1. Research Findings and Recommendations
Learning: the foundation for agility and sustainable performance
Research Findings and Recommendations

2. Report headlines
Learning is a key strategic lever that enables organisations to build competitive advantage in times of unprecedented change.
The Learning function should lead in supporting organisation growth, building capacity for innovation and performance improvement. In many organisations, learning is not stepping up to the challenge.
The way learning is delivered is fundamentally changing – becoming more technology-driven, personalised to learners’ needs and available wherever and whenever needed.
The core purpose of the Learning function is to enable delivery of business strategy. Learning needs to harness new technology to support this purpose and avoid being dazzled by the lure of new ‘toys’.
Learning strategy must be aligned with the business.
Learning professionals need to develop and demonstrate business acumen, consulting and organisation development skills.
In July, 2017 CRF published its research report looking at trends in learning and its role in supporting organisation agility and sustainable performance.
The research included interviews with 50 experts, academics and practitioners, a survey of 193 companies and an extensive literature review.
This presentation provides an overview of key findings and implications for business and the Learning function.
The full report is available on the CRF website: 02

3. Learning is a key strategic lever
Learning can be a source of competitive advantage.
For more than a third of responding organisations, there is a gap between the potential of learning as a source of competitive advantage and the reality for their organisation. 03

4. The Learning function should take a leading role in supporting growth, innovation and performance improvement
Our research suggests that the Learning profession is often under-powered, tucked away within HR, lacking business credibility, insufficiently focused on building capabilities required for business growth and struggling to demonstrate the business impact of its activities.
When asked to describe what their organisation’s learning function does well, connecting learning and business strategy ranked 4th.
No respondents said their Learning functions were doing well at helping the business work out its future strategy, develop the capabilities that will be required to deliver on that strategy or build capacity for innovation. 04

5. In times of fast-paced change Learning must remain focused on its core purpose to enable the delivery of business strategy
The way learning is delivered is fundamentally changing.
Learning is moving out of the classroom.
New technologies allow learning to be more democratised and personalised.
The role of the Learning function is shifting to curating content from within and outside the organisation.
Emerging technologies such as virtual reality and gamification offer the possibility of creating highly engaging learning environments.
Learning professionals need to work out how best to harness learning technologies to achieve key business goals and be careful not to simply pursue technology for its own sake.
These trends risk diverting the Learning function from its key purpose to enable delivery of the business strategy. 05

6. A different type of learning is needed to foster growth and innovation
Our report contrasts productive learning (getting better at what we already know) and generative learning (imagining and building future scenarios and strategies and innovating).
Traditionally, learning has focused on improving the skills of individual employees. However, we find greatest impact happens when teams and organisations work on improving performance collectively.
For organisations wishing to pursue growth strategies, greatest value can be achieved where generative and organisational learning coincide.
However, many Learning functions are ‘boxed in’ to the bottom left corner of the matrix.
“Do you ever stand back and simply ask: Where is most of the learning happening in this organisation? Where does it need to happen, based on our strategic intent and focus? How can the Learning function amplify the learning experience that’s already going on in pockets across the organisation? It’s about identifying real learning opportunities that will help the organisation advance its strategic priorities.”
Tony O’Driscoll, Duke CE 06

7. Learning needs to be better aligned to business goals
In ‘The Business of Corporate Learning: Insights from Practice’, Shlomo Ben-Hur suggests that one way to achieve alignment between strategy and learning is to focus on two or three key things that are required to enable the business strategy, rather than a smorgasbord of generic options. 07

8. Learning should focus beyond developing future leaders
The top priority reported by learning professionals is developing future leaders.
While this is valuable, it risks diverting resources from investing in key capabilities for growth.
Only 17% see developing commercial skills as a top three priority for learning.
One quarter cited building better relationships with customers as a top three priority.
Only 11% cited improving innovation as one of their top three priorities, in spite of the growing focus on innovation in most organisations. 08

9. Learning professionals have to build their business and strategic capabilities09

10. Our ten key recommendations10