Are you measuring the impact of L&D on individuals and your firm?

Amazing, educational, enjoyable, highly relevant and interesting learning and development (L&D) programmes are delivered in law firms on a daily basis, but how much real learning actually takes place? What learning is put into use rather than filed in the 'interesting and might come in handy one day' part of our memory?

Research shows that the successful implementation of newly-acquired skills diminishes as time progresses. If a week goes by without having tried out a new skill, the training would best be repeated.

Let's assume that learning is about the acquisition of knowledge and skills which are put to use for the first time, or are used in a new situation. We can try to ascertain what learning is taking place by asking 'what did you learn?', but is that enough? Wouldn't it be more useful to know that someone has learned and put their learning to good use?

Impact assessment

In order to determine what has been learned, we need to have something to compare with the person's new 'state'. What did we expect the person to learn? Have they met that expectation? Did we expect an individual to change either the way she did something or her behaviour? What is the evidence of that change taking place and being sustained?

We often forget to ask 'why do we need to learn about this? or 'why do we need to develop in this area?' Learning is typically accepted as being inherently a good thing: why wouldn't you want to learn?

Just because time and effort has gone into teaching or providing the opportunity to learn, there is no guarantee that learning has taken place. We might find that, some time after the completion of an L&D programme, participants will be working differently, understanding more and asking better-quality and more relevant questions. We might find that those who have learned will not repeat mistakes and will share their experiences with others so that known errors are eradicated, or at least minimised as far as possible from practice.

But, how can we be sure that this is a result of their learning from the programme? Quite simply, we have to ask. We have to examine what has changed and how and why the change has taken place.

For learning to have an impact, the point or purpose of the learning activity needs to be very clearly understood and communicated. What is expected as a result of the learning? Is it the ability to:

• Do something for the first time?

• Become better at a particular skill?

• Determine the steps that need to be taken to be successful at something?

The extent of the learning also needs to be determined. How much change is required for the learning to take place? A minor change or wholesale change? What will be a satisfactory outcome of the learning?

L&D teams and the recipients of learning activities often only scratch the surface of these questions with those sponsoring the training and development. A lack of time is often cited as a reason for not going into this design exercise but, as with most things, time spent ahead of an activity is often well spent if the results are to be achieved as desired.

The other key factor which affects the implementation of learning is line managers' ability to encourage and question someone who has returned from their L&D activity about what they learned and how they intend to use it. Managers should then support that new practise, approach or changed behaviour through ongoing feedback and possibly supervision and encouragement.

Transferring learning

A 'before, during and after' approach is needed if learning is to have real impact for the firm's benefit, not just individuals.

Asking the trusty 'what do you want to get out of this workshop' question at the beginning of a training session should not be a key means by which the desired impact of the training is determined. Time spent clarifying how the new knowledge and skills are to be adopted and implemented will produce even more focused training content to drive the desired results.

Time spent during the training activity, whether online or in a classroom environment, talking about how the skills are to be put into practice, can only help with the transfer of learning into professional practice.

Time spent after the event asking 'has the learning been put into action and, if so, what was the result?' will help. It can provide a means for determining ongoing behaviour and practice and the future learning needs of individuals. It can also produce great feedback to inform the future design of L&D initiatives.

Asking 'why, what and how' about the knowledge and skills to be addressed, not just the 'when, where and who' of the learning event can help to make learning stick. It can result in more targeted and beneficial L&D for the firm, whilst enhancing the reputation of the L&D team for providing fit for purpose, relevant L&D with real, measurable impact.

Sue Beavil is UK learning and organisational development manager at international law firm Slater & Gordon (www.slatergordon.co.uk)