Link #27 🌱🌿🌳 Is the L&D function a must have in organizations?
Series: Links between L&D, strategy and value creation. Part 3
Recently, I've had a nice conversation with Liz Ștefan, the host of the L&D Spotlight podcast. Here's the part where we discussed about whether the L&D function is a must have in organizations (min. 10:30 in the podcast episode).
Explore the other parts in the series here.
Liz: I realize that both you and I might be biased towards L&D or towards its increased significance in the organization, but I will ask this. Because I heard a lot of 'if's and a lot of 'perceived value' and so on. Is or is it not true that any organization must have an L&D function?
Bülent: Well, If I am to answer this question from an organizational design perspective, my view here is that it's not mandatory to have an L&D dedicated function in any organization, or any type of business.
If we connect with the idea that it's important for people to learn, for people to develop, we have these two activities that are very connected, and are very connected also to work, to performance.
So, "learn" and "develop". The idea of creating an L&D function, maybe initially with an L&D role, to be able to catalyze, to enable these two activities to happen better in the organization is one path.
Other ways of organizing learning and development as activities in the organization might be to distribute the experience and expertise needed by people in organization and I've also advised some internal communities of practice. People who see value in sharing with their peers in their organization, and organizing themselves without necessarily the help of an L&D professional who does this full-time, to organize themselves to help their colleagues learn, develop, through sharing sessions, mentoring, coaching, or curating, or selecting interesting, relevant e-learning platforms, courses. There are many, many methods.
Coming back to your question, it's not mandatory. And it's a difference between being an L&D practitioner, where you as a person practice various L&D approaches, methods, activities, implement L&D tools and so on. It's a difference between this and being an L&D professional. So the core of your professional identity is to be in L&D. And you might have a full-time L&D role.
My true belief is that anyone can be an L&D practitioner, to practice various ways of L&D and helping others to learn and develop. While when we're talking about the L&D function and the L&D team, it's more towards having L&D professionals that invest in becoming better as L&D professionals who are understanding various methodologies, various tools and are able to create this added value through combining, linking business, learning, technologies and so on.
Explore the other parts in the series.
As a strategic adviser and lifelong learner, Bülent Duagi works with Directors in 🇷🇴 Tech companies to help them make more impact with better strategic thinking - which usually translates to:
🧭 having a clear strategy that enables better and faster decision making;
🤝 organizing better to both run operations and implement strategy with the available bandwidth and budgets;
🚀 implementing strategic initiatives and programs in an efficient and effective manner, paying attention to the people side of change;
⚡️ intentionally developing proper internal capabilities that are sustainable in the long run.
