ProfessionalDevelopment
Learning professionals are architects of organizational transformation, shaping the future through impactful education and strategic change. Far beyond the role of mere instructors, learning professionals serve as dynamic change agents of innovation by empowering employees to adopt new behaviors that drive business success. When executed with precision, their efforts transcend skill-building and foster a culture of collaboration, adaptability and progress in alignment with organizational values.
Whether you are a field trainer or the head of learning, you are a force behind meaningful change, making you indispensable in achieving lasting growth and excellence in your organization.
The learning function is responsible for equipping employees with the knowledge and skills necessary to excel in their roles through training on topics such as disease state education, product knowledge, marketplace understanding, brand strategies, selling and coaching models, leadership techniques and account management practices. The goal is for employees to apply learning on-thejob by adopting new behaviors informed by the skills and knowledge gained to achieve measurable results.
Training serves as a catalyst for employees to let go of outdated habits and embrace behaviors that enhance performance. That makes the success of the learning function inherently tied to its ability to drive behavioral change that positively impacts business outcomes.
Driving change involves more than excellent training delivery. While learning programs lay the groundwork for competence, meaningful behavior change typically occurs when employees return to their routines. This gap is where learning professionals, acting as change agents, make their greatest impact.
Change agents bridge the gap between training initiatives and behavioral transformation by:
Engaging key stakeholders early to define expectations and secure their commitment.
Collaborating with leadership to reinforce goals, set expectations and ensure consistent coaching and communication.
Designing comprehensive learning journeys that build both competence and confidence.
Promoting accountability structures that ensure desired behaviors are reinforced post-training.
Establishing metrics to measure progress and effectively communicate outcomes.
In this capacity, learning professionals transcend traditional roles. They become strategic partners, shaping the success of organizational goals by enabling change across teams.
Organizations often expect behavior change as an outcome of training but lack clarity on the steps required to achieve it. Stakeholders rely on the learning and development function to drive this transformation. However, many learning professionals lack formal training in change execution, creating a strategic gap.
To address this, organizations must provide trainers with structured frameworks, such as the five C’s of transition leadership, which outline key steps to drive change effectively:
Commit: Gain stakeholder commitment to the desired change.
Construct: Build a comprehensive plan that extends beyond training to include additional components of the change process.
Create: Align key players, particularly first-line leaders, on their roles in supporting change.
Coach: Equip first-line leaders with tools and resources to coach employees through transitions and behavior adoption.
Calibrate: Define measurement plans to track progress and demonstrate impact.
Leveraging the framework ensures that training leaders model and encourage the behaviors they aim to instill in others. Teaching existing training leaders to adopt strategic change management skills elevates the entire function.
When learning professionals embrace the principles of change management, their value to the organization increases significantly. They move from being perceived as service providers to strategic contributors who directly influence business outcomes. Successful behavioral change not only enhances individual performance but also strengthens the organization as a whole.
Achieving desired change demonstrates the training function’s role as a strategic lever for driving business success. This elevated perception fosters greater investment, prioritization and trust in the training department, positioning it as an indispensable partner in achieving organizational goals.
By embracing their role as change agents, learning professionals fulfill their ultimate purpose: Transforming organizations by equipping employees with not just knowledge, but the behaviors that lead to sustained success.
Wendy Heckelman, Ph.D., is president and founder of WLH Consulting and Learning Solutions. Email her at wendy@wlhconsulting.com or connect through linkedin.com/in/wendy-l-heckelman-phd.
Rich Baron is chief operating officer for WLH Consulting and Learning Solutions. Email Rich at rich@wlhconsulting.com or connect through linkedin.com/in/richbaron1.
