisfaction data. But we should also be doing it with the performance metrics we aim to influence, the ones owned by our stakeholders.

That requires strong, consistent feedback loops. This means we need regular access to data that shows movement in performance, challenges, and business outcomes.

When measurement becomes collaborative and feedback loops are in place, everything changes. We can make decisions based on what actually moves the needle for performance, not just perception.

Measurement is Everyone’s Responsibility

If we are going to make data driven decisions and we don’t own the data, collaboration isn’t optional, it’s essential.

If you’ve been struggling with how to measure impact from your L&TD seat alone, it’s time to take some of the pressure off and turn in another direction, the collaborative direction.

We do need to understand what’s working and what’s not. But we can’t get there through L&TD administered surveys and knowledge checks alone. We’ve already maximized that view.

Real impact happens when we partner with the business to collaboratively:

• Define what improvement looks like,

• Align on the right metrics,

• Access and monitor those metrics, and

• Establish consistent feedback loops.

That’s how we move from measuring activity… to measuring impact.

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To learn more about how we might work together, including assessing your team’s current status with the L&D Strategic Business Partner Team Assessment and corresponding Team Development Roadmap,contact Jess today.