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!

Career pathing & Competencies, Part 4: Competencies to career path

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When there are career options and areas to grow people tend to stay adding their expertise and experience to the organization’s growing knowledge base. Knowing the competencies needed in a new role enables current employees to identify the specific business behaviors and professional skills they need to have to be prepared to grow and move in their career within the organization. In this short video I share how using this framework provides exposure to additional roles that can be career opportunities for employees and a quicker way for organizations to develop a robust, internal talent pipeline focused on meeting their business needs.

Creating this internal talent pipeline can benefit the employee and the organization and works best when everyone clearly understands the technical knowledge and business behaviors needed to demonstrate performance success and this can be done using a competency framework aligned to a career path model to develop people to grow. Let’s talk more about how you can use learning as a 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!

Career pathing & Competencies, Part 3: Creating your competency framework

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The thought of creating a competency framework seems overwhelming when you are considering the knowledge, skills, and business behaviors people use in their role to achieve performance success. In this video I outline the steps you can use to streamline this process by observing, listening, interviewing, and focusing on the actions actual practitioners use in their daily efforts. The level of proficiency is a key component of each step as it relates to bringing new hires up to speed combined with ways existing, skilled workers have reached this level.

I outline the 4 basic building blocks your efforts will result in and how you can then expand and add additional blocks to craft your, unique, framework that can be used to evaluate the level of expertise current employees have, identify opportunities to target professional development, and enable accurate job postings.  Let’s talk more about how you can use learning as a 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!

Career pathing & Competencies, Part 2: Building a competency framework

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Developing a framework of the knowledge, skills, and business behaviors that every person uses in the performance of their role sounds complicated, but it doesn’t have to be. In this 2nd of 4 programs, I share resources to use as an outline and I describe the building block process I use to define competencies and develop a competency framework involving skilled practitioners as they perform. Begin by observing what and how their work is done, identifying the level of expertise needed to be successful, and defining the level of proficiency required to perform successfully is then followed up with conversations focused on how to obtain these varied skills and how long it takes.

Creating a competency framework involves a thorough examination of the complete set of skills people use daily and provides an increased level of understanding and connection between the individual role, the team processes, and where the strategic alignment to organizational performance fits in. Let’s talk more about how you can use learning as a 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!

Career pathing & Competencies, Part 1: A Framework

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If you are looking to attract and retain skilled talent, provide targeted ways to improve individual performance, and create a robust internal talent pipeline it may be time to consider creating a competency framework that can be applied to a career path model in your organization. In this 4-part series I will outline how the connection between professional development and business specific needs can create a successful performance ladder.  These learning tools deliver a strategic business solution providing people with clear expectations of the skills and business behaviors needed to grow professionally and how to acquire these including stretch assignments, training, and short-term projects to hone and practice with guidance.

In this video I will outline the reasons to develop and use these tools is that together they create a connection between professional development and the business criteria in a role that leads to performance success. Let’s talk more about how you can use learning as a 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

Attract (& Keep!) Your Dream Team, Part 4: Credentials to Careers

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Degrees have value however what has a deep impact on whether a person will be successful in a role is the ability to demonstrate they are capable of performing and using the skills and behaviors to a defined level of proficiency.  In this last of 4 videos, I highlight the value badges and other microcredentials can bring to an employer by focusing on the discrete tasks used in a role into a modular framework and award badges that represent successful demonstration of the specific skills & competencies. The beauty of badges is that they can stand alone or link with other badges and credentials into a “stacked” model that meets more complex role requirements leading to role growth providing qualified people to fill your internal talent pipeline.

Using the tools and techniques I’ve outlined in this 4-part series can upskill and fill your internal talent pipeline and more importantly, it will engage your employees by highlighting future career options available in the organization impacting retention. If you would like to talk more about how this model can be used in your organization let’s Zoom or send me an email 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!

More than a seat at the table

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Learning & Development should be at the table to plan and be involved early on yet we need to be in the workflow more. Join me in this video to explore going beyond delivering training and begin using learning strategically to provide the organization with employees who are prepared, who can think, and use the collective wisdom of the community to develop a robust and skilled internal talent pipeline. We need to be in the workplace to grow and develop our people and that’s the seat L&D should be sitting in. Learning is a strategic business tool and developing people’s skills and strengths, including the ability to learn and think in the moment of need, is an integral component of an organization’s growth and success.

I would enjoy talking more with you about how we can partner on identifying ways to strategically develop your team so let’s Zoom or send me an email, let’s keep learning together!  Use the contact button above or visit our web site!

 

Competencies, career path, & success

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When you see a new role being posted there seems to be a set of competencies included and while they include admirable goals there may be a more advantageous use.  A competency describes the desired knowledge, skills, and behaviors that enable people to successfully perform their roles. So rather than using these as terms in a job posting let’s refocus the intent and bring these skills and behaviors into helping people get better in their current roles and developing them to be ready to grow and assume new roles. The easiest way to bring these together is to use career pathing as a method to retain employees by showing them a path that leads to career growth and continued employment with the organization.  In this video I highlight the process the organization can use to plan head and use learning as a business tool that supports their growth and success with a just in time skilled workforce building on existing skills and strengths and integrating behavioral skills into technical training to create a positive, scaffolded, approach to employee development and preparedness.

I would enjoy talking more with you about how we can partner on identifying ways to strategically develop your team so let’s Zoom or send me an email, let’s keep learning together!  Use the contact button above or visit our web site!

Organizational Ownership

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We talk about creating a learning culture and having employees take control of their learning and professional development and then we get so frustrated when workers attending these high-quality training courses are texting or checking their emails under the table.  Don’t they want to learn?

Before we point fingers at bored employee let us step back a moment and ask where the organization’s ownership of the learning culture is, have they defined what skills and competencies they want people to acquire and why?  Has the organization described the business proposition clearly and does the worker know the WIIFM, the What’s In It for Me?  In this short video I identify several key tactics every organization needs to put in place to define the jobs of tomorrow and identify how they can then prepare their workforce for these jobs with new training options, stretch roles, and educational collaborations. This collaboration and shared ownership provides the way to achieve success, and then the culture where learning is experienced will lead to growth and high performance.

Check out the video and see how we can begin this transformation by realizing that the purpose of learning is to support and grow the organization and that means all parties must come together to define and describe the future so everyone knows What’s In it for Me. I would enjoy talking more with you about how we can partner on identifying career paths that can develop your talent pipeline so let’s Zoom or send me an email, let’s keep learning together!  Use the contact button above or visit our web site!