Communicating the Value of Employee Training

Demonstrating the value of learning is easier than you think! In a recent workshop with The Institute for Transfer Effectiveness, I demonstrated how! One workshop participant was designing safety training to help employees use Microsoft 365 strategically to prevent data breaches. She was struggling to capture the value of the program for organizational leaders to understand. I used an alignment framework that incorporates Rob Brinkerhoff’s 6 L&D value propositions and mapped out how to connect her learning program with metrics that matter to organizational leaders. Here’s what that looked like! Aligning learning activities, initiatives or programs to strategic business outcomes is like looking for the through line between disparate things: learning, human performance, departmental key performance indicators, and organizational metrics. This can feel nearly impossible. The glue that holds these seemingly disparate things together are Brinkerhoff’s 6 L&D value propositions. In the safety training example we started by identifying the most relevant value proposition for the program. In this case, it was Regulatory Requirements: a learning program designed to ensure employees are complying with industry specific rules and regulations. Then we connect the L&D value proposition (Regulatory Requirements) with the most relevant outcome for the organization. In this case, it was Net Profit. If employees are complying with industry-specific rules and regulations, this consistent practice will save the organization money in fines, lawsuits, or dealing with the unpleasant consequences of safety challenges (like a data breach). Then we must do the hard work unpacking what people will be doing to support the targeted departmental KPIs. If you’re struggling to figure out the KPIs, you’ll likely find them by asking department leaders what problem they are experiencing on a regular basis that they would like solved. In this case it was too many data breaches and too many outdated files on the server causing misinformation and inconsistent practices. I discovered that what people could be doing differently to support the desired KPIs was adhering to updated protocols on how to manage data and documents within the 365 suite. If people followed the protocols with 100% fidelity, departments would experience a reduction in data breaches. Now … we have the behaviors to target in our training program and the data to use to show the value of learning: Learning metrics: Training attendance and completion rates. Capability metrics: Percentage of fidelity to data and document protocols before and after training. KPI metrics: # of documents on the server that are outdated (being at 20% of lower), # of data breaches per department being at 1 or less annually. Organizational metric: Net Profit How will you use the 6 L&D value propositions and alignment framework to tell your learning value story? #learninganddevelopment #trainingstrategy #datastrategy

We often dive straight into the "how-to" when designing learning content. But I've found that taking the time to explicitly address the "why" behind the learning objectives can be incredibly powerful. 🔗 When learners understand the value and relevance of what they're learning, their motivation and engagement soar. 🚀 I recall working on a compliance training module that was initially met with resistance. By taking the time to clearly explain why these regulations were important and how they directly impacted the learners' work and the organization's success, we saw a significant shift in attitude and a much higher level of engagement with the content. Connecting the learning to a larger purpose or a clear benefit for the learner can transform a mandatory task into a meaningful development opportunity. How do you effectively communicate the "why" in your learning designs? #LearningMotivation #RelevanceInLearning #InstructionalDesignPrinciples #PurposefulLearning

67% of your sales team won't engage with new training initiatives. Here's how one Fortune 100 company got 50% participation overnight: I can't name the company, but I can share what they did that most organizations get wrong. Instead of announcing new processes, rolling out new systems, sending the training links, and then wondering why nothing changes… This company did something crazy. Before they launched, leadership spent three months explaining WHY the changes mattered for each employee's individual success. They connected skill development to career advancement. Their employees saw how better negotiation skills meant bigger bonuses, faster promotions, and more job security in an uncertain economy. I call this intra-organizational ‘pre-selling’. As a result, their teams stopped seeing training as a corporate mandate and started seeing it as a competitive advantage. So if your sales team treats professional development like a chore instead of an opportunity, the problem is your messaging. When you can show someone how investing 2 hours a week in negotiation training could mean an extra $50K per year in commission, they suddenly find the time. Internal storytelling is power. P.S. If you liked this post, follow Matthew Geddie, MBA for more insights into sales psychology, enterprise negotiation, strategy, and procurement.