What ACTUALLY is a Learning Plan?

If you are a regular here at Excel, then you may have seen some of our content about learning plans.

Some of our greatest hits include ‘How To Create A Highly Effective Learning And Development Plan’ and ‘The 5 Key Components of an Effective L&D Plan’.

…and of course, who could forget the classic ‘5 Signs That Your Business Needs a New Learning Plan’?

All worth checking out after this one!

Today, we are adding to this learning plan playlist by answering a question which for some may seem rather tricky to answer.

Similar to questions like ‘Where does wind begin?’ and ‘Why does a penguin’s flippers not freeze?’

The question we will be answering though is… What actually is a learning plan?

Here’s our definition for you.

A learning and development plan is your proposal of action as to how you will approach people development so that you achieve your business goals. It’s where people and business come together.

An L&D plan outlines and describes the following:

Why is learning and development required, what are the business goals you need to deliver?

• Take time to define your current and desired states, and determine the crucial business goals that need to be achieved.
  

Who requires development?

• Analyse the skill gaps you need to close in order to achieve your business goals.
  

What development do they need?

• Explore what development opportunities would provide the most benefit for individuals, teams, and the business as a whole.
  

When will the development need to take place?

• Begin to map out the development journey and determine opportune periods to invest time in certain development topics.

How will the training and learning be delivered?

• Take stock of what you already have available to you internally and investigate areas that would benefit from external expertise.

Where will it take place?

• Decide whether these learning experiences will be in-person, virtual, or potentially even a mixture of both.

Once completed, your L&D plan is your roadmap from where you find yourself, team, and business now, to where you desire to be at the conclusion of the timescale you have set out.

As a natural next step from this point, we highly recommend taking a look at ‘How To Create A Highly Effective Learning And Development Plan’.

It is our comprehensive guide, written to ensure that you have a learning plan that will deliver the success that you, your people, teams, and business crave!

We also have a super helpful downloadable checklist here!

Thanks,

Alex & The Excel Team