How do you connect learning metrics to business metrics?

[Mike Petersell]

This week I participated in a #lrnchat on learning measurement. There was a lively discussion about the differences between learning metrics and business metrics and how the two are connnected. It prompted me to write this blog entry yesterday about ways that I have measured learning in my work: http://mwtl.blogspot.com/2009/10/five-examples-of-learning-metrics-...

So how do you connect learning/business in terms of metrics? Or if you are not using metrics, how are you determining the impact of learning programs in your organization?

Mike Petersell
Many Ways to Learn
http://mwtl.blogspot.com

[Jinen]

Hi Mike,

This a very interesting thread as we are in this particular business of helping customers to measure effectiveness of their learning programme and assess their employees and find their high potentials. Our product, Drona is a tool that enables making of your own mobile assessments backed with a very interesting online performance caputuring analytical application to measure learning. Infact it gives you multiple views to measure the effectiveness of your trainers aswell as trainees. But the real beauty is - its the granularity of information that is provided in the analytics to make measurements more meaningful.
About Drona: Its a new product, about 4 months old, and already a business award winner at this years Handheld Learning Award in London. There have been customers more than our expectation after its launch. I would urge your Training & Talent team to download a trial version from our website www.deltecs.com and run a pilot in your organisation and see the wonders of the anlaytics that will be made available. At any given point of time, you can reach us at [e-mail] with any of your queries or concerns.

Best Regards,
Jinen

[Tom Koty]

In response to Jinen... In my opinion, this forum provides an opportunity for training executives and professionals to discuss topics of interest, not a place to advertise your software. But maybe that's just me?

[Tom Koty]

Our organization's business and training metrics mostly align perfectly, although like many other organizations, there are opportunities to improve alignment within some of our business units. One of the areas we accel at is in the identification of efficiency improvements to improve customer service through both scripted responses and changes to your application processes. We are able to track efficiency through AHT (average hold time) and number of other reliable business metrics. When compared with our training metrics, we are able to easily identify training that worked as prescribed and training that requires further alignment.

An example of alignment failure for us is in the inability to proactively identify training needs based on declining business results when communiated business metrics results are not delivered to us in a way that allows us to assist in identifying the root cause. Our training metrics in these situations are rarely aligned and while an attempt to work with business to adjust our training to re-align as necessary, there always seems to be inconsistencies that prohibit the best possible solution from being implemented.

[Alex Taylor]

Tom Koty said:

An example of alignment failure for us is in the inability to proactively identify training needs based on declining business results when communiated business metrics results are not delivered to us in a way that allows us to assist in identifying the root cause.

I've had a couple of coffees and a second go at that sentence, but I'll be damned if I can understand what it means. In plain English, can you please share what methods and metrics you're using?

[Mike Petersell]

Tom,

Thanks for supplying the customer service call center example. I think that is an excellent example of where the metric is clear and the worth and merit of the training can be seen.

In the second part of your response, it sounds like the training department has been left out of the loop regarding identified causes of business decline. It is certainly frustrating when that happens. There is probably data that could be helpful for you to decide your next move. I've been in this situation myself from time to time. What I have found is that usually the business leaders are willing to share the information if you ask. Sometimes they just get caught up in trying to figure out answers on their own and they don't think about others who might be able to help them, but when someone reaches out to them, they are are usually willing to accept that help.

Mike


Tom Koty said:

Our organization's business and training metrics mostly align perfectly, although like many other organizations, there are opportunities to improve alignment within some of our business units. One of the areas we accel at is in the identification of efficiency improvements to improve customer service through both scripted responses and changes to your application processes. We are able to track efficiency through AHT (average hold time) and number of other reliable business metrics. When compared with our training metrics, we are able to easily identify training that worked as prescribed and training that requires further alignment.

An example of alignment failure for us is in the inability to proactively identify training needs based on declining business results when communiated business metrics results are not delivered to us in a way that allows us to assist in identifying the root cause. Our training metrics in these situations are rarely aligned and while an attempt to work with business to adjust our training to re-align as necessary, there always seems to be inconsistencies that prohibit the best possible solution from being implemented.

[Tom Koty]

Although it made sense to me at the time, after re-reading what I posted, I can understand your confusion (even without the typos). I'll try that again...

As Mike pointed out (he must be better acclimated to reading gibberish), we are indeed being left out when our Operations unit is communicating crucial data or we are simply not asking for the data itself. Primarily we will use evaluation (Kirkpatrick) and performance improvement metrics. While we have been using "coaching" as our standard language we have begun reassigning this as AMR (Active Management Reinforcement). Based on AMR tracking and metrics, we have seen a dramatic increase in the quality of information we have been receiving from Operations.

Alex Taylor said:

Tom Koty said:

An example of alignment failure for us is in the inability to proactively identify training needs based on declining business results when communiated business metrics results are not delivered to us in a way that allows us to assist in identifying the root cause.

I've had a couple of coffees and a second go at that sentence, but I'll be damned if I can understand what it means. In plain English, can you please share what methods and metrics you're using?