In L&D… we should design for performance (not just formal, structured programmes) | Charlie Kokorus-Todd

It’s easy to fall into the L&D trap of thinking: If it’s visible and something people can attend, it’ll solve my problems.

And that can lead us to creating structured, formal, course-based learning… but is that really how people build capabilities?

Charlie Kokorus-Todd (L&D Manager at Proper Snacks) summed it up perfectly:

“Learning is so very different to what capability is, they’re not the same thing. They’re messy, they’re contextual.

“I think application is key and sometimes we worry so much about what the design looks like, and have I got a set of pretty slides, and how big is my content library?

“And we’re actually missing the point of what that looks like in application in the real world.”

Charlie shared some great advice on:

• Building for application and capability.
• Learning to love the problem.
• Asking consultative questions
• Understanding the current environment while building towards the future state.
• And lessons from her L&D role in manufacturing.

Watch and listen the episode

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On Spotify by clicking here.

On Apple Podcasts by clicking here.

Or by searching for In L&D… wherever you get your podcasts.

Four takeaways on building capability and application in L&D

1. Ask yourself this: Is it really knowledge that someone needs?

“Because if it is knowledge, learning is great, let’s build a learning event. But nine times out of 10, it’s not about the knowledge of individuals, it’s about how they apply it.”

Charlie is currently supporting employees in manufacturing roles, and her experiences in that environment have helped shift her mindset to improving performance (not just creating content).

“It hit home for me that I’ve got to stop building content, and we really need to focus on how we’re going to improve performance over time.”

2. Establish what great looks like in the future (it’ll help you create the right thing now)

Whether you’re new to L&D or you’ve been in it for decades, this simple framework will help:

• What does great look like?
• What’s getting in the way of that?
• Build your solution around making this possible.

This stops you defaulting to creating content and shifts you towards performance metrics (not the vanity ones like bums on seats) because you work backwards from the outcome.

3. Performance is messy! So our initiatives don’t have to be so formal or structure

“When you and I try to learn something, we’ll go to Google or YouTube, and problem solved! It doesn’t require me to jump on a programme, a learning or education piece.”

When we pull someone out of work and into something formal, it often feels worlds away from the challenges they’re seeing in their day to day.

Which is why we have to design solutions with an environment-first mindset:

“Let’s look at the environment. How can we design an initiative around that? And it might come with aspects that do involve short, bite-size learning — but does it really need a three-hour, workshop session?”

“Are we just getting them on a training programme to show them about all the challenges they’re having? Or are we showing them how to overcome those things? And to do that, it has to be in their world.”

4. Take the advice you see on LinkedIn with a pinch of salt

“Ultimately, what you see on LinkedIn, nine times out of 10 will not support your environment.”

Yes, you’ll see a lot of advice on how learning design, programmes and facilitation should be done, but you have to be mindful of what will actually work in your context.

“I don’t necessarily think there’s always one good approach… because all the problems are very, very different. Not one single solution is going to solve that problem.”

“Absolutely take pieces of information on how it’s going in different organisations and what’s on the agenda for L&D in the L&D world. But take things with a pinch of salt, because it can be so conflicting trying to cut through that noise.”