14 must have skills to be successful in Learning and Development (L&D)

Learning and development is an exciting place to be to create real lasting impactful change for leaders, teams, professionals and organisations.

The impact on changes in industry, technological advances and the ‘future of work’ needs means now couldnt be a better time to be part of the evolving journey to building resilient businesses and personal success.

Grasp the following and you will be an amazing asset in the industry.

1. Digital transformation

With the increasing use of technology to support learning and development there is a need for the profession to at the very least know what ‘excellent digital transformation’ looks like. There are people who have been in L & D that have made the switch to be part of the IT department and vice versa. Your community can define what the best fit is — whats key is you know what it is and how best you can support it.

2. Marketing

Some of the best people in L & D started off in marketing. Why is this? They know how to communicate, plan, build and deliver a campaign with metrics. In fact marketing agencies are being asked to deliver what traditionally would have sat in and L & D department. Communication is a form of learning as what has been communicated is likely to be new to you and so will add to your knowledge and ideally your decision making.

3. Psychology

Knowing how people tick, what is going to get the best engagement and performance are great starting points. I like to think that if we all understand some basics about how we are wired we can optimise the environment, wellbeing space and more importantly performance. Neuroscience research and success stories working with leaders and business is gaining momentum.

4. Stakeholder management

Business, leader and teams needs are always changing and having the ability to keep your radar out on what is happening will allow you to be more effective.

Stakeholders, so all those affected in the community in which you operate, need to be managed. Discover those who are our stakeholders but also those who are affected by the support you give.

Keep the fires of communication alive with all those concerned whether at scale through groups or 1 to 1 conversations.

5. Transformation / change management

L & D is all about transformation.

There are numerous frameworks, stories of success and ‘experts’. Find some that work for you and dont get swamped by the sheer number.

If you are lucky to have access to an AI driven learning system allow it to guide you through some of the available content.

Think through some of the recent changes that you have been through.

How have you felt when you had the message?

How was it managed?

What behaviours the leaders showed as a result?

and on reflection what lessons you have learnt?

Whether the experience is good or bad, you will have your opinion which you can bank to make an informed decision when you are influencing the next one.

6. Data Analytics

The likes of Fosway and Towards Maturity are giving great insights to the L & D industry and Watersheds lrs with internal metrics and now is the time not to just read it, understanding it and bank it in your library of knowledge but use it for the changes you need. Given the right metrics in the first place you will have the knowledge to make great decisions. At the basic level find the metrics that are relevant to your community and evolve them and your decisions as a result.

7. Business knowledge

You are in it for the business and so you need to understand what its about. To be affective you need to understand what is happening in the bigger world of work, the future of work and what tools and techniques that are relevant to your context. You will be able to better understand the needs and also be able to suggest relevant options. Ever thought if your LMS is a depreciating asset?

8. Relationship builders

Similar to stakeholder management you need to have the ability to build relationships quickly and effectively so people feel safe and trust you. This may be in many forms including the role of coach, mentor and facilitator all of which require you to connect.

9. Curious leaders

Rather than get the off the cuff feedback and need from people across the business you need the ability to get through the surface and establish the true reason as to why the business need to change, build a better team or be a better leader.

Curiosity and setting an environment of trust will add this.

How do you get these skills? Start by asking friends and colleagues what they think. Think about your strengths in building relationships and how you have achieved success in the past. As Laura Overton says “Think and act like a journalist”.

10. Entrepreneural mindset

Being creative and innovative continually allows your audience have different options that are continually improving. The winners in the world are those that live on the edge of bending or breaking the rules (Julian Stodd — Sea Salt The Trust Conference). So live on the edge, be an outlier and drive innovative next generation opportunities. You may feel you are misunderstood but your audience, stakeholders and team will thank you for it.

11. Strategic approach

Businesses have strategic plans and learning and development need to have one to. That is not to say that plans will need to be changed as the environment around you.

A strategic approach is comes from taking a step back and allowing you to encompass everything that may impact your goals and that of those above you. Put your chief executives shoes on and see it from their point of view.

12. Ability to seek out the best

Recently talking to those who had been successful in business and sport, they had worked out success from seeking out who did it well, how they approached what they did and then trying to do that themselves. Find those that have achieved the success you are seeking down to a fine art.

Watch and learn from their successful traits and have a go.

13. Customer Obsessed

As Nick Shackleton Jones would say give something to your audience that they want not what you think they need. Customer obsession means that you are continually thinking of ways to improve the customer experience and their outcome. This might be building your own skills, having a curious mind to get to the heart of the matter in the first place so whatever is put in place is relevant and or continually finding ways to be innovative and evolve the experience.

14. Remember you are living in a Beta world

What is beta you might say? My understanding comes from the techy world where new or updated software goes out when the team believes its good to go but may have a couple of minor things going on that can be ironed out. You may have experienced this yourself as a tester or a trial or being frustrated thinking everything should be perfect. For the developers its a wonderful opportunity to see how the audience might use the tool, get ideas and make the changes to make it better.

Sound familiar? How does this relate to L & D?

Well thats exactly what you need to apply when delivering and at the same time ensuring a great customer experience.

This is exciting as it allows us use our inner bias for action by going from idea to prototype and trail in a really short space of time.

Bonus extra one…I am sure you will have others to

15. Invisible Fairy Godmother

Some people argue that L & D will be invisible due to the technological interventions that they have set up for their audience.

So how do you become the fairy godmother? Start with 1–14. Keep your radar out with different communities and tribes in the business.

Tips to #gettingstarted

• Already working in L & D? — If you are in and wanting to keep adding value but have gaps find your strengths develop these and find solutions for the areas of limitation.
• Just Joining? If you are just joining how about create a plan using these as a starting point and build with those that excite you the most. Many of you will have the skills already in a different form and infact may be streets ahead of those already in L & D.
• Manager / leader with an eye for building great success? Plan in opportunities as to how you can get the information whether through peers, mentors and or written. Ask how can these interventions help me and my team? As a leader, mentor and coach how can these skills help my audience?

Finally the skills needs in L & D are evolving all the time and so keep an eye out. Find a mentor from the business who can share what is happening in reality and can guide the interventions that will drive to high performance, great productivity and prosperity (wellbeing).

I am sure there are other skills that you are creating — what are your thoughts?

Lizzie Rhodes James is a Performance Coach and Facilitator who specialises in helping teams and individuals exceed their potential at work and in life. Having successfully transitioned from a successful Army career into the Corporate world, Lizzie brings an exceptional and distinctive blend of discipline, focus and agility into her practice. Lizzie is also passionate about health and wellness, and adds a depth of thinking to align body and mind, enhancing overall performance and encouraging clients to transcend their limits.