Managers Are the Key to Learning and Development

By David Wentworth, Principal Learning Analyst, Brandon Hall Group

For as much time as we spend talking about learning management, companies do not seem to spend a lot of time thinking about learning and managers. This creates huge blind spots within organizations because managers play critical roles in every aspect of learning and development — from strategy to design to delivery to measurement.

As organizations continue to seek ways to develop a more continuous learning model, the challenge becomes how to make learning happen on an everyday basis. There are numerous tools and technologies to accomplish this, but without managers and supervisors, it all grinds to a halt. Let’s look at some of the key aspects of an effective learning environment and how managers help make them a reality: