If your learning teams don't calculate return on investment (ROI), can you explain why?

At the end of the day, ROI calculations need to be developed when a program is in the design phase. Trying to back into them only gives you mushy data, and many designers do not consider this when building their programs. I also think validating your measurement parameters with stakeholders is a necessary step.

—Kevin Combs, New York, New York

I get the feeling most organizations do not measure ROI because they don't know how or they simply do not feel their efforts can be adequately measured.

—Clark Bartron, Phoenix, Arizona

Helping stakeholders to identify, agree to, and commit to success metrics.

—Aliyah Heinze-Giardello, San Francisco, California

It seems like a lot of work at first, but as you continue doing it ROI is actually not that complicated.

—Nombuso Ntombela, Johannesburg, South Africa

In real time, on the ground, the environment is way too dynamic for measuring ROI, as it can be largely influenced by factors outside of your training intervention.

—Sagaree Chatterjee, Chennai, India

I would guess some of this falls on the shoulders of L&D professionals and their skill sets, since research from Towards Maturity in the United Kingdom has identified a couple of priority skills gaps that would support ROI calculations. I agree business throws up some barriers, but maybe we do too?—Jack Lockhart, Coventry, West Midlands, United Kingdom