39 minute read
BEHAVIOR AND KNOWLEDGE MAPPING
THE
OF AND
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For the majority of human history, to learn a trade, an apprentice worked side-by-side with an employer, learning directly from him (or her) and then practicing the craft until they perfected it. Employers didn’t just give the apprentice a multiplechoice test to evaluate their readiness. Rather, they watched how an apprentice behaved and performed, and then provided feedback — ensuring the apprentice learned the necessary skills and could confidently apply them.
WHY ONE-TO-ONE LEARNING?
The days of the traditional apprenticeship are long gone. But, as study after study has shown, this level of personalization and one-to-one interaction is hard to beat when it comes to its efficacy and efficiency. Additionally, studies also show that one-to-one learning promotes greater learning, increased motivation, and also enhances persistence, retention and degree attainment.
Why is it so effective? One reason is that in the one-to-one scenario, the coach isn’t just paying attention to what a learner knows. They are also observing and adjusting based on learner behavior. For example, a coach is gaining actionable insights by evaluating what a learner does when they haven’t mastered a skill: Do they go back and source the skill? Do they attempt to problem solve? Do they lose confidence? Based on a learner’s behavior, the coach can offer individualized remediation and practical recommendations for improvement. They can also optimize the level of difficulty of the learning, making for a much more effective and efficient learning experience.
Historically, one-to-one learning hasn’t been widely adopted because it’s not scalable and often not logistically possible. However, we have entered a new era of possibilities. Through a combination of learning science, artificial intelligence and machine learning, UI/UX, and data analytics, the most advanced digital learning platforms are leveraging new insights — derived from behavior and knowledge mapping — to emulate the personalized, one-to-one learning experience at scale. And in doing so, they are tapping into the other 50 percent of the learning equation.
WHAT IS BEHAVIOR AND KNOWLEDGE MAPPING?
Behavior and knowledge mapping leverages machine learning algorithms to monitor learner behavior (the choices that they make within a learning platform), along with learning performance, to dynamically adjust content, hints, feedback, recommendations and “nudges.” Through behavior and knowledge
mapping, adaptive learning platforms can effectively mimic and scale the one-to-one learning experience — dramatically improving the amount of content that’s mastered, remembered and accurately applied, with confidence.
With a combination of technology, UX and data science, this behavioral input becomes a critical part of the adaptive learning puzzle. And it’s important to note that a system’s AI capabilities are only as good as the accuracy, depth and breadth of the input it gets fed. When, as historically has been the case, systems rely only on knowledge as the core data point, they’re not providing the AI with the whole picture. As a result, they are less capable and less efficient.
But combining these two data sets — performance and behavior — drives dynamic adaptivity with greater precision and accuracy, and allows learning platforms to operate like a one-to-one coach at scale:
• Intensively personalizing the learning experience in real time to increase application-level mastery and boost learner confidence.
• Dialing content for optimal challenge, meaning it’s the appropriate difficulty level for the “sweet spot” of learning — not too easy, not too hard.
• Flagging any skills gaps and encouraging deliberate practice and self-remediation (with support).
• Offering insights into behavioral drivers, including the attitudes, aptitudes and eventual output of each employee.
And because behavior and knowledge mapping does not rely on or need any personal identifiable information (PII) from the learner, the resulting recommendations and real-time content alterations are completely unbiased.
HOW BEHAVIOR AND KNOWLEDGE MAPPING WORKS
It all begins with choices.
Research has demonstrated that when people have autonomy over their learning experience, they pay better attention, they’re more engaged, and they remember the training more accurately and for longer periods of time. And these choices — or behaviors — not only increase learner engagement, but also increase an adaptive system’s ability to get to know and understand the learner and better serve them. This includes providing an adaptive system’s AI with the data it needs to dial in the learning “sweet
spot,” or optimal challenge, for each individual. Optimal challenge is when the level of content difficulty is just above someone’s current capability, which pushes him or her to achieve greater learning gains and retain them long-term. Coupled with deliberate, purposeful practice, learning science has shown repeatedly that this is the most efficient and effective approach to learning and retention.
Choices within the learning experience might include allowing learners to:
• Choose how they want to engage with content (e.g., read it, watch a video, engage in a practice session with Q&A, etc.).
• Select how they want to receive feedback — immediately, on occasion or not at all.
• Respond to or ignore prompts reminding them to revisit/source content where they demonstrate weak performance.
Each choice that a learner makes (along with the patterns of clicks that lead up the respective choice) yields a new behavioral data point, allowing an adaptive learning platform to map, analyze and adjust to the needs of the individual learner more efficiently and effectively. These data points accumulate as a learner moves through a system — making choice after choice. And in the most advanced, datascience-driven, adaptive systems, they can be analyzed in real time by AI to generate an increasingly comprehensive picture of each learner’s aptitude, attitude and needs.
Armed with behavior and knowledge mapping, adaptive learning programs can also amalgamate the behavioral data of individuals into a group view that can predict bottom-line outcomes like productivity, performance, revenue and even culture. That’s right, this data can tell organizations if their people are dialed in, or just attempting to “fake it til they make it.” And because behavior and knowledge mapping is AI-powered, its predictions and recommendations get smarter and smarter with every learner interaction.
BEHAVIOR AND KNOWLEDGE MAPPING IN ACTION
Behavior and knowledge mapping provides a wealth of advantages for both the learner and the organization. Here are some examples of behavior and knowledge mapping in action:
EXAMPLE 1: A MORE EFFECTIVE LEARNING EXPERIENCE
One of the keys to one-to-one learning is that it’s interactive, dynamic and tailored to the unique needs of the individual. With behavior and knowledge mapping, adaptive systems can deliver something very similar, providing learners with:
• Their optimal challenge — meaning the content is challenging and engaging, to get the learner into and maintain their “learning flow.”
• More effective and timely learning
“nudges” based on knowledge and behavioral input.
• Perfectly timed memory boosters to address the Forgetting Curve.
Behavior and knowledge mapping can also give an organization a much better understanding of who might be struggling, where (which skills and learning objectives) and why, with behavioral insights that are relevant and actionable.
EXAMPLE 2: PROFICIENCY WITH EFFICIENCY
Most adaptive platforms simply focus on efficiency, with proficiency being secondary. Because behavior and knowledge mapping can deliver learning that’s hyper-targeted to the needs of the individual, learners are able to progress much more quickly through the content while the system objectively measures proficiency, in parallel.
Behavior and knowledge mapping has effectively flipped the old way of learning (where time was fixed and proficiency was the variable), to now having proficiency fixed and time being the variable. Learners maximize time by quickly moving past what they already know and focusing on the content they have yet to learn, with behavior and knowledge mapping directing them back to specific portions of the learning that need more attention and delivering relevant memory boosters. This process can help learners get back to work faster, and fully prepares
them with the knowledge and confidence they need to succeed.
EXAMPLE 3: PREDICTING APPLICATION OF SKILLS
Will learners remember what they learned in training? Will they be able to apply it once they’re back on the job? Behavior and knowledge mapping data can predict the answers to these questions by evaluating things like: • If learners can demonstrate mastery of skills by answering assessments correctly via deliberate, purposeful practice.
• If learners review content for incorrect answers.
• How successful their practice attempts are and how quickly they improve over time.
This behavior and knowledge mapping data can also be extrapolated organization-wide to form a picture of the entire workforce’s engagement, the perceived relevance of training goals and the effectiveness of content.
CONCLUSION
Behavior and knowledge mapping is a technology breakthrough with multiple advantages for the learner and business. It’s like working out with a personal trainer who really gets to know you. The trainer not only knows that you can bench press 200 pounds (which you might not know), but also knows that you like to sit on the couch and eat chips – and who, in knowing both what you’re physically capable of and how you behave, can prescribe a personalized workout and nutrition plan to keep you motivated and help you achieve your goals.
In the scenario above, traditional digital learning would only know how much you could bench press. And when you didn’t reach your goals, the system would be in the dark as to why. That’s because digital learning platforms have never before been able to measure the full equation of learning — knowledge and behavior — that provides a total picture. The behavior part has always been missing.
Once in place, behavior and knowledge mapping can help organizations deliver more effective learning experiences, reduced training times, predictions about on-the-job training application and improved learner engagement. It can also help organizations evaluate culture, identify the next generation of leaders and get ahead of costly mistakes before they happen.
Patrick Weir founded Fulcrum Labs and led the company to develop a world-class, Adaptive 3.0 learning platform that leverages a proprietary behavior and knowledge mapping (BKM™) system, powered by AI and machine learning, UX/UI design and quantitative learning analytics. Email Patrick.
Don’t Manage Performance, Manifest It! 5
Keys to Transform Learning intoLearning int
By Tracey Lorraine
Traditionally speaking, people manage performance rather than manifest it. This includes setting business and competency-based goals, ensuring employees understand what is expected of them and holding them accountable for achieving results. When a gap surfaces, it is typically addressed through coaching, training or, when warranted, corrective measures. While taking a traditional, training-as-mitigation approach may produce short-term results, it is not likely to inspire drastically different energy, effort or long-term improvements.
To manifest strong performance, a greater investment of time and thought are required on the front end. By incorporating each employee’s unique skills, aptitudes and interests into the goal-setting equation, a higher degree of success can be achieved. The best managers learn to leverage training as a dynamic catalyst and succession planning tool for the benefit of the workforce and the business. They replace stale, cookiecutter learning delivery mechanisms with adaptable, pivot-with-purpose techniques that spark interest in the hearts and minds of their workforce, while also preparing them to deliver excellent performance.
Throughout my career, I’ve led various business and human resources functions, ranging from training to organizational change management to communications. Along the way, common themes emerged that undoubtedly fueled workforce and business success. Internalizing and applying these five keys can serve as a catalyst for transforming your learning organization or business.
5
Keys to Transforming Learning into Legacy
Cultivate a Three C’s Culture Foundation First ConnectAbility Pivots and Ping Pong
It’s Not About the Certification
1
Cultivate a Three C’s Culture
(Organizational Readiness)
The first piece of the transformation puzzle involves taking an honest and below-the-surface look into the organization as it stands today. Ask yourself, “Is my organization wellpositioned to transform learning into legacy?” Consider how shortterm decisions today may impact long-term results.
To drive lasting change requires datainformed, values-based decisionmaking, and the presence of three cultural traits: curiosity, collaboration and continuous improvement. Employees must feel comfortable being curious, asking questions, and sharing brave new ideas. Teams should be encouraged to work across lines, optimizing diverse perspectives and partnering to solve problems and build sustainable solutions. Without a continuous improvement culture and mindset, organizations may produce suboptimal results, or fail to pursue ideas that could take their holistic performance and capabilities to a whole new level.
President Harry S. Truman once said, “It’s what you learn after you know it all that counts.” Cultivating a three C’s culture will increase employee trust and enable them to learn and work from a place of courage, rather than fear. It will position them to leave a lasting mark on the organization, regardless of how long they choose to stay, by contributing their very best today.
Foundation First
(Employee Readiness)
The genius of Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs was laying out a pathway for personal growth. The first step focuses on ensuring a person’s primary physiological needs are met. Maslow emphasized the importance of building a solid foundation before advancing toward more complex arenas such as self-esteem, belonging and the realization of full potential. In the same vein, before new learning is introduced, a solid work foundation must be in place. Three essentials to consider before new learning plans are implemented: core, chore and ready for more.
Core: Employees must have a clear understanding of their role and responsibilities, as well as how their contributions serve the greater good of the organization. When a role is not clearly defined or understood, it is difficult for employees to map to a targeted learning goal that both inspires them and gives them confidence they’ll advance their capabilities, as well as contribute to the success of the company.
Chore: Just like life outside of work, daily chores must be tended to. Managers play a vital role in removing roadblocks to training readiness. This may take the form of deferring existing work or delegating superfluous tasks to another employee for the duration of the training. These steps are vital to ensure the employee can fully engage and benefit from the training experience.
Ready for More: Managers must partner with employees to ensure they are truly ready for more learning and development. Is the purpose of learning clear and compelling? Will it benefit the employee and the company? With dwindling learning budgets, it’s more important than ever to ensure learners are ready and willing to invest in their growth and apply what they have learned to meet increasingly complex organizational challenges.
3
ConnectAbility
(Intersection of Workforce and Business)
ConnectAbility lives at the intersection of workforce and business strengths.
A recent Association of Training and Development study revealed that the most essential element of a learning culture is close alignment between learning and business strategies. To that, add a third leg of employee potential and possibilities. To inspire legacy performance requires employees to see and experience themselves at the intersection, or sweet spot, where they can fulfill their own career growth goals, while at the same time adding increasing value to the organization.
As a learning leader, you have a unique vantage point to shine a light on this opportunity to pair passions with productivity. By experiencing robust and future-minded learning, employees become more confident, capable and ready to navigate business challenges now and into the future.
4
Pivots and Ping Pong
(Innovate to Make Learning Great)
The pandemic made it clear that organizations would need to quickly innovate and pivot with purpose to survive. Many organizations surprised themselves with how quickly they were able to respond to ping-pong-pace challenges brought forth during this unprecedented time. Entire workforces were sent home and became teleworkers overnight. Training was virtualized at an astonishing rate.
As we move toward the next iteration, it is important to resist the urge to backtrack to the traditional training strategies of yesteryear. We must look forward with creativity, flexibility and heart to design the future of learning. Seek feedback from all levels of the organization. Ask them which virtual tools were effective, and what training or tools were most compelling or effective in boosting their ability to thrive in a remote work environment. Build on the momentum by celebrating employee success in adopting new technology and tools. Remind employees how far they have come. Encourage them to keep going, growing and testing new learning pathways.
William Arthur Ward, an American motivational writer, said, “Curiosity is the wick in the candle of learning.” Do everything you can to spark continued curiosity and thirst for learning. Inspire employees of all levels to become change champions in learning, creating a legacy of openness, adaptability and resilience. Celebrate forwardthinking pioneers who embrace new ways of thinking, learning and thriving in the workplace. Instead of focusing on the teachability of a particular generation, celebrate examples of multiple generations coming together to test and learn, as they build strong relationships and results that will stand the test of time.
5
It’s Not About the Certification
(Mindset and Momentum)
It’s not about the certification. A Harvard Business Review study revealed that we forget about 75% of what we
learned after just six days. While the moment we achieve a certification or pass a virtual exam is important, it is just the beginning. What’s most essential is what happens next. What we do with the knowledge we acquire — and how we bring that learning to life.
Let employees know before training even begins what they can look forward to, and how they will be able to immediately apply what they learn on the job. If framed appropriately, employees will tune in to not only the short-term outcomes achieved, but how what they learned planted a seed to bear fruit in the months and years to come. For sustained success, learning leaders can partner across disciplines to sync up these five keys in their respective organizations. In a company that visibly values learning, employees will be able to appreciate the beauty of living at the intersection of business and employee learning. They will be inspired to measure M’s beyond baseline metrics, expanding to measurements of momentum, meaning and making an impact.
Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook COO, said, “Leadership is about making others better as a result of your presence, and making sure that impact lasts in your absence.” The same can be said for Learning. You have a front row seat to the future. You can be a catalyst for transforming learning into legacy in your organization. Ignite and cultivate a three C’s culture, with curiosity, collaboration and continuous improvement. Help employees build a
strong foundation for learning success. Live at the intersection of business and employee learning. Embrace the beauty of ongoing discovery and the power of the pivot. Finally, remember that it’s not about the certification. It’s about how you bring learning to life and transform that learning into legacy: One day, even one employee at a time.
Tracey Lorraine, M. Ed., is the director of workforce development at the Virginia Department of Transportation, as well as a heartinspired, results-wired success coach. Her passions are leadership, learning and organizational change. Email Tracey.
USING LEARNING INITIATIVES TO DRIVE EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT
BY SARI DAISEY AND MARIA MEJIA
If you’ve never heard of The Bancorp, that’s by design. We offer private-label banking and technology solutions to non-bank companies ranging from entrepreneurial start-ups to those on the Fortune 500. However, chances are that The Bancorp is already in your wallet or phone.
Over the past year, The Bancorp — like many other companies — has experienced sweeping change. Our employees have adapted to new modes of working. We’ve faced many challenges head-on because of the workforce’s collective ability to navigate change. As a result, The Bancorp finished a challenging year with double-digit revenue growth, increased lending and expanded service offerings.
Breakthrough success doesn’t just happen. Even under the best circumstances, exceptional performance is only possible because of employee resilience and the ability to evolve in a changing landscape.
How does any company, especially one in a heavily regulated industry, promote an environment where individuals are motivated to perform well? At The Bancorp, the effort to boost employee engagement is years in the making (since 2018). Our story begins by reimagining the learning experience for all employees — individual contributors and people leaders alike. This article shares the three talent management strategies we applied to rebuild our learning programs from the ground up while fulfilling regulatory requirements.
HOW DOES L&D TRANSFORM OUTDATED PERCEPTIONS OF LEARNING?
Our first step was to take a hard look at what we — the learning and development team (L&D) — were doing. We examined three questions through the prism of talent acquisition, employee experience, learner needs and business objectives:
• What strategic value does L&D provide for the organization?
• How can L&D drive strategic opportunity and move beyond necessary functions?
• How else can L&D encourage employees to invest in their professional development?
We crafted a vision that captures the spectrum of work: To maintain regulatory standards while cultivating an environment that educates and inspires all employees to reach their full potential. The team identified ways to embed learning throughout the organization at all levels — from the C-suite to front-line staff. Three approaches guide our work: 1. Weave our vision into established processes and secure executive buy-in.
2.Engage managers and highperforming employees as learning advocates.
3. Co-create new experiences with our audience to gain a fresh perspective.
STRATEGY #1: PUT VISION INTO PRACTICE THROUGH SELFDIRECTED LEARNING
We focused on overcoming our most significant barrier to learning — time. To start, we worked on creating frictionless experiences across several platforms. As a result, employees can now access relevant learning content in their moment of need. We also removed administrative hurdles such as course approvals. This change provides employees greater control over their development path.
Next, we concentrated on communicating learning as “part of” work, not “apart from” work. We seized an opportunity to augment The Bancorp’s performance management process. Our Take8 program helps bridge any knowledge or skill gaps identified by employees or managers throughout the year.
Take8 encourages employees to complete at least eight hours of elective professional development annually. To be clear, L&D is not asking employees
to take on more commitments. The Bancorp is simply offering recognition for this work and celebrating it. Take8 awards credit for various live and asynchronous learning experiences such as webinars, technical boot camps, academic coursework, conferences, and workshops.
At The Bancorp, L&D works with individuals, teams, and departments trying to achieve specific goals — often deepening or expanding skill sets. We’re responsible for facilitating effective performance. This charge includes supporting the infrastructure for sharing and practicing newfound knowledge. To that end, ask yourself if you have the guardrails in place to sustain selfdirected learning:
• What are your employees’ barriers to learning? Are they different from what managers perceive?
• If you already have programs in place, are you rewarding the behavior you want replicated?
• Do you recognize employees when they meet the goals you’ve set out for them?
STRATEGY #2: SPREAD THE WORD
Our audience hears about L&D offerings through traditional communication channels such as email campaigns, corporate initiatives and targeted events for managers and emerging leaders. We also integrate our learning programs into the onboarding process. Besides these tried-and-true approaches, we make it a habit to brainstorm additional marketing tactics that activate a broader cross-section of the workforce.
We created the learning ambassadors program to engage departments and develop leadership opportunities that elevate individual contributors. Each department identified a nonmanager to represent them as a liaison with L&D. We sought out individual contributors to discover their pain points and hear how we can refine our offerings — a bottom-up approach to improving engagement. Next, we started holding monthly meetings with our ambassadors to initiate a dialogue. We focused on making each interaction with L&D, especially our group discussions, better than the last. Through regular touchpoints, we’ve learned what’s on their minds and what matters to their peers.
By engaging directly with employees, we’ve cultivated another channel to amplify our messaging and raise greater awareness about L&D services. As a result, participation rates in Take8, and other programs, have grown considerably because of peer recommendations from learning ambassadors. In turn, we express our gratitude for their support through public recognition and visibility to senior leadership.
Since the program’s inception, The Bancorp has promoted several learning ambassadors. These alumni, who
are now in new roles, have selected ambassadors of their own—what better way to encourage continuous learning as a worthwhile investment at work!
Learners lead busy lives. More distractions are competing for their attention than ever before. We leverage every communication outlet at our disposal to reach our audience. If you would like to explore this approach, consider the following:
• Audit your existing communication channels. Identify which avenues were successful.
• Are you effectively leveraging high performers across the organization at all levels?
• How can you get others invested in spreading your message?
STRATEGY #3: PROMOTE WORKPLACE LEARNING THROUGH CO-CREATED EXPERIENCES
Our third approach to boosting engagement was to promote workplace learning. Inspired by Employee Learning Week (ELW), a campaign developed by the Association for Talent Development (ATD), we hosted our version in 2019. Our theme was “learning is everywhere” to socialize the idea of self-directed learning as a catalyst for employee engagement.
Our goal for ELW was to transform the outdated perception of corporate education as driven solely by regulatory requirements and tedious training exercises. To help envision this event, we borrowed an element of design thinking called co-design. This well-established problem-solving process uses creative participatory methods to meet the needs of endusers (or, in our case, learners). We reached out to our community of ambassadors, managers and senior leaders to gain a fresh perspective. They were eager to share their ideas, and we gladly listened. Thanks to their candid feedback, we planned an event that sparked curiosity.
In our first year, ELW consisted of employee-led, in-person sessions and a series of asynchronous digital experiences. Live and virtual offerings covered topics ranging from public speaking to healthy eating — each designed to address professional skill development or personal wellbeing. We generated repeat traffic to our event website by sharing “try-athome” activities and “five-minute skills,” catering to time-pressed attendees. In addition, we encouraged learners to “share their favorite moments” to be eligible for our daily raffle. The feedback we captured from the daily contest
Last year, we pivoted ELW to become an entirely virtual experience — inviting employees from across the organization to share their skills and knowledge with us. Thanks to the data we collected previously, we avoided the common pitfalls of making assumptions about our employees’ wants and needs. ELW 2020 provided a mix of synchronous and on-demand experiences on topics ranging from fostering inclusion in the workplace and managing mental well-being to prepping a keto-friendly meal together in real-time. By co-creating events like ELW with engaged members of our workforce, we highlighted the talent our employees bring to The Bancorp community while demonstrating the value of ongoing professional development through skill improvement.
Creating a culture of learning takes time. Although many employees are engaged with L&D today, our team is acutely aware that maintaining this level of awareness and trust is a continual investment. When other priorities take center stage, ongoing development and a growth mindset are the first things to fall by the wayside. As a result, we have to take risks to shift employee perceptions about L&D. To that end, ask yourself:
• What is your organization willing to do differently?
• What’s the cost of not trying something new?
• What is the manager’s role in driving learning and engagement in your organization?
After reading this, what actions do you plan to take? It could be as simple as scheduling a brainstorming session with some of your key stakeholders to explore the next steps.
At the beginning of this article, we asked how L&D fosters an environment where individuals are encouraged to achieve their best. Learning is one way for employees to feel connected to one another and valued at work. Since 2018, we’ve shared our vision. We continue to be frank about how we could improve L&D with every level of the organization. Through many cycles instituting new initiatives, soliciting feedback, and adjusting along the way, we transformed perceptions about L&D into a strength and a chance to realize new opportunities. Today, every interaction with the business is another chance to flex a habit of working together to solve problems and navigate changing circumstances together.
Sari Daisey is the director of talent management for The Bancorp. She has over 20 years’ experience in the learning and development field. Maria Mejia focuses on projects related to organizational training and human performance needs, ranging from compliance to skills-based and technical subjects, at The Bancorp. Email the authors.
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Everyone loves a good “two-for-theprice-of-one” deal. Perhaps that’s why experience-based learning is such a critical element of the L&D ecosystem. It allows people to transform (learn, grow and develop new skills) while they perform — making it the ultimate workplace “two-fer.”
Learning in the flow of work is an important dimension of many organizations’ development strategies. Whether facilitated through job shadowing, performance support tools or automated systems that offer automated content and coaching, it’s become increasingly popular given today’s workplace pressures. Leaders and employees appreciate opportunities to bring training to the trainee within the powerful context of their work.
Of all the workflow-embedded learning opportunities, experience-based development offers an important and distinctive benefit: Real-time contribution. When employees take on these experiences, they’re gaining new skills and abilities while giving back in the form of enhanced performance.
NOT ALL EXPERIENCES ARE CREATED EQUAL
For an experience to meet the criteria of “development,” it can’t just be normal work — or more work. It must be intentional work: Work that has been specifically selected because it has the potential of help someone grow.
Meaningful, experience-based learning is also personalized and unique to the individual. Interestingly, two employees could take on the same experience, each with a different focus, and walk away with entirely different lessons. For instance, both Eli and Tomas assumed leadership of cross-functional teams. Eli used the opportunity to develop her collaboration and influencing skills, whereas Tomas’ focus broadened his understanding of the organization overall by learning about and getting to know employees from other departments and functions.
SETTING EXPERIENCES (AND EMPLOYEES) UP FOR LEARNING
Realizing the benefits that are possible through intentional, personalized experiences, opportunities and assignments require a partnership between the line manager and employee. Managers who understand this engage actively before, during and after the development experience occurs to ensure the best possible outcomes.
Here’s a checklist to guide high-impact, experience-based learning:
Before • Brainstorm activities that will support the person’s growth. Generate a range of options that connect back to their development goals and identify one that interests the employee.
• Clarify the goal of the experience.
Crystalize a learning focus by asking:
What will you know/be able to do as a result of this experience?
• Create a concrete (yet flexible) plan. Treat this experience just as you would any training and craft a plan that plots out the “what,” “how,” “who” and “by when” to ensure focus.
During • Check in frequently. Even a three-minute
“How’s it going?” conversation surfaces issues and offers encouragement.
• Recognize effort and highlight the learning. Help others remain focused on the “learning” part of “experiencebased learning” with frequent pointers back to the development goals.
• Identify challenges. Learning by doing involves experimentation and bumping up against the unknown. Be an active partner in identifying the support and resources required for success.
After • Debrief the experience to extract learning. Educational reformer Help employees engage in reflection with a simple question like, “What did you learn?”
• Document the development. Treat experiences just like any other activity. Capture it in development documents, succession plans and skill inventories.
Efficiencies are the holy grail in today’s fast-paced workplace. Experience-based learning offers not just efficient but also value-driving development that allows people to transform while they perform.
Julie Winkle Giulioni has 25 years of experience working with organizations worldwide to improve performance through learning. Email Julie.
PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT AND THE BRAIN
When most people think about personal or organizational performance, they think about setting and hitting target goals. If this were as simple as it sounds, why do most people have trouble performing at their best?
According to Keller and Schaninger at McKinsey & Co., “Performance is what an enterprise does to deliver improved financial and operational results for its stakeholders.” But focusing solely on performance will not bring about the changes that organizations want. Instead, performance metrics must also be accompanied by a consideration of how effectively people work together to pursue a common goal. Called “organizational health,” this factor goes hand-in-hand with performance and refers to an organization’s level of internal alignment, quality of execution and capacity to renew itself to sustain high performance in an ever-changing external environment.
Alignment, execution and innovation remain challenges, especially at a time that is being called “the great resignation.” Insights gleaned from brain science may offer a perspective in optimizing organizational health that truly helps people to enhance their performance when applied artfully:
• Efficient task execution requires brain synchrony, which is highly dependent on the quality of attachment between team members.
• Movement can improve cognitive performance.
• Deliberate practice is far less impactful on performance than we think. There are often remarkable differences between two people who practice for the same amount of time. In fact, it accounts for less than 1% of performance when it comes to many forms of work.
Looking at these factors, organizations can explore scalable programs that enhance attachment, promote movement and go beyond practice. Questions to ask:
• Have we designed spaces so that people can move about with ease?
• Have we made movement a cultural norm by encouraging people to stand or walk about during meetings?
ATTACHMENT
Based on the team attachment levels, a program to strengthen interpersonal connection and psychological safety is likely to enhance performance, given that improving attachment also improves performance.
DELIBERATE PRACTICE
Training programs must involve more than mere practice.
Questions to ask:
• Have we incorporated feedback mechanisms? Is the practice meaningful?
• Is the experience of the practice enjoyable?
• Has the goal of agility been incorporated?
Overall, performance enhancement in humans would benefit from a multipronged approach, which brain science may significantly inform in measurable ways.
Questions to ask:
• Does it seem like people on the team are synchronized and safe to connect?
• Is this team-specific or part of the culture?
• How can I design a program to facilitate attachment and psychological safety?
MOVEMENT
Frequent breaks can reinvigorate the brain, and there are several things that companies can do to enhance the chances of this happening.
Dr. Srini Pillay is the CEO of NeuroBusiness Group. He is a Harvard trained psychiatrist and neuroscientist, on the Consortium for Learning Innovation at McKinsey & Company, and author of “Tinker Dabble Doodle Try.” Srini is also co-founder, chief medical officer and chief learning officer of Reulay. Email Srini.
COMBATTING BURNOUT:
THE MANAGER’S ROLE IN REIGNITING EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT
It’s a misnomer to think that our personal life has no bearing on our work life. Employees face countless obstacles before starting their workday – from getting children to school to transportation issues to juggling appointments and errands. Seamlessly disconnecting from a hectic morning and transitioning into “work mode” is challenging – if not nearly impossible.
For many employees, personal and professional priorities are constantly competing, which can lead to decreased productivity, increased anxiety and stress, and ultimately, burnout. However, the signs of burnout often go unnoticed in the workplace. With so much hustle and bustle in day-to-day work – from emails to meetings to endless tasks – employees can be on the brink of burnout without anyone noticing.
IDENTIFYING AND PREVENTING BURNOUT
Symptoms of burnout can surface in the form of negativity and cynicism, increased absenteeism, missed deadlines and decreased quality of work. Managers play a critical role in helping employees more effectively manage their time, set priorities and handle stress in a positive way.
Many leaders believe that simply reducing work hours will solve employee burnout, but according to Gallup research, this is one of the biggest myths surrounding burnout. While logical, hours worked is not the primary source of burnout. The research suggests that burnout is attributed to a variety of factors, including unmanageable workload, unclear communication from managers, lack of manager support and unreasonable time pressure. All of which are in a manager’s control.
Learning and development has an opportunity to develop leaders who advocate for their employees and set them up for success. Here are a few ways that managers can provide employees with a healthy, balanced approach to work.
HAVING REGULAR MEETINGS
One-on-one meetings are a great opportunity for managers to gain clearer insight into an employee’s workload and challenges the employee may be facing. Managers should ask specific questions that can reveal employees’ feelings related to their work. For instance, asking, “Do you feel confident that you have the capacity to handle your workload?” can reveal whether an employee may have competing priorities or an unmanageable workload. Equipping managers with communications skills such as listening, problem-solving and empathy can enable more productive conversations.
FINDING BALANCE
After uncovering any potential issues contributing to burnout, managers need to identify strategies to help employees find balance. If an unmanageable workload is an area of concern, then managers can consider reassigning projects to other employees. Ensuring employees have a variety of tasks that range in difficulty can help ease pressure. High performers are often given difficult projects because their track record shows that they can execute, but this tactic can lead to burnout and stress. All employees need and deserve a chance to breathe with a variety of assignments.
MAKING TIME TO REFLECT AND LEARN
Time is a barrier to learning for employees. Employees need time to learn, and few employees have the luxury. Managers must advocate for their employees and encourage them to block and dedicate time each week to learning, exploration and creativity exercises. Stress can stunt creativity, so managers must stay involved to ensure their team has the bandwidth to innovate and maintain a fresh perspective on work. Having learning resources that are easily accessible can help learners embed learning into their workday.
MOVING FORWARD
The pandemic has brought more awareness to employee burnout and the need for work-life balance. The good news is that many organizations are taking active steps toward creating solutions to help employees manage anxiety and stress in a positive way. Managers are a crucial part of the solution. By providing leaders with the necessary tools, organizations can reignite employee engagement and elevate the performance of all employees.
Michelle Eggleston Schwartz, CPTM, is the editorial director at Training Industry, Inc. Email Michelle.
CLOSING DEALS
GP STRATEGIES AND LEARNING TECHNOLOGIES GROUP (LTG) JOIN FORCES TO ACCELERATE WORKFORCE PERFORMANCE TRANSFORMATION
Now more than ever, companies are looking for scalable, turn-key solutions to upskill their workforces to stay competitive in an evolving market. In fact, the World Economic Forum found that 54% of current employees will require “significant upskilling and reskilling” by 2022.
With 2021 quickly coming to an end, it makes sense that the demand for comprehensive workforce performance solutions is high. This is reflected in Learning Technologies Group (LTG)’s agreement to acquire GP Strategies, a leader in workforce performance transformation, for $394M, which is one of the biggest mergers we’ve seen in the corporate training industry to date.
THE PERFECT PAIR
The deal is largely a symbiotic one, offering unique benefits for both companies. LTG’s portfolio of learning technology companies, which includes everything from learning record stores (LRSs) to learning experience platforms (LXPs), will provide scalable platforms to help GP Strategies deliver their top-notch learning services and large-scale workforce performance improvement initiatives.
For LTG, the merger will mean instant access to GP Strategies’ inherent expertise in building complex learning solutions, which is a notoriously difficult skill to recruit for and would have taken considerable time to develop in house.
With expertise in all of the core process capabilities of great training organizations, the merged company will be well-equipped to help even Fortune 100 companies with complicated learning systems environments deliver successful programs. But that doesn’t mean middle-market companies will be left behind: The combined company will boast an impressive toolbox of ready-touse, out-of-the-box solutions that smaller organizations can implement right away.
Ultimately, with both GP Strategies and LTG’s portfolio of companies making a regular appearance on Training Industry’s Top 20 Training Companies Lists — and a market cap of $1.79B — we can reasonably expect the combined company to make waves across nearly all segments of the corporate training market.
BY SARAH GALLO, CPTM
ALL YOUR EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT NEEDS IN ONE PLACE
More and more organizations are looking to not only adopt learning technologies but also to bring in the knowledge and services needed to implement them effectively. Thus, the merged company will offer a comprehensive solution that many buyers have been looking for. That’s why this merger makes sense, says Ken Taylor, chief executive officer at Training Industry. “As companies look to deliver great training, they’ll want to partner with a vendor who has a deep understanding of how learning technologies can support large-scale programs successfully.” The merged company, he says, is positioned to do just that.
With the ability to identify innovative solutions to workforce performance problems, and to deliver solutions using cutting-edge technologies, the combined company will provide the marketplace with a one-stop shop for buyers’ employee performance improvement needs. This will be a key competitive advantage for the merged company, as organizations are looking to improve performance quickly and at scale to keep pace with shifting business priorities.
THE DEAL IS LARGELY A SYMBIOTIC ONE, OFFERING UNIQUE BENEFITS FOR BOTH GP STRATEGIES AND LTG.
GOING GLOBAL
In addition to designating itself as a one-stop workforce performance improvement shop, the merger will create a notable global footprint for the company. This is another competitive advantage worth noting: With business becoming more and more globally distributed, the combined company (which will boast around 5,500 employees worldwide) will have a presence in 80 countries globally, according to the press release.
Agreeing to merge companies during COVID-19, a turbulent time for businesses across industries, is a major feat for both LTG and GP Strategies. It proves that they can not only survive but thrive during adverse times, and that their workforce performance transformation solutions can help their current — and future — customers do the same.
Sarah Gallo, CPTM, is an editor at Training Industry, Inc., and co-host of “The Business of Learning,” the Training Industry podcast. Email Sarah.
COMPANY NEWS
ACQUISITIONS AND PARTNERSHIPS
Bigtincan, a world leader in sales enablement automation, announced that it will acquire Brainshark. The acquisition will allow Bigtincan to further expand its course authoring and content creation solutions. This move will strengthen Bigtincan’s role as a leader in the sales enablement and readiness market.
Cognizant has acquired digital engineering assets from privately held project management agency Hunter Technical Resources. Cognizant continues to expand in key digital focus areas, including engineering, cloud, data, and artificial intelligence. With this acquisition, Cognizant will be able to better provide clients with capabilities to compete in the modern digital landscape. Seismic, the global leader in sales enablement, announced its acquisition of Lessonly, the training, coaching and enablement solution. With Lessonly, Seismic’s platform can provide a seamless seller experience with quick and easy access to marketing and sales content, alongside learning programs and coaching plans, all in one location.
DataCamp, the leading interactive learning platform, strengthened its partnership with learning experience platform Degreed, providing all Degreed clients with free access to their most successful data literacy courses. The courses, which require no prior experience in coding, are ideal for organizations initiating digital transformation projects. Whatfix, a leader in digital adoption solutions, acquired learning management system Nittio Learn. The move comes amidst a groundbreaking quarter, and further advances Whatfix’s application training ability by enabling more personalized, adaptive learning. The acquisition will lead to a dramatically reduced ramp-up time for new learners.
Cornerstone OnDemand, a global leader in talent management software, has entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by Clearlake Capital Group, L.P., a private equity leader. As a result, Cornerstone will become a private company, but will continue to provide market-leading software-as-aservice solutions.
INDUSTRY NEWS
NEW ORGANIZATIONAL CRISIS CURRICULUM TO KEEP WOMEN IN THE WORKFORCE
The Mach 1 Group (Mach 1), an award-winning crisis, strategic communications and public affairs firm, unveiled its new service offering: Championing Women Leaders, Curriculum for Supporting Women in the Workforce. This program is a crisis planning and communications curriculum for companies faced with females leaving the workforce.
WALMART TO PAY 100% OF COLLEGE TUITION AND BOOKS FOR ASSOCIATES
Walmart announced that it will pay 100% of college tuition and book fees for associates through its Live Better U education program. This move aims to provide approximately 1.5 million part- and full-time Walmart and Sam’s Club associates in the U.S. with debt-free college degrees or trade skills.
LEARNING PERFORMANCE BENCHMARK TOOL
Mind Tools for Business launched a free, confidential L&D comparison tool called The Learning Performance Benchmark, to help measure the impact of organizations’ learning strategy, as well as gauging organizations’ learning maturity. The Learning Performance benchmark helps L&D leaders perform gap analyses, while also comparing their function’s strategy against industry peers.
PARTNERSHIP TO ADDRESS HISTORIC RISE IN MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES
MINES & Associates, a nationally recognized business psychology firm, announced their partnership with eMindful, the leading provider of live, virtual mindfulness solutions. The partnership will help MINES & Associates support behavioral health of their employees, clients, and members. The move will combine eMindful’s eM Life solution with MINES’ award-winning Employee Assistance Program offerings.
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