Knowledge of the factors leading to human performance, exemplary job safety and work practices already exist on your plant floor. What if you could easily share the knowledge of your accomplished performers with the rest of your team? Organizations can make the most of their training programs by leveraging the best practices of their high performers to create a sustainable training system based on process guides. In this video, Directors of Performance Improvement for GP Strategies, Bill Moser and John Lapolla, discuss the use of process guides in training programs, including: Standard operating procedures Best practices Job aids Trouble shooting guides

It’s December again, and people often ask how the operations in my workshop are carried out so flawlessly and effortlessly each year. Managing toy-making, gift wrapping, and delivery for kids all over the world is a lot of work, but we ensure that behind the scenes we’ve got the process nailed down so that when December 24th rolls around, things go off without a hitch. About five years ago, we implemented a best-in-class learning management system (LMS). The LMS did so many things for us! We loved it. The elves were able to take much-needed training on how to make all the toys, and we were able to catalog the courses into all the basic subject areas in order for everyone to function correctly in the workshop. These included courses and curriculums such as Woodworking, Locomotives 101, and Advanced Gift Wrapping. Using the LMS to manage and track online and classroom-based training made our learning processes automated and streamlined. Our initial experience with the LMS was wonderful and we felt it met our needs. But as the organization and future roadmap of my workshop operations have evolved, we are now struggling to find ways for the LMS to provide all necessary training. One of the first things we started to realize was that we needed to push out our annual Return Policy compliance training. The elves had to be recertified each year since our acceptance of returns was constantly being revised. However, the LMS couldn’t provide that functionality very well. We just couldn’t quite figure out how to configure the training in the LMS to handle return policy revisions and automated training assignments without resulting in training being pushed out inaccurately. And reporting on the data was an even bigger headache, so we just said, "Forget it." Another challenge with our LMS is due to technology toys. They have really been heavy hitters for us. They’re at the top of almost every child’s list, and since technology products are always changing, the elves need to know more than just traditional toy-making. Training on the most current and up-to-date computer games and smartphones is critical. We are constantly adding new product training to the LMS, but we are really having a tough time tracking and reporting which elves have taken what training. We are seeing duplicates in the reports and aren’t able to filter on certain fields. It’s really quite a mess, and oftentimes the elf managers get so frustrated with reporting that they just ignore the reports and let the elves work on toys however they want—trained or not. So now we have no way of knowing if the elves working in that part of the workshop are capable of handling, for example, the iPhone 6 Plus (never mind that the phone is nearly as big as most of our elves and "handling" it takes on another meaning). External to the workshop operations, we’ve also determined that as some of our reindeer are getting quite old, simply taking the Driver Safety Training online course in the LMS isn’t enough. We need to do more on-the-job training and include an observation checklist while the reindeer go through their annual certification in our test track, ensuring their skills and ability to lead the sleigh are still sharp. Unfortunately, as critical as this training requirement is, the LMS doesn’t provide a way for us to include an observation checklist and track this for the reindeer. Our gift delivery accuracy and timeliness is at risk here! I really think we have a good plan in place with our training, but we need to implement a system that can keep up with our ever-changing needs and ensure we are staying on track year over year. Without a doubt, a new LMS is on my wish list and we are working with a great partner to implement it before the holidays. What? You didn’t think Santa had a wish list? Of course I do! Everyone should!

The holidays are always a busy time at the North Pole and like every year, Santa has been wondering how to ramp up production to prepare for the busiest day and night of the year. Last year was rough; some of the elves were not as productive as they could have been. Some of the toys had manufacturing defects, and then thrown into the mix, Mrs. Claus was pushing to use the new tablets in the North Pole Fulfillment Center to modernize processes. Santa has been stressed to say the least. Time was short. As the Head of Elf Training I knew I had to act fast to get at least some basic processes in place for this year. First, Santa and I had a long conversation, while enjoying some delicious hot chocolate that Mrs. Claus made, about the current state of training. The conversation revealed that currently most of the new elves trained via on-the-job training (OJT), and the ramp-up time for the elves was much longer than Santa would like. He needed them to be ready and productive as soon as possible. I told him we could put some measures in place for immediate improvements using the short time we had available. The conversation brought me to these questions: How could we make the elves more productive? Where did the OJT component fit? Where could we implement and leverage the new technology? I could see some of the stress leaving Santa as I explained there were some things we could do right now to streamline the training while providing assistance to his long-term elves. I knew I was on the right track to help bring the joy back when I saw him smile. The short time frame meant we needed a solution to get new elves up to speed quickly while attempting to smooth out the bumps in production that Santa was dealing with. My suggestions: Communicate the plan. First, Santa would gather all the elves and explain how some small changes would be implemented immediately to save time and effort while making the whole holiday process much less stressful. He would ask for cooperation from all levels to make this change successful and make the holidays bright for all the boys and girls of the world. He would also gather his key elves, the ones he identified as subject matter experts (SMEs) in the processes, and ask them to articulate what a new elf needed to know to be productive so we could document the processes in the simplest terms. A checklist would be generated from this conversation to be used in conjunction with OJT. Use the tablets for eLearning. With many existing source materials we could onboard the new elves with key required quick bites of eLearning using the tablets as the delivery platform. Materials would be sure to cover the basics that the SME elves had identified. Using expert contractors, we could quickly transform this knowledge to a tablet friendly format. The tablets could also be used in the field; for example, we could provide downloadable work instructions for the different toy assembly procedures for use right on the production line to keep errors down. Leverage OJT for new elves. Although OJT had always been the major component of training, it now made sense for OJT to come after new elves had some basic, foundational training via eLearning. We could then team them up with experienced elves for their first days out on the production line. The SME checklist would provide guidance for a leader elf to help them judge if the new elf was ready to tackle assembly independently. I knew I was on the right track when Santa grabbed his belly, looked into my eyes with a twinkle, and chuckled "ho, ho, ho." He asked me jovially, "So tell me, what would you like for Christmas?"    

70:20:10 is a relatively new learning model focused on how adults best adopt and learn things. Although the concepts have been in practice for years, this adult learning model is growing in popularity especially as the workforce itself changes. In a recent webinar, I introduced some of the history of the model and dove into the three primary categories, including: On-the-job or experiential learning Mentoring and coaching Classroom and reading. If you missed the webinar, a recording is now available. But if you’re looking for the Reader’s Digest version, I wanted to offer a quick look at some of the key takeaways we offered: 70:20:10 Model Advantage Learning at the Speed of Business - rapid adoption of new topics allows for more agile workforce development Increased supervisory and managerial support - more informal affords them to perform more JIT style learning Substantial cost savings being realiz 70:20:10 Cost-Effective Strategies Reduction of classroom time Reduction of facilitator’s time Reduction of brick and mortar training costs\increased use of SOJT Integrated learning while performing job/work responsibilities Q: How do you measure the effectiveness of the 70:20:10 model? A: Measurement with training initiatives is often very tricky and subjective. There are a few key business metrics that can supply you with some effectiveness insight: During the session, a number of questions came up, and while we were able to address most of them, we weren’t able to get to all of them due to time. Below are those questions and my best answers. This is an ongoing conversation, and I encourage you to keep the questions coming in via the comments section at the bottom of this page Training Spend - Many organizations observed reductions in their total dollar spends while still providing equivalent or better training. Some documented significant year over year reductions when facilitation costs (per diem too) where reduced while deploying VILT, coaching or SOJT training methods. Participant/ Employee Survey Vehicles - Several organizations received strong positive feedback in annual or periodic employee survey vehicles. Quantified Production Data - Some organizations have been able to track elements such as reduced down time, reduction in waste/scrap, reduction in time to complete tasks etc. This is some of the best data but requires considerable diligence and effort to compile and analyze the data. Q: How do you recommend reinforcing coaching after classroom training? A: In today’s frenetic world the learner needs reinforcement almost immediately or their attention will be distracted and the training moment or opportunity is lost. Line leaders should be prepared to engage learners within hours of completing a session. While that may not be reasonable in all cases as a norm the faster the coaching and mentoring process is initiated the better the odds of the learning transfer is effective and behavioral changes are effected. Q: How do you suggest we train mentors to be effective at training? A: They are already subject matter experts - do not waste their time trying to engage them on their subject matter - focus instead on adult learning principles and assist them in learning how others learn. Explain to them the 70:20:10 learning strategy and then engage them on great instructional techniques, questioning techniques and educating them on best practices in coaching and listening skills. Ensure they have a sense of ownership in the development and growth of the talents they are interacting with. It is also prudent; if you have the luxury, to hand pick your mentors. Just because someone is good at her job does not immediately translate to being a great mentor. Select knowledgeable mentors but ensure they also have high EQ skills and are relatable with their co-workers. Unfortunately there are too many examples of misfires related to poor communication and/or interpersonal skills rather than a lack of knowledge on the subject matter.

The new LMS is settling in well and the elves’ training is starting to show results: Teamwork seems to be improving and much more communication is going on, resulting in less rework and faster completion of projects. Still I felt that we could be doing better. Or to be more precise, I felt like I personally could be doing better. I was frustrated at the lack of progress on the new drone-based delivery system, and I am still getting a lot of pushback from the reindeer crew. After talking to my executive coach on these issues, I do believe I need to take his advice to heart. The problem isn’t with the elves; it’s related to my leadership style. Sure there are things I want to change around here, but since I am not going to be making these changes myself, I need to get better at bringing the elves along with me. That might mean treating them less as green-booted minions and a bit more like sentient beings with their own free will. Four things are missing here at the North Pole to make this a high performing team, or so I am told by my coach. We need to build Community, we need some Authentic leadership, the elves really have to believe in the Significance of what we do, and I need to get them Energized around the whole enterprise. "Think of it this way," said my coach. "You need to build your leadership CASE: Community, Authenticity, Significance, and Excitement." Fair enough. So the first thing I did was get some feedback from the manager elves and shift supervisors. Those folks always have an opinion. So here are my notes, stating where we need to improve. On the Community front, the elves are pretty well bonded. Sure we all feel like one big team focused on one common goal, but silos have emerged ever since the big reorg in 2012. Separating out the building elves from the labeling and shipping side of the house resulted in a lot of performance improvement but has also created some silos. The teams of elves feel like we lost our sense of togetherness, so we should plan some deliberate activities to bring these teams closer together as soon as the big rush is over and things settle down in January. Authenticity might be the most challenging of the four for me personally. I thought everybody knew the big jovial guy in the red suit. After all we had been working together for several hundred years. But while I am told my passion for this enterprise is contagious, the elves want to know more—they want to know why this means so much to me. My coach tells me that sharing a bit more about this system will build trust and help the elves understand why, at times, I get so focused on upping our game. Significance. I guess I took this one for granted. Who wouldn’t think that delighting every girl and boy around the world would be a meaningful and significant task? But it turns out that in the daily work of building, wrapping, and labeling toys, people lose sight of the big picture. So we need to get some of our team reconnected with the purpose of our mission and help them take a pause and appreciate all over again the big change we are making. And as for Excitement, I feel it in my blood. Every year around this time I get pumped up at the idea of getting that sleigh out, revving up the reindeer, and dropping off those presents. Of course, it’s easy for me to forget that for the elves, there is a lot of work to meet their deadline, and then it takes only one night to see another year’s worth of presents fly off into the crisp December sky. And on January 1st, it’s back to planning for the following year. If you look at it from their perspective, it can become a grind. I realize now that it’s easy for me to miss that. As the leader, it’s up to me to make sure we recognize the value that our work provides and create opportunities for all to share in the excitement. Improving my leadership skills will take time and deliberate attention. But, if I set for myself the goal of learning and improving, and if I see this ambition from the perspective of the elves I aspire to lead, I think I have a good chance of making my leadership CASE!

"Well, Mrs. Claus, that just about wraps up another year, and it was a good year, too, don’t you think?" Santa sighed as he settled into his favorite recliner. They sipped their mugs of hot cocoa as they relaxed in front of the roaring fire on the open hearth of their North Pole home. This was Santa’s favorite time of the season—well, next to spreading holiday cheer, of course—sitting back and reflecting on how the season went and starting the planning process for next year. Santa’s operation had sure grown over the years. Every year it seemed to take more and more planning to pull it off with the excellence the kids had come to expect. Santa always did his best thinking in front of a roaring fire with a hot drink in his hand. "Yes," Mrs. Claus chimed in, "it really was a good season. Some of those improvement initiatives we started last year really made a big difference." "What do you think made the biggest difference?" Santa asked. Mrs. Claus replied, "Well, for me, that new LMS was key. Keeping track of all that data in spreadsheets and tables was killing me!" Santa smiled. He knew that Mrs. Claus was the unsung hero of the North Pole’s operation. Without her keeping everything working smoothly, everything would grind to a halt. "I agree," Santa said. "That freed you up to focus more on the production side of things, which really helped." Mrs. Claus added, "Speaking of production, I also think that Role Excellence Profile (REP) we commissioned for the manufacturing elves really made a huge difference. I’d like to expand that to the distribution side. I think we should target at least a 10% improvement in throughput next season." Santa chuckled, "Agreed, but only 10%? We might need even more since our sales distribution channels are doing so much more. The recent focus on sales enablement really paid off." "Yes—almost too well! Omnichannel. Who knew that would make so much difference!" Mrs. Claus laughed along with Santa. She stared into the flames and sipped her cocoa. "So what are you thinking about for next year’s priorities? How bold do you want to go?" "What did you have in mind?" Santa asked. She replied, "You know, making sure we get the most efficient and effective ECM [Elven Capital Management] effort is really starting to become a significant strain. I wonder if there’s an organization with truly global scale and experience to take over the whole operation?" Santa shook his head and looked at Mrs. Claus. "Great minds think alike. I was thinking of a BPO partner as well. We could put the REP work and the focus on outcomes together with the new focus on leadership and coaching. We would have to find a really great partner to work with. One who understands the operation and is willing to roll up their sleeves and work alongside us." Mrs. Claus nodded. "Of course, they’d also have to have some serious cold weather experience. Don’t you know someone at Alyeska? Maybe you could ask who they work with?" "Great idea, I’ll call them first thing next week." They sat looking into the fire. Mrs. Claus got up and refilled their mugs. While she was out of earshot, Santa mused aloud, "She’ll think I’m crazy, but I wonder if that experiment FedEx and UPS are running with making only right turns would work with a sleigh? It might save some wear and tear on the reindeer. I could add it to the list of factors for the new sleigh routing software we’re considering…" Wishing everyone a successful year ahead!

Whether this is your first time to our blog, or you are a repeat visitor, thank you. We are honored that you look to us for information about the latest trends and innovations in learning and development. As we begin another year, we are committed to providing content to help you solve your business challenges and support your goals that will help you achieve ultimate business performance. As we reflect on the changes in the learning industry over the past year and look ahead at the predictions of how it will continue to develop, we are inspired by the dedication of our authors who make staying up to date on the latest information and trends a top priority. As thought leaders, they are the voice and driving force behind our blog.  In case you missed them, here are some of our most read blog posts over the past year: Myth VS. Reality: Setting Your Expectation for Agile Training Development by Matt Donovan 70:20:10 - The Learning Approach for Today’s World by Eric Rodgers North Pole Log: A New LMS Is at the Top of Santa’s Wish List by Katie Wirth What is a MOOC? by Steve Swink Behind the Scenes of a 3D Animator by Sheri Weppel With trending themes such as agile learning, the continued enhancement of mobile applications and training content, MOOCs and leadership development, this is going to be a great year! Our inspiration comes from your comments and feedback, so please continue to let us know what topics, trends, or insights you would like to see more of. We wish you a successful 2015.

Some industry watchers have said that 2014 was the "Year of the MOOC," while others have declared that the Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) is a passing fad. As we’ve kicked off the New Year, it is time to reflect on the influence this trend has had on learning over the past year and discuss where it might be headed in 2015. During the recent GP Strategies™ Learning Trends 2015 series webinar, MOOCs Mania, I took a look ahead into 2015, exploring the top learning trends for MOOCs and providing insights to help make this year more successful, focusing on: MOOC momentum The impact of MOOCs on higher education and corporate learning Maturing MOOCs How MOOCs have been received and evolved Molding the MOOC Assembling hybrid learning experiences Marketing the MOOC If you build it, will they come? During the session, we asked the attendees to tell us what their predictions were for MOOCs in the future, and 52% agreed that MOOCs will forever change corporate learning, which aligns with expert opinions that MOOCs are here for the long run! After the presentation, a number of questions came up, and while we were able to address many of them, we weren’t able to get to all of them due to time. Below are those questions and my best answers. This is an ongoing conversation that will evolve as the year progresses. I encourage you to keep the questions coming in via the comments section at the bottom of this page or join the conversation on LinkedIn and Twitter. Q: Can you help me understand the dynamics of MOOCs? A: MOOC dynamics can vary by their type or design. Early MOOCs were very one directional and lecture-laden. Evolving varieties of MOOCs, such as the Distributed Online Collaborative Course (DOCC), are by design more interactive, leveraging discussion boards, chat rooms, and other collaborative tools. Q: How is a MOOC created? A: Early MOOCs were not much more than videos of lectures or how-to’s posted online. As the MOOC evolved early on, other components like discussion boards came into play. Some companies (vendors) have started to specialize in aggregating and streamlining these resources for others. Having said that, a MOOC may be as simple or complex as your circumstances dictate. Please see the next question and answer regarding how a MOOC is defined. Q: Can you define or give an example of a MOOC? A: One of the best resources to get a basic understanding of MOOCs is Wikipedia, which itself might even meet a loose definition of a MOOC. Once on the site, you’ll see there is ongoing debate around what specifically defines the "Massive," "Open," "Online," and even "Course" components of a MOOC. Q: Are there any good examples of MOOCs that we can access? A: Many, but not all, MOOCs are free and "open" (the second "O" in MOOC) to anyone. If you are interested in tech skills, try searching a MOOC provider like Udacity as a starting point. Coursera and edX are also MOOC suppliers. Q: How is a MOOC facilitated? A: MOOCs—especially those with truly "massive" enrollment—have teams consisting not only of instructors and subject matter experts, but also technical team members who monitor and manage discussion boards, content postings, and assessments. The more collaborative types of MOOCs will actually leverage participants to curate the knowledge they bring to the table and, in some cases, even develop and grade peer-based assessments. Q: Do you feel more and more companies are using or will use MOOCs as a means of replacing traditional ILT or online training, e.g., leadership training? A: In today’s increasingly mobile and connected world, online learning—including MOOCs—will continue to grow. Some companies are already using MOOCs as a means of onboarding new employees. The more collaborative MOOCs will likely be the best platform to develop leaders and create more synergistic learning experiences. Q: Do you have any recommendations of a basic MOOC to try for the sake of a positive experience? A: Find a topic that interests and even inspires you. An ongoing challenge for MOOCs is being all things to all people. Like most learning experiences, engagement is driven by recognizing the WIIFM ("What’s In It For Me?). Use a search engine or a MOOC provider such as Coursera or edX to locate the topic that excites and engages you. Q: Is it possible to customize the content by just selecting pieces that are relevant for an organization? A: Some MOOC suppliers are willing to do this, sometimes with some sort of fee involved. But the point you bring up here is probably a significant contributor to MOOCs’ abysmal completion rates. Many participants will join a MOOC to "window shop" and cherry-pick the pieces of knowledge they feel they need before moving on and out of the MOOC. Q: How can I learn to create a MOOC-based course, or do I have to contract a company specializing in doing this? A: Creating a MOOC generally involves assembling and streamlining existing content and technologies. There are several vendors that have built platforms and have developed expertise and streamlining components on those platforms. Some organizations use a combination of "do-it-yourself" assembly using internal resources and partnering with vendors. Q: What is the minimum audience to justify a MOOC? A: This depends on two factors. First, how does your organization define "massive"? One variety of MOOC is called the Small Private Online Course (SPOC), which may typically only have around 50 learners per cohort. Secondly, like any business project, consider the end goal of your investment and run a cost/benefit analysis. Is the payoff (knowledge, increased productivity, better product or service, etc.) going to justify the investment in development, maintenance, and tracking of the learning initiative (whether it be a MOOC or another delivery method). Q: Does GP Strategies itself provide MOOCs and have any of GP Strategies’ outsourcing clients adopted MOOCs as part of its blended learning methods? A: GP Strategies offers a Virtual Events Platform, which a major software company recently leveraged to deliver both synchronous and asynchronous learning to employees around the world. We’re also working with a number of clients on innovative learning initiatives that include some or all of the MOOC components we discussed. If you’re considering implementing a similar initiative, please contact us and we’ll be happy to discuss ideas and strategies. Join us for the next sessions in our Learning Trends 2015 Series: Portability - Meeting the Training and Information Needs of a Mobile Workforce Predictive Personalization Visual Learning - A Picture Is Worth an Hour of Training  

In fall of 2013, disaster hit as an explosion injured 1,000 people and pushed a southern state’s hospital network to the brink with patients suffering shrapnel injuries, burns and amputated limbs. Fortunately for all involved, it was just an emergency response simulation and GP Strategies was there to help them test their disaster surge plans and preparedness.

Companies are faced with an ever-increasing remote workforce. Additionally, the pace of business is hastening every day and the volume of knowledge that individual performers need to master to serve your customers is exploding more than ever before. Mobile isn’t just about how to best utilize the latest smartphone; it’s about "portability" and end user performance. It’s more than merely pushing content from previously designed formats and providing just one more medium of communication to an already over-communicated workforce—it’s about changing how information and content are designed and used. During the recent Learning Trends 2015 webinar, Portability: Meeting the Training and Information Needs of a Mobile Workforce, I explored three key takeaways. First, ensure you are solving the business need first and foremost: Is training or information the right answer? Or should you provide an app that incorporates the workflow directly? Next, analyze your personal and consumer life: Do you find yourself shifting your habits due to the convenience of portability? Are you watching your favorite show on the deck via tablet because you can, or are you watching an instructional video on YouTube while in the basement trying to light the pilot light because you have to? Your employees need the same portability options, even if they aren’t truly considered part of the "mobile" workforce. And finally, do your homework. Portability has a lot to do with authoring/publishing content to allow consumption from many different devices and locations. The tools and technologies are progressing, but there is no silver bullet, so you have to research, test, and plan to create the best environment for your audience. During the session, we asked the attendees if their organization has a BYOD policy that allows access to sensitive content on non-corporate devices and/or away from the corporate network. Attendees responded as follows: 56% said their organizations do have policies, 24% do not, and 20% were unsure. We discussed how truly portable society is becoming and how phones and tablets have surpassed laptops and desktops as the primary point of connectedness around the globe. If you don’t have a BYOD policy today, you will soon (or your employees will have an unofficial one…). After the presentation, a number of questions came up, and while we were able to address many of them, we weren’t able to get to all of them due to time. Below are those questions and my best answers. This is an ongoing conversation that will evolve as the year progresses. I encourage you to keep the questions coming in via the comments section at the bottom of this page or join the conversation on LinkedIn and Twitter. Q:  What types of content work well for mobile delivery? A:  Clearly, video is hugely popular on mobile devices and works well across all devices. Visualization, as opposed to plain text, has also proven to be a better way to communicate information. However, there is plenty of data that also suggests that podcasts are popular for individuals who travel and/or drive. As always, content should be short, succinct, and integrated with an overall training/communication program. Q:  How do you track who has viewed "portable" content? A:  Many organizations use their existing LMS to track content that needs to be tracked. The move toward the experience API (xAPI - http://www.adlnet.gov/tla/experience-api/) is where you want to start thinking about tracking if the LMS isn’t the right solution. Additionally, there are several communication/training tools in the marketplace that work well with mobile distribution and tracking of content: See Ancile uAlign (http://www.ancile.com/products/ualign-software/overview)and Qstream (http://qstream.com). Q:  What are the best ways to deliver content to mobile devices securely? A:  The first step in the security arena is to partner with the IT organization and fully understand what policies are in place and/or evolving and what infrastructure is being enabled. The second step is to leverage that infrastructure completely—not only for the security, but also to streamline the L&D efforts and maximize the IT investments/efforts. Most organizations are on their way to enabling mobile device management processes that securely furnish content and apps for both corporate-owned and employee-owned (BYOD) devices. Q:  What about accessibility concerns? It is nearly impossible to read closed captions on small screens. A:  Accessibility continues to be a moving target for the mobile web and devices. While there is significant recognition and considerable efforts underway, the mobile device, in general, is still far behind when it comes to accessibility—especially in the multi-impairment category—it is prudent to leverage the best practices that have evolved with the web and learning content. Device manufacturers are incorporating more and more accessibility features over time, and your content needs to leverage those, but as you do your audience analysis and planning, you will still need to ensure accommodations are made in terms of alternative/augmented presentations when necessary. Join us for the next sessions in our Learning Trends 2015 series: Predictive Personalization Visual Learning - A Picture Is Worth an Hour of Training  

In any given organization, the learning and training needs of each team and individual are unique to their goals and job functions. In 2014, there was a lot of focus on personalizing training content to the needs of the learners. But much like Amazon predicting shopping habits of buyers, is it possible to predict what type of learning needs to anticipate? During the recent Learning Trends 2015 webinar, Predictive Personalization, I explored how organizations are using predictive analysis and other tools in marketing and sales to provide a personal experience and the potential applications for learning and performance. After the presentation, a number of questions came up, and while we were able to address many of them, we weren’t able to get to all of them due to time. Below are those questions and my best answers. This is an ongoing conversation that will evolve as the year progresses. I encourage you to keep the questions coming in via the comments section at the bottom of this page or join the conversation on LinkedIn and Twitter. Q:   What are the downsides of this technology? A:   One of the key challenges for predictive personalization is the collection of data about learners and performers, who "owns" that data, and how that data is used to reinforce/drive their behaviors. Q:   What is the cost of some of these initiatives? A:   The costs vary by technology, but the price structure in general is quite affordable. For example, packages of beacons could be purchased for less than a $100. Q:   How do you connect personalization with performance support? A:   The opportunities are rich. The nature of predictive personalization allows us to, better than ever, deliver information and instruction at the point of performance, whether that is a physical location, a point in a process, or a point of performer progression in solving a problem. Q:   Can you give an example of how this info is collected from learners in an organization? A:   Take a new employee onboarding experience, for example. Throughout the experience we can collect data about physical places they have explored, for example, company museum or credit union; critical dialogues they have had within their peer network; and their perception of those events through quick a rating system and qualitative feedback (stars, likes, etc.). From that data, companies can promote offerings other like-minded individuals found relevant. Join us for the next session in our Learning Trends 2015 series: Visual Learning - A Picture Is Worth an Hour of Training

If a picture is worth a thousand words, it is easily worth an hour of training. As the time available for training continues to diminish, organizations need to be creative in how information is communicated to learners. An innovative solution to teaching a challenging project is to use visual learning, or communicating through images and video, instead of traditional training methods. While many sessions have focused on interactivity and the benefits of sound in training, few have focused on how visualization of concepts can increase attention and transfer of knowledge. During the recent Learning Trends 2015 webinar, Visual Learning - A Picture Is Worth an Hour of Training, we started by polling our audience for their preferred learning styles. This is what we discovered: We explored the benefits of considering visual learning and demonstrated six examples of visual learning in practice. Infomercial: This training modality is a short, animated video incorporating graphics, sound, and text to communicate a message. Think of this as a moving infographic. Video: Live-action video can be used to present a message that might normally be communicated through email or town halls. To maximize effectiveness, use a green screen to combine this modality with an infomercial. Audiocast: While this modality may seem out of place, an audiocast can include imagery for the learner to view while listening to the script. This is a lower cost option to a video or infomercial. Quick Reference Card: A quick reference card is a static job aid that uses graphics to convey information. Challenge yourself to create an image that gets your message across instead of tables and text. 3D Animation: There are times where we want to have our learners see a piece of equipment or a scenario that is challenging to accomplish in person. 3D animation allows us to create that experience while showing the learner multiple viewpoints simultaneously. Infographic: When creating charts and graphics, consider a more creative approach to data by using images and colors to convey information. After the presentation, a number of questions came up, and while we were able to address many of them, we weren’t able to get to all of them due to time. Below are those questions and my best answers. This is an ongoing conversation that will evolve as the year progresses. We encourage you to keep the questions coming in via the comments section at the bottom of this page or join the conversation on LinkedIn and Twitter. Q:  What tools are available for creating the types of communications you’re talking about? A:  There are a variety of tools that can be used to create the different types of communications. For the examples we discussed, the following tools were used. While we use mainly the professional suites, I am also including some free or low-cost solutions that you could leverage as well. Q:  Is there any science behind the four-minute durations? A:  While there is a lot of science around learner attention and bandwidth, I derive my recommendations from other factors. Comparing the duration of a video on Instagram (15 seconds) and the typical duration of a commercial on television (90 seconds) to the duration of a typical section of training (5 minutes), I find the optimal duration of training to be 4 minutes. The key is to drive training into short segments that can be completed in that timeframe. A key tip is that most people will want to hit the fast forward button after that first minute, so try to make your big impact in that timeframe just in case. Q:  What tools did you use to produce the video and the infomercial? A:  The video and infomercial were both produced with Adobe AfterEffects. Adobe Flash is another great alternative. For newcomers to this type of production, VideoScribe offers an easy-to-use alternative. Be sure to save your files as movies to ensure that they play on all mobile devices. Q:  What do you recommend for learners who aren’t visual learners? A:  I recommend for all training solutions that we consider all types of learners with each solution. In most of the examples, we included a visual aspect and audio in the form of music or narration, and we kept the modules very short to accommodate for the decreased interactivity for our kinesthetic learners. Q:  Is there a way to combine the different types of visual learning? A:  Absolutely! In both the infomercial and the video examples, we included infographics, infomercials and videos in a single solution! Q:  What is the (potential) role of interactivity? A:  There should always be the potential for interactivity, or the solution needs to be kept below the four-minute recommended threshold. An interactive PDF is a way to make an infographic engaging by allowing the learner to interact with the diagrams to learn more information. Q:  Which websites do you recommend for best practices on infographics, including free assets/downloads? A:  There are three tools available that include best practices and templates for creating infographics: https://venngage.com/ http://www.easel.ly/ http://piktochart.com/ Q:  How do you incorporate Twitter into a session like this? A:  In our corporate webinars, we tweet out key points throughout the presentation. We encourage all of you to continue the conversation by retweeting and responding with questions. If there is interest, we could also run one of our live tweet events where at a set time we can continue the conversation via Twitter. Q:  How do you balance short with impactful? If it’s too short, it might not be meaningful, memorable or impactful. A:  The key is in the design. When creating a product, first determine what your goal is. For example, if you have a new application rolling out in your organization that will allow your employees to be more effective at their job, make sure that all your graphics, imagery and animation convey that message. This will ensure you can quickly make your impact even in a short period of time. Q:  Visual learning seems like it’s meant to be parts of larger programs or as a standalone for high-level information only. Is that accurate? A:  Not necessarily, however, those are two really excellent uses for these types of training. These modalities can be used to introduce concepts as a part of a change management communication or for remediation. But also consider your yearly training as well. When you look at your 30-minute course on ergonomics that you are required to deploy, should it take the user 30 minutes to complete that, or would one of these methods be a different way to get your compliance message across your organization? What about an infographic of an office environment pointing to the different areas of focus instead? Q:  What is the most common size for infographics? A:  The same principles apply to infographics as they do in eLearning. Try to keep your infographic to monitor or mobile phone size (600 x 1024). Q:  What is your experience in overcoming client resistance to the status quo, which is often text-filled PowerPoint slides? A:  We often recommend a phased approach. For example, you can create the infomercial or infographic to communicate the message and have the text-filled PowerPoint presentations available for download for more information. For more data to overcome your client resistance, track the hits or downloads on the PowerPoint to see if the visual learning is achieving your goal. Q:  Can we see the examples again? A:  Actually, yes! Many of our examples are available on YouTube: Video: The Craft Skills Crisis https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2E3niI3LvXk Infomercial: The Planning and Scheduling Game https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2z-VVeD8hU Infographics: GP Strategies Annual Report 2013 (Page 2) http://investors.gpstrategies.com/secDocs/AnnualReport2013.pdf It was a pleasure to have spent virtual time with you all. Maybe next week we can get together for a quick game. Please continue the conversation next week when I present Gamification: A Practical Approach to Increase Engagement and Problem-Solving Skills.

In this post, I’ll share a few ideas for building knowledge checks into a virtual instructor led training (VILT) session. Knowledge checks can serve several purposes. Just as in a live classroom, knowledge checks help learners process and apply the information they’ve learned in class. They also give the instructor some feedback about what learners may not understand clearly enough. In a VILT setting, knowledge checks also provide a vital opportunity for learners to engage with the instructor. Knowledge checks can be closed-ended questions with a limited set of responses, or they can be open-ended questions that allow learners to generate ideas and stimulate discussion. When there are only two options If you have a true/false question or a question with only two options, you can get feedback using the same technique you would to do a mood check. If the meeting software supports seat colors, ask learners to change their seat color (to red or green for instance) to indicate their answer to a question. If the meeting software doesn’t support seat colors but has a raise-hand feature, you can ask learners to raise their hands if they agree. If neither the seat color nor the raise-hand feature is available, you could ask learners to type Y or N in the IM window, or mark the whiteboard with a red X or green check. This approach is useful because it’s quick and can also add an interactivity type for variety. Multiple choice polls for closed-ended  We’re all familiar with multiple-choice polls, and meeting software provides some nice feedback features that you may not have in a live classroom. Depending upon the meeting software product, the instructor may be able to prepare the polls ahead of time, but some software supports only on-the-fly polls. If the meeting software supports only on-the-fly polls, be sure to keep the question and answers as brief as possible because the instructor will be typing while the class waits. When a poll is used for a knowledge check, suggest that the instructor NOT display results until most people have answered because learners will tend to choose the most popular answer. Once most learners have responded and polls are displayed, everyone can see the percentage of the class that chose each answer. That’s a nice feedback point for learners to see where they fit and for the instructor to note if a lot of learners are confused. Polls usually support only one choice per learner, so you may not be able to ask multiple-response questions using a poll. Indicate your choice with a stamp  If the meeting software supports a stamp annotation, you can create interesting multiple-choice or multiple-response questions using slide graphics for your knowledge check. Create a graphic with multiple images, columns, rows, or boxes, and have learners indicate a preference by stamping one or more. This is a good choice when you want to ask a multiple-response question because you can have learners stamp their top two or three choices. If the system will not support stamping on slides, you may have to set up a whiteboard ahead of time with divider lines and text. The following image shows a PowerPoint slide that has been set up to be used as a whiteboard that learners can stamp or type on. Not all products will support this method. This next image shows a whiteboard that was set up and saved ahead of time using simple lines and text annotations in Lync. Whiteboard for open-ended responses If you have a large group, and having a verbal two-way discussion isn’t reasonable, you can get a similar free-form response using whiteboards with open-ended questions. Here is an example of whiteboard feedback and how it can provide more open-ended information than a poll.  The whiteboard provides a place where learners can type or draw. The instructor should tell learners to use their text tool (and describe where it is located in the meeting software). Sometimes learner responses will overlap each other on the whiteboard, so it can be helpful to tell the instructor how to select and move responses on the page to line them up more neatly. Advise the instructor to read off answers and comment on the most popular or most interesting ones, and then thank everyone for their responses. The whiteboard can be extended by asking learners to put a stamp next to responses that they like best, or you can follow up with another whiteboard that drills into the results with more depth. With some meeting software, you can get the same effect by inserting a blank slide into the PowerPoint deck, perhaps with a question typed across the top. Learners can annotate in the blank space. Double check the software because some products, such as Lync, only provide annotation tools when an actual whiteboard is opened. When all you have is voice There may be times that, because of software limitations or regulations, learners will not have access to some of the interactivity features. It is still possible to involve learners in the VILT session by having them interact with the instructor verbally. Audio can work well if the instructor presents a scenario, poses a question, and then calls on specific learners by name to answer the question verbally. The instructor could also call on individuals to read scripts or lists aloud to the class. Be careful not to use reading aloud too frequently. If all of the text for the class is on the slide and the learners are reading the whole course, then you might as well send out the deck and spare the instructor. Another way to involve learners is to have them look up something on their own or write down their own responses, and then share their findings with the class verbally. Using the audio method to check knowledge can feel more like a live classroom, but it does have some drawbacks as well. Two-way audio can limit the instructor’s control. Especially with a short class; it can throw off the timing if learners jump in with questions. Of course, this is also true in a live classroom. Finally, audio requires the instructor to limit participation to one learner at a time. Using built-in software tools for knowledge checks allows all learners to participate at the same time, which is more engaging. These are just some ideas for how to work knowledge checks into a VILT session. You can probably think of others. The important thing is to use knowledge checks to make VILT a real learning experience that is different from a recorded video or webinar experience. Please share Have you seen any knowledge checks work especially well or fall flat?

As a growing global learning provider, we are passionate about helping people and processes perform better. For nearly fifty years we’ve delivered impactful performance improvement solutions for a variety of clients. Over time we have expanded our service offerings to address the complex needs of today’s organizations. Our managed learning services include repeatable programs and processes to make knowledge transfer more efficient and cost-effective. Our sales solutions emphasize rich experiences to foster sales and customer loyalty. Finally, our organization and leadership development programs foster corporate alignment and employee engagement. Discover how our diverse client base has leveraged impressive results with our custom designed services and programs.  

Predictive Learning. 70-20-10. Gamification. MOOC. These are among the buzzwords in the learning industry today. Which, if any of these, creates or leverages a truly synergistic learning experience? Wikipedia defines synergy as "the creation of a whole that is greater than the simple sum of its parts." In Stephen R. Covey’s classic The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, the sixth habit is "Synergize." In its simplest form, every successful learning experience where two or more people gather or interact creates some level of synergy. Everyone, including the instructor, learns from one another and all leave the experience more enriched for having participated. But can (or should) learning be designed and facilitated with synergy being an integral part of the experience? Many learning experiences are simply knowledge or skills transfer, with an expert directing novices towards new levels of achievement. Creative designers and facilitators will design and facilitate team activities to leverage group dynamics. This creates one basis for synergy—but how can that synergy be captured, channeled, and catapulted to yield exponential payoffs? There are three primary areas designers and facilitators can focus on to achieve this return: content, curation, and cultivation. A fourth "C" that should thread through the previous three Cs is "collaboration." Content Content should be more than a simple "data dump" where an instructor or web lesson pontificates knowledge and resources. Lessons and activities should be mutually interactive and encourage participation and collaboration among learners wherever possible. Building in this collaboration will help to drive synergy. Be careful, though, that activities are not so rigidly designed as to restrict or inhibit the unique group dynamics that will emerge as the training event progresses. To allow these dynamics to "bloom" in a productive and synergistic way, it’s better to plant seeds instead of trees when weaving content into the delivery plan. Offer a framework, but not a specific mandate, for collaboration. Encourage participants to suggest and modify group activities where appropriate. This not only increases buy-in among participants, but it also gives facilitators and designers an opportunity to learn from the learners and generate more productive outcomes. Curation Curation of collaborative participant contributions and insights should be done in such a way as to ensure both relevance and accuracy. The balancing act and challenge of effective curation is encouraging collaboration while filtering out erroneous and extraneous information. When curating information from collaborative activities, event leaders should be sensitive to remaining inclusive and encouraging when soliciting information and resources. Some degree of "self-policing" by participants will also help minimize any impressions of favoritism by the instructor that might arise as the learning advances. Employing polling among the participants can give insights into which information nuggets, job aids, or other resources the group finds most beneficial, while the instructor, subject matter expert, or other training leaders will be charged with ensuring the accuracy and relevance of the resources submitted by the group. Cultivation The purpose of successful cultivation in learning is much the same as it is in farming—to ensure high yields with minimal waste. The "harvest" of the learning event should not only yield increased knowledge and skill levels among the attendees, but also living and growing performance support systems as well as a "seed crop" of resources and learning insights that training leaders can employ in future sessions. Cultivating collaboration—especially ongoing collaboration—is much like cultivating crops—a cyclical and ongoing process. This is where Covey’s seventh habit of "Sharpen the Saw" comes into place. Leverage the knowledge of experts, value the insights of peers, and proactively (Habit 1) solicit the experiences of participants to grow dynamic, rewarding, and truly synergistic learning events and experiences. Continuing the Conversation Let’s make this post synergistic with an active and ongoing discussion. What have you learned from your learners? What collaborative methods have worked best for you in creating two-way or even 360-degree learning? Post your thoughts, comments, and ideas here, or tweet to @gpcorp using the hashtag #trainforward.

Innovations in core HR over the past few years have made many new, world-class human capital management (HCM) solutions available. As a result, organizations are increasingly adopting and integrating the talent management modules these product suites offer, paving the way for more complexity and advancements in the field of talent management. External enablement, talent development and retention, and compliance are just some of the objectives organizations are now seeking to address. Even Gartner has responded to this shift—they have not provided a Magic Quadrant for corporate learning systems since 2011. Instead, they have looked holistically at talent management suites to plot leaders in the marketplace. While the goals of organizations certainly span the entire talent management spectrum, learning continues to be the leader and still has the strongest influence. Learning acts as a key connection point for talent management and all related processes by linking training with performance objectives or enabling employees as part of a formal succession plan. It is the engine that drives virtually all other HCM processes. Because of that, it is important that leaders within learning and training organizations ensure the LMS gets the focus it needs now more than ever. After all, the LMS is a cornerstone of HCM strategy because learning is so ubiquitous throughout the talent management process. If your learning strategy is strong and well-aligned, it will affect performance and goals, succession, and other talent processes. Consider the following best practices to ensure you’re leveraging your LMS optimally this year: Determine how learning can be incorporated into all aspects of your organization’s talent management strategy and use it! Even if you don’t have a full talent management suite or have not yet formally integrated your LMS with existing talent management modules, you can still utilize learning to support the complete employee lifecycle, from recruiting and engagement through succession and transition. Find a way to support the talent management processes by way of curricula and programs (like new hire training) in the LMS, take advantage of reporting capabilities to obtain details for performance reviews, and use MOOCs to find and onboard new employees. Ensure your processes are defined, aligned and accurate before implementing, upgrading, migrating or expanding functionality. Too often, the momentum that comes with moving forward on a new organizational learning initiative can result in important steps being skipped. While it’s easy to get caught up in the excitement that comes with changes like a new system or a strategic integration, jumping in without laying the foundation for "process" can lead to misalignment. This might not be obvious from the start (although sometimes it is), but not having processes defined and documented for your systems will lead to inconsistency and a lack of necessary structure and governance to keep them running efficiently and effectively. It is often assumed that everyone within an organization fully understands these processes; and while many key players and stakeholders have some level of understanding of business processes and how they are implemented in systems, rarely do all involved understand all the processes, how they interact, and how they align with talent management objectives. Leverage social learning. While there is a lot of attention paid to formal talent management processes, social learning is one of the most powerful tools that organizations can utilize when engagement and performance improvement are the goals. Social tactics put learning in the hands of the learners. In fact, executed successfully, the learner will not even realize that they are learning, even though the result of their interaction with the social learning offering will leave them armed with new information or skills. With blogs, videos, collaboration tools and social media like Yammer and Twitter, learning can be engaging and relevant to an individual when they need it. Providing an informal learning environment also supports the needs of younger generations entering the workforce that have expectations around flexibility and interaction. As you proceed with your 2015 talent management strategy, ask yourself some key questions. Is the LMS the centerpiece of your strategy?  Is it shaping the decisions being made across your organization?  Is it being included as a key factor when you’re working with other talent management phases?  If your answer to any of these questions is no, you may want to see how you can leverage or integrate your LMS to provide the best value for your organization.

Let’s bring the art back into training with some creativity in how we think about design. All too often we get bogged down with the content or the deadline that we limit our creativity to a pretty header bar and some flashy navigation buttons. But if we take the time to focus on four key areas, we can bring some creativity back to our training solutions. This blog post will give you some ideas of how to be creative about your content, templates, interactions, and assessments. CONTENT What you have to say is important, so don’t just dive into the content. Take a step back and look at the overall message you are looking to convey. What is it that you want the learner to get out of this training? Not just the specific bits of knowledge, but what are the abstract ideas? Do you want them to feel connected? Do you want them to feel like they are on a journey? Consider those themes as you develop your objectives, section breaks, and transitions. Objectives don’t have to be formal; they can be something that helps engage the learner. For example, if you are creating a change management piece, consider a travel theme. Maybe your objectives become destinations, and your section breaks become postcards or roadside attractions to focus your learner on the journey. Consider the feeling you want the learner to have and apply that to how you present your content. TEMPLATES When you create your templates, think carefully about your color scheme, graphics, and interface that you use. Colors can be warm and welcoming, or can put people off. It’s not always necessary to stick with corporate branding. Much like decorating a home, sometimes you can find an inspiration graphic that can guide your creativity. If your color scheme or theme doesn’t look good, nothing else will. Use the colors and graphics styles consistently throughout your training, from the accent text to the navigational buttons. This will help immerse the learner in the training to keep them engaged. Think about your theme when you create your navigational buttons. If you’re on a journey, maybe your navigation can look like the navigation in a car to keep the learner immersed. INTERACTIONS Clicking the next button is SO 1999. This is where your creativity should kick into high gear. We want to keep the learner engaged and active during the module. This should not be limited to just clicking on items on the screen to display more information. How can you take the content and create an activity, a scenario, or a mini-game? Interactions are where your creativity is limitless. If you’re on a journey, have them collect souvenirs along the way to give the learner motivation to continue. Consider small games or activities, like roadside attractions, to allow the learner to work through the content. ASSESSMENTS But it’s not all about fun; we need to make sure that they learned something, right? Actually, the fun doesn’t have to stop for the assessments. Consider mini-games for learning checks and scenario-based activities. Maybe all of those items that they gathered along the way become a part of the end of course assessment as they drag each item to its correct location. Remember that this is your last chance to impart knowledge as well, so include feedback and distractors that will help drive the points home for the learner before they leave the learning experience. In closing, there are many ways to bring creativity back to training. The four takeaways are to: Review your content before you begin to develop a theme to engage the learners. Create templates to be consistent and in alignment with your theme. Create engaging interactions to keep the learner active throughout the experience. Create fun and engaging knowledge checks at optimal intervals.  

Let me paint you a scenario: You are accountable for the safe, reliable, and environmentally responsible operation of a fleet of power plants. Your day-in and day-out responsibilities focus directly on achieving the key performance indicator (KPI) targets that are important to your organization, and that includes ensuring all employees are provided with the proper technical training to do their job safely and effectively. Your workforce is mixed with different locations, work cultures, capability levels, and job experience. Some workers are new hires and some are experienced journeymen, and your job is to make sure employee training is streamlined across your entire fleet. Easier said than done in most cases. What are your traditional options in order to deliver effective, high-quality technical training that is cohesive and organized across your entire organization? Typically the options are as follows: Do everything on your own; offer several train-the-trainer sessions internally to make sure each trainer at each site is following the same "mold." Outsource this training to provide site-specific, instructor-led training from a selected vendor to administer to your employees. Both options would work, but let’s face it; they are typically expensive and time consuming. Additional costs required to dedicate employees to traditional classroom training include time off the job, overtime pay, lost production time, material costs, and more. There is another answer that seems to be getting much attention these days, especially with the advancements of commonly used technology in most organizations. The answer could be virtual instructor-led training (VILT). VILT isn’t a new concept, but with recent advancements to popular meeting tools like WebEx, Adobe Connect, GoToMeeting, and the like, VILT has become an extremely effective and increasingly popular solution. This solution could be used to provide technical training across an entire fleet at a fraction of the financial and time cost of traditional classroom delivery methods. Properly developed and delivered VILT can be extremely engaging, and it offers many of the same elements that traditional classroom training offers, including instructor-trainee interaction, company-specific scenarios and incidents, and practical exercises designed to drive home relevant concepts. VILT can offer valuable interaction between students and instructor across great distances and can help to streamline the message across your organization. VILT also offers opportunities for student-to-student interactions to share best practices and the availability of company resources. There are four key aspects crucial for successful VILT deployment: Instructor and Facilitator - They need to be engaging and personable, and need to win the audience’s attention and respect. The facilitator acts as the "gatekeeper" and helps to enhance the instruction by engaging the students through monitored polling questions and keeping the instructor on pace. Content - Just like any training, VILT needs to be set up with proper instructional design in mind. The engagement factor of students needs to be valued at all times. Proper interaction throughout the use of graphics, animations, short video clips, polling questions, whiteboard activity, surveys, and open and closed questions should be included for value add to the message, not just a temperature reading on the audience but providing actual educational significance. Software - The tool used to present the training needs be user-friendly. This is critical for your organization to understand the culture, what tools are supported and used regularly, and students’ level of comfort with this technology. Trainee - Of course with any technical training the level of experience of each student needs to be understood. What are their computer skills and are Internet and computer access attainable resources? Where are the students located? These seem like basic questions; however, consideration of each is a must for success. VILT can be a powerful, cost-effective solution at almost any organization if properly planned and blended into existing hands-on training. This option is taking on the training industry by storm with new ways to engage the learner. Through a thoughtful delivery and by using the right tools and resources, VILT can be successful.

Every year, Deloitte surveys HR leaders worldwide to gauge what is keeping them up at night. The recently published report, Deloitte Global Human Capital Trends 2015, reminds us of the large trends affecting our work lives: globalization, the omnipresence of technology and social media, the 24/7 nature of work, demographic changes and our shifting needs as employees. The top challenges that emerge in this environment have remained roughly the same for several years: leadership, culture and employee engagement top the list, followed by learning and development and the need to "reinvent HR." Overhauling traditional performance management approaches and making better use of data and technology round off the list. It will not come as a surprise that, of all these top issues, leadership is the one organizations feel the least prepared to address. While respondents to Deloitte’s survey give leadership an importance rating of 78%, the readiness rating is only at 42%. Ice and Snow It is interesting to see that on balance, HR and business leaders will rate engagement and culture as on par rather than leadership in terms of importance. This is like saying the symptom is as important as the cause. To try and separate leadership from culture and engagement is like trying to divide ice from snow. If leaders are not engaging those around them to deliver on business priorities, and in doing so building a culture of high performance, then what are they up to? Poor engagement and dysfunctional culture are the byproducts of poor leadership. Leaders, as the saying goes, "get the culture they behave" and culture in turn "eats strategy for breakfast." You cannot address one without the other. Individual Performance For the majority of the workforce today, employers are looking for more than just cranking the handle and getting the job done. The expectation is that each individual will also contribute ideas, make day-to-day judgment calls and continue to learn and develop. Ultimately, culture is the collective sum of individual behaviors and each individual can make an impact. We believe every individual is looking for work that is interesting to them, meaningful in its impact and look for jobs that achieve the right work-life balance for them personally. With this assumption in mind, helping people get engaged with the goals and strategy of the organization means empowering and coaching them to higher levels of satisfaction at work while also aligning and coaching them to higher levels of performance. This is the key to achieving—and sustaining—high levels of employee engagement. Retention Concerns Employee engagement is often directly associated with retention, and the two are very closely correlated. But being engaged is not a complete guarantee that an employee will stay. Today in the US the number of layoffs has been steady at 1.2% since early 2013.[1] The number of people quitting on the other hand is steadily rising and now stands at 2%. This increased workforce mobility should be a concern to employers: While paying people more money or providing more workplace perks may keep them for a while, a much cheaper and longer-term strategy would be to focus on creating a workplace that they want to be part of. Again, this is the product of focused and deliberate leadership. Performance Management Overhaul Over the last year, we have seen an acceleration of a trend highlighted in the Deloitte report: Organizations are keen to find an alternative to the traditional performance management process. Most organizations agree that the traditional "rank and rate" performance management approach does not work, but few alternatives are put forward. When new research in neuroscience demonstrated how counterproductive these annual sessions were, many CEOs asked, "What would be the impact if we just stopped doing performance management altogether?" The answer: very little. Those organizations that dropped the practice (or in some cases pared it back significantly) found that it took a lot of stress out of the system and saved a lot of time and energy. Next, those organizations started to focus that time and energy on having more productive, forward-looking conversations about interests, ambitions and personal development. The relationship between the manager and the direct report shifted quickly from authoritarian to a coaching partnership focused on higher performance. This fundamental change in the approach to performance management has a fundamental and very rapid impact on the culture of the organization and employee engagement at all levels. If your organizations are not currently following this trend, we strongly suggest you look into it. A Holistic View GP Strategies™ looks holistically at the need for learning, development and performance improvement in organizations. We consult with clients around these very topics as the following model illustrates. Working from a defined strategy, we address the interplay of specific roles, leadership, culture and individual engagement to help raise the level of performance and therefore drive business results.  The GP Strategies Organizational Excellence Framework An integrated and holistic approach to aligning these four powerful forces creates swift and sustainable impact on the organization’s ability to consistently perform at a high level—ultimately to deliver the desired business results. [1] According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics

Internally, many organizations are looking to throw away the waterfall ADDIE model design and development process for a more AGILE approach. In an outsourcing arrangement, this can lead to challenges related to expectations and scope, opening up organizations to risk. At GP Strategies™, we have developed a modified AGILE process that takes those concerns into account to set both you and your vendor partners up for success in your next training initiative. During the recent GP Strategies’ 20-minute webinar, A Modified Agile Process for Outsourcing, I reviewed a modified AGILE approach, how to implement the AGILE methodology while mitigating some of the risks in an outsourced partnership and gave recommendations for success, including: Social contracting to set expectations Defined sprints to develop the content Checkpoints to provide stakeholder acceptance Product backlog prioritization using SharePoint solutions After the presentation, a number of questions came up, and while we were able to address many of them, we weren’t able to get to all of them due to time. Below are those questions and my best answers. This is an ongoing conversation so I encourage you to keep the questions coming in via the comments section at the bottom of this page or join the conversation on LinkedIn and Twitter. Q: Does the Agile process apply to eLearning development?­ Do you find Agile methodology works better with eLearning than with Instructor-Led?­ A: Agile works well for anything that has a product as an end result.  It’s a way of expediting the design phase through the use of rapid prototyping.  Instructor-Led is actually even easier since most of those deliverables are in a very editable format.  Q: I had an instance where I had to combine both Agile and Waterfall approaches. The project started with the Waterfall approach and then shifted to Agile as the project required rapid prototyping at the development stage. Do you recommend this approach? A: I do!  Essentially our modified Agile process blends the two philosophies together. My best recommendation is to find what works best for your team.  It’s all about the partnership.  Q: ­In order to successfully utilize the Agile methodology, what emerging skills are required?­ A: It comes down to communication.  Being able to not only clearly communicate, but ask questions and have candid dialog.  That is the secret to your success.  Q: What types of companies are moving to Agile methodologies?  What is the adoption rate of Agile?­ A: I find companies are talking about Agile, but there  isn’t as much adoption as you might think.  Many organizations are still in the experimental phase, and I encourage exploring Agile and making it work for you before diving into it.  Q: ­How do you manage hitting your learning objectives of the course when you may not receive finalized content until further along in sprints? A: This would be incorporated into your checkpoints.  As you meet each checkpoint, make sure that you have met the requirements for the training need.  Q: Is the development time typically faster using the Agile process - or is the time saved taken up with collaboration?­ A: It depends on the rate of change.  If you know what you want and you make the right choices early in the process you can absolutely expedite your timeline.  However if you rethink the design completely, you may find more time is lost than saved.  Q: ­Are there any particular tools you find helpful in implementing the Agile process? A: There are a plethora of tools available to facilitate the Agile process, SharePoint for example.  However, the best tool in your toolbox is still good old fashioned communication.  It’s not the technology that will make the difference, it’s the people. 

What do you think most managers, supervisors, or other company leaders would say is the most common remedy when an employee commits an error that damages an expensive piece of equipment, leads to an injury, or puts the company in jeopardy with a regulator? In my over 30 years of experience in the Power industry and manufacturing, undoubtedly, the most common response to incidents such as these is to prescribe training. In many instances, training is conducted for large groups of employees, resulting in significant costs to the company due to implementation and lost production. Commonly accepted models of human performance show that training accounts for only about 10-15 percent of employee performance. It’s reasonable to conclude then that training will address only a small fraction of work performance problems. Even when one determines that lack of training was the cause of an error, by prescribing training for an entire department or company, one implicitly assumes that the knowledge or skill gap exists universally. In my experience, this is rarely the case and much is wasted by requiring all employees to complete training to address the performance gap. Numerous factors affect workplace performance. According to Thomas F. Gilbert’s pioneering model of workplace performance, the most significant factors can be categorized as either environment or individual. Environmental factors are related to information, resources, incentives, or consequences. Individual factors are related to knowledge and skills (training), the individual’s capacity, and motivation. When a significant incident occurs in the workplace, one can only be relatively sure of avoiding similar incidents in the future by identifying which factor or factors caused the incident. Simply prescribing training misses the point and has long been recognized as ineffective by experts in the field of Human Performance Technology. Consider an actual example from a client I worked with a few years ago. While interviewing employees from several sites across the United States, I found out that all company employees were required to complete a one-hour, web-based, portable Ladder Safety lesson annually. I asked several employees if they learned anything during the training. A small portion said, "It’s a good review." A majority said that it was not useful; some even reported that they knew the lesson so well that they had memorized photos, passages, and other information from it. Based on my interviews, I questioned why ladder safety training was required annually. It’s not required by federal safety regulations. When I asked corporate professionals with the company, they explained that they had a high incidence of ladder accidents. I asked if they could link increased training to a lower accident rate; they could not. It appeared that at some point, a ladder accident occurred and a company official said, "Everyone in the company must complete Ladder Safety training every year." Have you ever prescribed training in this manner or been required to complete such training? If so, you may be expending valuable resources with little to no return on investment. Human errors are a symptom of a performance gap, which is the difference between the desired and actual performance. Whenever an incident occurs in the workplace that requires action, one should take steps to identify the root cause and ultimately, performance gaps. In my experience, managers often think that a detailed root cause analysis or a training needs analysis is cost prohibitive. But what if a performance problem can be solved with a simple shift briefing or small changes to procedures? Even with the cost of the detailed analysis, these steps are much less costly than training and more effectively prevent the incident from occurring in the future. In my opinion, all managers, supervisors, and workplace leaders could benefit from considering all factors, not just knowledge and skills, when analyzing complex workplace human performance gaps.

Is your company making the switch to the simpler, faster, and smarter Workday system to manage your business? It makes sense since it is touted as easy to implement and intuitive to use, right? However, just because Workday is so easy to use, don’t underestimate the need for communication, business process documentation, training for new roles and responsibilities, and support so employees can make the right decisions when they implement the system. These are all critical functions that need to be addressed with any new system implementation because companies are at risk of their employees not understanding how their tasks fit together to achieve the desired business outcomes. During a recent GP Strategies webinar, Training Alternatives to the Workday Adoption Toolkit, I discussed what to think about when considering how to handle the people-related risks associated with adoption of cloud-based systems like Workday. While your solution should be tailored to the specific needs of your organization, here are some things to consider: Communication becomes even more important. Many organizations are making significant process and role changes to accommodate Workday. The more changes employees must adapt to, the greater your need for communication will be. Plan for effective communication before training, during system stabilization, and when transitioning to each new release. Consider implementing/using a tool to disseminate these communications and measure their consumption. Less emphasis is placed on traditional transactional documentation. Because Workday is so easy to use, you will probably need less of the transactional step-by-step documentation that has been the mainstay of traditional ERP training solutions. But that doesn’t eliminate the need for performance support materials. Consider where you have the greatest risks—key job tasks, large user groups, areas with high turnover, or areas of highest business risk—and provide documentation for those areas. Also consider alternatives to traditional documentation, including innovative approaches like micro-learning. Learning, performance support, and collaboration mechanisms take on greater importance. Unlike traditional ERP systems, where years may pass without a major upgrade, cloud-based systems are constantly evolving. This might be great for the business, but it can be confusing for employees, and it means that your learning, support, and knowledge-sharing solution plays an even more critical role in helping employees to perform their jobs effectively. Make sure you invest time up front to determine how your solution will support performance over the long run. Ongoing ownership of the solution becomes critical. With the learning solution playing a more critical role in long-term performance, ownership of that solution becomes imperative as well. Without fully defined maintenance processes, roles, and responsibilities, your solution content will quickly become out of date with a constantly evolving, cloud-based solution like Workday. As you consider what to invest in your end-user solution, I encourage you to think about: What is the degree of process, role, and responsibilities changes that your organization will experience? The higher the degree, the higher the need for a strong communication, training, and performance support solution. Where are your end users coming from? If they already have experience with a centralized ERP solution, then you can probably get away with a lighter solution. Is your organization traditionally more centralized, or will you be moving from a decentralized approach? The more decentralized your organization has been, the higher the need for a strong communication strategy. If you would like to learn more, the webinar recording is now available for download in our webinar archives. The slides from the presentation are also available so you can learn how to make the most out of your Workday adoption. This is an ongoing conversation so I encourage you to keep the questions coming in via the comments section at the bottom of this page or join the conversation on LinkedIn and Twitter.

In a recent webinar discussion, we covered the building blocks of training and a method for how to design training by using a process for selecting the most effective modes of communication. If you missed the webinar on rapid technical design, the recording is now available. Here is a quick look at some of the key takeaways offered. A common issue many organizations face is that they don’t always let the content drive how a particular piece of information is presented. So how do we reduce the time it takes to transfer knowledge from a subject matter expert to a learning experience? How do we use the content to find the best presentation method? How do we create a 20-minute module without spending weeks in the design phase? Let’s start by categorizing four different levels of information, as shown in Figure 1, to decide what needs to be conveyed during a training solution.  Figure 1. Information Categories Once we understand these building blocks, we have to look at the content from the subject matter experts and classify it into one of these four levels, as shown in Figure 2. (Each level is color coded to match the building block of training [shown in Figure 1] it best supports.) Figure 2. Training Modalities You can access and download a copy of training modalities by clicking here. This training modalities list can be further broken down into basic, medium, and advanced formats within each level. Basic formats are easy to edit for content that needs to be updated more often while advanced formats take more effort to update and are best  suited for reusable content. Every training group consists of people who benefit from different learning styles, so the best training solutions incorporate multiple modes of communication and should never rely on only one. The Process How do we take all of this information to design training? One method is to use color-coded flashcards for each component. On the front of these cards is the mode of communication and on the back is the label for basic, medium, or advanced formats with a short description. This method works very well in groups by having everyone sit around a table and brainstorm through a process. The great part about using these cards is that it gives everyone a chance to voice what they think is the best option and then provides an opportunity to vote on the best mode. This method also allows those involved to notice if the same cards are continually selected and if they need to be removed from the stack to account for multiple styles of learning. In contrast, it also is easier to notice when one of the cards never gets picked. Case Study We used four examples of different modes of communication to train employees on proper use of forklifts, as shown in Figure 3.  Figure 3. Modes of Communication The following questions came up during the presentation. This is an ongoing conversation and I encourage you to keep the questions coming in via the comments section at the bottom of this page or via Twitter Q: In the company where I work, subject matter experts and the training developers are often one and the same individual. Sometimes this results in confusion when one of the roles begins to take precedence. What is your advice? A: This is a problem that is not unique to any one organization. A lot of times people have to wear multiple "hats" that they might not even have expected. The result is that some people are designated as trainers or subject matter experts that don’t necessarily have that experience. In a past webinar session, I covered something that I call social contracting. This occurs when everyone comes up with an agreement for what each person will be responsible for. This occurs at the end of the initial design discussions, after the decision process, and after the modalities have been chosen. Create a clear line of demarcation for each role. A few examples of these roles include: Approval Content accuracy Technology In many cases, multiple roles are assigned to the same person, but the important part is clear and effective communication between the stakeholders. Q: What is the most commonly used format? A: This tends to change from company to company. Within any organization, there is a tendency to use or favor one modality over all of the others. Unfortunately, one of the most reused is a static graphic with bullets. Outside of this format, the three heavy-hitters are typically: 2D animations Diagrams 3D animations The main purpose of my presentation was to explore different ways to use modalities so they are the most effective. If you’re getting into the details of the components of a turbine generator, you don’t necessarily want to use a 3D animation or a lot of color. You want it to be crisp and clear so it’s easy to view and understand all of the different components and how they all work together. Q: How can I get the cards for my team? A: If you are interested in the cards or anything else, please reach out to us by clicking here and we will contact you shortly.

For the seventh straight year, GP Strategies was a Gold-level sponsor for the International Society for Performance Improvement (ISPI) annual THE Performance Improvement Conference held in San Antonio, Texas. The focus of this year’s conference was bridging the past and the future. This year was no different than previous ones in that the sessions centered on interventions and strategies that work to create achievable, measureable results. In keeping with the theme, this year’s University Case Competition focused on the future, employing massive open online course (MOOC) technologies to open up the competition, embrace more students, and engage more deeply with a broader set of ISPI participants. The result was a resounding success. For those unfamiliar with the case competition, the experience provides graduate students with a hands-on opportunity to develop their consulting skills around human performance technology (HPT) interventions and strategies in the context of a simulated, yet authentic company need. During the experience, the students select a methodology, conduct a rapid performance analysis, recommend solutions, and ultimately prototype a sample of the solutions they recommend. Many of the students receive university credit for their efforts in addition to complimentary conference registration. The Challenge Over the past six years, the case competition has shown great value for both ISPI and the teams, but the approach is so time intensive that it limits the number of participating students and puts a strain on participating judges. We needed to determine how to maintain the rigor and spirit of the experience while creating a sustainable platform that allowed us to scale up our capacity for students. At the same time, we endeavored to increase the engagement of ISPI conference attendees. This year, we decided to design a MOOC that would allow more students to join in the case competition in the weeks leading up to the conference and reengineered our conference sessions to incorporate more participants as judges. The design of the MOOC leveraged a flipped approach as the backbone of the experience. My team provided the progressive business case, but additional content was curated from a range of sources as needed to support completion of the tasks. Over the eight-week period, I met with the student teams to answer questions about the case, share a specific topic related to the case challenge, facilitate interviews with case actors, and collaborate with the teams to evolve the experiences. The Teams, Conference Sessions, and Judges This year’s competition included three fantastic teams: Concordia University in Montreal (team Champs), University of North Texas (team Green Lantern), and Penn State University (team PACE). Each team conducted an analysis and developed a set of recommendations and a solution prototype in advance of the conference. At the conference, they pitched their proposed solutions and prototypes to 35 judges over the course of two conference sessions on consecutive days. The judges were conference participants with a range of experience in the HPT field, including consultants, internal corporate practitioners, military personnel, higher education professionals, and HPT thought leaders. Not only did the teams receive an immense amount of feedback from the judges, but the judges also engaged deeply with the students and received a great deal from the students’ prototyped solutions. "…all teams provided [comprehensive,] well-thought-out solutions…. I am amazed at what they were able to come up with, given the short timeframe." —ISPI conference participant and judge Why Is This So Important? Everyone who participates benefits from this experience. The students gain a once-in-a-lifetime learning experience. ISPI strengthens the bond between its deep base of performance improvement practitioners and our emerging professionals. The universities have the opportunity to showcase their students, the faculty, and their curriculum. And finally, GP Strategies gains access to the best and brightest emerging training and performance improvement professionals. "…this challenge pushed us to think critically and apply what we have been learning in our graduate programs." —University team participant How Can You Benefit From Similar Experiences? Challenge-based or failure-driven learning experiences like this can be powerful tools in teaching and reinforcing complex practices. Although creating authentic and effective cases takes time, the return on that experience can be significant—especially when you wrap coaching around it. What are some examples of how your organization has utilized challenge-based or failure-driven learning to develop rich expertise? How do you or your organization help make the learning experience more authentic for your learners?