It’s no surprise that the L&D world is feeling the impact of the uncertain economic conditions, and budgets are getting closely scrutinised or cut significantly. We talked to an L&D leader in the Chameleon community to hear his take on adapting to changing circumstances.
Michal leads the L&D function at Hind Management, which owns a group of award-winning hotels across New Zealand. Within just one year of establishing the team, he successfully elevated the profile of L&D within the organisation, resulting in them being awarded Team of the Year across all 650 staff. Michal is also the President of HRNZ Auckland, and has worked in HR and L&D for over 20 years across diverse industries such as pharmaceuticals, FMCG, and local government.
Having been through many different cycles of budget planning and cuts, Michal kindly sat down with us to share his insights.
For many L&D teams, budget cuts hit hard. They can arrive unexpectedly, often without much warning, and leaving people scrambling to protect programs, justify spend, and make the case for learning.
But not everyone sees it as a gloom and doom situation.
Michal sees something else in these moments: “refocusing and re-thinking”.
At times of budgets being cut, Michal says he grounds himself and his team by asking them two questions:
For him, budget cuts aren’t just about what gets taken away. They’re an opportunity to reprioritise and put energy behind the initiatives that drive meaningful learning impact. That mindset may feel counterintuitive when everyone else is focused on keeping budgets, but it’s exactly what sets resilient L&D teams apart.
So how does Michal continue to deliver on learning promises when resources are on the line? Here is what he shared with us.
Sometimes, the most strategic thing you can do is simply speak up. And speaking plainly is what Michal advises.
He says that when decisions are being made that affect learning, his role is to bring evidence to the table. Not just opinions, but real examples of what’s working, what’s not, and what will likely happen if programs are changed or cut entirely.
“If I’m not the decision maker; the only thing I can do is influence and show [stakeholders] the impact of their decisions,” he says.
This kind of clarity may feel bold, but it sets expectations and opens up a more productive conversation about tradeoffs.
When budgets are limited it’s tempting to scale back everything, but Michal’s approach is to get creative.
Recently, the L&D team at Hind Management launched a ‘Continuous Improvement Initiative’ on a shoestring budget. Of that, 88% went towards rewards for staff, leaving only 12% for them to deliver something meaningful and impactful.
They called it ‘The Explorers Club’. The goal? To spark innovation by inviting employees to share their ideas for making the business better.
With minimal spend and a clear intention, the initiative tapped into the real-world insights of the staff and gave them a space to contribute. The response was immediate, with people engaging, ideas flowing, and the energy was high. Even in its early stages, the initiative showed promising signs of cultural and business impact.
In just one quarter, they received 45 thoughtful contributions from across the business on ways they could improve restaurant operations, guest experiences, and many other ideas – and some have been implemented internally already, leading to real impact.
So, what should you do when budgets are at risk?
To prove your value, don’t just say your programs work. Show it.
For some leaders, that proof looks like learner feedback and real-world application. But for others, it’s the numbers that speak. The key is to make the connection between learning and business outcomes clear, compelling, and easy to understand.
Tools like Chameleon Analytics can make this easier. Data like completion rates, drop-off points, interaction depth, and repeated attempts at knowledge check questions give stakeholders tangible evidence of how learners are engaging, and whether they’ve understood the content being shared.
With Analytics you can see what is working and what is not, helping teams iterate on content and learning faster.
When you can present both stories and stats, you can change the tone of the conversation.
“When you can demonstrate real value measured in results, in the progress people are making in their skills and competencies, and in the positive feedback, it makes budget conversations far easier. You can point to those achievements and ask: do we really want to risk losing this momentum?” he says.
Budget conversations will never be easy. But if you’re prepared with the right insights, clear expectations, and strong evidence, they can become less about defending learning and more about championing its role in driving the business forward.
That shift in mindset is something every L&D team can benefit from. There are many ways to inform decision-making about trade-offs on budget.
For discussions around eLearning content, you can walk into budget conversations armed with Chameleon Analytics that shows what’s working, why it matters, and where to focus next.