When Correlation is Obvious do we need to Prove it?

As Talent Development and L&D professionals, when you show the Correlation between metrics from your Talent Development initiatives and the Business Performance Measures, many of you might have got this question...."How do you know that the (Talent Development) Initiative or the Training Program was the key contributor to the Business or Individual Performance Improvement".

They would also argue that Correlation is not Causation. So, we try different Isolation Strategies (i.e., to isolate the impact of Learning Intervention from other potential factors that might have also influenced) like "Control Groups", "Pre & Post Intervention Measurements", etc. While Isolation strategies definitely helps in proving the point....but there are many practical challenges in actually doing these isolation studies in many organizations because of the very agile nature of business or mobile (moving) workforce, virtual teams, contingent staff, etc.

So, having said that, should we step back and think whether we need to go to this length to prove that our correlation is right? If there a strong correlation between A & B for whatever time period that we study, should we still spend time, effort and resources to then again validate B is caused by A?

So, with this context, now I would like you all read this post titled "When to Act on a Correlation, and When Not To" in Harvard Business Review HBR Blogs by David Ritter.

I could not agree more with David Ritter. I am also curious to know what you readers think?

Measuring Learning or Measuring the Impact of Learning?

Recently, I saw this question in Quora. 

What is stopping companies from measuring learning today?

And here is what I think.

Most companies do measure Learning. 

But among those almost of them measure the "Efficiency" - ie., how many people learnt, cost, no of hrs of learning, etc.

They also measure the Learner Reaction or Satisfaction which basically Level 1 of the Kirkpatrick's 4 Levels of Evaluating Training Evaluations (Refer: Evaluating Training Programs: Kirkpatrick's 4 Levels)

There are also quite a few organizations, that measure the "Effectiveness" of Learning ie., Knowledge Gain, Retention, Learning Transfer on the Job, etc.

But there are only very organization, that measure "Learning Outcomes & Business Impact". While measuring the Learning Outcomes and reporting on the Business Impact of Learning is difficult...it is still doable. If I have to state it in very simplistic terms... 

a) Agree on expected Outcomes with the Business Stakeholder 
b) Identify the Observable Behaviors that will create this Outcome and ensure Stakeholders are in agreement on that 
c) Determine the Metrics & Measures to track that Behavior - and make the Stakeholder to be observer of that Behavior Change 
d) Report on the Behavior Change and correlate it with the Business Performance/Outcomes 
e) Compare the Actual Outcomes with the Expected Outcomes

Check out this interaction in Quora at this link  http://t.co/9dL7CPrUwD

Behavior Change

How do you bring about #behavior change? 

Social Motivation, Peer Pressure and Peer Influence is one way. Check out this short video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=osUwukXSd0k

Note: Though this is about bringing about Behavior Changes in kids, the same works in Adults too. That's why the use of PBLs ( #points,#badges & #leaderboards ) works in #gamification even among adults.

Can you think of any other way to bring about Behavior Change among adults?