Compliance in corporate learning runs deeper than just 'Annual Compliance Training'

"This obsession with control gives a greater power to gatekeepers than to connectors. In a culture of compliance and competition, it is rational to avoid taking risks."

Celine Schillinger

Most corporate learning and development still serves a simplistic and reductive management model. 

The default focus on tools, (which now includes a proliferation of enabling 'learning technologies') means that the underpinning status quo mindset remains unchallenged. 

The underlying goal is still centralised control through 'compliance' - an unacknowledged mindset that runs deeper than just the well worn 'mandatory annual compliance training' cycle.

Symptoms of a control based L&D strategy hide in plain sight, for examples:

A default focus on individuals' 'learning' 

A default approach which reinforces a separation between 'learning' and 'working'

A default focus on only productive learning; (based on improving 'what we already know')

A default focus on learning to execute tasks and processes

A default focus on developing and broadcasting centralised 'learning content'

A default 'success criteria' built on increasing access to and consumption of centralised 'learning content'

A default focus on maintaining enhanced support for 'leaders' and 'high potential' colleagues

A default prioritisation based on 'top down' order taking (usually 'topics' driven)

A default top down annual L&D budgeting process.