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Learning & Development

Learning and development guides covering training needs analysis, 70-20-10 model, learning paths, LMS platforms, microlearning, leadership development programs, coaching, mentoring, and measuring learning ROI with Kirkpatrick and Phillips models. For L&D leaders, training managers, and talent development professionals building learning cultures.

  • 15 guides
  • Updated Oct 7, 2026

Latest in Learning & Development

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Start here: the L&D cycle in four steps

Most training budgets are lost before the first session, because nobody checked whether training was the right fix. Work through these four steps in order and each guide below slots into place.

  1. Diagnose the gap

    Run a training needs analysis at organisation, role and person level. Rule out problems that training cannot solve: unclear goals, weak tools, wrong incentives.

    Training needs analysis →

  2. Design the path

    Blend stretch work, coaching and a small amount of formal content. Give every role a learning path with a clear next step, and tie it to career progression.

    Career development →

  3. Deliver in the flow of work

    Short modules, practice within a week, and a manager who follows up. Microlearning, coaching and mentoring carry most of the load here.

    Microlearning →

  4. Measure what changed

    Track behaviour and business results, not attendance. Use what you learn to cut programmes that do not move a number anyone cares about.

    Measuring training ROI →

Five models every L&D leader uses

These are the frameworks behind most training strategies, with the one job each is good for.

Training needs analysis (TNA)

Compares the capability you need with the capability you have at three levels: organisation, task and person. The output is a ranked list of gaps and a decision on which ones learning can close.

Use it for: deciding what to train, and what not to.

Read the TNA guide →

70-20-10

A rule of thumb from the Center for Creative Leadership: roughly 70% of development comes from challenging work, 20% from other people and 10% from formal courses. Treat the ratios as a prompt, not a formula.

Use it for: designing a blend instead of a course catalogue.

Read the 70-20-10 guide →

ADDIE

Analyse, Design, Develop, Implement, Evaluate. The classic instructional design sequence. Modern teams run it in short loops with a pilot group, not as one long waterfall.

Use it for: building a programme from scratch.

Kirkpatrick four levels

Reaction, Learning, Behaviour, Results. Each level is harder to measure and more useful than the one before. Plan backwards: agree the Level 4 result with the business first.

Use it for: evaluating any programme.

Read the evaluation guide →

Phillips ROI model

Adds a fifth level that turns results into money, after isolating the effect of training from everything else that changed.

ROI % = (net programme benefits ÷ programme costs) × 100

Use it for: large, expensive or strategic programmes where finance wants a number. A programme that cost $40,000 and produced $100,000 in measured benefit returns 150%.

See a worked ROI example →

Next: leadership development programmes · employee development and training · upskilling and reskilling · AI training and upskilling

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Compare learning platforms and HR software

Choosing a platform? Start with the LMS comparison and the online course platform comparison, then see the latest HR software reviews.

All HR tools and comparisons →

Courses and certifications for HR and leadership

Buying learning instead of building it? These guides compare programmes from Coursera, Udemy, edX and LinkedIn Learning by price, time and credential.

Browse the Courses & Certifications directory →

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Learning & Development FAQ

What does a learning and development (L&D) team actually do?

An L&D team finds the skills the business is short of, decides which gaps are worth closing with learning, builds or buys the right experience, and checks whether behaviour and results changed. In practice that covers onboarding, technical and compliance training, manager and leadership development, coaching and mentoring programmes, the learning platform, and reporting on impact.

What is the 70-20-10 model?

It is a rule of thumb from research at the Center for Creative Leadership: about 70% of development comes from challenging work, 20% from other people such as managers, coaches and mentors, and 10% from formal courses. The ratios are not a formula. The useful point is that a course alone rarely changes performance unless practice and feedback on the job follow it.

How do you measure the ROI of training?

Start with the Kirkpatrick levels: reaction, learning, behaviour and results. The Phillips model adds a fifth level that converts results into money: ROI % = (net programme benefits ÷ programme costs) × 100. Reserve a full ROI study for large, expensive or strategic programmes, and isolate the effect of training with a control group or trend line before claiming the benefit.

What is a training needs analysis?

A training needs analysis (TNA) compares the capability the organisation needs with the capability it has, at three levels: the organisation (strategy and goals), the task or role (what good performance requires) and the person (who has a gap). It also separates skill gaps from problems training cannot fix, such as unclear goals, poor tools or weak incentives.

Do small companies need an LMS?

Not always. Under roughly 50 people, shared documents, a video library and a tracking spreadsheet often do the job. An LMS starts to pay for itself when you must prove compliance completion, onboard people every month, or deliver the same programme across several sites. Compare per-user pricing, content libraries and HRIS integrations before signing an annual contract.

What is the difference between upskilling and reskilling?

Upskilling deepens skills for the job someone already has, for example a finance analyst learning automation tools. Reskilling prepares someone for a different job, for example a branch employee moving into a data role. Upskilling is usually run inside the team; reskilling needs a destination role, a longer learning path and a manager on the receiving side.