Leader as Learner

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Ever have a supervisor who wasn’t from your area of expertise? Did you and your teammates develop the orientation manual for them, so they didn’t blow the work up? Sometimes you get the exception, I had one who made me include a monthly presentation about and L&D to him in my annual performance plan. After the first couple I realized this was more than a presentation, this was a transfer of knowledge and experiences. As I explained and described the topic of the month, the questions posed were focused on application.

This is where I started to see how asking “why” was a powerful asset to a designer of performance solutions and how leaders use it to push for deeper understanding. More than a challenge, asking “why” creates the space to explore options, identify alternatives, and deliver a robust solution. I saw how the curiosity of trying to connect the different components in an organization became a process of constantly finding new information. I saw how leaders are open to learning from everyone and how leaders are developed from all levels. I saw learning as a strategic business tool.

In this short video I share some key differences between those manage and those that lead. The key difference in a willingness to seek new information, new ways to work, and an openness to ask others to share knowledge and ideas with you. Let’s talk more about how you can use learning as your leadership development model and your strategic business and retention tool. We can Zoom or even use the phone to talk because together, we are stronger, and we don’t need being remote or at a distance to keep us from connecting and engaging – let’s learn and work together!  I’ll bring some coffee…. Use the contact button above or visit our web site!

More than facts, we need imagination!

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I was working on a project when a senior lead asked me if I had included all 4 “I’s”. The model described was that with the directions (instruction) and the content in context (information) and using an active assessment strategy (interaction) the result would be an improved work performance (innovation), the “I4”!  A recent post on LinkedIn noted the reliance on data to drive decision making I realized, as I share in this video, there needs to be a 5th “I”, imagination.  Data based on past performance may not be as valid in this current remote and hybrid work environment. Being imaginative can drive new questions resulting in new datasets yet the driver is still centered on people, so leadership needs to keep the 5th “I”, imagination, in place to drive performance.

Imagination opens up new conversations, it can lead you to think about the “what if” scenarios.  You can use it ask more than 5 “why’s” if you want, it can lead the curious learner to alternate ideas and solutions that older data might not suggest. Imagination combined with collecting new information can be a part of the performance process, together they can drive the innovation that leads to performance success.

This “I5” model is something leaders at all levels can use to support teammates, improve workflow processes, and drive performance.  Data can’t defeat you, but it can delay actions and disengage people so lead not by directive but with imagination and curiosity. Let’s talk more about how you can use these “I” processes as your strategic business and retention tool. We can Zoom or even use the phone to talk because together, we are stronger, and we don’t need being remote or at a distance to keep us from connecting and engaging – let’s learn and work together!  I’ll bring some coffee…. Use the contact button above or visit our web site!

Lead your way to the Great Retention!

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With the Great Re(fill in your term!) going on what options are you using to fill your open positions? Have you looked internally? Do you know who has the required skills and is ready to make the move?  Odds are you don’t as I discovered on a project to create a common competency skills framework so workers could move seamlessly between different peers and competitors in this vertical. This innovative idea would certainly save time and money, why train someone on upselling techniques if they have already demonstrated this ability in a prior work experience?

Three common themes kept popping up no matter the organizations size. First, the career path was understood but most HR teams had not identified, or recorded, the technical or behavioral skills people use and need to be capable of demonstrating. Second, there wasn’t a clear way to acquire these skills in a meaningful manner that could be blended into the daily workflow. For a small business there’s a need to make this blend into a learn-as-you-work framework, but the model is still focused on just-in-time. Finally, the infrastructure to track people’s skill acquisition and identify internal candidates ready to move forward wasn’t in place.

This isn’t a technology issue as much as an opportunity for leaders to lead more and have deep impact. In this short video I highlight that culture, communications, and connections could be the start of your Great Retention as you develop and lead your people to new opportunities.  It’s about the high touch that you, as leader, bring to the team and to the organization. It works best when everyone clearly understands what’s needed to develop professionally using a learning ladder aligned to a career path model so let’s talk more about how you can use these processes as your strategic business and retention tool. We can Zoom or even use the phone to talk because together, we are stronger, and we don’t need being remote or at a distance to keep us from connecting and engaging – let’s learn and work together!  I’ll bring some coffee…. Use the contact button above or visit our web site!

It’s career more than content

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Learning, and developing people to perform better, is a strategic business tool. Yet it’s not about the learning that people care about. If you ask someone why they’re taking a training class, pursuing a micro credential, or taking courses that lead to a more traditional certificate or degree the response you’ll receive will center on their next job, a possible promotion, or a new professional path. In this short video I highlight that learning is the tool that’s a part of the advancement process, but the focus isn’t about the content, it’s about their career.

Then what’s the outcome that provides success for both employer and employee?  Implementing a career path that clearly outlines the growth opportunities available and identifies the technical skills along with the business behaviors the person will need to be successful in the new role. Then, align these criteria to a learning ladder that shows people how, and where, they can acquire and develop these capabilities.

Developing a robust internal talent pipeline is the real strategic business tool, learning is a key component to achieve this growth. It works best when everyone clearly understands what’s needed to grow using a learning ladder aligned to a career path model. Let’s talk more about how you can use these processes as your strategic business and retention tool. We can Zoom or even use the phone to talk because together, we are stronger, and we don’t need being remote or at a distance to keep us from connecting and engaging – let’s learn and work together!  I’ll bring some coffee…. Use the contact button above or visit our web site!

Lessons learned from moving online

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A recent project took a traditional classroom program and moved it to a blended, online learning experience. During this process 3 items came into my focus as we ramped up for the synchronous web conferencing sessions.  Did you know that time zones don’t automatically convert in all calendars? There is also a place for communication plans in an active learning design that focuses on bringing real work problems into the live sessions, use peer-to-peer learning more than straight presentations to engage people. Finally, value social networking to build a community of collaboration that will create a highly engaged, interactive live session where participants are actively involved. Aligning purpose to passion impacts performance so trust in people’s curiosity to solve problems, to share information, and learn as a connected community.  Check out this video for more details and let’s keep the conversation going! Use the contact button above or visit our web site!

https://youtu.be/mxIPyqrqvUs

There’s a hard cost to soft skills – Show your ROL (Return on Learning)!

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More than the traditional ROI that focuses on hard, often technical, training a Return on Learning measures the broader cost of the problem.  This cost may be people-based and identifying its fiscal impact on the organization against the cost of creating and delivering the learning solution is a valuable way to demonstrate the impact learning has on the bottom line. From attrition to leadership communication, you can measure learning solutions that affect performance, and they have a measurable monetary impact.  There are hard dollars in measuring “soft” skills!

The first step to using learning strategically is to apply the same frame of reference your operational and leadership teams are using and apply them to the solution being implemented, the metrics that matter are the ones used by the client group so use their data points to measure the impact learning has especially around the behavioral skills we use in life to be successful.  In this video I share an example and a calculator you can use to show the value of different operational metrics that demonstrate the impact learning and performance solutions bring to the organization and the bottom line.

Key business functions such as first call resolution, retention, leadership style, net promoter scores, upselling numbers – how are you helping the person be able to perform better using the behavioral lifeskills that impact the organization?  To truly measure the ROI start by focusing on the ROL. Use my favorite 4 letter word to start with – PLAN: Prior (to) Learning, Assess Now.  Take ownership of the learning solution you are developing by first (prior to learning) gathering the current operational metrics (assess now) that you will be measuring against, so you can identify clearly to yourself and your client that the solution you put in place made a difference at the business level. Impacting performance on all levels creates value to the person and the process they are in leading to success for everyone.

If you would like to talk more about ways to demonstrate the impact your team has on the organization let’s Zoom and keep the conversation going!  I’d enjoy talking with you about how we can partner to strategically develop your team. Use the contact button above or visit our web site!

Corporate Capability – develop your workforce!

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A capable worker needs more than technical or functional skills to be successful performing their role, they maximize these and utilize behavioral skills. We can impact the organization when we ask the business experts to define the broad range of skills people use and how they are measured in the operational environment.  More than a collection of courses in the LMS, this is about developing people in the context of their work experiences, blending the various capabilities into a highly personalized learning path that is strategic and aligned with the business goals and objectives.

Take a look at this short video, Corporate Capability: develop your workforce!, and let’s think about how we can identify the differences and requirements different teams within an organization need so workers can perform effectively and efficiently.  There will be overlap yet the opportunity is to maximize common strengths while honing and improving the unique skills people need in each part of the enterprise.   If you would like discuss how to implement and use this model as a part of your workflow process as well as using learning as a strategic business tool send me an email or call and let’s talk! Use the contact button above or visit our web site!

Better thinking brings better performance!

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Connecting context to content matters and I have discovered along the way that aligning people’s passions with purpose, through the use of learning, brought better results. Learning is not the focus, improving performance and solving the issue in the workflow is.

John Hagel’s Learning Pyramid brings a focus on thinking skills based on passion. Tapping into people’s hearts and focusing on the bigger picture results with responses that is more than simply retrieving facts, people use their critical thinking skills and apply these skills to think broadly through issues.

Check out this video and see how starting with the emotional connection, creating the WIIFM, and connecting to people’s capabilities and you will see a worker who finds solutions and keeps learning (even though they don’t really call it that!).

If you would like to learn how to implement and use workflow learning and develop thinking workers using learning as a strategic business tool send me an email or call me and let’s talk! Use the contact button above or visit our web site!

Let’s move past learning kNOW

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We have created training departments and many organizations have continued to bring Screen cap1a learning culture and supporting performance to their employees. It’s time to grow again and move into workflow learning where we help people think through the problems towards solutions and learn while they are working, at the point of need and the point of kNOW. It’s time to extend the path from skilled worker to knowledge worker to what I am calling the thinking worker. This worker learns kNOW, they learn in the flow of work.

Check out this video, Let’s move past learning kNOW , to see how L&D will fit in this workplace. Our role is to be within the business focused on developing thinking workers who create reliable solutions that directly impact the work. This Workflow Learning Diagnostic Process map provides views we can use to create a changing role and one that is deeply involved in the workflow. Personally, I see my role including the development of a robust and trusted network that in the process of work brings people together to share experiences, observations, and active thinking that fosters an open, engaged culture of care.

If you would like to learn how to implement and use workflow learning and develop thinking workers using learning as a strategic business tool send me an email or call me and let’s talk! Use the contact button above or visit our web site!