Customizing a program to fit your people and organization takes learning to the next level.

Learning & development (what used to be called “training”) has been a part of workplaces for decades. Employers value it because upskilling helps them build a more competent and versatile workforce. Employees value it because it helps them perform better in their current roles and makes them more marketable and prepared for the future.

Hiring and career advantages
Today’s younger generations especially value learning & development opportunities. In Deloitte’s global 2023 Gen Z and Millennial Survey, learning & development ranked second only to work-life balance and more important than pay, which ranked third.

That means companies that offer opportunities for continuous learning can differentiate themselves in our competitive job market and become more attractive to talent.

“Soft skills” development is especially critical. Once considered less important than “hard skills” related to specific job knowledge and abilities, soft skills have come into their own. These are the more personal, inherently human skills, like communication, leadership, collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity. They are also considered foundational skills, in that they are highly transferable to other jobs and roles and are particularly valuable in working remotely.

And because they are uniquely human skills, they complement what AI and other machines bring to the table. People have innate capabilities and insights that even the most sophisticated technologies can’t duplicate.

Many choices, but which is best?
You have many, many choices for off-the-shelf learning & development programs. Some can be delivered in person, and others are online self-study or virtual learning. These can be fine for learning basic concepts and picking up general pointers to use on the job. But consider the added value customized learning provides.

A custom learning program can:

• Zero in on particular team or workforce needs
• Make learning more “real” because learners can see specifically how it applies to their day-to-day work
• Build skills collectively, as teams learn together

As one Financial Services leader we work with noted, “I really liked working together with our management team in these sessions. It has helped the entire team to open up about the issues they face, offering solutions and common experiences.”

An Energy industry leader agrees, “The sessions have created a new level of accountability and opened communication among the team, which has helped us determine when we need to pivot and reassess versus when we need to realign our thinking.”

Another participant in our custom learning programs appreciates the applicability of the sessions and how they make the learning concrete rather than abstract: “The thing I like the most,” she says, “is the time we spend applying training concepts to specifically the issues we have.”

How custom learning works
Here at Nally Ventures Leadership, “custom” is a given, not a special request or an extra. Who the learning is designed for and how it’s tailored is developed in consultation with clients based on their industry, company, and team. It may include executive-level strategic alignment sessions or group training, management-level group sessions, employee learning, coaching, or a combination of these.

While the audience and topics may vary, one attribute is always present: the learning must be actionable. We are adamant about forging the vital connection between knowing and doing, something that’s often a missing link in off-the-shelf learning programs.

As one learner put it, “One of my favorite things was listening to the other participants detailing how they were putting their newfound knowledge into practice and having our [Nally instructors] give real-life situations where the principles we were learning helped [improve results].”

Fresh is better than canned
In our experience, a canned approach to professional development just doesn’t work as well. Any organization has people at multiple levels, from individual contributors to team managers to CEOs. These people have diverse backgrounds, experiences, education levels, and personality types. So while we offer an extensive portfolio of programs, it’s not a matter of plug-and-play, but of tailoring content and presenting it in ways that make sense for learners and the organization.

It’s “upskilled” learning & development—and it’s helping companies like yours build stronger teams with the capabilities to drive success.

Our program director, Jen Walls, can give you more details about how we design custom learning and coaching to fit your needs. Email Jen at jen.walls@nallyventures.com.