Opportunity

Initiated by the Chief Information Officer, the company aimed to increase digital acumen across its 70,000+ global workforce. Business goals included boosting innovation and improving efficiency, crucial for maintaining a competitive edge. The director of learning and development asked me to assume leadership for the program to accelerate adoption and business impact. Note: This case study was for a doctoral course and adapted from my real-world experience to satisfy academic requirements.

Audience

The program targeted approximately 75,000 employees across 63 countries, comprising diverse professionals with varied levels of digital proficiency. Identified challenges included time constraints (22% of non-participants), content irrelevance (55% of non-participants), and a desire for practical skill application. Managers and senior leaders were also key stakeholders, requiring support to integrate digital upskilling and manage competing priorities.

Action

I led a systematic approach, beginning with an extensive needs assessment to identify skill gaps. Data collection involved a companywide survey, third-party partner reports, external research, focus groups and interviews with stakeholders, subject matter experts, and learners. I partnered with stakeholder across the organization to prioritize skills, established key performance indicators (KPIs), and define measurable learning goals and objectives mapped to organizational priorities. The learning strategy offered a combination of flexible durations and modalities to accommodate learner needs across diverse contexts. Learner support came from continuous feedback loops with managers and peer-to-peer interactions within Communities of Practice. Agile project management via three-week sprints and daily standup meetings ensured coordination within my cross-functional execution team.

Impact

Measurable improvements demonstrated a significant transformation of the program. Employee responses to the annual digital acumen survey increased to 2,156 in 2024 from 1,587 in 2023. Overall satisfaction improved from 78% to 84%. The Net Promoter Score (NPS) increased by 11 points to 28. Employees reporting they learned what they intended increased from 56% to 96%. Those who increase their proficiency by at least one level rose from 40% to 96%. Most importantly, learners submitted case studies with quantitative data on business impact, such as time and costs saved, directly contributing to the company's strategic goals for innovation and efficiency.