With enterprises investing billions into employee training and development each year, improving the return on investment (ROI) of training has become a key focus. By taking an organizational development (OD) perspective and applying techniques like the 3L principle of no lines, no laps, no lectures, companies can transform their approach to training. This creates an empowering environment that builds leadership, enhances retention and maximizes the impact of every training dollar spent. With smart training design anchored around targeted skills development like emotional intelligence and intrinsic motivation, organizations can unlock the full potential of their people.
Apply OD principles and treat training as a system to be optimized
Many companies view training as an isolated departmental expense rather than an integrated system. Taking an OD perspective means examining the intersections between training and broader organizational goals. An OD professional can act as a catalyst to evolve training from a cost center to an investment that accelerates capability building. By focusing on the system rather than just individual skills, OD allows training to be sustainable and impactful over the long-term.
Leverage the 3L principle to create an empowering training environment
The 3L principle of no lines, no laps and no lectures provides a framework to maximize participation and decision-making during training. Eliminating queues and excessive lecturing gives each trainee increased repetitions and autonomy. Blending physical activity seamlessly into skill drills sustains energy and focus while discouraging mindless running of laps. 3L requires thoughtful design but the payoff is an engaging experience where trainees are challenged to learn and leverage new capabilities.
Build leadership and intrinsic motivation among OD professionals first
Before OD professionals can transform training systems, they must level up their own leadership abilities. Mastering skills like emotional intelligence, team dynamics and culture leadership allows them to inspire change across an organization. When OD professionals unlock their intrinsic motivation and results-focus, they gain the insight and credibility to evolve training. Leading by example also enables them to empathize more deeply with leadership challenges faced at all levels.
Target high-impact capabilities that align training to strategy
Carefully chosen focus areas allow training to directly support strategic goals. Emotional intelligence, intrinsic motivation and team dynamics are force multipliers for collaboration and innovation. Meanwhile leadership performance and culture leadership ensure alignment and accountability at all levels. With the right capabilities as guiding stars, training amplifies the strengths of people to move organizations forward.
Taking an OD perspective to optimize training as an integrated system enables enterprises to maximize their return on investment. The 3L principle empowers trainees to take ownership of their development journey. When OD professionals level up leadership abilities, they can catalyze evolution in training. With high-impact capabilities as pillars, training directly accelerates strategic progress.