Bobby Ross
Bobby Ross is a seasoned learning and development professional with over 20 years of experience across multiple industries. As the head of learning and development at Howmet Aerospace, he drives the employee training programs, leadership development and workforce capability through its Centre of Excellence.
Aligning Learning Strategies with Organizational Goals
Learning and development efforts should be aligned with organizational goals to achieve long-term success. Each business unit pursues different goals and faces distinct challenges. We should find a balance between the overarching organizational goal and the needs of individual units and multiple locations.
At Howmet Aerospace, we align our learning and development with the company goals such as attracting quality talent, improving retention, enabling internal mobility and adopting digital solutions. Each of our 15 business units has different needs and challenges, and we focus on finding the common point to attain balance and move the business towards its objectives.
Prioritizing Skill Development
Skill development is prioritized by its alignment with organizational goals and business needs. It is evaluated based on the urgency and criticality of certain operational issues that can be solved with particular skills. Importance is also determined by the time and effort needed to develop each skill, and by evaluating whether it is trainable or requires change management.
Another key factor is the impact on employees and the scope of improvement in retention. Transferable skills should be prioritized as these can be applied across different departments and business units, and help employees progress in their careers. This will develop a sense of loyalty and commitment in them, as they see that the company is invested in their long-term development.
Impact of Learning and Development Programs
The impact of learning and development programs cannot be evaluated with just completion rates. The focus should be on the learning objectives of particular programs and their contribution to attaining organizational goals. For example, the success of training provided for material building is measured by considering the error rates and scrap levels. It can also be analyzed by comparing the performance of teams that have completed the learning program with those that have not.
“Establishing the Right Learning Culture Makes the Process Engaging for the Employees, Transforming It Into A Voluntary Activity Rather Than A Forced Task.”
Establishing the right learning culture makes the process engaging for the employees, transforming it into a voluntary activity rather than a forced task. This improves the overall performance, retention and career progression, helping the company in achieving its goals and priorities.
Advice for Learning and Development Professionals
My advice is to focus on progress rather than perfection. Building on the outcome and refining it further is always better than delaying the program completely due to minor issues.
Also, we should build strong relationships with both decision makers and employees, which will gain us their trust, encouraging them to openly communicate a problem when it arises. This has helped me to identify the issues early and reinforce more learning and development programs. I consider this the most critical leadership skill that has helped me to build an effective learning and development center.
And finally, when you step into a new role, don’t be afraid to rebuild the existing foundation or programs, if needed. Evaluate the current tools, onboarding process, project management and training programs, and make the necessary changes that are required to help achieve the organization’s goals over the next five years.
