Elearning - February/March 2009 - (Page 38)

tipsSaaS to congregate in one location to receive corporate learning, sometimes flying in from around the country or even the world, corporate learning can now come to them. Anytime, anywhere learning can greatly increase student retention and satisfaction. However, convincing your senior management team to adopt and implement an elearning system will require a clearly defined strategy. But developing a clear e-learning strategy is only the beginning. It must then be applied to your particular business situation. An effective e-learning strategy will offer a clear statement of the business problem(s) and your proposed solution(s), as well as provide measurements of success. In essence, it describes your organization’s current status versus the desired status, and how the organization can achieve its goals. ALIGNING AND MEASURING The target audience for your e-learning strategy will most likely be composed of both business unit managers and senior executives — the people who will ultimately give your strategy the business and financial support it needs to succeed (and will continue to need over time). Consequently, it is important that your strategy be aligned with their goals and “points of pain.” A wellformulated strategy will support the planning and deci38 February/March 2009 Elearning! sion-making processes of these two groups. Business unit managers own the problems that training solves. Business unit managers are pragmatic; their overriding interest is getting the job done — and soon. Until you know what your business unit managers are trying to accomplish, you can’t talk to them about potential results. The business unit manager is usually training’s primary sponsor. The “right client” is the decision-maker who understands the end goal and has responsibility for the orga- working with the right client in your organization, measuring results is not difficult. Start with business problems and work backward. The most important step in measuring performance is pinning down the business manager’s answer to the classic question: “What’s in it for me?” Don’t skip this step. Without it, meaningful tracking is impossible. First, gain agreement on the business problems to be solved and the value of solving it them. Then you’re ready to outline what you propose to do to solve it. Establish sure you articulate agreement on the value of solving the problem. Your joint examination of the problem will pinpoint the gap between the results desired and the results you’re actually getting. Then determine what major skill gaps and learning deficiencies are holding people back. Then estimate the expected dollar value to be gained by eliminating the deficiency and make tangible projections from those outcomes. Make sure you get agreement on the expected outcomes, how they will be measured, The target audience for your e-learning strategy will most likely be composed of both business unit managers and senior executives. nizational area in which the problem occurs. When you’re a baseline measure of current performance, and clearly indicate how performance and perhaps compliance will be tracked and reported. Management is looking for results. Determine what your project sponsors will accept as persuasive evidence that the program produced the agreed upon result. Working with strong probabilities, proceed to make your case logically by linking learning to business results. Establish a causal (not casual!) link between a particular skill deficiency and a particular business outcome. The process of tracking learning results starts before any learning takes place. It begins with partnering between the training manager and the line manager who owns the business problem to be solved. Be and what constitutes good performance. Meanwhile, throughout the process, you’re helping managers answer questions about why skills matter and what good performance looks like. You’re focusing sustained attention on solving business problems and adding value. You’re identifying tangible values for each skill to be taught. And taking steps to recessionproof your job! —Learn about the other groups successful learning professionals must understand and align themselves with, a detailed explanation of the ROI benefits of e-learning, as well as important next steps to move your e-learning strategy forward by downloading the whitepaper at www.geolearning.com/ recessionproof. http://www.geolearning.com/recessionproof

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Elearning - February/March 2009

Elearning - February/March 2009 Contents Editor’s Note News Social Networking Popular Learning Needs Technology On Competency Management IT Employment Drops Trendlines Deals Learning Roles in Talent Management Informal E-Learning and Web 2.0 Cover Story: Learning Your Way to Profits Collaboration Trends, Strategies 12 Wishes for LMSs, LCMSs Tips: Recession-Proofing Your Job Case Study: Military Training Case Study: City of Arlington, Va. New Products Pop Quiz Last Word

Elearning - February/March 2009

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