{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"#5: Launching a New Strategic Centralized Learning Function- an Interview with L&D Leader Malika Viltz-Emerson","description":"What is the best way to launch a strategic centralized learning function within an organization? Malika Viltz-Emerson, an L&D leader who has worked for the likes of Xerox and Grubhub, answered this question on episode 5 of the Learning and Development Stories Podcast. Linking Learning to Business Strategy In a recent role, Malika needed to develop a learning function that aligned to the organization\u2019s strategy and technology capabilities. \u201cPeople were craving knowledge so we needed to develop learning paths to help employees have the tools to be successful,\u201d she said. To align learning to the business, Malika first did an evaluation. This entailed going through a listening phase. It was imperative for her to have a \u201cseat at the table\u201d with business leaders (for example, being present when leadership was meeting with their managers). She created a strategy by partnering with stakeholders of different lines of business, identifying key performance indicators and then aligned this to learning. She came up with a scorecard that highlighted how learning initiatives could generate results on a quarter-to-quarter basis.  \u201cBy being in the room during business conversations, we can identify tactics that might otherwise be missed,\u201d she said. \u201cWe can come up with strategic approaches on how we can partner.\u201d  Following this exploration, Malika and her team created learning paths that were user friendly and provided a positive overall experience. \u201cManagers were seeing positive changes in how employees were doing their jobs,\u201d she said. \u201cThere were changes in how employees communicated with each other and shared information.\u201d In summary, Malika highlighted five critical success factors for transformational learning: Strategic linkage Learner centered Technology enabled Integrating solutions Collaboration  Lessons from Mistakes Throughout her career, Malika used a standardized approach when doing analysis. In one particular role, she believes that she relied too heavily on this approach and it didn\u2019t work as effectively. Part of the reason was that millennials made up a significant portion of this organization\u2019s employees.  \u201cI had to learn what works better with that group,\u201d Malika explained. \u201cThat humbled me. I work in L&D and performance which means I am always a student and need to be continually learning myself.\u201d The Link between Learning and Employee EngagementMalika is not a proponent of surveying employees too frequently. However, it is important to do from time to time. She and her colleagues were able to leverage the analytics and data from the learning platform to gauge how employees engaged with learning. \u201cEngagement changed with the learning platform. There were more interactions. We found that people were coming to us and asking for information. People are often eager to learn but don\u2019t have the tools and resources in place.\u201d Communications TacticsFor Malika, there are two key components to communications: interactions with leadership and promoting the learning experience to employees. For leadership, the scorecard was an important component. It visually communicated the impact of learning from the previous quarter and identifying opportunities for improvement in the future. For marketing the overall L&D function, Malika  initially communicated with key stakeholders to get their buy-in. Eventually, she needed to go into marketing mode and raise awareness more broadly about key initiatives, such as a new learning platform coming to the organization. In this case, a serious of videos was one means to generating buzz. Once launched, the learning platform itself became a means for raising awareness. Fostering Knowledge Transfer Malika thinks L&D professionals need to be \u201cnavigators\u201d. By that, there is an abundance of knowledge that is available online. L&D professionals need to make sure that whatever learners are consuming is the most impactful. For Malika, it is important to provide personalized learning, to capture conversations and then to create an atmosphere that encourages collaboration. Resources In terms of tools, Malika believes L&D leaders need to be actively involved in due diligence and that a learning platform is key to capturing the impact of informal learning. In terms of resources, she recommends the CLO Magazine, eLearning Guild, ATD, Slack and the Learning and Development Stories Podcast. Books she recommends for L&D professionals are  Clark Quinn\u2019s Revolutionize Learning and Developmentand Dan Lyon\u2019s book Disrupted. ","author_name":"Learning & Development Stories Podcast","author_url":"http:\/\/landdstories.libsyn.com\/website","html":"