A recent Litmos webinar titled “L&D Made Easy: Lean Strategies for Transformative Training” discussed various strategies for transformative training, with the goal of helping attendees from organizations of all sizes and types make learning and development (L&D) more seamless and effective.
During the presentation, Litmos’ Director of Global Talent Management Pam Ramsbott, Litmos’ Senior Customer Training Architect, Ryan Morris, and Litmos’ Learning Services Manager, Adele Pfister, discussed the definition of “Lean L&D,” how to align learning objectives with organizational goals, and how to take a skills-based approach to L&D. They also discussed how to get leadership buy-in and the best ways to streamline L&D for everyone in the organization.
Lean learning and development strategy can optimize resources and reduce waste
During the webinar, the panelists discussed how a lean approach to L&D can help organizations create value with fewer resources and less waste. This approach involves continuous experimentation to achieve perfect value and requires defining value from the perspective of the organization.
“Lean is a way of thinking about creating needed value with fewer resources and less waste,” explained Ramsbott. “It’s also a practice consisting of continuous experimentation to achieve perfect value with zero waste.” Pfister further emphasized the importance of being able to think both creatively and practically, and having a perspective that you can stand behind.
“If you have an idea for a screenplay, you want to organize a community volunteering effort, you want to start a meet up, all of those things will contribute to your ability to think creatively and to build something from scratch,” she said.
Aligning learning objectives with organizational goals is essential
The panelists underscored the importance of aligning learning objectives with organizational goals. When L&D initiatives align with the organization’s goals, it becomes easier to demonstrate the value they add to the organization.
“One of the core principles of lean is defining value,” said Ramsbott. “In our world of L&D, with the customer being the organization, when we’re thinking about creating training and where to invest our L&D resources, we want to think about what’s most important to the customer and to the organizational success.”
Morris added, “How does educating and helping people attain these skills support the goals of the business? And that’s your map, folks. If that’s what you’re trying to figure out how this all aligns, that’s your dotted line.”
Advocating for a “start small” approach, Morris urged attendees to avoid being perfectionists, and opt for a more iterative approach. “Does what you’re ready to go live with meet the needs that you’ve identified?” he asked, “and if you’ve identified the needs, and if your training or your process doc or whatever it is, meets that need, then go for it. And then start collecting feedback, and then you improve it.”
Technology can streamline L&D processes and create impactful training
The panelists highlighted how using tools like content authoring, pre-built training modules, artificial intelligence (AI), customizable learning paths, and automation can streamline L&D operations. These tools can facilitate easy access to relevant content, improve learner engagement, track learning progress, and enhance overall training effectiveness.
Showing a video demonstration of Litmos’ AI Assistant, the panel demonstrated how the user experience for this tool is centered on asking questions to find information using natural conversational language. “It can really help you get a lay of the land,” said [SPEAKER.] “So instead of trying to go through the library and figure out what all of the compliance courses are or what compliance courses are there, you know, for people in Australia, it’ll curate that list for you in the AI tool when you ask it.”
“L&D Made Easy” webinar insights
– Lean L&D is about creating needed value with fewer resources and less waste. It’s about optimizing resources and focusing on what’s most important to the organization.
– Defining value from the perspective of the customer (in this case, the organization) is crucial in L&D.
– It’s important to align learning objectives with organizational goals to demonstrate the value of L&D initiatives.
– Creating a safe space for practice and application of skills is important in L&D.
– Measurement should be considered early in the L&D process to easily demonstrate success at the end.
“L&D Made Easy” Key quotes
– “When we think about creating training and where to invest our L&D resources, we want to think about what’s most important to the customer and to the organizational success.” – Pam Ramsbot
– “The point of having a lean process is continuous improvement.” – Ryan Lee Morris
– “I love that using the content author tool and no matter what elearning content author you’re using, there are ways through our interactive components that we can bring in that application into our training.” – Adele Pfister
Exploring the key considerations for “Lean L&D” strategy, this webinar discussed how to align learning objectives with organizational goals, how to leverage technology for streamlining L&D processes, and how to create psychological safety for the practice and application of skills in workplace learning. Ramsbott, Morris, and Pfister emphasized the importance of continuous improvement for making L&D more effective and impactful. To watch the full discussion, view the webinar recording.