In my last blog, I said that my next posting would be an interview with Bob Danna, COO of Bersin Research on HR big data. Due to the craziness of summer vacations in August, Bob and I had to reschedule our interview for September, but be on the lookout for it. August is one of my favorite months of the year: The weather is great; the kids are still out of school; and I also get to watch my favorite sporting event of the year, the US Tennis Open in Flushing Meadows, NYC. I have been there a dozen times. My visit this year to NYC is a post-presentation treat to myself, and I can’t even describe the electricity in the crowd. And as a native New Yorker, it’s even more special. While I’m lucky to actually be at the US Open, IBM is a huge sponsor of the event, and they have a fabulous app that brings fans all the information they need for the two weeks of the tournament. That’s the beauty of mobile technology; it’s flexible, convenient, and appeals to a broad audience. Much like with learning, we all want to receive information different ways. So with regard to analytics, you would think IBM is bringing cool technology to bear, and they are: http://youtu.be/9NElor8LN_U?hd=1. US Open SlamTracker, a real-time stats and analytics visualization platform, is leveraging IBM’s predictive analytics technology to pinpoint three "Keys to the Match" that each player needs to come out ahead. Advanced algorithms analyze more than 39 million data points from five years of Grand Slam tournaments. Served with this historical data, each competitor’s performance styles and patterns are then indexed across the pair’s head-to-head record to generate the top three "Keys" each competitor needs to win. The results are augmented visually with live game stats, giving you a deeper look into the state of play. Imagine the power of being able to generate the top three "Keys" to success for each of your employees based on their individual accomplishments over the last five years as compared to their peer group in similar situations. WOW! So, this week I’ll take a blended learning approach…from my seat in the stands and watching highlights and interpreting trends on my new app. 

Continuous improvement is mandatory to gain competitive advantage and cost savings. However, it is imperative for global companies to innovate in order to survive. So what’s the right mix with the right tools? Continuous Improvement Techniques (CITs) have gone mobile with apps. In manufacturing, such tools consist of one-point lessons, throughput reports, job aids, Gantt charts, process maps, standard operating procedures, clarity assessments, and work instructions. Mobile apps are the continuous improvement training tool of tomorrow’s global leaders. CIT apps can be specific to the thought at the moment or set to the tasks at hand. Yes, apps are a learning tool and mobile apps are the delivery system of the future. Here are seven tips in creating a uniquely identifiable impact with content for mobile apps that will keep your message remembered: Ensure that action images are accompanied with an embedded message. This is the proven methodology behind the spectacular growth in the website Pinterest. Offer a video link of the task being performed or the "best practices" captured from others’ experiences. Insert standard work instructions supplemented with image links in order to manage initial file size. Monitor the access of the information and obtain feedback for improvement ideas. Disseminate tools, tips, and reminders through mobile apps in a time-based frequency manner. Encourage the use of mobile devices as learning devices. Enable ease of cross-enterprise communications via mobile pings - handoff (cross-enterprise) forms with check-the-box and comment sections. For manufacturing, process tools can streamline shift-to-shift communications, especially if a breakdown occurred and a remedy was made or if a potential throughput challenge has been identified. CIT apps, when applied with the proper degree of implementation, can both stimulate continuous improvement methods and serve as an innovation pipeline. Each company needs to carefully balance an approach to the three prongs of innovation (efficiency, sustainability, and disruptive) with a systematic attack to the most crucial being first. Both continuous improvement and innovation go hand in hand, so let’s engage in both. Top-performing global teams engage themselves best based on their passion, knowledge, and expertise. The organizations that are quickest to realize the changing landscape are able to formulate a strategic plan, differentiating themselves through advancing workforce competitiveness, which may lie in their internal capacity to reconfigure, both person and machine, resources in real time.

Many companies are still fighting the leadership "War for Talent." But they are fighting over too few people for too many positions. A better strategy would be to focus on building their leadership talent from within, starting with the solid performers already on the team. Press the play below to listen to the full podcast The War for Talent. Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Have you ever heard, "I know that at some point our company worked on a project similar to this one."? Chances are you have. And typically when this statement comes up, thoughts of wishing that the notes, people, calendars, and artifacts were readily available began dancing in someone’s head. Sadly, however, a lot of organizations do not have the ability to rapidly gather this information together. This could be due to the information being contained in old email messages, file shares, people’s minds, or in some physical archive location. Not to mention, even if the information could be gathered, how do you know that you have a complete record of what occurred previously? And to gather this information would take more work than simply starting from scratch. This past weekend, a friend of my wife’s came over to discuss her upcoming wedding plans. She was a bridesmaid at our wedding and wanted to pick my wife’s brain as to ideas that she could use for her wedding. After all of the squealing and congratulatory words were exchanged, my wife immediately went to the home office to gather all of her notes from our big day. As the discussion progressed, it became very apparent that my wife did not have all of the notes that she was looking for, as was evident by the number of times I was asked questions. Our wedding was a pretty big affair; as such, I had trouble keeping up with all of the moving pieces. As I am in computers and I use SharePoint in my professional life, I decided that this was a major project that needed to have a SharePoint solution implemented if for nothing else than to allow me to keep my sanity. I set up a SharePoint site with the appropriate lists and libraries that I thought I would need to have and then called a meeting with my bride to be and our wedding planner. I went over the purpose of the site and how to use it with them. As a part of our "training session," we uploaded or entered the information that we had at the time. They also had other ideas that they wanted to have incorporated into the site, and we were able to kick off our SharePoint solution.  Through the remaining months of planning for the wedding, we used the site constantly to keep information updated along with discussing different aspects of the wedding. As time went on, the site became pretty large and extensive. After our wedding, I was really pleased when our wedding planner told me that our wedding, though large, was the easiest wedding she had to keep up with. She did not have to wonder if a certain vendor was selected or what the different choices were that we made. Now fast-forward to this past weekend. When I realized that a lot of the small details were forgotten, I logged into the wedding solution, and almost as if by magic, we all were transported back in time to the months leading up the wedding. If the information for the wedding could be scanned or entered into the solution, it was available. We even had all of the email messages that were going back and forth in the appropriate libraries. Needless to say, the questions directed at me were greatly diminished at this point. Although I specialize in using SharePoint to develop solutions to complex problems, the wedding site was really simple. It consisted of a handful of lists and libraries, a discussion board, and calendar. And through using this simple site, we were able to coordinate the details of a wedding, reception, and honeymoon. And if I recall correctly, it only took me about an hour to set up the site along with another 30 minutes of training. And the value of the having the information in the site readily available for my wife to share with her friend allowed her to get a huge jump start on planning her upcoming wedding. In the end as I was reflecting on this, I thought that this is exactly the type of experience that businesses are looking for as well. Traditionally, there may have been paper files scattered throughout the organization or electronic files located in different file shares. In the end, the possibility of not seeing the whole picture always exists. We have to remember that the SharePoint platform is a great resource to use for coordinating the efforts of a current team’s activities. It also continues to pay dividends for organizations as serving as an archive platform.  After all, why start from scratch if you are able to leverage a previous project in order to gain an advantage?

Watch to see  how maintenance reliability and a learning strategy can enable business growth objectives.

Addressing the Craft Skills Trade Shortage: How to Find and Train Talent in Today’s Economy

When you think about compliance training, do you think it’s about knowing something or doing something? Last week, and in previous opportunities to speak on the subject of taking compliance beyond read and agree, I introduced the concept of Performance-Based Compliance Training, or PBCT. This concept is about expecting the learner to go beyond just knowing something. It’s about expecting them to actually do something. The concept of PBCT always brings a lot of questions, not so much about what it is, but more about how you do it. How do you create training that actually results in improved performance? So I challenged the group to do the following: Pick a compliance topic (one that could be a performance improvement opportunity) Determine terminal objective (what you want them to be able to do when they are finished) Develop enabling objectives that have the side benefit of improving job or task performance Think of one creative way to help the learner apply what they have learned (interactivity) If you would like, you can review the recorded webinar by clicking here. I’ll start you off with an example. Say you need to train someone on the topic of how to interact with vendors. You have specific policies and guidelines on this subject, but there can be many gray areas, so it’s just not good enough to tell them that whenever they have contact with a vendor who is related to them, they must report it. They may actually need to be placed in the situation so that they can make the best decisions. Notice how I use the term "best" decision. Not all decisions are completely right or completely wrong, but some are better than others. In the end (note: terminal objective), you want the learner to use his/her best judgment to comply with the policy, and that means you have to enable them (thus, enabling objective) to make that decision in a safe, virtual environment rather than when they are put on the spot in real life. It’s a perfect opportunity for a conversation-based scenario like the one seen here:   We can all benefit from sharing how we would turn a compliance training need into a performance improvement opportunity. Please feel free to post your responses here. Also, stay tuned for our follow-up, with lots more examples using simple tools, at the upcoming webinar Taking Compliance Beyond Read and Agree - Part Two. October 4, 2012 at 2 p.m. ET- Register here: https://gpstrategies.webex.com/gpstrategies/onstage/g.php?t=a&d=254255716 Please share and see you in a couple of weeks.

The other day I heard a news story about the validity (or not) of user reviews on consumer products. To make their point, the reporter interviewed a marketing research expert, and together they profiled hotel reviews on the well-known sites TripAdvisor and Expedia. The question asked of the expert was how the average person can tell if these reviews are authentic, a competitor looking to sabotage, or self-promotion by the establishment. It didn’t surprise me to learn that well-written false reviews are nearly impossible to spot. Recently, I have been engaged in a number of conversations about this topic in relation to the use of user-generated content combined with social technology in the learning space. When it comes to training and user-generated content, the questions are numerous, but the one that is asked by every stakeholder (and supported by their general council office) is the same: How do we ensure that the content published by users is accurate and supports our message? I’ve heard a number of responses to this question, but ultimately it breaks down into two main points: trust the learners and provide strong governance. I find the notion of trusting the learner to be very compelling. On the news report I listened to, the expert’s words of wisdom about verifying accuracy of product reviews included telling savvy readers to look skeptically at reviews that rank a product on the extreme ends of the spectrum, and then cross-check reviews with other sites and sources. The expert assured us that with enough research, we will probably arrive fairly close to the truth of the matter. When it comes to matter of vacations or making dinner reservations, I am motivated enough to take the extra steps needed to verify the accuracy of reviews—especially if it’s for an important event or I’m spending a significant amount. Learners are taking similar steps. When collaborative learning environments provide enough information and input from a variety of roles and positions, we see learners engage with the user-generated content to ensure it is accurate and what they need. Similar to users on consumer sites, the learning community is also providing self-governance of the content, often quickly correcting information or providing additional context or details. Going forward, user-generated content and collaborative learning strategies should deliberately include tactics that will support and encourage this level of learner ownership and involvement.

RWD is now GP Strategies! RWD has adopted the GP Strategies name, logo and tagline. Though they may look different, they are still putting innovative learning strategies and transformative performance solutions into motion as part of GP Strategies. Rest assured - with GP Strategies, you will always find the knowledge and performance your company needs to make a lasting impact in the marketplace. Visit our new solutions page at www.gpstrategies.rwd.com.