Learning to Succeed

Learn why rethinking corporate education in a world of constant change is crucial to establishing a foundation for long-term business success.

Frequent market shifts...The rapid pace of technological change...We're all familiar with the old saying, "the only constant is change," but this has never been as true for business as it is today--nor have the penalties for companies who fail to learn and adapt been as high.

Learning to Succeed insists that an integrated model for corporate education--one that links development programs with strategic goals--is critical to building agile and resilient learning organizations that will survive in our fast-evolving business landscape. Companies need to:

• continually assess where they need to go in relation to where they are now
• use educational training to bridge the gap
• work on strategic plans and action projects tied to key objectives
• design new education initiatives to advance concrete corporate goals

Learning is reinforced and ROI is optimized. For companies ready to embrace what it means to be a learning organization, to welcome the CLO to the C-Suite, to weave strategy and learning tightly and continuously into the fabric of their businesses, the opportunities are limitless. Complete with practical guidelines and illuminating case studies, Learning to Succeed puts them on the path to long-term success.

“Learning and development is a core competency that any company absolutely has to master....Learning to Succeed is a guide for business advantage through corporate learning and development, and it demonstrates how to maximize continuous returns on investment....The book will benefit large and small companies alike that are proactively preparing for the competitive challenges of tomorrow.” —From the Foreword by Indra Nooyi, Chairman and CEO, PepsiCo

Your company may be profitable today, with a solid product, plenty of buyers, and healthy pricing. If so, congratulations—it’s an enviable position.

Now, throw out everything you’re planning to do to stay competitive. Your future survival means keep­ing pace with a world in flux, as expanding global markets, shorter and unpredictable business cycles, and increased ROI pressures reshape industries and erode market share for even the most venerable com­panies. “Cheaper, bigger, faster, and newer” are the imperatives driving organizations, no matter how thinly spread their people and resources.

So how can your organization stay ahead of competitors ready to spring from any corner of the globe? Learning to Succeed provides a deceptively simple, yet effective solution: Become a dynamic learning organization that actively embraces learning across the ranks, from the executive offices to the mailroom.

Expanding on Peter M. Senge’s The Fifth Discipline, corporate learning expert Jason Wingard draws from hundreds of interviews with senior executives, surveys, and questionnaires with division heads and business unit managers, and personal observations at companies big and small to:

· Detail the pressures and opportunities of the global marketplace, with its expanding pool of resources, customers, and competitors.

· Supply a Continuous Integration of Learning and Strategy (CILS) model that takes you through the process of analysis, strategic planning, implementation, and evaluation of learning programs.

· Make a compelling argument for naming a chief learning officer, who assumes a top strategic role.

· Blend thought leadership initiatives, development programs, and advisory services, and ensure that they link to corporate strategy.

· Overcome culture and cost obstacles that can stand in the way of CILS and perpetuate the status quo.

· Quantify how your learning initiatives impact the bottom line using the Return on Learning (ROL) formula.

· Create a culture of excellence that attracts and retains top talent, and nurtures manager effectiveness.

As this deeply informative book shows, corporate learning is not just an “intangible” or hit-or-miss pursuit. It’s a critical shift achieved through careful implementation—and the most reliable solution for anticipating change, shifting gears, and thriving in our fast-paced world.

Jason Wingard, Ph.D., is Managing Director and Chief Learning Officer at Goldman Sachs, where he is responsible for the strategy and implementation of learning and leadership development solutions for the firm’s global workforce and select clients. He is also President and CEO of The Education Board, Inc., a management consulting firm specializing in organizational strategy, executive coaching, and facilitation. He was previously Vice Dean of Executive Education and Adjunct Professor of Management at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Follow Jason Wingard at: Twitter@JasonWingard