This live discussion provided a clear look at a common challenge: L&D and HR teams often operate in silos, tracking activity but struggling to prove real business impact. The answer isn’t more tools—it’s building a data-driven learning ecosystem that connects LMS, HRIS, LXP, and enterprise systems through a shared strategy. With aligned data, culture, and governance, talent leaders can shift from compliance metrics to outcomes like sales, retention, and leadership pipelines. Read on to discover how to move from siloed activity to enterprise-wide impact.
As Yolanda Mangram emphasized, quoting Matt Donovan:
"If L&D doesn’t align its data strategy with the enterprise data strategy , it risks being left behind."
That urgency framed the discussion on why siloed systems and vanity metrics no longer cut it.
Marty Murrillo reminded us of the shift required:
"Business leaders don’t care about activity—they care about outcomes"
The challenge for L&D is to move beyond course completions and show how learning drives sales, retention, quality, and leadership pipelines.
🔑 5 Key Takeaways
-
Integration is the differentiator – Connecting LMS, HRIS, LXP, and business systems unlocks impact.
-
Metrics must evolve – Completions and attendance don’t prove value; performance and outcomes do.
-
Culture enables data use – Governance and openness are as critical as the technology itself.
-
Taxonomies are infrastructure – Shared skills and competency language is essential across HR and business.
-
Start small, scale smart – Pilots tied to one or two business outcomes create early wins and credibility.
🛠️ 5 Practical Actions
-
Audit your silos – Map where learning, HR, and business data live; identify overlaps and gaps.
-
Anchor in business outcomes – Pick one high-stakes metric (e.g., sales performance, leadership pipeline) to prove impact.
-
Align taxonomies – Ensure skills and competencies use the same “data language” across HR and L&D systems.
-
Shift manager behavior – Train leaders to use data for coaching and recognition, not as a “gotcha” tool.
-
Pilot → prove → scale – Integrate one system, show measurable ROI, then expand iteratively.
Why it matters
Talent development leaders who adopt this mindset will stop reporting activity and start telling outcome-driven stories that matter to the business. Integration isn’t a future vision—it’s the credibility test for L&D today.
