Using data effectively is a growing priority for - and skill set in - L&D. It’s essential for both planning for and measuring impact. In this episode, presented by 360Learning, we explore this in detail in the hope that 2024 is our year for greater planned and demonstrable impact. KEY TAKEAWAYS Data-wise, L&D has always looked at what they have done – in the rear-view mirror. Now, it is necessary to use data to see where we are. Business impact must be proved and the data that enables you to do that is now at your fingertips. L&D is all about creating capability by creating skills. That is the impact L&D has on the business and the bottom line. Identify the skill(s) you need to add, teach it, and check that people are using it and that this is improving the business´ results. To create skills that work for your particular business, your courses must be tailor-made. Measure the effectiveness of the course, by including a realistic test. If most people fail, you need to change the course content. Making sure things are changing in the workplace is essential. If it isn´t tweak the training. Create a blueprint for the outcomes of each course, before building it. At first, you may have to chase to get the data you need to properly analyse whether the course is working. BEST MOMENTS 'We are out there cranking out those courses. But how much do we really understand about what our impact is?' 'Eventually, someone's gonna say, Where's the quantifiable data that actually says you did this?' 'Without this data, we are hiding our work, our impact.' 'We’re the only department that builds skills, we need data on skills.' VALUABLE RESOURCES The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523 L&D Master Class Series: https://360learning.com/blog/l-and-d-masterclass-home/ Laura Paramoure Bio Laura Paramoure, EdD, has 25 years of experience in performance improvement, training design, and evaluation. She is the author of ROI by Design™ (2014) and a featured speaker on the topic of return on investment for training organizations. Her private sector experience includes Director of Training and Development with Parata systems where she was responsible for the establishment and deployment of both domestic and international training. She is currently the CEO of eParamus, a company which helps organizations of all types and sizes optimize and verify the impact of their training programs. You can follow and connect with Laura via: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-paramoure/ Website: https://www.eparamus.com ABOUT THE HOST David James  David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa.  As well as being the Chief Learning Officer at 360Learning, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D.  CONTACT METHOD  Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/  L&D Collective: https://360learning.com/the-l-and-d-collective/ Blog: https://360learning.com/blog/ L&D Master Class Series: https://360learning.com/blog/l-and-d-masterclass-home/