The Evolution of the Post of a Chief Learning Officer

Lifelong learning is a must in today’s business world. Gone are the days when employees worked in a single organization for more than 5 years. This is why it has become crucial to keeping an efficient as well as a motivated workforce.

Technology is changing constantly. So, work procedures along with management styles have to keep up with these changes. Basically, organizations have to make sure that their employees learn new skills and inherit the habit of lifelong learning.

But if we talk about training programs, the main issue with them is that sometimes they are not designed for a solid purpose. Which makes the employees confused about their whole reason for following the training plans. In some cases, they feel that they are being trained because of their lack of performance. Moreover, sometimes employees register for training programs in order to earn some extra credit over their personal development program.

And the worst case is when training programs are joined by employees just to have a decent day out. It was because of these misperceptions that the position of a Chief Learning Officer was introduced back in the 90s. By establishing the position of a CLO, Learning & Development has become a core part of organizations these days.

Chief Learning Officer Responsibilities

Learning has become one of the most important components that build an organization to sustain and progress. And to use that component productively is the responsibility of a Chief learning officer. However, to encourage the concept of learning throughout an organization is not a one-man job. Therefore, a CLO requires the support of every level of management present in a company.

The Role of Management in enforcing L&D

If we notice the functions performed by managers relating to Learning & Development, we will realize that they are not that different from what a CLO does.  While the top Chief Learning Officers worldwide discover the mission, the vision along with the strategy with regards to L&D, it is the job of all the managers to describe the whole procedure to their respective teams by translating those hypotheses into guidelines that are department-specific in order to ensure a smooth implementation.

It is not possible for the CLO alone to implement the goals set by them. This is where they require the help of middle management together with line management to encourage their teams to accept the plan and work on it. The management contributes to the system of Learning & Development by making their juniors realize that the training procedures, as well as the knowledge received through them, will act as a catalyst to their personal performance as well as to the working of the team and the overall organization.

Significance of L&D

L&D has the power to multiply corporate performance. Therefore, it is essential for business leaders to expect their employees to follow some training programs and explain it them in clear terms what kind of improvements they expect out of the staff members. And for the L&D system to be successful, it is necessary for the employers and employees to sit together and discuss what they gained out of the training courses.