Aligning learning with strategy

The industrial internet relies on more than just intelligent machines and advanced analytics. An equally important third element is people at work. But how can companies ensure that they develop their employees in line with their industrial internet strategies? Michael Wunram, Corporate Head of Competence Development at Konecranes, shares some pointers.

First, management needs to recognize the value of learning

This is the key, regardless of whether the industrial internet is a strategic focus for the company or not. These days one definitive advantage a company can have over its competitors is that of having a better-skilled workforce. More than ever, enterprises need to be flexible and quick in identifying, understanding and satisfying the learning needs of their staff. This is only possible if managers realize that continuously supporting and developing their employees is vital to the competitiveness of their business, and thus, crucial to its success.

Top management, HR and frontline management must collaborate in learning & development (L&D)

Learning is not the domain of the Human Resources department alone. In fact it is every individual employee’s duty. No-one can learn on someone else’s behalf. HR, top management and frontline management can only provide the context in which people learn. This means, that they need to make all relevant knowledge as easily accessible as possible for all employees. For L&D to function effectively, HR, top management and the frontline management need to treat it as a joint effort. Top management sets the direction by defining the business strategy and high-level targets, frontline management expresses which knowledge, skills and resources the staff needs in order to achieve these, and HR facilitates the entire process by being a partner, coach and an advisor. It is crucial that all actors understand each other. The better HR understands the business, and the better top management and frontline units understand L&D processes, the faster and more flexible learning can happen. It’s all about being efficient.

Identify skill gaps and prioritize training topics accordingly

The task of analyzing skill gaps and prioritizing the training topics you need to invest in is even more crucial than the amount of money you spend. However, if the strategy and targets have been communicated effectively from the top down, then each business unit should already have a good understanding of where the focus should be. This will make it easier for the organization to determine what competencies are immediately required and must be taught. Spend wisely by targeting the areas where the necessary know-how isn’t currently available within your organization. An alternative for building competencies in-house could be to enter into partnerships with specialized companies.

Act quickly

The speed at which training needs are identified, fulfilled, and then followed up is important. But simply pinpointing the need for certain skill sets and developing learning programs to fill them is easier said than done. Upon finding themselves in the midst of digital transformation, companies typically pursue learning at a pace that they feel they can afford to. One obstacle is that they view training as a cost, and businesses are under pressure to be profitable. This brings us back to the previous points on recognizing the value of learning as vital for the business and the importance of prioritizing the learning programs that are needed right now.

Inspire commitment in employees

The industrial internet requires people to be more flexible as well as more proactive. Unfortunately, you can train employees to improve their skills and knowledge, but you can’t train them to change their attitudes. This is where excellent recruitments and good leadership can come into play. Part of the complex task of being a leader is to hire the right people, being able to assess each individual’s needs and appeal to what motivates them. This is particularly valuable when dealing with talents. Managers should talk to employees about the goals of learning and effectively communicate why it’s important to the business – and also what’s in it for them.

Pursue learning through a variety of means

Learning can take place in different contexts, not just through classroom training or e-learning modules. Employees can and should learn on a daily basis, through their interactions with people, peers and customers and by working on various projects. Managers can also organize knowledge transfers between experienced workers and junior ones who might have been recruited for competencies that are more closely related to the company’s industrial internet strategy. By encouraging a kind of generational exchange, younger employees with new perspectives and senior people who have more in-depth experience of the business can gain knowledge from each other.

Measure the impact of learning

In the effort to develop learning and measure its effects, companies often focus on the wrong KPIs, looking only at the expenses incurred from training, the number of participants per course and the cost per employee. This approach might offer a quantitative idea of the training, but it doesn’t paint a complete picture of its quality or effectiveness. Different methods can be used to measure the success of learning, from conducting graded tests, observing work performance over longer periods of time or, in the case of processes, examining failure rates.

Finally, look at learning as a long-term effort

Although it’s not likely that you’ll see immediate results, the benefits that can be gained from developing employees so that their skills align with strategy are great. Not least of them is a more competent team that has what it takes to achieve the business goals. So be patient and treat learning as an ongoing effort and a long-term investment.

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