The Rise of Learning and Development As An Essential Part Of Business Growth
imc together with Institute for Learning & Performance Asia Pacific conducted a forum to discuss how leading businesses in Australia connect their learning journeys to their wider organisational objectives. Five representatives from a diverse group of businesses participated in this highly informative conversation. The article is an edited version of the transcript of the forum.
Daniel Antman, Managing Director, imc Australia
As the head of imc Australia, Daniel has been actively developing and directly implementing successful go-to-market strategies, leading ISO implementations and driving customer relationship initiatives with international cross-functional teams.
"The C-suite executives who don’t engage in the learning and development, are putting their businesses at risk." Daniel Antman
Samantha Mathews, Head of Business Development, imc Australia, Moderator
Samantha has worked closely with a range of clients and stakeholders in the Government, Manufacturing and FMCG space and is well-positioned to deliver sophisticated learning projects and outcomes.
"For people to give feedback, they need to have valued you enough to think that you’re going to take that feedback on board. It’s the same when it comes to learning, people won’t give you the time of day if they don’t feel valued, or if they don’t feel like their responses will be taken seriously. " Samantha Mathews
Phoebe Tan, Former Head of Strategy, Growth & Innovation, The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy
The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, a 129 years old organisation, has a significant history in supporting mining and resource professionals around the world, primarily in Australia and New Zealand.
"The culture of lifelong learning supports the overall organisational culture and the values they want to foster within the company." Phoebe Tan
Jeremy Kurtz, Education And Training Manager, NRL (National Rugby League)
The NRL is responsible for the education and development of coaches, referees, umpires, first aid people, the Club President and secretary treasurers etc. These are people who work across various contexts, such as community sport and elite sport.
"Instead of just going through the motions of a training program, we focus on how we can help our learners enjoy the experience and engage with it meaningfully. Because, the happier they are and the more positive the experience, the better the outcome for everyone." Jeremy Kurtz
Bill Jarrard, COO, Institute for Learning and Performance Asia Pacific
The ILP is a leading association — an institute that looks after the learning and development field. Currently, it is expanding into the Asia Pacific region.
"Companies that don’t have learning and development as a core principle and are not asking their people how they want to learn, risk losing employees to places more focused on L&D." Bill Jarard
Gerry Marcus, Associate Director, Learning & Capability, Colliers
Colliers is a leading diversified professional services and investment management company. Globally, it operates in 68 countries and the teams work collaboratively to provide expert advice to maximise the value of property for real estate occupiers, owners and investors.
"The challenge for learning professionals is to get stakeholders to see the strategic value of learning in the context of the values of the organisation." Jerry Marcus
Brad McLean, National Manager, Learning and Development, BlueScope
BlueScope is a steel manufacturing and distribution company based in Australia and with operations globally.
"People need to feel that their company is investing in them and their continued growth. This means we owe it to our people to keep upskilling them so that they’re prepared for the future as well." Brad McLean
The panel’s participants shared their experience to raise the importance of learning as a part of the organisation’s strategy including:
- How to ensure that top management embed learning in their strategy?
- What are the tips and advice for innovative learning that will transform an organisation?
- What changes do organisations need to make to deliver learning and development effectively?
- How to view the employee's learning journey as a future-proof way of working?
- What are the implications if organisations don’t embed learning properly?
- How to engage the board or management to understand the importance of learning and development?
The profile and importance of L&D is only going to continue to rise as boards, management, employees and other stakeholders understand that quality L&D programs are an essential part of their business and personal growth strategies.
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