Strategic L&D: Beyond Order-Taking

I learned from Cathy Moore’s Action Mapping that order-taking in L&D sounds like this:

“We need a training.”

“Great. What’s the topic? When do you want it?”

Not a lot of upstream thought, and it affects everything downstream, including if the problem is adequately addressed or the change lands.

Strategic L&D asks different questions:

“What problem are we trying to solve?”

'What do people need to do differently on the job?”

“How will we know if our solution worked?”

Order-taking starts with the learning solution: build the course, deliver it, track attendance and completion, collect the L1 smile sheet.

Strategic L&D starts with the outcome and works backward. It also notes that L&D is just one potential lever that’s part of the solution mix to drive behavior change and adoption.

That’s one reason I keep coming back to the Kirkpatrick model, particularly Levels 3 and 4. Behavior and results aren’t just things to measure after training. They’re inputs to the design. Build in how we demonstrate value.

If you know what people need to do differently and what business result you’re trying to influence, you can also have a much more credible conversation about whether the learning intervention actually worked.

I earned my Kirkpatrick Learning Evaluation certification in 2019 from Jim and Wendy Kirkpatrick, and their rigorous training changed my thinking and continues to shape how I approach learning strategy, performance consulting, and L&D’s role in driving organizational change and transformation. - I’m going to shamelessly brag here and say that they said I earned an A+ on my Kirkpatrick plan for a Coaching curriculum. 🌟 😍

L&D is something we usually can plan for, and it’s a critical lever, but it’s not the sole solution in our change toolkit. Diagnosing and identifying the problem, how it’s measured, and how people need to change are valuable upstream questions.

#LearningStrategy #Kirkpatrick #PerformanceConsulting #OrganizationalChange #LearningAndDevelopment #ADKAR

In the Kirkpatrick 4-Levels of Learning Evaluation model, Levels 3 and 4 are closely associated with real business results and return on investment.