S2:E6 - Proof Beats Completions With Nelson Sivalingam

Learning and Development has a measurement problem.

For years, we’ve relied on data that’s easy to collect — completions, attendance, survey scores — and used it as proof that learning is working. But let’s be honest: none of that tells us whether behaviour changed, performance improved, or if the business actually felt the difference.

In this episode of the Marketing for Learning® podcast, we’re joined by Nelson Sivalingam (CEO of HowNow) to take on one of L&D’s thorniest challenges: how to measure learning in a way that’s meaningful, credible, and actually connected to business performance.

And no, this isn’t just another call to “track ROI.” This is about something much deeper, it’s about shifting the way we think about impact altogether.

In the episode, we explore why learning measurement has become so disconnected from value. Part of the problem? L&D teams are often left trying to retrofit metrics after the fact. A learning programme has already launched, and then someone asks, “so… how will we measure success?”

That’s backwards. Isn’t it?

As Nelson puts it, impact has to be baked in from the start. You need to know what change you’re trying to create, and what evidence will show it’s happening. Only then can you design something that actually drives that change.

We also talk about the importance of aligning with business goals from day one. That doesn’t just mean asking what the business wants people to know. It means asking what they need people to do their jobs well and how learning can support that shift in a measurable way.

This episode is a must-listen for any L&D leader who’s done being asked to “prove impact” with nothing but completion rates and smile sheets in their hands. Because the truth is, you don’t need more data, you need better data.

So stop chasing completions. Start chasing value, and designing for it.

Happy listening friendos! 🍍