As learning professionals, we are frequently tasked to build learning solutions to solve business problems. Quite often, these needs appear to be a worthwhile investment. But without the backdrop of strategy, we miss a critical piece of the decision-making framework – and that is the relative value of a specific learning needs decision.

To better understand their investments in training and development, in 2015, Discover developed a portfolio framework for managing training and development. Since then, the Learning Strategy team at Discover has worked to articulate strategy for these portfolios in order to better prioritize learning initiatives that drive optimal business outcomes. During this session, attendees will learn how to:

• Develop a framework for organizing training and development programs
• Learn what a comprehensive strategy entails
• Discuss a methodology for articulating learning strategy
• Highlight key examples of learning strategies for various learning portfolios
• Build a roadmap for executing on learning strategy

Lessons Learned: 

• Training and Development departments that don’t have strategic planning capability are likely not focused on the right work.
• Developing, syndicating and executing on strategy is tough work and most learning & development professionals don’t learn this on-the-job or elsewhere.
• You need a road map to enable strategy before you can really make headway, but repositioning your L&D department to deliver on strategy will reap huge rewards in terms of having impact.