Fit for Purpose, Fit for the Future: Towards Maturity Urges L&D Teams to Champion Performance Improvement
Towards Maturity calls on L&D teams to check their performance now, in order to help them prepare for the future.
The 2016 Towards Maturity Benchmark, Europe’s largest, most comprehensive independent study of corporate learning, has launched at the CIPD Learning & Development Show.
The Benchmark enables L&D professionals to review the goals and tactics of their current learning strategy against those of top performing learning organisations. Over 4,500 L&D professionals from 55 countries have already used the review to help build L&D performance.It is free to participate in and takes 60 minutes to complete first time around.
The Benchmark is the only diagnostic tool of its kind, providing a measure of how an organisation is performing against others in the study. The process also enables learning professionals to reflect on five key issues that impact on designing and delivering a modernised learning strategy. These are:
- Aligning learning to business need and delivering business-focused outcomes
- Understanding the modern day learner as customer
- Supporting workplace performance and collaboration
- Demonstrating value
- Harnessing technology to deliver results
The Benchmark gathers data from hundreds of L&D professionals to identify the most effective L&D practices. The study first started in 2003 and since then, Towards Maturity has analysed data from over 4,500 L&D professionals and 25,000 learners around the globe.
Laura Overton, Founder and CEO of Towards Maturity commented: “Our data shows that there is a hunger to do things differently within L&D but many struggle to know where to start. That’s where the Towards Maturity Benchmark comes in. It provides contemporary measures that focus on performance improvement and great tactics that help L&D teams become more responsive to the changing needs of business. Think of the benchmark as L&D’s fitness tracker; use it to measure where you are and assert where you’d like to get to, then create your personalised plan of action based on the evidence.”
Paul Morgan, Head of Learning and Development O2/Telefonica said: “This is a great time for L&D professionals to review the impact they are having on their overall businesses performance. This year, Towards Maturity's #MakeItHappen campaign is helping guide us as an industry, showing us how we need to change our approach to solving business problems and provide an appropriate service to support. What do we need? Focus and Action, it is simple! The Towards Maturity Benchmark provides a strategic framework to guide and inspire you. It’s a great place to start, if you want to establish a strong foundation for change. Get involved!”
This year’s launch has been brought forward to coincide with the CIPD’s annual Learning & Development Show being held at London Olympia, in order to give learning leaders more time to focus on how they can develop their learning strategies.
Gill White, Knowledge & Capability Director for the CIPD, the professional body for HR and people development, said: “As strategic partner for Towards Maturity, the CIPD is delighted that the Benchmark launch has been brought forward to coincide with our L&D Show. The purpose of the Show is to inform and inspire L&D professionals to improve not just their personal performance but that of their organisation. The Benchmark provides the tool to do just that, so it makes perfect sense to open this year’s Benchmark now.”
The Towards Maturity Benchmark is completely confidential and free to use until 15th July. All participants will receive a free 21-page Personalised Benchmark Report in September (valued at £300), thanks to the support of Towards Maturity’s Ambassadors.
Individuals can take part at www.towardsmaturity.org/benchmark, or pick up more information from Towards Maturity Ambassadors at the CIPD Learning & Development Show - look out for Towards Maturity’s logo on Ambassador stands in the exhibition.
ENDS
Notes to editors
Laura Overton is available for interview. Call 0208 542 2331 or email [email protected] if you would like to book a conference call.
Additional information about the Towards Maturity Benchmark study can be downloaded at www.towardsmaturity.org/static/benchmark