What Donald Taylor tells us about the future of learning and the 7 core tactics for better business outcomes.

For years, L&D was seen as a department that fulfilled requests for "more training." Taylor argues that the future belongs to those who ask why before they ask how. If the business isn't meeting its goals, a three-hour course isn't always the answer. Sometimes, the answer is better data, better tools, or better reinforcement.

The 7 Tactics for Better Business Outcomes

1. Consult Deeply with Stakeholders: Stop taking "orders" for courses. Instead, act as a consultant to understand the underlying business problem (e.g., "Why are sales down?" rather than "We need sales training").

2. Align with Strategic Metrics: Your KPIs should match the board’s KPIs. If the company is focused on customer retention, your learning outcomes must directly impact retention scores.

3. Prioritise Performance Support: Learning shouldn't just happen in a classroom; it should happen in the flow of work. Provide the right information at the exact moment a worker needs it.

4. Adopt a "Skills-First" Framework: Move away from job titles and toward granular skills. This allows for more agile movement of talent across the organisation as needs change.

5. Leverage Data for Insight, Not Just Tracking: Move beyond "level 1" feedback (smile sheets) and use data to track behavioural changes and ROI.

6. Human-Centric AI Integration: Use AI to scale personalisation and automate admin but keep the focus on human connection and coaching—the areas where AI cannot compete.

7. Drive Learning Transfer through Reinforcement: This is the most critical and often overlooked step. Information is useless if it is forgotten 48 hours later.

The Silent Killer of ROI: The Forgetting Curve

Even the most brilliant strategy fails if the knowledge doesn't stick. Donald Taylor often highlights that the "hype" of new technology is only valuable if it serves the fundamental way humans learn. We know from neuroscience that without deliberate recall, up to 90% of new information is lost within a month.

This is where the tactical meets the practical. To truly move the needle on business outcomes, organisations are increasingly looking toward sophisticated reinforcement tools. Solutions like Forget Me Not® are designed to bridge the gap between "learning" and "doing." By utilising spaced repetition and microlearning, Forget Me Not® ensures that the seven tactics listed above aren't just one-off initiatives, but sustained behavioural shifts.

Conclusion

The future of learning isn't just about more content; it's about less waste. By adopting Donald Taylor's focus on business alignment and ensuring that knowledge is retained long-term through tools like Forget Me Not®, L&D can finally secure its seat at the executive table.

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