Creating Effective Employee Development Plans

📈 Unlocking the True Impact of L&D: Beyond Engagement Metrics 🚀 I am honored to once again be asked by the LinkedIn Talent Blog to weigh in on this important question. To truly measure the impact of learning and development (L&D), we need to go beyond traditional engagement metrics and look at tangible business outcomes. 🌟 Internal Mobility: Track how many employees advance to new roles or get promoted after participating in L&D programs. This shows that our initiatives are effectively preparing talent for future leadership. 📚 Upskilling in Action: Evaluate performance reviews, project outcomes, and the speed at which employees integrate their new knowledge into their work. Practical application is a strong indicator of training’s effectiveness. 🔄 Retention Rates: Compare retention between employees who engage in L&D and those who don’t. A higher retention rate among L&D participants suggests our programs are enhancing job satisfaction and loyalty. 💼 Business Performance: Link L&D to specific business performance indicators like sales growth, customer satisfaction, and innovation rates. Demonstrating a connection between employee development and these outcomes shows the direct value L&D brings to the organization. By focusing on these metrics, we can provide a comprehensive view of how L&D drives business success beyond just engagement. 🌟 🔗 Link to the blog along with insights from other incredible L&D thought leaders (list of thought leaders below): https://lnkd.in/efne_USa What other innovative ways have you found effective in measuring the impact of L&D in your organization? Share your thoughts below! 👇 Laura Hilgers Naphtali Bryant, M.A. Lori Niles-Hofmann Terri Horton, EdD, MBA, MA, SHRM-CP, PHR Christopher Lind

How do I build a 12-month roadmap for a recruit using their production and my company playbook? Let me share a quick story. One of the leaders I coached was struggling to onboard a new hire effectively. They had great potential but didn’t quite understand how they fit into the big picture. As they dove into the role, the rookie felt lost and overwhelmed, leading to a few early missteps. We worked together on a solution. Instead of just assigning tasks based on numbers and quotas, we flipped the script. We created a detailed 12-month roadmap aligning their production goals with our company playbook. This wasn’t just about selling; it was about grasping our vision and understanding how their contributions would make an impact. Here’s how you can do the same: Start by identifying key production milestones for the recruit, breaking them down into manageable quarterly goals. For each quarter, align these objectives with specific elements of your playbook — training modules, key projects, or team collaboration opportunities. Ensure that each milestone has clear, actionable steps and reasons behind them, so the recruit knows not just what to do but why it matters. Also, keep communication open. Regular check-ins will help you both stay aligned and pivot if necessary. This framework works because it transforms the onboarding experience from a transactional series of tasks into a collaborative journey. When recruits see how their efforts support a greater vision, they’re not just going through the motions; they’re genuinely invested in the success of the team and the company. A meaningful onboarding process can set the stage for long-term engagement and high performance. Let’s make sure our new hires feel they belong and can see the roadmap to their success right from the start.

Most leaders need to hold their teams accountable. Few know how to actually do it. They try the obvious stuff:  - Complicated systems - Micromanagement - Fear But real accountability isn't about correcting behavior. It's about an environment where excellence is inevitable. Fair warning:  Building accountability upfront is easier than fixing it later.  You're essentially renegotiating everyone's contract. But that might be what it takes. Here's Our Step-By-Step System That Works: 1. Declare Day One Call the meeting. Name what's broken. Set new standards starting now. 2. Connect to Their Pain Show the real cost of missed commitments and broken promises. 3. Clarify the Mission One sentence that defines winning. Link every role to that mission. 4. Reset Standards 3-5 non-negotiable behaviors. Focus on catching problems early. 5. Point to Exits Give people two weeks to opt out. Better to lose them now than later. 6. Fortify the Entrance Hire for accountability. Test track records, not just skills. 7. Contract Expectations Define excellence for each role. Get signed commitment. 8. Make it Public Visible scorecards. One owner per metric. No hiding. 9. Design Intervention Clear trigger points and escalation paths when things go wrong. 10. Align Incentives Reward early problem flagging. Link pay to kept commitments. 11. Establish Rituals Weekly commitment reviews. Monthly retrospectives. Quarterly deep dives. 12. Reward Right Celebrate problem prevention and accountability wins. 13. Live It Yourself Post your commitments publicly. Own mistakes first and fast. When you get this right, three things happen:  - Excellence becomes default - Problems surface earlier - Solutions come faster Most importantly?  You build something rare:  A team that keeps its word and gets stuff done. Want the exact AI tools and systems we use to make this happen?  Join 50+ leaders for our last MGMT Accelerator of 2025: https://lnkd.in/e5jW-PZa And if you found this playbook helpful:  ♻️ Share to help someone build better accountability 🔔 Follow Dave Kline & Marsden Kline for more leadership systems

Stop treating your Employee Value Prop like a tagline. Start using it to galvanize your entire workforce. Most companies say they have an EVP. Few know what to do with it. It’s not about career site copy or rebranded onboarding kits. A real Employee Value Proposition unlocks momentum, the kind that aligns 5,000 (or 80,000+) people around a shared purpose. I learned this firsthand leading culture transformation at one of the largest healthcare employers in the U.S. Here’s the truth: If your EVP lives in HR, you’ve already lost. It’s not a talent tool. It’s a business accelerator. The organization had scaled through acquisition. That meant fragmented cultures, legacy systems, and a “one company” message that didn’t match reality. Corporate strategy called for innovation and next-level care. But the culture wasn’t built for it - yet. So we started with the people. Thousands of conversations, not just surveys. We asked: What connects you to your work? What keeps you proud? We found a unifying force: the collective drive to deliver incredible care. That became our EVP. But the transformation came when we operationalized it. We built outcome-based pillars, not just values, but decision lenses. Not words on posters. Tools for action. They became: Hiring guides (we trained recruiters to assess for alignment, not just skills) Onboarding narratives Manager scorecards Performance criteria Bonus frameworks (yes, compensation tied to culture outcomes) Every function, not just HR used the EVP to guide decisions. It became the organization’s GPS. And we didn’t do it alone. We partnered with outsiders - not consultants, but provocateurs. People who pushed us beyond industry norms. Who asked the uncomfortable questions. Who helped us stop designing for now and start designing for what’s next. One of those partners now runs a venture called Fauna, a testament to what bold collaboration can spark. Here’s what I’ve learned: If your EVP isn’t designed to: 🔹 Align culture and strategy 🔹 Focus every team around shared outcomes 🔹 Make performance part of your values …then you’re missing the point. This isn’t about launching an internal brand. It’s about building a culture system that accelerates your business and turns people into believers. So ask yourself: → Does your EVP live in a slide deck… or in daily decisions? → Are your values just wall art… or linked to pay and performance? → Did HR build your EVP… or did the whole business? An EVP buried in HR is a missed opportunity. An EVP wired into your operating model? That’s how real transformation sticks.

Your training budget is bleeding money. Here's why: You're measuring the wrong thing. Most manufacturers track: → Hours in training sessions → Certificates earned   → Courses completed → Knowledge tests passed But here's the brutal truth: Training is a COST until it's applied. I've seen teams ace Six Sigma exams, then go back to the same wasteful processes. I've watched operators get certified in TPM, then ignore equipment maintenance schedules. I've met managers who can recite lean principles but can't eliminate a single bottleneck. The problem isn't the training. The problem is the gap between learning and doing. The Real ROI Formula: Training Cost ÷ Measurable Floor Improvement = Actual ROI If the denominator is zero, your ROI is zero. No matter how much you spent. No matter how good the training was. Here's the system that actually works: STEP 1: Identify Your Losses First ↳ What's costing you money right now? ↳ Downtime? Defects? Delays? Waste? ↳ Quantify the pain before you buy the solution STEP 2: Map Skills to Losses ↳ Which skills would directly impact these losses? ↳ Root cause analysis for quality issues? ↳ Preventive maintenance for downtime? ↳ Value stream mapping for delays? STEP 3: Assess Current Capabilities ↳ Who has these skills already? ↳ Where are the gaps in your workforce? ↳ Don't train everyone in everything STEP 4: Train with a Target ↳ Before any training: "We will apply this to solve X problem" ↳ Set a specific improvement goal ↳ Timeline for implementation STEP 5: Apply Immediately ↳ The window between learning and doing should be days, not months ↳ Start with a pilot project ↳ Measure the impact STEP 6: Scale What Works ↳ If it worked on one line, expand it ↳ If it didn't work, understand why ↳ Refine and try again The shocking reality: Most training fails not because of poor content. It fails because of poor application. Your operators know what to do. They just don't do what they know. The question isn't: "What should we learn next?" The question is: "What have we learned that we're not using yet?" That podcast on lean you listened to last week? Apply one concept today. That Six Sigma training from last month? Start a small improvement project tomorrow. Because untapped knowledge isn't potential. It's waste. What's one thing your team learned recently that they haven't applied yet?

𝗠𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗢𝗜 𝗼𝗳 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺𝘀 📊 Many organizations struggle to quantify the impact of their Learning and Development (L&D) initiatives. Without clear metrics, it becomes difficult to justify investments in L&D programs, leading to potential underfunding or deprioritization. Without a clear understanding of the ROI, L&D programs may face budget cuts or be viewed as non-essential. This could result in a less skilled workforce, lower employee engagement, and decreased organizational competitiveness. To address these issues, implement robust measurement tools and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to demonstrate the tangible benefits of L&D. Here's a step-by-step plan to get you started: 1️⃣ Define Clear Objectives: Start by establishing what success looks like for your L&D programs. Are you aiming to improve employee performance, increase retention, or drive innovation? Clear objectives provide a baseline for measurement. 2️⃣ Select Relevant KPIs: Choose KPIs that align with your objectives. These could include employee productivity metrics, retention rates, completion rates for training programs, and employee satisfaction scores. Having the right KPIs ensures you’re measuring what matters. 3️⃣ Utilize Pre- and Post-Training Assessments: Conduct assessments before and after training sessions to gauge the improvement in skills and knowledge. This comparison can highlight the immediate impact of your training programs. 4️⃣ Leverage Data Analytics: Use data analytics tools to track and analyze the performance of your L&D initiatives. Platforms like Learning Management Systems (LMS) can provide insights into learner engagement, progress, and outcomes. 5️⃣ Gather Feedback: Collect feedback from participants to understand their experiences and perceived value of the training. Surveys and interviews can provide qualitative data that complements quantitative metrics. 6️⃣ Monitor Long-Term Impact: Assess the long-term benefits of L&D by tracking career progression, employee performance reviews, and business outcomes attributed to training programs. This helps in understanding the sustained impact of your initiatives. 7️⃣ Report and Communicate Findings: Regularly report your findings to stakeholders. Use visual aids like charts and graphs to make the data easily understandable. Clear communication of the ROI helps in securing ongoing support and funding for L&D. Implementing these strategies will not only help you measure the ROI of your L&D programs but also demonstrate their value to the organization. Have you successfully quantified the impact of your L&D initiatives? Share your experiences and insights in the comments below! ⬇️ #innovation #humanresources #onboarding #trainings #projectmanagement #videomarketing

Did you know that 92% of learning leaders struggle to demonstrate the business impact of their training programs? After a decade of understanding learning analytics solutions at Continu, I've discovered a concerning pattern: Most organizations are investing millions in L&D while measuring almost nothing that matters to executive leadership. The problem isn't a lack of data. Most modern LMSs capture thousands of data points from every learning interaction. The real challenge is transforming that data into meaningful business insights. Completion rates and satisfaction scores might look good in quarterly reports, but they fail to answer the fundamental question: "How did this learning program impact our business outcomes?" Effective measurement requires establishing a clear line of sight between learning activities and business metrics that matter. Start by defining your desired business outcomes before designing your learning program. Is it reducing customer churn? Increasing sales conversion? Decreasing safety incidents? Then build measurement frameworks that track progress against these specific objectives. The most successful organizations we work with have combined traditional learning metrics with business impact metrics. They measure reduced time-to-proficiency in dollar amounts. They quantify the relationship between training completions and error reduction. They correlate leadership development with retention improvements. Modern learning platforms with robust analytics capabilities make this possible at scale. With advanced BI integrations and AI-powered analysis, you can now automatically detect correlations between learning activities and performance outcomes that would have taken months to uncover manually. What business metric would most powerfully demonstrate your learning program's value to your executive team? And what's stopping you from measuring it today? #LearningAnalytics #BusinessImpact #TrainingROI #DataDrivenLearning

Your people want to grow… But you’re not listening. Employees crave development, not just feedback. Leaders miss the bigger picture: ↳ Skill gaps and ambitions. Otherwise, employees feel: 1. Unheard 2. Undervalued 3. Stuck Without growth, engagement drops. Turnover soars… You need more than feedback. You need an actionable strategy. Here’s how: 1. Use Structured Frameworks. - Standardized templates reduce personal biases. - Blend metrics with narratives for actionable insights. - Structured feedback eliminates guesswork. 2. Focus On Future Goals. - Set SMART goals to make development clear. - Shift feedback from past to forward-looking progress. - Align team growth with your company’s goals. 3. Listen To Employees' Voices. - Surveys uncover ambitions often left unspoken. - Safe spaces allow employees to share openly. - Listening fosters trust and deeper engagement. 4. Bridge The Gap For Future Success. - Use benchmarks to prioritize critical skill gaps. - Compare current skills to those your future requires. - Prepare employees today for tomorrow’s challenges. 5. Empower Growth Ownership. - Prompts like “Where do I excel?” spark reflection. - Encourage employees to own development paths. - Regular discussions keep growth consistent and visible. 6. Collaborate On Development Goals. - Build trust with safe, judgment-free feedback spaces. - Visualise their goals, showing progress and alignment. - Collaboration ensures both clarity and accountability. When growth is intentional, businesses succeed. Focus on development now to avoid turnover later. Invest in your people to future-proof your business. Follow Jonathan Raynor. Reshare to help others.

Employee development shouldn't be an afterthought. It should be a strategy. When companies prioritize learning and growth, everyone benefits from the individual contributor to the entire organization. Here are 10 ways to make employee development a core priority: 1. Build development into your company goals 🎯 Make growth part of your mission. Show how employee development fuels business success. 2. Create personalized development plans 📝 Work with each employee to set short- and long-term goals that align with their role and career aspirations. 3. Schedule regular check-ins focused on development 📆 Separate these from performance reviews. Use them to track growth, offer guidance, and plan next steps. 4. Provide access to learning resources 🎓 Offer courses, certifications, and workshops. Make it easy for employees to explore and learn. 5. Encourage stretch assignments 🚀 Give team members projects that push their limits. It’s a great way to build confidence and new skills. 6. Offer mentorship programs 🤝 Connect employees with mentors who can support and challenge them. Formal mentorship builds knowledge and trust. 7. Invest in leadership development 🧭 Support employees who want to lead. Train them in communication, decision-making, and managing people. 8. Track and reward development progress 🏅 Celebrate growth, whether it’s a new certification or a completed project. Progress matters. 9. Make development part of your culture 🌱 Promote learning at all levels. Share stories of employees who’ve grown within the company. 10. Measure the impact of development 📊 Track how learning efforts affect performance and retention. Use that data to make your programs even better. Building a culture of development takes intention, but it pays off in engagement, loyalty, and performance. What’s one way your company supports employee growth today? 👉 Follow Ricardo Cuellar for more HR strategies that build strong, future-ready teams.

Holding someone accountable is like eating their lunch for them… because it robs them of the opportunity to take ownership and grow. Instead of doing it for them, the goal should be to create an environment where accountability is built into the culture. Here are a few ways to do that: 1. Set Clear Expectations Upfront - Ambiguity kills accountability. Make sure roles, responsibilities, and expectations are explicitly stated. - Use SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) so there’s no wiggle room for misinterpretation. 2. Encourage Ownership, Not Micromanagement - Instead of checking in constantly, ask, “What’s your plan to make sure this gets done?” - Shift the conversation from “Did you do this?” to “What’s your next step?” 3. Model Accountability from the Top Down - If leaders dodge responsibility, why would anyone else take it seriously? - Own your mistakes publicly and show what taking responsibility looks like. 4. Make Progress Visible - Use dashboards, scorecards, or shared tracking tools where everyone can see progress (or lack thereof). - Publicly celebrating wins reinforces accountability without shaming failure. 5. Normalize Constructive Consequences - If there are no consequences for failing to follow through, accountability doesn’t exist—it’s just a suggestion. - Tie accountability to outcomes: if someone drops the ball, they should be part of the solution, not just excused. 6. Ask, Don’t Tell - Instead of saying “You didn’t get this done,” ask “What got in the way?” - This keeps the focus on problem-solving rather than finger-pointing. 7. Foster Peer Accountability - When teams hold each other accountable (instead of relying on a boss to do it), things get done faster and more effectively. - Regular check-ins where team members update each other on progress create natural accountability loops. 8. Reinforce Through Recognition, Not Just Criticism - Too often, accountability is only discussed when something goes wrong. - Recognizing and rewarding people who consistently own their work reinforces the right behaviors. The key is to shift accountability from being something done to people to something they take ownership of themselves. What’s been your biggest challenge in building accountability?