Early in my career in Learning and Development (L&D), we used to complain that we “didn’t have a seat at the table” and were not considered vital to the business. Our belief, which makes perfect sense, was that they didn’t understand our value. The solution - we needed to focus on creating the true business case for learning.
Over the 20+ years that I’ve been in the industry, we’ve done just that. The case has been made with little room for doubt that professional development is a huge benefit to the business. It impacts revenue, efficiency, productivity, retention, engagement, and profits.
All that to find out - L&D still isn’t vital to the business.
I’m sorry - we had it wrong.
We were told that business leaders were rational actors who followed the facts and the numbers. We believed that when we had the data, these leaders would start to value our contribution and our place in the business. We didn’t want to be considered more important than sales or marketing or finance. We just wanted a chance to be part of the discussion.
That was all wrong.
It was easy to dismiss us by saying we didn’t have the business case. But the plan was never strong enough, the other priorities were always higher, and they wanted to give you the resources you needed, but it just wasn’t possible because the “business” (like IT) needed them more.
The real reason - the leaders are not rational actors. They are incredibly irrational actors who have a set belief and no amount of data or facts or evidence will change their minds. Many will say the right thing - that development is important and that they know the benefit it has on the business. But that is gaslighting to make us feel good.
Are there some companies that truly do value L&D and what it provides? Of course. My guess would be that 10% of organizations not only value L&D, but also back it up with support and resources. That is radically different than the over 50% that say they value L&D.
What does this mean for managers and employees?
Employees - understand you have to fend for yourself. Find a manager who will support you and find what you need on your own. Don’t expect the company to support or help you in any meaningful way.
Managers - be creative in how you can support your team. Use whatever funds you can find and let employees use them for outside programs. Become a coach for them and help them in any way you can. Advocate for employees to upper management.
I realize this sounds bleak and overly negative. I’ve have too many examples of why I believe this to even begin to document them.