Getting S'More from Your Leaders

S'mores, Mallomars, Moon Pies ... all have the tasty combination of marshmallow, chocolate and graham cracker that millions have grown to love. It's the perfect balance of flavors.

The name s'mores supposedly comes from a melding of the two words --- "some more" --and the idea that people will want more than just one.

When Leaders Are Like S'mores

Good leadership leaves team members craving s'more. And, if they move to another team, they want their new boss to be just as good as the last one.

Effective leadership is the result of well-trained supervisors, team leaders and managers who understand the essentials of management and communication. BLR's National Employee Attitude Survey uses an online survey to measure the feelings of employees in four key areas, which research shows are critical to morale, productivity and retention:

• Communication
• Teamwork
• Supervision
• Career opportunity

Other research shows that the potential for supervisors, team leaders and managers to become more successful (when measured by a more productive workforce) can be determined by the extent to which they accomplish the following:

• Provide a free flow of communication to employees, with well-crafted messages
• Provide development opportunities for team members
• Keep employees motivated and engaged in their work and in the company's mission

Other components of good leadership include the ability to lead with a positive rapport and the ability to make quick and effective decisions. Nothing is worse than a team leader who is weak, indecisive and lacking in confidence. These leaders create uncertainty throughout the entire team, and team members become frustrated. They certainly don't want s'more of this leadership style.

Although a team consists of a number of team members and a single team leader, it's true that the team's success or failure rests with the entire team. Nevertheless, the team leader bears the bulk of the accountability.

Winning a Second Helping of Productivity

Effective teams are those that have the talent and skills to foster self-motivation and self-improvement. The key differentiator is the leader, whose support determines whether the team is inspired or lackluster. Leaders who can design and support balanced teams will have productive teams with members who are ready for s'more.

Beyond the essentials of leadership, the best leaders:

• Build trust between team members
• Inspire and motivate teamwork to achieve goals
• Influence valuable changes
• Are open to new ideas from team members
• Establish an open system of discussion for decision-making on projects and consult key members frequently
• Encourage independent thinking
• Recognize exceptional talent, and then hire those employees and work to retain them
• Recognize and value each member's strengths and continue to coach them
• Define objectives and expectations for projects and ensure that each member understands
• Work quickly to resolve workplace problems
• Evaluate results in a timely fashion
• Celebrate both individual and team successes

Getting S'more: Leadership Development and Talent Management

A global custom research company recently released findings of a national survey that indicated that 20 percent of currently employed Americans would change jobs if the opportunity arose. Obviously, this affects employee retention. However, the study points out, 53 percent of respondents would still prefer to stay with their current organizations --- even if they were offered a better job with another company.

The reason is clear: Those who would choose to stay are working for well-trained leaders who have "leadership plus" --- added skills that keep employees engaged and wanting s'more.

Vital Learning's Leadership Development and Talent Management Curriculum offers a combination of courses to take leaders beyond the essentials:

• Leading Successful Projects
• Hiring Winning Talent
• Motivating Team Members
• Solving Workplace Problems
• Retaining Winning Talent
• Developing and Coaching Others (Leadership or Senior Management versions)

Vital Learning will work with you to develop a customized curriculum for your organization, helping you to make your leaders' skills the best they can possibly be.

Thought for the Day

"Try not to become a man of success but rather try to become a man of value."

---Albert Einstein

Sources:
Leadership Series (2010). Vital Learning Corporation.
Bruce, S. (Aug. 2010). Which of Your Employees is About to Pull a "Steven Slater?" BLR HR Daily Advisor.
Hill, S. What Makes a Good Team Leader? http://ww.zineArticles.com
More Employees Consider Changing Jobs as Economic Optimism Grows, http://www.gfkameria.com

The Wired Generation and Their Effect on Training

These are wild times, and the new generations are wired for Learning 2.0, also known as social learning. The rise of social media based on innovative Web 2.0 technologies, such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter, has created a new paradigm for how we approach learning. Consider the following:

• Total Internet users (PC and phones): 1.8 billion (25.89 percent) of the 6.8 billion people in the world.
• According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the size of the U.S. workforce in 2014 will be 162 million. Estimates are that Millennials will make up an impressive 47 percent of the workforce in 2014.
• Seventy-five percent of adults aged 18 to 24 who are online have a profile on a social network, according to a Pew Internet American Life Project survey.
• CEOs and industry leaders of all ages are beginning to use Twitter to open dialogues with employees and customers.   
• According to Forrester, interactions online or through other technology and their effect on e-learning indicates that more than 80 percent of adult learning occurs outside the classroom.

Informal Learning Power

 

Social media and learning consultant Jane Hart said, "Once individuals and groups do realize they have the power, ability and tools to learn for themselves, then they will begin to address their own problems informally and quite spontaneously --- without the supervision or intervention of a teacher." It's called informal learning, and, according to an ASTD study, it takes place "without a conventional instructor and is employee-controlled in terms of breadth, depth and timing. It tends to be individualized, limited in scope and utilized in small chucks." 

The Role of the Training Professional

Research indicates that learning professionals still play an important part in facilitating informal learning through social networking tools. It's something that organizations need to get smart about now.

Jay Cross, an informal learning expert, has indicated that formal training and workshops account for only 10 to 20 percent of what people learn at work. Interestingly, he likened formal learning to passively taking a bus and informal learning to riding a bike. The learner chooses the destination or detour.


Author and researcher Donald Tapscott says that Millennials want the following:

• Customization
• To be managed as individuals
• Integrity and transparency
• Value collaboration through social networking tools
• Entertainment through games and simulation 

In the workplace, performance management and training must reflect these needs.

Karie Willyerd, vice president and chief learning officer for Sun Microsystems, said "That social media presents a huge opportunity for the training profession to create strategies for informal learning." According to Willyerd, if the learning organization doesn't use social media, it will become "irrelevant and left behind." This heralds a call to action to become involved, and Willyerd said that it's an exciting place to be.

Getting On Board

In the April 2009 report, "Get Serious about Informal Learning," Claire Schooley of Forrester Research discusses steps to getting on board with Learning 2.0: 

• Examine how you conduct employee training.
• Collaborate with business units to develop effective strategies.
• Use employee performance results to measure successful learning experiences.
• Keep track of how people rate informal and formal content.
   

The many benefits of social learning include the use of online training capabilities that you may already have through providers with comprehensive online training platforms, such as Vital Learning's, which includes online coaching and the ability to link to other content and giving participants the opportunity to share their stories and keep learners engaged. Other benefits include the following: 

• Find and reach new students through Facebook, Twitter, etc.
• Promote your own training.
• Create enhanced and timely presentations.
• Stay on top of trends, competitors, market changes through social mining.
• Increase opportunities for participant feedback and create solutions for a deeper experience.

Lessons from Leaders

Consider the following ways these top companies engage their employees:

 

IBM links participants before and after a formal training event. The company uses its intranet-based "Blue Pages" to help employees connect around business issues.

Sun Microsystems adds to formalized learning and harvests knowledge. The company's open learning exchange called Sun Learning eXchange (SLX) takes advantage of the expertise within the community to gather knowledge.

 
Southwest Airlines uses social media to foster professional networks. The company uses Twitter to foster communication among employees and customers.

John Deere use communities of practice (CoPs) to drive innovation, efficiency and lifelong learning. Since 2002, the company has facilitated connections among knowledge workers with a network of 300 communities that cover topics from Six Sigma to mergers.

Get Going. Get Wired. Get Social.

Researchers agree that integrating social learning into formal learning strategies represents a major change, but it will not replace all formal learning. Learning professions will still need to create, deliver and manage the learning function. The change means that organizations will be adding to what they already have and moving the infrastructure to support exchanges.

Formalizing informal communication can make employees more efficient and productive, reduce costs, improve sales and increase retention. The best part is that implementing social media is relatively inexpensive.

Social media and its uses are growing and show no signs of stopping. Joining those who are already wired in social media is an essential part of the job of learning professionals today.   

Thought for the Day
"A social trend in which people use technologies to get the things they need from each other, rather than from traditional institutions like corporations ... the groundswell trend is not a flash in the pan. This is an important, irreversible, completely different way for people to relate to companies and to each other."

--- Charlen Li and Josh Bernoff, Groundswell

Sources:

Vital Learning (2010). Online training seminars

Fyfe, K. (June 2010). Groundbreaking Book Explains the Power of Social Learning for Organizations, ASTD.

Jarche, H. (April 2008). Skills 2.0, T+D.

Lorens, J. (2010). Learning 2.0, The Best of Social & Informal Learning 2007-2009, T+D.

Meister, J. and Willyerd, K. (2010). The 2020 Workplace, HaperCollins Publishers, NY.

Millenials, Portrait of Generation Next: Confident, Connected and Open to Change, Pew Research Center

Nancherla, A. (May 2009). Knowledge Delivered in Any Other Form Is Perhaps Sweeter, T+D.

Paridise, A. (July 2009). Informal Learning: Overlooked or Overhyped? T+D.

Sauve, E. (March 2007). Informal Knowledge Transfer, T+D.

Schramm, J. (June 2010). At Work in a Virtual World, HR Magazine.

Wilkins, D. (April 2009). Learning 2.0 and Workplace Communities, T+D,

Woodill, G. (April 2010). Worldwide Mobile Learning Trends 2010, Brandon Hall Research. 

Go Green With E-Learning

As organizations continue to tighten their belts with the overwhelming concerns of the economic crisis, it is time to consider "green" training strategies with e-learning.

Now more than ever is the time for organizations to take advantage of the opportunities associated with training programs delivered through easy-to-use learning management systems (LMS). Integrating e-learning into a training curriculum has never been more optimal for your strategies. Whether you are a part of a small, medium or large company, these resources are realistic and promising.

We've talked about the power of going green and the cost savings associated with it. Today, going green is also a way to attract and retain the best and brightest employees to maintain competitive edge. An example is the members of Generation Y, also called Millennials, who place a high value on the environmental ethics of prospective employers. According to Experience Inc., an Internet-based career services provider, a recent nationwide survey of 2,774 college students found that 81 percent believe it is important to work for a green company.

Furthermore, research also indicates that corporations with increased social responsibility tend to have longevity. E-learning makes environmental and financial sense because it reduces time away from the job, classroom energy use, costly travel and other resource use.

The need for communicating about and training employees on new business objectives in order to help them succeed in a more complicated business environment is imperative. It is also much easier to achieve these days because of the ease and immediacy of using technology. A Watson Wyatt Communication ROI Study 2007/08 of companies worldwide found that "firms that communicate effectively are four times more likely to report high levels of employee engagement than firms that communicate less effectively."

The tools used for communication and training enhance the business environment and are particularly important to younger employees, who have grown up with the use of computers and the Internet. I see this becoming a green engagement with employees --- a new partnership between the employee and the organization.

Leveraging Green in Your Organization

The world of electronic capabilities and portable computing and communication connected through wireless networks has facilitated mobility in learning. Mobility enables instruction and learning to extend far beyond the traditional classroom, thereby eliminating traditional inhibitors and boundaries. It offers increased flexibility and opportunity for interaction for those who might otherwise not receive the training they need.

E-learning supports experiences that are accessible to, collaborative with and integrated with the business environment. What can green learning bring to your organization?
• Increased training for busy employees
• Anytime, anywhere access to new content
• Enhanced interaction between and among learners and trainers
• Just-in-time training or a review of content
• Enhancement of student-centered training
• Greater engagement of tech-savvy participants in a media-rich environment
• Support of personalized learning
• Collaboration through asynchronous and synchronous communication
Researchers also indicate the benefits of training occurring in the individual's environment rather than in the classroom. It enables reinforcement of learner recall and reflection with others in the same technology space online. Some organizations can also use e-learning to increase learning within team environments.

A Green Strategy

Greener strategies may not have reached your organization yet, but chances are they will. If they haven't, then you may have an opportunity to take a leadership position. Obviously, global warming, high energy prices and other issues have many people wondering how they can make an impact. Organizations are beginning to incorporate green initiatives into their strategic planning initiatives. This is a great time to suggest e-learning as a greener approach to delivery.

The following are some reasons to consider e-learning in your organization's green strategy:
• Eliminate paper-based marketing materials and tools for inviting participants by replacing them with electronic components and the use of learning management system (LMS) tools.
• LMS tools offer self-service registration and confirmation components that save time, staff and paper.
• Offer training materials and resources through the online program.

Because training in classrooms requires time and gas commuting and time spent off the job, organizations can save energy in a variety of ways. Consider shifting to more e-learning components through blended learning, online coaching, performance support and stand-alone courses. While helping the environment, this also helps make training more transparent and efficient as well as increase skills development.
Consider moving course evaluations and assessments online.

Researchers indicate that greener training must start at the top by promoting a clear commitment to it as an overall organizational strategy to social and ethical responsibility. Nick Van Dam, Ph.D., suggested in his article, "Time for Green Learning!" suggested that this strategy involves early communication and planning for a green learning environment, and it requires the support of the organization's learning community. Again, transparency is important addressing trainee concerns in the shift from paper use and traditional classroom settings. Finally, specific goals and objectives for green learning must be matched with measurement of progress.

Go Green With Vital Learning

Vital Learning is doing its part to enable organizations to commit to green learning practices by offering online learning programs through a comprehensive LMS. With programs that incorporate e-learning and blended learning methods, your organization can save time and money while ensuring that your employees receive the training they need. Your local Vital Lerning training consultant can show you the best way to go for the green with e-learning for your organization.

E-Learning Buzz to Your Training Toolbox

It's learning in a widely networked world. It's green, it's in cyberspace, it's blended and unblended, it supports change. It can save your organization money, it fosters interaction and collaboration, it's global, scalable, adaptable and part of the new learning fabric that goes hand-in-hand with revolutionary and technological change. That's the buzz of e-learning. But is e-learning in your training toolbox?

Content and Providers

The e-learning market is expected to surpass $52.6 billion by 2010, according to a May 2008 industry article. Shorter business cycles, mergers and increased competition are driving businesses to incorporate of e-learning in their training curriculums. Other drivers include quality instruction, cost effectiveness of new technology and increasingly supportive cultures of e-learning.

Another trend is not only in the purchase of software but also the added value of training vendors who can provide online facilitation, blended approaches and coaching. This increases engagement and customer learning satisfaction leading to outcomes contributing to the bottom line.

Scenario: A data processing company is rolling out supervisory training for its 200 managers. The company wants to deliver the same training to all managers, but because the participants are in five locations in three states, classroom-based training is not feasible due to the cost of bringing participants to one location.

The decision is made to use e-learning. A training vendor supports online training by interacting with students through threaded discussions. The online trainer is also available to answer participants' questions. Thus, students feel supported. They apply their learning on the job for a defined period and return to the online course fur further discussion and coaching with the instructor based on their real-life experiences.

Productivity levels are measured before and after the training, as well as at six months and one year. The results show that turnover is reduced and productivity has increased.

Learning 2.0 and Social Communities

According to research, the future of e-learning may be in workplace communities using social learning, which is a major change for business training. As a training professional or chief learning officer, you are responsible for managing and delivering training with classroom, online or blended approaches. The prospect of socialized learning adds to the formal approaches. E-learning lends itself well to this because it is already delivered via technology and uses features such as chat, asynchronous threads and document sharing.

How they do it: Social networking sites and blogs can be easily embedded into e-learning formats. The accessibility of posts for best practices and ideas are built upon and archived over time, becoming a wealth of collaborative knowledge for the organization.

Another way inject social learning is to wrap it around existing formal content and link to social forum spaces where they can discuss the training. These are public spaces where additional outside experts contribute so learning is further enhanced.

Learning Management Systems

Learning management systems (LMS) need not be expensive. They allow companies to register, track and catalog available courses for participants within the organization, allowing them to manage the function.

Choosing the right content and provider can bring resources to you without the expense of building or investing in large-scale systems beyond your reach or budget. This makes it easier to deliver value to your organization and mange results. For example, tracking the number of participants, courses delivered, and time spent in courses compared to the return on increased customer service or productivity following training.

Scenario: An auto parts store chain has rolled out training to its 257 stores nationwide. Through its LMS, the chain can track those who have received customer service training. Because the store also tracks customer service levels, it can draw correlations between those who completed the training and increased customer service ratings. Further return-on-investment has been shown through this tracking.

Vital Learning Brings the Buzz to Your Toolbox



Organizations are increasingly examining the incorporation of e-learning and the vast array of technology and Web-based tools strategically. Resources include planning and evaluation methods.

Vital Learning has been delivering online training courses and tools since 1996. With its affiliated training partners, Vital Learning offers a sate-of-the-art LMS and courses that can be delivered as stand-alone modules for self-paced learning or for blended learning solutions. Contact your Vital Learning training consultant today to discover how you can add e-learning to your toolbox.