Facing Uncertainty? Your Learning and Development Questions, Answered

Deliberate Practice
Written By Doug Robertson

Economic uncertainty, including escalating tariffs, inflationary pressures, and market volatility, frequently compels companies to reconsider investments in Learning and Development (L&D). However, comprehensive evidence suggests that continued strategic investment in employee development during challenging times generates significant competitive advantages.

This week, my colleague and I met with several leaders at a corporate L&D conference. They told us they face funding constraints due to the current economic context. These concerns led us to dig into the business and academic research on how L&D should respond. The results were universal and surprising. Here’s what the research says in response.

Leverage agile, efficient learning methods like microlearning, deliberate practice, digital platforms, and blended training, reducing operational disruption.

Q1: Should we pause L&D during a financial squeeze?

Answer: No. Pausing L&D often leads to decreased employee engagement and higher turnover, prolonging recovery post-downturn. Evidence supports maintaining or increasing L&D investments to strengthen organizational resilience.

Detailed Evidence:

  • LinkedIn Learning Report (2023): Organizations maintaining L&D saw 74% higher employee engagement.

  • McKinsey & Co. (2023): Sustained development correlated with 30–50% lower employee turnover.

  • Deloitte Human Capital Trends (2023): Firms that continued L&D achieved 18% greater profitability post-crisis.

Q2: How can we justify L&D when immediate ROI is necessary?

Answer: Justify L&D through rigorous, strategic measurement systems focused on immediate business priorities such as productivity, retention, and capability-building.

Detailed Evidence:

  • Training Industry (2023): Companies continuing L&D reported 23% higher profit margins post-downturn.

  • Boston Consulting Group (2023, Financial Services): Companies maintaining training programs realized 15% faster market valuation recovery.

  • PwC (2022): 77% of employees indicated career development as a primary reason for retention.

Q3: How can we provide effective training despite staffing shortages and operational pressures?

Answer: Leverage agile, efficient learning methods like microlearning, deliberate practice, digital platforms, and blended training, reducing operational disruption.

Detailed Evidence:

  • Gartner HR Research (2023): Microlearning boosted knowledge retention by 30%.

  • IBM Institute for Business Value (2023): Blended learning enhanced productivity by 20% during operational constraints.

  • Southwest Airlines (HBR, 2010): Internal coaching maintained high performance amid resource limitations.

Q4: What successful strategies are leading companies using during economic uncertainty?

Answer: Leading firms strategically align training with core business objectives, employ scalable digital or AI-enabled learning tools, and integrate L&D into broader organizational strategic initiatives – especially change management.

Sector-specific Examples:

  • Financial Services: Accenture sustained digital and leadership training, enabling rapid growth post-crisis.

  • Big Pharma: Johnson & Johnson invested continuously in innovation training, accelerating new product development and market leadership.

  • Consumer Goods: Procter & Gamble's agile learning initiatives supported quick adaptation to shifting consumer behaviors, resulting in sustained profitability.

Q5: How does deliberate practice add significant value, particularly during economic uncertainty?

Answer: Deliberate practice, as provided by Practica Learning, significantly enhances employee skill development through targeted, measurable, personalized training approaches:

  1. Accelerated Speed to Competence: Realistic scenario-based training enables employees to reach proficiency rapidly.

  2. Personalized and Efficient: Individualized sessions specifically target skill gaps, optimizing training effectiveness and minimizing time away from operational duties.

  3. Robust Measurement: Practica Learning rigorously assesses learner reactions, skill acquisition, and behavior changes, providing clear metrics to demonstrate L&D's impact.

Supporting Evidence:

  • Extensive research (Anders Ericsson et al.) confirms that deliberate practice significantly outperforms traditional methods in effectiveness and efficiency.

  • Practica Learning client data demonstrates measurable improvement in competencies, confidence, and productivity.

Conclusion

Strategically maintaining L&D during economic uncertainty strengthens long-term competitive advantage, improves resilience, and accelerates post-crisis recovery. Leveraging deliberate practice and evidence-based approaches transforms financial challenges into opportunities for growth and leadership.

Call to Action: To explore how deliberate practice can fortify your talent strategy during economic volatility, please contact us directly.

Bibliography & References

Engagement & Retention:

ROI & Financial Impact:

  • Deloitte Global Human Capital Trends (2023)

  • Training Industry Report (2023)

  • PwC Workforce of the Future Report (2022)

  • Boston Consulting Group: Financial Services Resilience (2023)

Operational Efficiency & Learning Formats:

Strategic & Industry-specific Examples:

Deliberate Practice & Practica Learning:

Doug Robertson

Doug Robertson is an expert at helping companies drive learning retention through experiential learning – especially deliberate practice. He earned his MBA (Financial Services) at Dalhousie University in 2004 and holds certificates in Leadership, Project Management, and Adult Education. Doug is based in Toronto, Canada, and is AVP of Business Development at Practica Learning Inc.

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