Beyond completion rates: Engagement, impact, and ROI in L&D

One of the many reasons I love my job is that, on any given week, I get to talk with a dozen or so smart, thoughtful L&D leaders to hear how they are thinking about the role learning plays in driving real business outcomes.
Some of these leaders are running very sophisticated, deeply resourced L&D programs. Others are getting their company’s very first leadership program off the ground. In either case, the question we hear most often is the same: 
How can I show the organization that learning is making a meaningful difference?
It is an important question. And sometimes a confusing one, because “value” in learning is not one thing. It actually shows up in three very different ways:
Engagement: Did people show up, and did the experience resonate?

Participation
Completion
Time spent learning
Learner feedback

These are the first signs of whether something is accessible and relevant.
Impact: Are people working differently because of what they learned?

Be