I've spent most of my career in some form of learning, education, development or training function. In business these are all means to an end or to multiple ends. These means are geared toward change (hopefully positive change) to individual behavior.

Performance.

Unfortunately, this word carries a lot of connotations – some of them quite negative – when combined with other words: performance support, performance management, performance review, performance appraisal, performance improvement plan... I think it is important to keep in mind that there is a disconnect between leadership's view of "performance" (a good thing) and an individual contributor's view (maybe scary or threatening). But I digress.

Nevertheless, the business needs employees, managers and leaders to perform. Then the question is what and how do we want them to perform, and why? [I digress again, but Simon Sinek's book Start with Why comes to mind] Then how will we measure and assess current performance, then how will we improve performance. 

All this ought to be considered, defined, and communicated BEFORE designing training programs, development paths, and perhaps even before recruiting or hiring!

That's at the macro / program level. By individual job role, these performance criteria are encoded into a competency model or proficiency rubric or maturity model or development plan.

Once defined, these tools become a blueprint for learning, education, training and development programs. And let's include knowledge management and performance support in there too.