Leaning on Learning during the “Big Pause” and Beyond

How the L&D business has become a life raft in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic

To quote the great Bob Dylan, “The Times They are A-Changin”. The short-term impact of the global pandemic is evident to every one of us as we sit at home, sheltered from the outside world. On the other hand, we do not yet know the long-term effects that come from an event of this magnitude.

One long-term side effect that we can almost guarantee, however, is the global shift in the way we work. By this, I mean not only our day-to-day jobs — but the way we conduct business and how our workforces operate overall.

Leading up to 2020 — for many organizations — the strategy and decisions made in relation to technology, culture, and operations were a ticking timebomb. As the novel Coronavirus grew into a global crisis, the clock on that metaphorical timebomb finally reached zero.

Even though we may not know what the future holds or what the corporate climate will be like, we can look to recent trends across all industries and verticals as hints to how work may change forever. One area that has been able to emerge as a saving grace, has been the “people” focused teams within our organizations, including the key function of Learning & Development.

What Went Wrong?

Looking back on the early months of 2020, in hindsight, it is easy to say you would have done…