How to combat the constant pressure to deliver L&D ROI

 

 

As the new government cuts swathes through public sector spending plans, it is clear that 'soft' targets like learning and development (L&D) will find it hard to resist the axe. Regardless of whether the source of funds is private or public, the training budget is often among the first to feel the pinch when belts tighten.

Most of my experience has been in the private sector where the tangible bottom line is often cited as being the main driver and measure of organisational performance. Whilst it is true that the hard metrics of profit and capital provide the speedometer and the odometer for many in the corporate sector, I believe that these are only a small part of the equation used by senior leaders in making major decisions and that this process is actually a much more complex affair.