ASTD Research in collaboration with i4cp recently released their newest research report Developing Results: Aligning Learning’s Goals and Outcomes With Business Performance Measures. This report was sponsored by Apollo Research Institute and examines the ways in which high-performing organizations approach the evaluation of learning and tie that measurement to overall business performance measures. The report explains that a strong correlation exists between goal alignment and market performance, as well as a strong correlation between alignment and a learning function that is effective at meeting its own goals and the organization’s goals. Some of the issues and topics addressed in this research report includes: the development of the learning strategy, the measurement of learning’s impact on results, challenges to maintaining and measuring alignment.

The Study shows that learning is more effective if it aligns with an organization’s business goals. Achieving this alignment requires starting at the beginning, with the design of the learning strategy. Learning professionals should have the foresight to include people from multiple levels in the organization to ensure business needs will be met. Measurement is very important to successfully aligning learning goals and business goals. It is measurement that allows learning to show its value. Download the full report on the ASTD Bookstore.