The strategic value of custom learning solutions

The Strategic Value of Custom Learning Solutions

June 20, 2011

© 2010 Global Knowledge Training LLC. All rights reserved. 04/12/23 Page 2FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY

Presenters

Tom Gram Senior Director, Learning ServicesGlobal Knowledge

Dixie SeucharanLearning Consultant, Service Canada College

Leslie JeffordAssociate Director, Enterprise LearningBell Canada


Global Knowledge Learning Services

Identify, profile, develop, and manage talent.Identify, profile, develop, and manage talent.

Identify needs, prepare learning strategies, develop learning architectures and roadmaps, and measure success.

Identify needs, prepare learning strategies, develop learning architectures and roadmaps, and measure success.

Adapt our standard programs to meet your unique needs, from simple modifications to complex re-designs to conversions to e-Learning.

Adapt our standard programs to meet your unique needs, from simple modifications to complex re-designs to conversions to e-Learning.

Your content and your objectives, developed by our team of professional learning designers.

Your content and your objectives, developed by our team of professional learning designers.

e-Learning, content conversion, Learning 2.0, and blended-learning solutions

e-Learning, content conversion, Learning 2.0, and blended-learning solutions


Agenda

What is custom learning? Why it’s important to your organization’s

success 6 ways to improve the value of your custom

learning efforts Q&A


What is Custom Learning?

Learning built to meet your organization’s unique knowledge and skill needs

Your program, your way, to your specifications

ILT eLearning Mobile Informal


How much organizational learning is custom developed?

CustomPrograms

50%

“Off-the-shelf”Programs

50%


The “Winning Approach”

Custom

Off-the-shelf

Operational Strategic

30%

20%

40%

10%

Highest ROI Projects


6 Practices for improving the strategic value of custom learning

1. (Really) link learning to business needs

2. Target competencies that differentiate your organization

3. Design for impact

4. Get informal

5. Innovate with technology

6. Use partners strategically


1. (Really) link learning to business needs

Business goals are your friend.

Use them to support your decisions not to respond to low value ad-hoc requests.

Prepare proactive annual learning plans with your customers to jointly addressing business needs


Business goals and their Learning Implications

Gain Market share Enterprise systems New product roll-outs Compliance and Regulation Quality/productivity Channel development Employee engagement

Business Goals Learning Implications


2. Target signature skills that differentiate your organization

Know your business critical processes, knowledge, and core competencies

Identify pivotal processes, jobs, and roles. Target learning initiatives squarely at developing the signature skills and behaviours that make your organization stand out


3. Design for impact

We have the knowledge it takes to design effective learning programs. Set design standards that produce high impact learning and stick to them.


Design backwards

Business Goal

PracticeActivities

Content

Make content and subject matter your last decision, not your first

Custom learning programs too often start with “content” or subject

matter–a sure fire way to produce bloated, dull and low value programs

Behaviour


4. Get Informal

The majority of learning taking place in your organization right now is informal

• Communities of practice • Action Learning • Job assignments • Performance support

systems• Collaborative learning • Learning 2.0


5. Innovate with technology

Be creative in how you use technology to support learning. It offers more than what comes out of the box.

Use technology as a tool to innovate rather than institutionalize processes that don’t create value


Technologies that emphasize practice and collaboration

Business and technical simulations Virtual learning environments

Immersive learning Augmented reality

Social Media Communities of Practice Social learning add on’s Informal learning

“Serious” Games


6. Use partners strategically

External partners can add strategic value to your programs that you may not have thought of.

• Consulting• Analysis • Knowledge transfer • Professional development • Standards development

• Define roles• Encourage knowledge

sharing • Establish a collaborative

project workspace • Merge processes to

develop a seamless flow for working together


7. Measure Success (Bonus Practice!)

Evaluation must be part of the part of the plan, not an afterthought.

Keep it simple. Use existing business measures as much as possible

Yes, there are alternatives to Kirkpatrick

• Don’t measure everything

• Find out what’s important to the business and make that your measurement focus.

• If the business is poor at measuring results, you have yet another opportunity to add value


Questions