Role of L&D professional in changing learning cultures in organisation

Dr Richard Dune

08-09-2023

Role of L&D professionals in changing learning cultures in organisations

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L&D professionals play a key role in transforming learning cultures by fostering inclusion, collaboration, and continuous development in organisations

In today's rapidly evolving business landscape, organisations need constant learning and development to stay ahead of the competition. This has led to a significant transformation of learning cultures, focusing on equipping employees with the necessary skills to adapt to change and achieve business objectives.

In this blog, Dr Richard Dune will discuss the important role of Learning and Development (L&D) professionals in transforming learning cultures within organisations.

How L&D professionals can transform learning cultures

Learning and development professionals must collaborate with others to change the learning culture in organisations. They should focus on the following factors:

Questioning and influencing for improvement
Attending staff and management meetings
Engaging with key influencers
Using key questions to facilitate action and change in culture.

By working on these factors, L&D professionals can drive a shift towards a more positive and inclusive learning culture.

Questioning and influencing for improvement

L&D professionals can use their skills in questioning and influencing to collaborate with their employer and deliver a high-quality mandatory training program that fosters a positive culture and engages staff. This involves analysing information to identify workplace issues and intervening proactively, picking up on issues before they become significant problems.

L&D professionals can work with other trade union colleagues and employers to address issues promptly and positively. They can also identify areas of excellence and share them widely across the organisation.

Staff and management meetings

L&D professionals can work with their employers to create a committee or forum where staff can discuss decisions that affect them and their services. These committees can effectively address concerns, share good practices and gain support for ideas for improvement. Union representatives are typically part of these committees, with the chair and secretary roles often taken on by union representatives.

Health and safety committees are beneficial in addressing safety concerns related to mandatory training. L&D professionals can also suggest a partnership approach to improving mandatory training if their organisation doesn't have a formal committee or forum.

Engaging with key influencers

Before improving mandatory training, checking if the organisation has a partnership forum or committee is necessary. Identifying the committee chair and secretary and who represents the organisation is essential.

It is also important to know the process for raising an agenda item. Without a committee or forum, L&D professionals should identify the key influencers and enablers of training and health and safety and arrange a meeting to discuss the possibility of working together.

Key questions to facilitate action and a change of culture

These questions are designed to gather information on current provisions, compliance, and culture surrounding mandatory training in an organisation. They can be used to develop an action plan for change:

Time and cost - How is mandatory training delivered, and at what cost? Are staff released from work to complete the training?
Quality and relevance - Does the training program reflect the experience and role of individual staff? Are refresher courses offered? Is mandatory training evaluated regularly?
Access and inclusion - Can part-time and night workers access training during their working hours? Do all staff have access to IT equipment to complete online training?
Culture - What are the attitudes and perceptions around mandatory training? What is the current compliance rate, and why are some workers non-compliant? Are workers from agencies given adequate training to reflect the organisation's culture? These questions can form the basis of an action plan for improving mandatory training.

Conclusion

L&D professionals are crucial in transforming organisational learning cultures. They can drive a shift towards a more positive and inclusive learning culture.

Using ComplyPlus^TM, they can drive a shift towards a more positive and inclusive learning culture. By collaborating with others and addressing workplace issues proactively, they can deliver high-quality mandatory training programmes, foster a positive culture, and ensure that employees have the necessary skills to adapt to change and achieve business objectives.

Explore our accredited Train-the-Trainer courses and programmes designed to build a strong training environment and promote a positive learning culture within your organisation.

Discover how L&D professionals play a key role in transforming learning culture within organisations. Explore our accreditation details on the CPD Certification Service and see how fostering continuous development enhances compliance, governance, and professional growth for long-term success.

Empower your L&D professionals to drive a culture of continuous learning and growth within your organisation. Fill out the form below to get started

Last updated on 05-03-2025

About the author

Dr Richard Dune

With over 25 years of experience, Dr Richard Dune has a rich background in the NHS, the private sector, academia, and research settings. His forte lies in clinical R&D, advancing healthcare tech, workforce development, and governance. His leadership ensures that regulatory compliance and innovation align seamlessly.