Blog

Interestingly enough I am rushing to respond to January’s Big Question on Learning Circuits Blog relating to speed or quality:

What are the trade-offs between quality learning programs and rapid elearning and how do you decide?

Will the quality of my post suffer as a result of the speed at which I’m trying to get it in while it’s still January?  Or will my tight deadline keep me focused, lean and providing just the necessary information?

The same questions can be applied to organizational learning.  Is it worth it for companies to offer training programs that have been piloted, tested, tweaked, etc. or is it better to provide information in a more raw, unrefined mode.  The answer?  What else…it depends.

There are elements of a learning solution that should be well-designed and refined.  These elements should be used for information that isn’t likely to change.  For the ‘informational’ parts of a new-hire orientation, for example, it may be a worthwhile investment of time and money to strive for a module that looks and runs like a well-oiled machine.  It could provide newcomers with a sense of organization and structure in the fragile interaction with their new employer. 

As these newbies progress in their positions, though, they will come to know most of the static information they need to do their jobs.  It’s the complex, constantly changing environment about which they need up-to-date knowledge. 

For knowledge workers it’s nearly impossible to impart all of the information they need to do their jobs.  It’s vast, tacit and always evolving.  A well-oiled ‘quality learning program’ for people that are well entrenched in their role is many times obsolete by the time it is rolled out.  Rapid elearning allows organizations to put information that will change often into a format that lends itself to extremely fast design time.

So to answer the Big Question I’m taking the Consultant’s Amendment (It depends).  You must assess the content to be delivered:  how likely is it to change, can it be used enough times to justify the costs, what effect will the quality of the module have on the audience, etc.

I’ve written this post quickly.  There are many more examples I could have used and my writing could probably be a little better but this is time-sensitive information.  I have to get it posted in January so I’ve chosen to convey the thoughts that come to me as I sit and write.  Could I have made it better ‘quality’ by spending all month on it?  Sure.  Would that have been worth my time?  Probably not. 

I was able to express myself just by sitting down and quickly writing.  Other topics will not lend themselves to that speed - I will have to do some due diligence before publishing.

I recommend using the same criteria for learning solutions.

In an article on Yahoo! Health News, the reporter discusses recent findings that prove continual learning can prevent Alzheimer’s disease.  The is the first study to show that keeping your mind sharp actually benefits your body.

This finding is a welcome complement to the long line of proven benefits that companies enjoy from a consistent approach to learning.  It’s an exciting day to be in the learning and development field.

Learn a lot, live long and prosper.

When I was in graduate school I had to miss a day of class.  Lectures were key to our classes so reading the text couldn’t  make-up for a lost day.  A classmate offered to tape the class and give me the tape so I accepted.

The classes were several hours so I had a lot of listening to do afterward.  I listened to the tape while driving around running errands in the next few days - by the nature of my days I ended up listening to 5 - 15 minute chunks of the lecture all throughout the day.  I remember being at a McDonald’s drive-through, stalling in a parking spot to hear the final points of a topic and just driving around with the tape playing.

When I showed up at the next class my classmates were amazed at how much I could contribute to the discussion about the lecture I had listened to on tape.  I was too.  I had never expereinced that kind of retention - I felt more prepared for that discussion than I had for any of the other sessions. 

I am now working on a project in downtown Denver and take the bus.  The memory of the taped graduate school lecture came to me Friday morning as I navigated my way down the icy sidewalk on the way to the bus stop…luckily it wasn’t too startling.  Nevertheless, I realized I was missing a great opportunity for learning.

I got an iPod a few months ago for my photos and music.  After Friday’s revolution I looked on iTunes and searched through their business Podcasts.  I selected subscriptions from Harvard Business Review, BusinessWeek and a few other sources - all free.  Now while walking to the bus stop, riding the bus or walking to the office I can be listening to the most up-to-date information in the business world.  

Whether through an iPod, carrying magazines with you, saving webinars on your computer to watch on-demand or any other means, look for opportunities throughout the day to learn.  Then seize them.

At current count I am subscribed to 12 magazines (most of them work related).  Many years ago I didn’t subscribe to any.  I regret that today, though, as the various subscriptions provide a steady stream of knowledge nuggets that is much different than what I’ve gotten in all the books I’ve read.  This is not to discount the value I’ve gotten from books.  I just realized that they each contribute a unique piece to how I learn. 

Books (the good ones) usually provide a deep level of understanding on a given topic.  Beyond that they’re static.  Other than new editions every few years, the information stays exactly the same. 

Magazines are full of the newest ideas and discussions on any variety of topics.  It’s tough to think of a magazine article that has allowed me to gain a deep level of understanding on a complex topic, though.

In a loose comparison, books remind me of formal learning.  They don’t change very often but they’re good at providing a conceptual foundation on which you can build and refine your own opinions and applications of given topics.

In the same loose comparison magazines remind me of informal learning.  They are the perfect complement to a concept that I’ve cemented in my head.  I love to read quick-hit articles that I can layer on top of the foundations I’ve built through other reading.  I can skim through a magazine looking only for the topics that are relevant to my interests at the time.  The topics are new every month so I know I’m getting the most up-to-date insight on that idea (except for blogs of course). 

Books are good for in-depth learning of the fundamentals but they’re static - magazines provide more surface level information that is constantly updated. 

Having a good mix of both is what it takes.  Just like learning in organizations - there is plenty of static information in organizations that is best disseminated in a formal medium.  Offering informal opportunities for participants to deepen their understanding of the concepts is what successful learning organizations are implementing.

Review the knowledge that your workforce needs.  What fits in the category of ‘books’ and what is more suitable for a ‘magazine’?  Once you’ve determined that, think of the best way to deliver it.  Is it through a formal avenue that costs more to design and is not cost-effective to change often (formal learning) or would it be better through a model that is made to change and morph constantly (informal learning)?

Some mediums to consider for each:

• Formal (book) learning: seminars, workshops, elearning modules, simulations
• Informal (magazine) learning: podcasts, nano-learning, rapid elearning, wikis, communities of practice

There is no right answer and no panacea.  Some material lends itself to one model while other material is more appropriate for the other.  Think of the information at hand and wonder - would this be better as a book or as a magazine article?

I recently returned from my honeymoon in New Zealand.  Everywhere we went the toilets I encountered had two buttons on the top of them to instigate flushing instead of the one lever I am accustomed to seeing in the USA.  The two buttons were always distinct by way of some type of unique drawing or design on them - I didn’t know what they meant but someone was trying to tell me something.

Having ample opportunities for experimentation on a three week trip I tried them both on various occasions.  Sometimes the left one and sometimes the right.  Both flushed the toilet and without a noticeable difference.  My new wife and I had a couple quick conversations about the differences but, not being the ideal honeymoon conversation, I didn’t pursue it in much depth.  I did intend to ask natives about the differences, though, and never remembered at an appropriate time.

After three weeks you can imagine that I returned to a substantial mail pile.  After sorting through the requisite bills and junkmail, I was able to relax with my coveted arrivals…my magazines.  One of these was the Dec/Jan issue of Fast Company.

In an article titled “Feeding the Beast:  Sustainability is about more than eco-friendly burger boxes” John Ehrenfeld writes the following:

Such products exist today. My favorite example is the two-button toilet, still a rarity in the United States but increasingly popular in Northern Europe and New Zealand. In place of the usual single lever or button, the toilet offers two buttons or levers, one small and one large, actuating a smaller or larger flush volume. Beyond its obvious “green” credentials, this toilet actually forces users to engage with it on more than a utilitarian level, and to make a choice. It creates presence in place of mindlessness.

The timing was unbelievable.  After I got over the shock of coincidence, I was able to fully absorb John’s message.  Companies that simply give us ‘green’, although well intentioned, may not be having the impact they appear to be having.  Take cars that are more fuel-efficient - they’ve been shown to promote more consumption.  In order to make real progress we must involve people in the process.

Providing products that themselves are more efficient is only addressing one part of the problem - we must create points for interaction that force people to participate, allow them to make decisions and show them the impact of their choice.  This is a systems issue, where addressing one part of the problem won’t make it go away - the entire system that it operates in must be addressed.

This is the value of including elements of systems thinking and action learning in leadership/employee development programs.  In many development courses participants are just given tools - tools that have been successful with their peers or with other companies as ‘best practices.’

Programs that provide tools and then force participants to analyze the situation, scrutinize the tools, predict their impact and monitor results (a la action learning) are proven to make sustainable changes in people’s behavior and mindsets.  Including pieces on systems thinking forces participants to think through the potential results of a variety of actions.

It is only through these comprehensive methods that companies will enjoy lasting development.  So whether you’re trying to save the world or just improve the abilities of your workforce keep in mind that giving people the tools to do it isn’t enough - they need the chance to interact, make choices and see the impact of their choice - whether it’s a flush or a change in strategy.

Yes - billion. 

This was the headline of Training Magazine in their December 2006 issue.

I have a quick  question.  If, as countless studies and experts have proven, formal training accounts for only 25% of the information that people need in order to do their job (while informal learning provides the remaining 75%) does that mean that $168 billion is earmarked for informal learning?

I doubt it.

I am honored to have been in the inaugural class of the CLO (Chief Learning Officer) Academy.  They have designed the program to kick-off with a face-to-face colloquium and then have different tracks of on-line courses through Capella University.

I completed the Colloquium in September but because of my wedding and honeymoon I wasn’t able to participate in the first round of on-line classes.  Therefore…I start tomorrow.  I’ve never taken a university course on-line.  Distance courses in my college days meant checking out a bunch of VHS tapes of recorded lectures.  I’ve heard a lot of good things about Capella’s instructional model so I’m looking forward to experiencing it.

My first course is titled “Strategic Planning and the New World of Work.”  Sounds exciting - I will write more about my experience as it unfolds so check back for updates.

Note:  if you would like to see reviews of the CLO Academy Colloquium or the inaugural CLO Institute please read here.

Orbital RPM began a consulting project in mid-December.  We have been hired to lead the Change Management and Communications aspect for a Fortune 500 company that will be outsourcing all of its IT services to an outside vendor for a seven-year contract. 

We were pulled in to the project at the last possible minute.  Most of the people on the transition team have been working together for months or years.  People are spread as far as Ghana, Peru, Australia, Indonesia and throughout the United States. 

One of the areas where Orbital RPM offers consulting is on the rapid on-boarding or integration of new-hires so when we started this project last month, my wife (who sells consulting services) and I had a conversation around the on-boarding of consultants. 

Consultants often are engaged in a project for less time than it takes many new-hires to become completely integrated into their new company.  Given that, how can companies quickly integrate consultants that they’re paying top dollar so that they can be productive immediately?  I reflected on this as we were integrated into this project…

At Orbital RPM we have based our New-hire Integration solution on research.  Some of that research came from MIT Sloan School of Management who did a study on the rapid on-boarding of new-hires.  Their results talk about two different approaches to on-boarding a new-hire:

• Informational: making sure a new employee has the knowledge they need
• Relational: making sure a new employee knows who to go to with questions

Most companies favor the informational approach - think training videos, binders, paperwork and how to fill out expense reports all on Day One.  Research shows that, if you had to pick one, the relational approach is much more effective.  Establishing relationships early-on gives people a network they can come back to with questions when they can’t remember a detail from the deluge of information they received on their first day.

It’s been awhile since I’ve been a new-hire so this project was an opportunity to put myself in the shoes of one.  On my first day two main things happened:

1. I was walked around the office building and introduced to other people that I would be interacting with on the project as well as introduced on conference calls with all of the countries listed above
2. I was given Zip files and countless Power Point presentations with all of the information on the outsourcing project that anyone would ever want to know

You can probably see where I’m going with this…which of the two activities do you think has been more beneficial to me?  It was the introductions to people that I’ve leveraged more.  Have the PowerPoints been useful?  Of course, but if I only had the relationships to go on, chances are I could’ve gotten each of those presentations given to me when I needed them just through asking the right person.

This is one of those great instances where the cheaper and simpler solution is the more effective one.  If you don’t have the resources or the budget for a fancy on-boarding process - whether for full-timers or for temporary help - make sure that newcomers know who to go to with questions.  Arrange a meal for others to get to know the new person, have them give a presentation about themselves, anything to get them integrated and comfortable with the people that they’ll need to turn to in the future for information.  Information that people simply can’t absorb all at once.

In the span of the last two months I have been overwhelmed with the following activities…

Planning and then being in my own out-of-state wedding > a three week honeymoon in New Zealand > starting a new consulting project > a blizzard > holidays > another blizzard

All of this left me with little time to contribute to the Revolutions blog.  Although my mind has been racing and thinking of a flurry of concepts, I simply haven’t had time to put the proverbial pen to paper.  With the beginning of 2007, it seems that the activity level has become a maintainable level and I find myself on a Sunday finally sitting down to record the thoughts I’ve been bottling up…

Happy New Year to everyone - I’m glad to be back!