I used to have the perfect watch. The shape of the face was a little unconventional, and the strap had this really cool stitched leather that captured the essence of my personal style. It was so cute, I wore it for months even after it stopped working. But after a while, I stopped wearing it. I got tired of people asking me (in vain) for the time. Sure, it was a good-looking, but it was failing at its main job: telling me what time it was.
Allow me to draw a parallel here to the world of learning and development (L&D). We often build beautiful programs with high-end production value and seamless user interfaces. But when leadership asks for the results, we show them completion rates that are the equivalent of a pretty leather strap, or learner satisfaction rates that bear a striking resemblance to the gold casing on your shiny timepiece. Sure, we’re gathering information, but we aren’t actually telling time.
To gain true influence in an organization, you have to move beyond the surface. You have to understand how the watch functions and the hidden mechanics that turn both gears and behavior.
In a recent webinar, Dr. Alaina Szlachta, founder and chief measurement architect at Buy Design Solutions, explored the shift from gathering to telling that really hit a nerve with our audience. True influence isn’t a byproduct of a flashy launch; it’s the result of mastering the data artifacts that make the gears turn.
The mechanics of movement
To build a program that actually keeps time for the business, you have to look at the four distinct types of data that act as the gears within your strategy.
- Descriptive data. This is your context. It’s like the frame on a watch. Who is the audience? What department do they work in? What time of year is it? In our world, descriptive data—such as job roles or regions—contextualizes your results. Just as the makeup of a diver's watch differs from that of a dress watch, your data must be properly categorized so you can make adequate comparisons across the organization.
- Inputs. This is your power source, like the mainspring on a watch. If you don’t wind it, nothing moves. I’m talking needs assessment notes, baseline performance gaps, and the actual cost of the problem to the business. This is where influence is won or lost. If you don’t measure the tension of the problem before you start—knowing exactly how much time or money is being lost to a performance gap—you can never prove that your training was the thing that fixed the problem.
- Outputs. This is the activity. I liken it to the tick-toc of your watch. The number of people who logged in, the average quiz score, or sentiment about the instructor’s effectiveness are all good examples. While the ticking indicates the watch is functional, it doesn’t indicate whether it's accurate. If you report 1,000 completed modules but the business problem remains, you’re just a watch that ticks loudly, but the hands aren’t moving. Outputs are a metric of presence, not progress.
- Outcomes. This is where the actual time-telling comes into play. This is the real reason the watch exists, people. It’s the measurable shift that influences behavior and solves the problem. Outcomes are the alignment between the training and the business goal.
Calibrating the gears in a siloed environment
Silos and bureaucracy can make it feel like you’re trying to fix a watch that’s welded shut. You know the gears are grinding, but gatekeepers or antiquated reporting structures prevent you from accessing the raw data you need. If you can’t get the baseline information (inputs) necessary to prove your value, it becomes very difficult to do your job. To work around this barrier, create a learning experience and gather your own baseline data. Then, take those observations back to leadership. Providing granular insight is what melts the welds on those silos and shifts your role from distant observer to essential technician.
Sync-up with ELB Learning
Is your learning strategy just a beautiful accessory with no functional value, or a high-quality, precision instrument? At ELB, we help you move beyond vanity metrics to build programs that drive measurable results. Whether you need a free strategy session to identify your performance mainsprings or our Rockstar Learning Platform to track the internal movement of your learners, we provide the tools to ensure your L&D function is always telling the right time.
Watch the full webinar below.
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Disclaimer: The ideas, perspectives, and strategies shared in this article reflect the expertise of our featured speaker, Dr. Alaina Szlachta. Be sure to follow her on LinkedIn to explore more of her insights.
