The New Learning Executive

Study profiles Chief Learning Officers

February 28 2006 - A study by the American Society for Training & Development (ASTD) and the University of Pennsylvania has produced a picture of a new breed of learning executive - the Chief Learning Officer (CLO) - that has merged in the past decade. The challenge of running learning like a business and also making learning a critical contributor to organizational success requires a complex skill set. CLOs must run efficient learning functions that are both strategically aligned with and responsive to the needs of their organizations.

"Profiling a New Breed of Learning Executive," an article in the February 2006 issue of Training + Development (T+D) magazine published by ASTD, gives results of the survey of 92 CLOs and identifies the job demands and competencies that are critical for success in this position.

Main findings

• Time - CLOs spend most of their time on strategy development and communicating with corporate executives.
• Biggest challenges - Communicating and measuring the value of learning, and resource constraints.
• Greatest accomplishments - Expanding the scope and reach of the learning function and gaining the respect of executives and business unit leaders with whom they partner to improve productivity and performance.

Brenda Sugrue, one of the authors of the study and senior director of research for ASTD says:

"The competencies to which these senior learning executives attribute their success emphasize general business skills (leadership, strategic planning, and relationship management) rather than specific and deep knowledge of the field of workplace learning and performance. Additionally, these CLOs recognize the importance of a deeper understanding of the science, technology, and measurement of learning and performance."

According to co-author Doug Lynch, vice dean of the Graduate School of Education at the University of Pennsylvania:

"The study results confirm that there are many paths to becoming a CLO and the role requires a combination of business savvy and knowledge of key areas of the learning field. Many CLOs are strong in one but not both of those areas, so the Graduate School of Education and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania is preparing to launch a new curriculum that will prepare professionals specifically for this role."

Daniel Blair, director of ASTD's Learning Executives Network (LXN), added, "The University of Pennsylvania's initiative to create a targeted curriculum and credential for senior learning executives will help current and aspiring CLOs better prepare to be business partners within their organizations."

See also:

• Human Resource Development Articles
• Knowledge Management Articles

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