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CLO Media posted a recent executive briefing where they provide four things that CEOs and Chief Learning Officers [CLOs] should be considering when operating their business.  I agree with the categories listed in the article but they are quite high level (it is a ‘briefing’ for a reason I suppose) and allow the reader to determine how each would be executed.

For a CEO or CLO that is planning to ramp up efforts in these areas it provides an opportunity to do things a bit more progressively in implementation - examples provided as they relate to the four CLO suggestions…

1. Develop strategically with purpose: one of the snippets from this section is “have a clear definition of a desired future” - in today’s rapidly changing world it’s difficult to have a static vision of a future that will be the basis for processes and decisions implemented now; utilizing the process of scenario planning is a way to identify multiple futures (scenarios) and then determine the common denominators threaded throughout.  These common elements can then be used by the CLO to begin looking at high-level competencies that would be valuable regardless of which future the organization ends up living.
2. Focus on core competencies first: I would describe core competencies as those that will not be changing in the foreseeable future.  Competency development initiatives are often centered around the current state of the organization, market, product portfolio, etc.  All of those factors (plus many others) can change quickly and having competencies that will prevail through all conditions are what I would truly consider ‘core.’  Referring back to #1, scenario planning is a great way to plan for the competencies that will be crucial in many different settings.
3. Target opportunities intentionally instead of reacting to problems: reacting to problems often results in Band-Aid solutions that may mask symptoms for a few days, weeks or even years before they come back to haunt the original target or manifest themselves in a new way in a different part of the organization.  [A classic example is a company with lagging sales that launches a large price cut promotion and due to the diminished revenue from the price cut is unable to meet the demand generated by the promotion and now faces quality and customer service issues.]  An effective and progressive way of addressing this is by viewing the organization as a system - an interdependent collection of pieces where action in one area will result in consequences [good or bad] in another.  This approach is known as systems thinking and has yielded impressive results for organizations around the world - utilizing it provides a way to identify opportunities to tweak operations and model potential outcomes that would otherwise be left to chance.
4. Embrace change: harnessing incremental change and having a progressive approach to change management are certainly crucial but often challenging.  People are often creatures of habit and start to like that with which they become familiar.  So changing that can be difficult.  Utilizing a social network analysis is a powerful tool that provides an organizational x-ray showing how information is transferred around the network that comprises an organization.  Information from a network analysis can be used to identify people in the organization that are sought out most often - the influencers.  Utilizing these individuals in change management results in a much more targeted effort to managing change than the traditional shotgun approach.

As I mentioned above, the tenets offered in the original briefing by CLO Media are valid ones and their high-level descriptions leave the interpretation of implementation to the reader.  Each of the topics listed offers an opportunity to do something a little more progressive and effective than the norm, to embrace our transition to a knowledge society teeming with fluid, dynamic learning organizations in which tools and tactics from yesteryear will be rendered obsolete.

LCB is at it again this month with another great big question - or is it a great, big question?  And…has it been a month already???

The question for March is:

 What would you do to support new managers?

Ray Sims was the first to post and proposed utilizing audio self-paced learning, coaching and a community of practice.  Ray is targeting two areas that have been proven to speed someone’s integration into a new role:

1. Quickly becoming part of a network
2. Relevant knowledge is distributed through-out a long period time

There is too much stuff for people to remember; especially when starting a new role.  Learning to me is about providing easy access to information at the time people need it.  Audio learning, coaching and a thriving community will certainly go a long way in providing muliple access points to the information a new manager will need.

I feel there is also room for another piece here as well.  If learning is about access to information, how do you ensure new managers will experience lasting change in skills, mindset or behavior?  Just as they develop at anything else…practice.

An integration period is a prime time for new managers to participate in an action learning project.  In an ideal world their groups would consist of other managers at various stages of their management career.  The initial sessions would immerse the new manager in activities to heighten self-awareness (i.e. a 360 degree assessment conducted in their former position, a Myers-Briggs or DISC report, a natural abilities test, etc.) after which participants list which areas in which they would like to develop.  Next, the managers are exposed to some foundational content (my favorites are Appreciative Inquiry and systems thinking) that will be the concepts to which they’ll be held accountable throughout the program.

A relevant, timely business challenge is presented to the participants and they are responsible for all data collection, solution design and execution.  All the while a learning coach acts as an embedded reminder to participants of their individual development goals as well as referring them back to concepts from the initial workshops.  Over the course of a few months participants present a solution to the business challenge.  Throughout the time they have been forced to reflect on their own behavior and new concepts via the action learning coach.

It is only through being made to apply the concepts that participants will be quicker to adopt any new behaviors, mindsets and skills needed to be a manager.  Along the way a cross-functional network of managers of varying tenure will be formed and provide a solid foundation for knowledge transfer and knowledge management.  This will also serve to support the overall company-wide community that Ray suggested.  As the grayer managers move on, relationships have formed and developed the infrastructure for the insights, experience and stories to be passed on to the newer managers.

This combination of learning and development create a killer combo for the rapid on-boarding of managers.  It’s not successful because the new-comers are going in to management roles, though.  It’s successful because the new-comers are human and that’s the way we learn and develop.

The beauty is that this is a foundation that can be tweaked for positions all throughout the organization - not just managers.

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.