GK Acharya

There is but no doubt that this ‘first pandemic of the modern world’ is a huge disruptor of the way we work and the way we live. And as a result, organizations and business models will be much more resilient than ever. And so, will be the individual. The L&D function has always been a ‘necessary expenditure’ for the business and now with dwindling budgets and cost cuts, it will be even more scrutinized. However, this might just be the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reinvent L&D and evolve from a ‘cost center’ to a ‘value center’. Here are some of the key shifts that will happen within the L&D to stay relevant and bring value to the business and the individual alike, 1. Let Go: Traditionally L&D has been guilty of holding on to an overused, predictable and yet very inefficient way of functioning. L&D will now require working in close partnership with the business and operations team like never before. The business will look for a much more competent team of L&D. One of the biggest handicaps for the L&D function has been the lack of thought leadership. Most L&D Heads come with a very ‘canned’ approach towards the function killing innovation and slowing change. Time for a vision test and treat the ‘myopia’. Time for a thorough ‘competency assessment’ within the function and this will bring up a young generation of innovative L&D leaders. 2. Let In: The year 2020 and the subsequent period will be a huge opportunity to bring in a completely new way of driving the learning agenda. As more and more individuals start preferring less contact, it is imperative that the age-old classroom will have to be deserted. And so technology-driven learning will be more explored. It is the right time to build digital and virtual learning infrastructure. Mobile learning, VR & AI-enabled content, and teleclasses to name a few. Less of training, more of learning. Less of classroom more of broadcast. These are some ideas. The short term and the long-term approach must be clearly laid out. The concerned L&D and HR heads should constantly abreast themselves of the changes in the business and quickly course correct. To summarize the key changes that will take place in L&D this year are, the fall of the traditional and the canned, and rise of the innovative, technology-driven methods and people.