03.2014Vol.1 No.1

Presented By

0907 Critical Success Factors

for e-Learning Projects By Sally-Ann Moore

2015

Learning Initiatives By Thomas Walk & Amy Bladen Shatto

Technology-Enabled LearningBy Dr. Janet Corral

GamificationBy Robert S. Becker

CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS FOR E-LEARNING PROJECTSWhat we have learned from 20 years of experienceSally-Ann Moore

What are the Technology Enabled Learning Excellence Essentials Products and Services?

Technology Enabled Learning Excellence Essentials - Monthly Interactive Learning Journal Watch as this monthly interactive learning experience showcases effective, learner-centered technologies and content to facilitate the formal and informal transfer of the latest e-learning knowledge, information and skills in today’s workplace.

Technology Enabled Learning CertificateProgram (5 hours) A Certificate in Technology Enabled Learning with the Institute for Human Resources (IHR) makes you credible, marketable, and shows your dedication to your profession.

Technology Enabled Learning Expert Certification Program (40 hours)Work towards the ultimate credential for education. Showcase your expertise with Expert Certification in the Technology Enabled Learning domain and learn how to apply effective and modern e-learning programs in your organization and make them impactful.

Technology Enabled CommunityJoin almost 13,000 HR.com members with a similar interest and focus on Technology Enabled. Share content and download white papers, blogs, and articles, network, view educational webcasts, and “follow” peers and have them “follow” you in a social network platform to communicate regularly and stay on top of the latest updates. The well established Technology Enabled Community is an invaluable resource for any HR staffing professional or manager.

Use these resources today! Contact us now to inquire about organizational customization and pricing!

For more information phone: 1.877.472.6648 | email: sales@hr.com | www.hr.comCONNECTINGHR EXPERTSGLOBALLY

Features

07 Critical Success Factors for e-Learning Projects What we have learned from 20 years of experience Sally-Ann Moore

09 Learning Initiatives Effectively marketing program evaluation strategies for success Thomas Walk & Amy Bladen Shatto

10 Learning at the Core of Global Talent Management Both formally and informally David Wentworth & Alex Poulos

12 Tell, Then Test vs. Test, Then Tell What’s the better way? Joe Ganci

14 Getting a Handle on New Hire Training Training is more than getting people up to speed Judy Fort

15 Technology-Enabled Learning The first steps for transforming training into measuring for mastery Dr. Janet Corral

17 Working Virtually with Different Cultures Treating different people differently Linda Uli

20 Gamification 10 practical ways to gamify corporate learning Robert S. Becker

22 Effective Management Strategies 3 tips for virtual management of effective virtual teams Sean Glaze

24 Learning in the Cloud 10 factors to consider Mark Townsend, Jeff Bond & Jim Zimmermann

26 Live Virtual Learning Seven steps to make Live virtual training highly interactive Susan Cullen

28 Enterprise Collaboration Integrating emerging technologies for employee development Brian Breen

Critical Success Factors for e-Learning Projects

This article is designed to help human resource and education professionals embarking on on-line learning projects avoid pitfalls and ensure success in today’s environment. PG.07

What we have learned from 20 years of experience

03.2014Vol.1 No.1

Presented By

0907 Critical Success Factors

for e-Learning Projects By Sally-Ann Moore

2015

Learning Initiatives By Thomas Walk & Amy Bladen Shatto

Technology-Enabled LearningBy Dr. Janet Corral

GamificationBy Robert S. Becker

Technology Enabled Learning Excellenceis published monthly by HR.com,124 Wellington Street EastAurora, OntarioCanada L4G 1J1

Internet Address: www.hr.com

Submissions & Correspondence:Please send any correspondence, articles, letters to the editor, and requests to reprint, republish, or excerpt articles to: HR.com124 Wellington Street East, Aurora, Ontario Canada L4G 1J1.Phone: 1-877-472-6648

For customer service, or information on products and services, call 1-877-472-6648

Technology Enabled Learning Excellence Publishing:Debbie McGrath, CEO, HR.comPublisherShelley Marsland-Beard, Product ManagerBrandon Wellsbury, Corporate SalesAdnan Saleem, Design and Layout

Marketing Offices:HR.com124 Wellington Street EastAurora, OntarioCanada L4G 1J11-877-472-6648

Copyright © 2014 HR.comNo part of this publication may bereproduced or transmitted in any form without written permission from the publisher. Quotations must be credited

To submit articles for future issues of Technology Enabled Learning Excellence Publication submit your article here:TEL@editor.hr.com

Vol.1 Issue. 1

Technology-enabled learning has come to the forefront of most training and development initiatives. While some may want the conversation to fixate on technology, the real focus should never stray from learning. As Sally-Ann Moore puts it so well in one of this month’s articles, training and development initiatives should only exist for one good reason: “to increase performance of the organization”.

Three themes that interweave this inaugural issue of Excellence Essentials: Technology-Enabled Learning: learning, competency, and a learner-centered view of training & development. In their article, Wentworth and Poulos suggest learning should cut across the entire employee lifecycle, and accordingly so too should the role of the learning management system (LMS) be that of a central hub for all learning and career functions (e.g. competency-based assessment, workforce planning, annual evaluations, etc). The articles by Corral and Ganci each point out that the power of learning is best harnessed through demonstrated performance in the moment of training. Ganci il-lustrates this by testing learners through scenario-based learning, whereas Corral importantly details how to design for and pinpoint competencies as a key early step towards measuring deep learning. Collectively, these articles drive the conversation in technology-enabled learning to embrace deeper models of measurable, rich training experiences that drive performance in any organization.

Yet learning initiatives may suffer if we fail to adopt a learner-centered view. Judy Fort shares eight key points that challenge HR leaders to see – and plan - training through employee’s eyes, rather than from one’s functional unit perspective. Linda Uli cautions that without paying attention to the style and timing of communication, we may be communicating past one another – as well as existing cultural divides in multi-national organizations. Sean Glaze and Bob Becker con-tinue learner-centered approaches by providing practical tips on how to design to meet learners’ needs. Glaze focuses on how to make effective virtual teams by modifying the tools, thoughts, and techniques to match employees’ needs. In contrast, Becker provides ten great tips on how to easily bring gaming into corporate training as a way of making training engaging for employees to learn. This issue closes with an article by Walk and Shatto that, while not directly learner-centered, emphasizes the importance of relating to the key stakeholders in order for training programs to have true traction.

As technology rapidly evolves, it is not the tools that should wow us. Neil Postman (1992) wisely pointed out it is too easy to make technology our ‘deity’, to the detriment of learning: “we focus all of our attention on what technology can do,

not on what it can undo” (p.3). I’m pleased that this inaugural issue of Technology-Enabled Learn-ing errs on the side of challenging each of us to remember that people and design matter more than the technology, and that we should bend the technology to our needs rather than our needs to the technology. I look forward to hearing of the great initiatives in your organization that make learning – not the technology – drive optimum performance, for the success of all.

Sincerely,Dr. Janet CorralChief Learning Officer, SparkWorks, Inc. Visit www.getsparkworks.com Twitter @SparkWorks_4U

Guest Editors Note

How Can HR.com Help YOU?The Institute for Human Resources (IHR) provides certification and accreditation to industry professionals along particular HR verticals or domains. In doing this, we are able to build talent pools of highly skilled and trained professionals with critical niche skills and networks that can share best practices across these key HR verticals. The certification and accreditation process is developed through an independent board of advisors who are industry experts within each domain and have access to the latest technology, best practices and thought leaders in their space. The Institute for Human Resources provides two learning programs: Certificate Program and Expert Certification.

IHR Certificate Program IHR Expert Certification

Learning hours/ Credits Per Vertical 5 Webcasts/Credits (live or archived) 40 Webcasts/Credits (live or archived)

Number of Verticals 19 Verticals of Study 23 Verticals of Study

Exam Questions(from the webcasts you attended)

25 Questions100 Questions

Time to Complete Exam 1 hour 2.5 hours

Pass Rate 60% 60%

Cost of Exam $99 $499

Phone: 1.877.472.6648 | Email: certification@hr.com | www.hr.com/ihrCONNECTINGHR EXPERTS GLOBALLY

Why Become IHR Certified?

Certification is the best move for your career

•Expand your knowledge and stay on top of the latest trends

•Showcase your expertise

•Be seen as an industry expert

•Improve your earnings and be promoted

•Elevate your status as an HR expert

•Open job prospects

Enhance your understanding and accreditation in any specialty of HR with the Institute for Human Resources.

Testimonials

“I have been conducting webinars for more than two years. I have had experience with at least a dozen organizations and I must say that HR.com is one of the most professional and knowledgeable with which I have worked. I highly recommend HR.com as an online learning provider.” Wally Hauck, PhD, CSP, Organizational Consultant at Optimum Leadership

“Great job! I enjoy the free webinars as I work for a small firm and we do not have a budget for professional development. These types of webinars help keep me connected and refreshed on pressing topics in the industry.” Carla Lawrence, Business Transformation Group

Begin your certification program today!

Brandon WellsburyHR.com, Certification AdvisorToll Free: 1-877-472-6648 ext. 116PH: 905-727-1340 ext. 116 bwellsbury@hr.com

The Institute for Human Resources specializes in helping HR Professionals prepare for PHR and SPHR examinations from the HRCI. HR Professionals can also get completely recertified with the Institute for Human Resources.

PHR/SPHR Exam Preparation HRCI Recertification Services

The IHR utilizes the Human Resources Certification Preparation (HRCP) program to help HR Professionals prepare and pass their PHR or SPHR exam. This program, like no other, offers a 100% money back guarantee if you do not pass your exam!

The IHR has a library of nearly 4000 HRCI approved webcast credits, including over 600 eLearning Credits. HRCI Recertification has never been so easy.

Features of the Institute for Human Resources PHR/SPHR Prep Course include:

•36hoursofliveonlineblendedlearningclasseswithan HR instructor and HRM

•6studymanuals,eachcoveringthebodyofknowledge as prescribed by the HRCI

•100sofflashcardstotestyourknowledge,andsolidify your understanding of the curriculum

•Over800onlinepracticeexamquestions

Features of the Institute for Human Resources Recertification service:

•Unlimitedfreewebcasts

•$45pere-learningcreditorunlimitedfor$200peryear

•Totalre-certificationcostwithHR.com$200

•HR.comtracksALLofyourrecertificationcreditsfor you,makingrecertificationano-brainer!

•Over4,000webcastsand600+eLearningcreditsto choosefrom-allHRCIapproved

•HR.comwebcastsalsocounttowardsWorldatWork, and IHR Certification programs

www.hr.com/prepcourse www.hr.com/recertification

Phone: 1.877.472.6648 | Email: certification@hr.com | www.hr.com/ihrCONNECTINGHR EXPERTS GLOBALLY

By Sally-Ann Moore

What we have learned from 20 years of experience

Critical Success Factors for e-Learning Projects

This article is designed to help human resource and education professionals embarking on on-line learning projects avoid pitfalls and ensure success in today’s environment. The piece is structured into the following key sections:yy Fundamental assumptions about training in companiesyy What has not worked and whyyy What we have learned from successful e-Learning projectsyy Integrating work and learningyy Measuring the benefits of e-Learning in companies

Fundamental Assumptions about Training & Development in the Enterprise:

During my time, as VP for business development in a very large training company, (over 3000 trainers worldwide) I spent many hours discussing training projects with large organisations. They had many reasons for conducting training, but these were not always clear, and sometimes without any value-adding component for the company (e.g.: one company was training people in arbitrarily in IT because they were going to fire them, and wanted to give them new skills to get a new job, as per the law in that country) However, there is only one good reason for training and that is to increase performance of the organisation in an increasingly competitive global economy. Performance then becomes the pillar and key measure of any training programme, but especially vocational training.What’s not working:

During this latest economic downturn in France, more companies than ever have turned to eLearning for the first time, in order to save up to 75% on delivery cost of training. However, not all projects have succeeded, and learner drop-out rates and motivation remains as an issue. For some companies here, significant investments in content and delivery technologies were not paying off despite the obvious economic promise of e-Learning.Why it’s not working:

Analysis of failing projects tended to assume that the problems were related to items such as:yy Speed or reliability of technology delivery yy Quality and depth of contentyy Absence of human intervention or teachers

Key Success Factors:None of the above was actually the main cause of failure. The

analysis of successful projects points the way. Training projects using partial or all IT delivery to learners that achieved their objectives and good attendance - all had four key factors in common.

These four factors, which will be presented in detail, required more management attention and a more sophisticated use of technology in training needs analysis and measurement, not just delivery of learning and training.Strategic Approach to e-Learning Projects and Training:

Companies are now aware of the critical success factors, but often find it difficult to identify clear business goals and measures, and priorities for training. In the presentation, we show how measures can be identified and set in line with business objectives by taking a systemic view of the target audience’s activity in the organisation and

the use of a balanced scorecard. With reference to David Norton’s model: measuring only the shareholder value or financial returns is somewhat like flying a plane while only watching the airspeed. Like pilots, we need a balanced set of measures to keep us on course to the destination, safely. David Norton proposes the following categories of measures that I have found to be ideal for setting the performance measures of training projects:

yy Shareholder Value – In the case of training projects, an increased output, by the trainees in the activity they have been trained to perform better, e.g.: Sales.

yy Customer Perception - A company may have an extremely healthy balance sheet and customers who hate them….will they be in business next year? A good measure of training is the customer’s feedback on the difference it makes. I have even involved clients in delivery of role-plays and training design. Sound’s risky? Dirty laundry? Not at all – a wonderful way of being client-centric is to collect their opinions on what the customer-facing organisation needs to learn to do better. The trust of your client will increase tenfold in this process of involvement.

yy Key Business Process Drivers – Every organisation with a purpose will have a small but vital set of key business processes that drive their business value. Let’s take the example of a Building society that lends money to homeowners; the key process is the client’s credit approval process. Over recent years, this has been reduced from 24 days to 24 hours, and now if certain TV adverts are to be believed, 24 minutes. Without information technology, this would not have been possible, but imagine the IT without the people on the phone and behind the counter doing things very differently – and not without some pretty effective training.

yy Rate of Innovation and Learning – Several CEO’s have been quoted as saying the only competitive edge we have left is the rate at which we learn ….well yes, it’s a fast changing world and while small companies can hire and fire as the competencies change, no large organisation can afford to do that – they have to ensure that their workforce is learning at least as fast as their rivals.

So remember, what you measure is what you get – testing knowledge and competence is a mere focus on the inputs to the value adding process – focus on the outputs, the results of the work done better, the categories measures above will keep the balance.

All the successful e-Learning and blended delivery projects uncov-ered were characterised by a clear sense of business objectives, with clear “output” measures that the employees understood, and were rewarded for. Furthermore, the management were perceived to be measuring the results. For busy executives, this is a more effective weapon than coaching which, while in fashion, is barely practical with today’s flattened hierarchies and networked teams. This reminds me of my childhood breakfast (not in fashion!) of bacon and eggs: in such a meal the chicken is contributing but the pig is committed. How very like training projects and executives, all too often you’re getting a chicken when what your project needs is a pig….the best way to make this conversion is the use of the balanced scorecard and filling in of that executive picture puzzle – why the training project

7 Excellence Essentials presented by HR.com | 03.2014

is good for the business – in a straight, hard line.The other factor that stands out in the successful projects is the

notion of selection: if you want someone to climb a tree, it’s better to hire a squirrel than train a turkey. One of the biggest earliest e-Learning foundations was created by a very large software company whose world market domination was being slowed by lack of certi-fied IT professionals to do systems management and development. 50 million dollars and one very complete on-line learning institute later, there were still only 7 out of 10 system manager vacancies being filled. The learning solution was not at fault – simply the contenders for certification were dropping like flies – only 15% completed the course, mainly because most of them simply didn’t have the profile to be a systems manager or developer in the first place, and were merely attracted by the money. Not great selection process. The fourth factor, but no means least, good training and e-Learning projects always feature needs analysis, with a personalised curricula as a result. As

in medicine, half the battle is the diagnosis, so it is sad to note that companies only spend 15% of training budgets on needs analysis.

In conclusion, in favour of e-Learning, it is worth noting that surveys of staff show that they consider that over 85% of the skills required in their workplace, were acquired informally, and not in training courses. Again, pause to reflect on the balance of the training budget that is still stacked up to 65% in favour of the formal training process, instead of on-the-job coaching and support. TEL

Sally-Ann Moore is the Managing Director and founder of a worldwide series of conferences and exhibitions dedicated to e-learning. She has a long career in consulting and today specializes in eLearning, Competence Management and Performance Management. Visit www.ilearningforum.org/en Twitter @Samoorethomson

Critical Success Factors for e-Learning Projects

8Technology Enabled Learning excellence presented by HR.com | 03.2014

Meet Skillport® 8. An unparalleled learning experience. A modern LMS.

TECHNOLOGY HAS CHANGED… But why hasn’t your LMS.

For more information or to learn more, call 1-855-462-1420 or visit www.skillsoft.com/ee

• Easy access to the most relevant courses, books, videos, portals, live events and simulations.

• Robust search tools and flexible presentations of content libraries.

• Community building features like comments, recommendations and interests.

• Available on mobile devices—any time, any place.

By Thomas Walk & Amy Bladen Shatto

Effectively marketing program evaluation strategies for success

Learning Initiatives

For several decades, HR/OD practitioners have sought effective ways of justifying the existence of their learning initiatives. While necessary, particularly in today’s tumultuous, profit-centric economic environment and following closely on the heels of “The Great Reces-sion,” we may need to rethink how we are making our business cases. In short, we may need to make a change in the marketing strategy where learning programs are concerned!

It’s difficult for most learning professionals to even conceive of a discussion about program evaluation that does not reference Donald Kirkpatrick and his four-level model-- arguably the most widely used and popular model for the evaluation of training and our the industry standard. The four levels of Kirkpatrick’s model, referencing ideas originally published in 1959 essentially measure:•y Level 1: Reaction of learner - what one thought and felt about

the program•y Level 2: Learning - the resulting increase in one’s knowledge

or capability•y Level 3: Behavior - extent of behavior and capability improve-

ment and implementation/application•y Level 4: Results - the effects on the business or environment

resulting from the trainee’s performanceMore recently, learning thought leaders Phillips and Zuniga (2008)

have even added a 5th level: ROI (Return on Investment) – a more complex calculation of the actual fiscal return that a program delivers relative to the Company’s investment.

And from a technical perspective, who can argue with this model? It is, in fact compelling and comprehensive. Our concern, however, is one of the practical applicability in today’s workplace. That is, couched in these terms, the model lacks face business relevance often leading to futile presentations of indigestible facts. In turn, while the data often suggests tremendous positive impact on an Organization, that value cannot be fully recognized by key decision-makers the way it has been presented.

What we suggest, therefore, is certainly not replacing traditional program evaluation strategies, but infusing them with a more market-able context that can help business leaders better absorb and hence, recognize the true value of these results. The context we suggest is not a new one – in fact, it is one that business process guru -, Peter Block has spent the better part of his career coaching his clients around—the practice of “contracting” with our clients. A Context for Successnin Program Evaluation

Peter Block, in his 1999 book “Flawless Consulting”, laid out an exceptionally powerful context for achieving “buy-in” from executive sponsors by aligning learning and human capital strategies with key business objectives at the outset rather than simply presenting results in a vacuum after the money has been spent on an initiative. To that end, if the objective is to help business leaders recognize the value of learning, we can make best use of our time by increasing our focus on effective “contracting” or:

1) Scoping - Understanding the business leaders’ desired outcomes, determining what we can do to best achieve those outcomes, and how we’ll measure our progress (The learning team partners with the busi

ness leaders in supporting a strategic initiative by jointly answering key questions: Are there key strategic initiatives that need to be supported? Are there ambitious goals or metrics in the business plan that needs an extra push? What constraints exist i.e., budget, logistics, etc.?)

2) Setting expectations - Gaining agreement from the business leaders as to both the plan of action and the measures that will be used to determine success (The learning team seeks “buy-in” for an in-tervention that simultaneously supports the business drivers identified in the initial conversation, and fits within the constraints outlined including the measurement strategy.)

3) Data collection – Executing on the negotiated strategy (The learning team designs and rolls-out the agreed upon program.)

4) Gap Analysis & Recommendations – Presenting the results of the data collection against the initial success metrics to show tangible value-add in terms of the business leaders’ original desired outcomes (The learning team presents training outcomes relative to the success mea-sures agreed upon at the outset, highlighting any gaps or recommendations for improving the program in the future.)

In contrast to what seems to have become the commonplace means of executing program evaluation in a vacuum, only in Step 4 (pre-sentation of the gap analysis and recommendations) do the learning professionals focus on the actual rigor of the program evaluation strategy (e.g., through a Kirkpatrick-esque type of analysis). Steps 1-3 additionally provide the necessary context in which to help the executive sponsors link such a thorough analysis to something that is meaningful to the business.

This consultative context – the additional steps taken-- effectively sets the stage for a more successful learning intervention and one with outcomes that can be more easily packaged for executives post-program. The essence of this approach, therefore, is to ensure a significant amount of active discussion and negotiation on the part of the business partners who, as a result of their initial involvement and choices in direction—will ultimately have more of a stake in a positive outcome. Stated simply, positioned as process consultants focused on competitive advantage, the learning team appears strate-gically focused on highly visible business objectives, outcomes, and costs rather than on technicalities and nice-to-haves that are typically cut during a downturn. A Smart Strategyrfor Positioning Learning Initiatives

Not only does the contracting process set a learning team up for success in packaging results to key decision-makers, but this conver-sation has a number of ancillary but substantial benefits that should also be considered: •y First, the contracting conversation, in promoting enhanced ex-

ecutive commitment to the initiative can readily translate into greater support from participants’ supervisors during actual program roll-out, further improving the opportunity to obtain positive results. •y Second, after partnering with business leaders during the con-

tracting phase, learning leaders often come to speak a language more closely aligned with the operations of the business rather than one that is fraught with HR/OD jargon. •y Third, through contracting learning leaders gain up-front, specific

9 Excellence Essentials presented by HR.com | 03.2014

agreement regarding measures of success in which they proactively set the stage for the analysis to come, in turn, ensuring openness to a meaningful post-program conversation.•y Finally, in contracting, learning leaders take a consistent ap-

proach to that of other organizational cost centers that are expected to justify the value of their initiatives using tangible estimates of ROI (e.g., Marketing and IT.) In much the same way, that these depart-ments are often successful in obtaining funding by proposing projects in tandem with anticipated ROI, Learning can expect to enjoy the same opportunity for success!

In short, while learning professionals have been traditionally inclined to discuss program outcomes in terms of incremental improvements in learner knowledge and/ or competency performance, executives are more comfortable discussing the business in less theoretical (and more applied) ways. By understanding the practical outcomes that execu-tive leaders value, the learning team is far better prepared to gather the information that will have the most impact on the business, the

strategy, and--ultimately the executive’s impression of the program and its value to the Company.

So, by all means, utilize a detailed analysis of Kirkpatrick’s four levels to demonstrate how a learning platform achieves its objectives, but be sure to do it in the context of what your keysstakeholders’ value! TEL

Learning Initiatives

Amy Bladen Shatto, Ph.D. is Senior Vice President, Learning and Develop-ment at Ketchum PR and President of Leadership Variations, a management development consultancy specializing in talent development solutions. Amy.Email bladenshatto@ketchum.comThomas Walk, Ph.D. is the Director of Sales Training Operations and Tech-nology at MetLife, a Fortune 50 Insurance firm, specializing in insurance and financial service for over 140 years. Email twalk@metlife.com

The term ‘Talent Management’ most often refers to the lifecycle of an employee. This begins with recruitment and selection, continues through to exit interviews and retiree support, and covers everything in between.

To one degree or another, the processes and programs that manage each phase of the talent cycle, are interdependent. However, one aspect of this cycle has stronger and more varied connections. Learning is

the top talent management priority and is integrated into all aspects of the business, both formally and informally.LEARNING & DEVELOPMENT

In today’s fast-paced global business environment, companies are challenged to adopt and respond to new business and compliance requirements quicker than ever. New technologies provide alterna-tives to traditional corporate learning. A learning management system (LMS) should include all the functionality an organization needs to implement, manage and execute enterprise-learning programs.

Whether employees are based in one location or worldwide, an LMS that supports multiple languages will manage personalized training, compliance initiatives, licensing and certification require-ments, competencies, collaborative learning and external training for the extended enterprise. A language neutral architecture will enable a global LMS to support many user-selected languages simultaneously.

ON-BOARDINGAfter the recruitment phase, the on-boarding process is the first real

interaction a new hire has with the organization. It is crucial to get this right and learning plays a huge role. It is not enough to simply ensure the employee’s data is entered into the system and move on.

If learning is properly hooked into on-boarding, it can reduce the time it takes for an employee to become fully productive. Properly executed by leveraging learning, on-boarding can ensure a new hire feels like a part of the team before setting a foot in the door.

Both formally and informally By David Wentworth & Alex Poulos

Learning at the Core of Global Talent Management

▶

▶ ▶

▶ ▶

▶

▶

▶ LEARNING

On-boarding Certification/Competency levels

Development ooportunities

Coursecompletions

Recruitment/Selection

Compensation/Rewards

Succession Planning

Performance Management

New learners

Recognition/Incentives Skill/Competency

gaps

Gaps in breachstrength

• Gettingnewemployeesintocompliance

• Gettingnewemployeesupandrunning

• Firstinteractionwithcompany

• Employeeprofiles

• Customizedlearningplans

• Feedbackoninitiallearningexperiences

Learning On-boarding

Interactive

10Technology Enabled Learning excellence presented by HR.com | 03.2014

PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENTAnnual performance reviews are no longer relevant in today’s fast-

paced business environment. There is a need for ongoing dialogue between managers and employees, focused on incrementally engaging employees and improving performance throughout the reporting year. An agile talent management system should help organizations manage performance throughout the year, not just once a year.

Ongoing performance management allows HR management to build a comprehensive view of the organization’s jobs, skills, objectives and progress. It provides the tools needed to determine strengths and weaknesses, to better direct and measure individual as well as team performance.COMPETENCY MANAGEMENT

When competencies are used for talent management, they act as a powerful tool for communicating and reinforcing company values. The categorization of sets of skills, knowledge, and behaviors provides a comprehensive overview of organizational talent, which enables strategic HR planning.

Each competency can be linked to one or more learning modules to show which combination of training, assessments or exams can be used to attain or improve an employee’s rating.

When a particular set of competencies is mapped to a job profile and the target rating for each competency for the job is defined, or-ganizations can profile any role in the company and build job profiles to cover both current and future roles. By listing and defining the competencies and ratings needed for roles, employees receive clear measurable objectives.

Once corporate goals are set, they are cascaded through the orga-nizational hierarchy and broken down into lower level goals for each business unit, functional area, managers and employees.

Integrating learning and performance makes it easier to link orga-nizational objectives to an employee’s personal goals. Managers and employees gain a better understanding of how their activities support the business. This approach helps align company, manager, team, and employee goals; and promotes better accountability and buy-in.CAREER AND SUCCESSION PLANNING

Effective succession management enables organizations to seam-lessly merge career aspirations with business strategy. It is important to establish competency-based employee development and career plans – focused on both current and future jobs. This enables em-ployees to identify their strengths and weaknesses compared to their existing and targeted positions. This helps employees to improve for progressing into future roles.

HR professionals can then develop sets of learning activities and

tasks within tailored development plans to cascade to key employees. This reduces attrition, develops organizational bench strength and ensures continuity, especially in critical positions.WORKFORCE PLANNING

The learning function gives organizations more insight into their talent pools than they realize. By analyzing where employees are in their development paths and how well they are doing in various de-velopment programs, gaps in bench strength become much clearer. Gaps identified via workforce planning processes highlight areas where the learning function may need to deploy more resources. Integra-tion between these two systems can make the ‘build or buy’ decision around talent much easier to make.

LEARNING & PERFORMANCE AT COREA truly integrated global talent management ecosystem has learn-

ing and performance at its core. It provides organizations with a practical approach to support an innovative model of ongoing talent development.

An integrated approach enables managers to tie employee activi-ties to corporate objectives; then measure the impact of training on employee performance. This results in an engaged workforce that drives the business forward.•y The connections among talent management components exist,

regardless of technology•y If systems can’t share data, organizations can’t possibly know

everything•y The connections make it even easier for learning to meet other

talent management objectives, not just learning•y Having learning integrated into talent management can make

it more effective, more engaging, and more responsive

Learning at the Core of Global Talent Management

• Improvementonperformancemeasures

• Increasedcompetencylevels

• Developmentpathsmatchedtoperformancegoals

• effectivenessoflearningprogrammes

• Identificationofskillsgap

• Adjustmentofdevelopmentpaths

Learning Performance

• ensuringskillsexistwithinorganisation

• Keepingemployeesincompliance

• Identificationofpotentialissues

• Identificationofskillsgaps

• Identificationofhighpotentials

• Identificationofcourseandcontentneeds

Learning Workforceplanning

11 Excellence Essentials presented by HR.com | 03.2014

• Identificationofcareerpotential

• Armslearnersforspecificcareerpaths

• Developmentpathsmatchedtocareerpaths

• Coursesandcontentmatchedtocareers

• Competencymodelsbasedoncareers

• Adjustmentofcareerpaths

Learning Career

Integrated talent management – with learning and performance at its core – gives employees, managers, and HR professionals the tools and insights to inspire people to perform to the best of their ability and potential.SIDEBARCASE STUDY: Global compliance and workforce readiness

A global life sciences company based in Europe is rolling out global learning management for tens of thousands of employees worldwide.

The company identified the need for a single training and em-ployee development platform globally, while maintaining the ability for customized functionality in the different regions (to cover local regulations, labor legislations, or competency models).

The company also had to meet strict compliance regulations. It relied on a flexible reporting capability based on users’ job roles and competencies to involve business line managers and enable them to track and report pro- actively on workforce readiness levels and, fur-thermore, provide automated training plans to fix competency gaps.SIDEBARCASE STUDY: Mobile on-boarding

A Fortune 500 company, drug retailer and pharmacy chain in North America, was developing and executing their mobile learning strategy. The company evaluated and selected their mobile device and deployed a mobile learning delivery platform for iPads (one iPad per retail store). These were used for new hire on-boarding compliance training and can potentially be rolled out to 7,100 stores.

The lessons learned? The ability for both online and offline use is important as connectivity is not always ubiquitous. Complete synchro-

nization with the corporate LMS (instead of a standalone solution) is key, in order to allow tracking of on-boarding for all employees. Finally, an ‘evolutionary’ approach to mobile learning can help with new technology adoption.TEL

Learning at the Core of Global Talent Management

David Wentworth is Sr. Learning Analyst at Brandon Hall Group. He has authored several reports and articles on various human capital subjects with an emphasis on workforce technologyTwitter - @DavidMWentworthAlex Poulos is Chief Marketing Officer at NetDimensions. He has been working in the high technology sector for over 15 years in both the US and EMEA in the areas of marketing and business development.Twitter - @alexpoulos

‘First published in Learning Technologies & Skills Magazine’

The Tell, Then Test approach is like that which you experienced in school. Teachers teach a subject for a number of days and then test students on what they were supposed to learn. A lot of eLearning in the past has imitated this approach. To be sure, most eLearning today continues this trend. It is a natural outcome of our experience growing up and attending school and of not knowing that eLearning can, in many cases, is not only different, but much better.

In fact, eLearning that emulates this approach is worse than the classroom experience, because at least in the latter you can raise your hand and ask the teacher questions. In addition, a good instructor will call on students and interact with them, not drone on and on as a passive linear presentation might. We’ve had those kinds of boring teachers on occasion and how many of us found our attention wavering?

Most often we see this in eLearning lessons that have several screens of information covering a topic, sometimes as many as 50 or more. The topic is then followed by a quiz. The quiz measures short-term memory, much as quizzes in school do. How much of what you learned do you remember later? This is akin to throwing money out the window and waiting for some of it to be blown back to you by the wind. Try it: throw $20,000 out your nearest window and see

what kind of return on your investment you get.Why present eLearning in a way that makes learners want to hit

Next, Next, Next until they reach the quiz? Bored learners do not learn. Some organizations will force the learner to stay on a slide for a certain amount of time before hitting the Next button. That leads to learners who are not only bored, but angry too. Believe me when I tell you that most will wait out the timer while checking email or performing another task.So why so much eLearning is created this way?

1. It usually costs less in the short term while leading to losses in the longer term. When focusing on this quarter’s financials only, it’s very tempting to see eLearning as a cost center rather than the profit center it should be. How can eLearning make profit? It’s profitable when it increases productivity to the point where work is being done faster and at less expense. More productive employees lead to happier clients and to higher profits.

2. Most of us who work in offices know PowerPoint, at least as much as we need to put together a presentation. Why not use what we know? The answer is that the results tend to be just like the pre-sentations we build: linear, non-interactive, and all too often boring.

3. The importance of Instructional Design is often not under-estimated or not even considered and therein may lie the biggest problem. Instructional Designers understand the principles behind computer-person interactivity and what works (and what doesn’t work) in helping people learn.

The only time a PowerPoint approach should be considered is when a sudden directive comes down the pike that all employees have to know a new policy or procedure by this coming Tuesday. However, waiting until the last minute to plan a more substantive learning experience should never be an excuse.

What’s the better way?

By Joe Ganci

Tell, Then Test vs. Test, Then Tell

12Technology Enabled Learning excellence presented by HR.com | 03.2014

Figure 1: An Example of eLearning that just Tells

Figure 2: A Linear Set of Slides

Organizations that do not know better, often, find themselves no better off, and sometimes worse off, after learners have been inflicted with a passive, linear eLearning course. While management may be delighted in the short term to see that the vast majority of learners show a Completion status in the Learning Management System, they find in the longer term that their employees are no better at their jobs after they scored that Completion status. A Completion status tells you nothing about how much a learner has understood the material presented.

What’s a better way? Read on.Test Them, Then Tell Them

Think about how we learned growing up. Yes, we went to school and learned facts and figures, but, more importantly, we learned how to think, how to do our own research and not to take everything thrown our way as truth without performing due diligence. Big words for simple child-like actions!We learned by having experiences, by trying things for ourselves and seeing what resulted. We learned as kids not to touch a hot stove not because our parents told us not to touch it but because we had to try it for ourselves. Once we touched the hot stove, we learned very quickly that we did not want to do that again. We learned not only by touching, but also by smelling and hearing and seeing and tasting. It was a true immersion experience. We learned how to be sociable creatures, how to have a normal conversation, and how to debate and argue by performing those actions, noting what worked and what failed and not repeating our mistakes lest we lose friends.

How can we emulate this approach with eLearning? The Test, Then Test approach involves learners from the start. Typically, a scenario is established for the learner, following by a series of challenges. Each choice the learner makes in a challenge can be given a specific feed-back. This may entail a simple text feedback, possibly with media, that lets the learner try again immediately. It may also lead the learner

down a path of other choices to allow a return to the proper path or to show the repercussions of the wrong choices. For instance, when performing surgery, making a mistake need not necessarily result in the death of the patient, if remedial steps are taken to correct the error. In that case, point penalties can be assigned but without as-signing total failure, unless of course, one or more choices warrants it. Most of the actions we take in our lives do not result in black and white but in shades of gray. Ambiguity and trial-and-error are a part of life and should also be part of eLearning. It makes us think, not just regurgitate back what we’re told.

We also learn through emotion and through humor. We learn using all the senses. As much as possible, we want to afford learners the same advantages.

There’s another huge advantage to this approach. When you have a linear course, every learner sees the same series of slides. It doesn’t matter if the learner is a newcomer to the material or already knows it inside and out. In fact, newcomers can feel overwhelmed while experts can feel annoyed. When using an approach that tests the learner by presenting a challenge and acting on the outcome, experts can simply fly through the material and prove that they know it while novices can be given help as needed.

In short, Test, Then Tell means that you tell only when the learner does not know how to solve the presented challenge. The learner can also choose to see the materials before attempting the challenge, if in doubt about how to resolve it. Novices should be encouraged to try and learn from their mistakes, just as happens in real life.

But, wait, isn’t this approach much more expensive? It does cost more, but not very much more because when designed correctly, scenario engines can be reused over and over by just switching out the content. Of course, because this type of learning activity is so much more effective, significant cost savings are also realized. In fact, eLearning will be seen as a great investment rather than a necessarily cost to doing business. Learners will smile when talking about the eLearning lessons they took rather than roll their eyes.

What type of learning activity would you enjoy more? Which do you think would help you understand the concepts better? Put yourself in the shoes of the learners and please help them succeed by giving them eLearning that really works.

Figure 3. An Example of a Scenario Challenge

Tell, Then Test vs. Test, Then Tell

13 Excellence Essentials presented by HR.com | 03.2014

Figure 3. An Example of a Scenario Challenge

Figure 4. Multiple Branches Depending on Choices Made TEL

Tell, Then Test vs. Test, Then Tell

Joe Ganci is an eLearning consultant with a long track record. Joe’s design approaches and his innovative use of tools, such as Adobe Captivate, Ar-ticulate Storyline, Adobe Presenter and Articulate Studio, ZebraZapps, Interact and others, has caused many to improve how they are designing and developing their eLearning and to implement new and better methods. . Visit - www.learningsolutionsmag.com LinkedIn - www.linkedin.com/in/joeganci

With all of the time, effort, and money spent getting the best hires onboard with the company, it is imperative that you make sure you have a strong new hire training program that engages those employees right away. More than just sitting at their desk and reading through stacks of paperwork, there are numerous things to think about to ensure that your new hire can get up to speed quickly and make meaningful contributions to the team.

1. Have a plan. By having a plan in place, you can make sure that the new hiring training is a consistent process, and that all new hires have the same experience when they are done with training. This not only helps make sure that new hires all receive the same quality of training, but it also ensures that your managers and other employees feel confident in what the new employee knows about the company and their role once they’ve completed the training.

2. Plan in advance. Beyond knowing what you are going to be training on, know when that is going to take place. This can help you

not only in coordinating your resources that need to be available to lead the training, but also in making sure that the start date of your new hires line up when the training is available. It is much better to plan this out, than to have someone start and wait a week before they are trained on what to expect in their job. By planning ahead and knowing how frequently you offer training, both your training resources and onboarding team can know what to expect.

3. Don’t cram. While time is money, cramming a full week of

Training is more than getting people up to speed

By Judy Fort

Getting a Handle on New Hire Training

14Technology Enabled Learning excellence presented by HR.com | 03.2014

content into two or three days is not a good use of anyone’s time. Your new hire is going to feel rushed, and possibly unimportant, while quickly succumbing to information overload. Allocating the right amount of time to the material presented will make sure you give everything the attention it requires. It will also reduce the need for repeat follow up sessions on the same material down the road.

4. Take breaks. In addition to giving your new hires the right amount of time to learn the material, making sure they have time to clear their head along the way is equally important. Make sure there is plenty of time in your schedule for coffee, lunch, introductions to co-workers, and bio-breaks so that your new hire isn’t cooped up in one room all day long. Remember – your new-hire training is their first glimpse into your company culture, so help to make it a positive experience.

5. Know your contributors. Who is involved in new hire train-ing at your company? HR? Managers? Peers? By identifying the right resources for each element of the training, you can reduce the burden on each contributor while also offering your new employees the opportunity to build key relationships with the right people. This will help them know who they can turn to when they need as-sistance, especially when their manager is working on another project. Having a support structure for new employees helps to increase their chances of success.

6. Keep it relevant. Present training elements that are relevant to your employees and what they will be doing day-to-day. While it

is important that they understand your company’s history, it is more important that they understand what your company does today and how they will contribute to making it happen.

7. Make training fun. Don’t just sit in a room and read from a PowerPoint presentation all day, but keep the training interactive. Introduce games; mix slide shows with live product demonstrations; encourage discussions. Anything you can do that makes training more enjoyable can also make it more memorable.

8. Follow up. Don’t have training end after four days, and never touch on those items again. By keeping ongoing follow up in place, you increase the retention of knowledge presented, and also let your new hires know that the training they’ve received is important. A technique we use internally and love is weekly practice that has a hands-on approach, but you could also have work books, videos, or discussions to keep things fresh. TEL

Getting a Handle on New Hire Training

Judy Fort heads HRsmart’s Sales Engineering department and bridges the gap between technol-ogy and real world users. For a decade she has been working with diverse HR organizations helping them to achieve their goals. Visit www.hrsmart.com Email info@hrsmart.com

In the knowledge economy, learners don’t just need to know – they need to perform to mastery. While some employees inherently have the drive to continuously learn, learning and development teams can improve employee performance across the board by incorporating mastery right into programs of training.

The first key step to transforming training into a system of mastery development for your workforce is to match training to competencies. However, before this can be done, we should discuss what mastery is and why it is fundamental to staying competitive in the knowledge economy. What is mastery?

Mastery is a process, where, through training and practice over time, employees move from being novices to masters in their domain (e.g. sales, leadership, etc).

Mastery was first defined by Hoffman (1998) as a continuum span-ning from initiate (someone interested in the field but not formally trained in it), to novice (e.g. new university graduate with knowledge but limited professional practice), through various phases of growth before attaining mastery (e.g. the person even the experts go to when they have questions).

Visually, this is presented below, which is also available as part of an online presentation defining mastery.

Image 1: The continuum of mastery taken from http://slidesha.re/1aHnzpJ

The first steps for transforming training into measuring for mastery

By Dr. Janet Corral

Technology-Enabled Learning

Novice Initiate Apprentice Journeyman Expert Master

Mastery is a continuum

Hoffman, 1998

15 Excellence Essentials presented by HR.com | 03.2014

Why mastery? The approach of using a single training experience for all employees

is dead. The knowledge economy demands that employees are able to think creatively, as well as apply their skills and knowledge as they adapt to new situations. Yet, not all employees share the same skills and knowledge, even when they have had the same formal prepara-tion for their role.

The idea of mastery offers a solution. Adopting a mastery-based approach means that training moves to seeing each learner as on a continuum of performance – and moving that learner forwards towards mastery. With such an approach, the range of skills and knowledge among any given set of learners can be mapped to performance out-comes relevant to each learner. How to Transform Training to Measuring for Mastery: A Basic Orientation

The first step in transforming training to measuring for mastery is actually a two-step process:

1. Define the expected performance2. Match the performance to specific measures

Step 1: Define the Expected PerformanceStep 1 is accomplished by defining performance in terms of com-

petency. A competency defines the applied skills and knowledge that enable people to successfully perform their work. At a high level, some example competencies include: communication, leadership, or sales knowledge. For a competency to become an effective measure, we must further define the competency into sub-competencies (Step 1A). For example, communication could be broken down into: •y Interacting sensitively (empathetic communication)•y Appropriate communication (communicating in context of

others beliefs, work history, and present environment)•y Effective listening (letting others speak, listening empatheti-

cally, etc.)Notably, a competency is not a learning objective. The core dif-

ference is that a learning objective describes a performance of the competency as it relates to the learning event. Using the example of communication, a learning objective would be:

“Describe the 5 steps of professional communication in the work-place”

In this case, the competency would be “professional communication”, which may be described further in terms of its characteristics (e.g. “Utilizes appropriate methods for interacting sensitively, effectively, and professionally with persons from diverse cultural, socioeconomic, educational, racial, ethnic and professional backgrounds, and persons of all ages and lifestyle preferences”). The difference between com-petency and learning objective is also available visually in an online presentation.

If competencies are new to your organization, it is important that these are validated with members of your community, before they are used as measures of performance (Step 1B). To validate competencies, ask workers currently in active roles to review the competencies, as well as their descriptions. After workers approve the competencies, ask managers and leaders to review these refined versions. If both workers and leadership approve, you have successfully validated the competencies within your community. Step 2: Match the competency to the specific measure of performance

Remember that mastery is a continuum? So too is competency. Even though you may have defined a competency, you will need to take it one more step further before you may use it as a measure. Step 2A is to break the competency down into sub-competencies that relate to

a continuum of performance. Please refer to Table 1 for an example using communication. Table 1: Communication Competency Along a Continuum of WorkersLevel of Mastery

Early Apprentice

Apprentice Advanced Apprentice

Competency: Professional Communi-cation

Interacts ef-fectively with

others.

Uses terminol-ogy of our

workplace rath-er than layman’s terms whenever

possible.

Interacts sen-sitively and effectively

with others.

Uses termi-nology of our

workplace.

Interacts sen-sitively and

effectively with others, demon-strating empa-thy and active

listening.

Uses terminol-ogy of our

workplace and incorporates new terms in his/her gen-

eral domain of practice.

Step 2B is to match this continuum of competencies to your measures. See Table 2 for an example.

Table 2: Communication Competency Matched to MeasuresLevel of Mastery

Early Appren-tice

Apprentice Advanced Ap-prentice

Competency: Professional Communi-cation

Interacts effectively

with others.

Uses terminology

of our workplace rather than

layman’s terms when-ever possible.

Interacts sensi-tively and ef-fectively with

others.

Uses terminol-ogy of our workplace.

Interacts sen-sitively and

effectively with others, demon-strating empa-thy and active

listening.

Uses terminol-ogy of our

workplace and incorporates new terms in his/her gen-

eral domain of practice.

Measure 1 2 3 4 5

Note that the measurement scale needs to pertain to your organiza-tion. However, you should also allow for an employee’s progress. In Table 2, we allow for the possibility that an employee is not exactly in one category or another, but instead showing transition towards a more advanced demonstration of competency.

Technology-Enabled Learning

16Technology Enabled Learning excellence presented by HR.com | 03.2014

ConclusionThe knowledge economy has brought about a need for employees

to be responsive and adaptive within their workplaces. Performance measurement, as defined by competency-based evaluation, gives learn-ing and development teams a more powerful way of communicating to employees their progress along a continuum towards mastery, and success. A summary of the steps is presented in Figure 2.

Figure 2. Summary of Basic Steps to Move Training Towards Measur-ing for Mastery

This article has presented only the very early and basic steps of moving your training towards mastery. These tips could arguably be applied to technology-enabled training (TEL) as well as face-to-face learning events. In the next article, we discuss specific tips for address-ing TEL-based mastery as well as hurdles and solutions to bringing competency-based measurement to workplace learning. TEL

Technology-Enabled Learning

Janet Corral, PhD, is Chief Learning Officer of SparkWorks, Inc. She has over 15 years experi-ence in building engaging technology-enabled learning to help develop expertise and mastery. Janet’s years of experience in Education include receiving an ASCD award for her integration of technology into learning and the AAMC Academies Collaborative award for Innovation. Visit www.sparkworks.co

Step 1: Define the Expected Performance As a CompetencyStep 1A: Further define the competency into sub-competenciesStep 1B: Validate competencies with workers, then leaders

Step 2: Match the competency to the specific measure of performanceStep 2A: List sub-competencies in a continuum of performanceStep 2B: Match the continuum of competencies to measures

Our world has gotten a whole lot smaller! We meet from anyplace at any time and on any devise now. We’re all part of a global workforce and work across cultures every day. But that doesn’t mean that our cultural differences are diminishing. Our cultural traits to an extent dictate how we behave the way we do, and how to bridge that cultural gap and embrace those differences is critical when working together. More and more we’re meeting with people virtually. So it’s not so much about the visual cues anymore that we have to be aware of, but instead it’s more the verbal. It’s almost impossible to send a message that doesn’t have at least some cultural content, whether it’s in the words themselves, or in the way they’re said. Even if it was possible to send a message without any cultural content, it’s still impossible to receive that message without passing it through the filter of our own cultural conditioning. That’s why, often times when we communicate we run into problems, especially misunderstandings and misinterpretations.

Let’s start with communication types – direct and indirect. If you’re a direct communicator, you say what you mean. There’s no reading between the lines because you tell it like it is. And for the direct communicator, honest is the best policy. On the other hand, if you’re indirect communicator, you’re the opposite. You imply or suggest what you mean because understatement is important which forces folks to read between the lines. While you’re probably a mixture of both, most of us in the US are mostly Direct.

So let’s take a look at the indirect side. You can see we have cultures like Japan, Thailand and China. Folks in these cultures typically have a highly developed and refined notion of how most interactions will unfold, and how the other person will behave in a particular situation. So because they already know and understand each other quite well,

they’ve evolved a more indirect style of communication, and don’t need to be explicit. So they rely less on words and more on nonverbal communication. They’re also usually countries that have less racial diversity and a strong sense of tradition and history. Their overriding goal of communication is keeping harmony and saving face.

The Direct side on the other hand is US, UK, Russia, Germany, and Netherlands for example. Direct communicators tend to be more individualist and independent. You get to understand so less about the other person, which actually creates an emotional distance. And that means they have to rely more on words, and on those words being interpreted literally. So getting or giving information is the goal. They prefer to deal with conflict head-on and usually you’ll hear statements like, let’s put everything on the table or let’s get everything out in the open, because they believe that if you discuss everything, you can resolve the conflict.

Direct people think indirect people are evasive and dishonest. They can’t take a stand and don’t have an opinion. They think indirect people increase tension by not dealing with issues directly.

While on the other hand…Indirect people think Direct people are insensitive and have no tact. They’ll go as far as saying they’re insult-ing and harsh and that they increase tension by dealing with issues in a direct manner. So as you’re starting to see communication can be tricky… and here’s something else to add to the mix…

Our concept of time - How we conceive and handle time. Are you usually on time or late? Cultures are sometimes categorizes into one of two time dimensions. Mono-chronic or Poly-chronic. If you’re Monochronic, you like to do just one thing at a time. You value a certain orderliness and sense of there being an appropriate time and place for everything. You don’t like interruptions because you like to concentrate on the job at hand and take time commitments very seriously. You also tend to show a great deal of respect for private property and follow rules of privacy and consideration.

Polychronic cultures like to do multiple things at the same time; they’re easily distracted, but at the same time tend to manage interrup-tions well with a willingness to change plans often and easily. People are the main concern and they have a tendency to build lifetime re-lationships. Now where do you tend to fall, are you monochronic or polychromic? You might be a little of both, but typically we live in a

Treating different people differently

By Linda Uli

Working Virtually with Different Cultures

17 Excellence Essentials presented by HR.com | 03.2014

monochronic culture. If you live in Latin America, the Arab part of the Middle East, or sub-Sahara Africa, you live in a polychronic culture.

So, if you think about this now. Interactions between the two types can be problematic. Monochronic people can’t understand why the person they’re meeting is always interrupted by phone calls and people stopping by. So they take it as insulting and wonder when they’ll get down to business.

On the other hand, a Polychronic person can’t understand why tasks are isolated from the whole, and measured by output in time. They don’t know how you can separate work time and personal time and why you would let something as silly as a schedule negatively impact the quality of a relationship.

So as you can see, understanding the differences in how time and relationships are valued and being a direct or indirect communicator

are just some factors to be aware of when communicating effectively across cultures. TEL

Working Virtually with Different Cultures

Linda Uli is a trainer, speaker and eLearning Specialist. Linda currently works for Cisco Systems as a Training Manager, where she shares her cutting-edge techniques and product knowledge.Twitter @ciscowebex

18Technology Enabled Learning excellence presented by HR.com | 03.2014

Top Jobs

Job Title: Chief Learning Offcier Category: Human Resources / RecruitingType: Full TimeCompany: Medical University of South Carolina Location: Charleston, SC (US)

Job Title: Learning and Development Business PartnerCategory: Human Resources / RecruitingType: Full TimeCompany: Dairy Farmers of AmericaLocation: Kansas City, Missouri

Job Title: Human Resources Manager-Global Technology & Operations Category: Human Resources / RecruitingType: Full Time Company: Bank of America CorporationLocation: New York, NY (US)

Job Title: Learning and Organizational Development ManagerCategory: Marketing, Advertising and Business Dev. Type: Full Time Company: Organic Valley Location: La Farge, WI (US)

HR.com

1technology enabled learning excellence essentials presented by HR.com | 03.2014

ONE JOB POSTING DOES IT ALL!

With over 230,000 members, HR.com is the largest community of highly engaged HR professionals. Combine this with the reach and performance of TheJobNetwork™, HR.com is the most effective way to hire!

• Reach qualified talent on HR.com and across thousands of job sites at the same time• Save time and attract more qualified candidates with Real-Time Job Matching™

Get instant access to the resume database and LinkedIn® profile matches at no extra charge

POST YOUR HR JOB TODAY

Click here for more: www.hr.com/careers

VIEW POST

VIEW POST

VIEW POST

VIEW POST

By Robert S. Becker

10 practical ways to gamify corporate learning

Gamification

Gamification has roots in marketing, where it’s used to engage consumers with brands. It does this by means of game mechanics (playful moves) which induce attitudes and behaviors that are good for business.

While the term gamification is new, its meaning is familiar. The old ploy of hiding collectible toys in cereal boxes is a good example. The toy is desirable and fun; it’s a reward if you buy a cereal that you may not particularly want.

When gamification is used to engage students, it works much the same way. It games people into developing competencies they were poised to ignore or resist. That’s how gamification makes teaching easier.In this essay I’ll explain four key benefits of gamification and 10 ways to gamify corporate learning. Before I begin I’ll make three important distinctions. Please remember:• Game and gamification are different things. Don’t mix them

up.• Gamification is a technique rather than a strategy or meth-

odology.• To gamify is to hustle. It’s persuasive rather than edifying.

Why gamify training?I know four good reasons to gamify training:

1. To make training more behavioral. When people learn by doing, or from experience, gamification helps by getting them to perform without thinking too much.

2. To make training more enjoyable. Game mechanics infuse learn-ing with the psychology of play. Playing has the power to increase attention, commitment and skill.

3. To make training more motivating. Competitive gaming incites players to go for the win. Where achievement is a relative value (me versus them), gamification stirs ambition.

4. To make training more innovative. Gamification changes training from rigid and predictable to emergent, “now and wow.” It increases interactivity and makes learning more autonomous.

These are compelling benefits, but if your needs aren’t reflected in them, then you probably shouldn’t bother to gamify training. How to gamify training

Here are ten practical ways to gamify training. They can be accom-plished on a small scale, one course at a time, at low cost, without undermining the overarching standards of a legacy curriculum.1. Make it fun

You make training fun by introducing the ludic principle. In other words, by designing playful activities that just happens to support learning objectives.

Play is a lever of cognitive development and dexterity. You don’t need to know about that. Just accept that when students are having fun they learn better and faster. Make your training fun by encourag-ing students to play.

Playful activity is compatible with all traditional instruction: work-book, video, slide lecture, tutorial, coaching, practice exercise, simula-tion. It’s compatible with synchronous and asynchronous delivery

2. Give rewardsRemember my story about the toy in a cereal box? Offer that kind

of reward to gamify training. It should be earned, not just given, for doing things that require skill.

A reward is symbolic, having no intrinsic value. It may be a grade, point, badge, token, prize, certificate, privilege, title, rank or “unlock-able content” (more about that later). It doesn’t matter what reward you offer, so long as students want it, it requires effort to get, and it has a correlate in the real world. For example, a badge that has bragging rights in the break room has a correlate in the real world.

With no such correlate, rewards may be viewed as tricks; as in, “Ha, you tricked me into doing that!” The behavior they condition will not be sustained when training is over.3. Embody ideas

You embody ideas by making them tangible and sentient. Many students learn better and faster when concepts are conveyed as tan-gible, organic objects.

20Technology Enabled Learning excellence presented by HR.com | 03.2014

People have always communicated ideas by embodying them in stories and pictures. Stories may be verbal (case studies) or nonver-bal (ambient sound). Images like schematic drawings can give color, shape, weight, even motion to concepts, so that ideas can be sensed.

Embodying ideas in characters is a favorite technique of role-play (see below), in which students themselves (or their avatars) are the embodiment. 4. Level up

A level is an oppositional setting. Students level up by overcoming challenges of increasing complexity and difficulty. After mastering an opponent in one setting, things just get harder in the next.

A key to leveling up is progression. Unlike courses where a unit is a discrete segment, in gamified training the ceiling of each unit is the floor of the next. There is cohesion and interdependence among all stages of development.

Be sure to include stretch goals when you design levels in training. They force students solve problems on the periphery of their com-petence. Stretch goals are key to gamification. Levels are platforms for bootstrapping. 5. Encourage practice

You encourage practice by not teaching too much. To gamify train-ing, you must resist telling students everything they need to know and do. Make them discover much of that on their own.

Practice is what happens when a teacher leaves the room and students do the real work of learning. They try and try again to get things right. This is not just about problem solving. It’s about developing acumen, intuition and perception to know what the problems are.

You may have read a defense of practice in Malcolm Gladwell’s Outliers. However you don’t need to know that book to gamify training. Just assign as much practice as humanly possible, and then leave the room.6. Encourage autonomy

Autonomous students climb untethered, accepting of greater risks and rewards. They learn as they please, within a framework of goals and rules that you prepare for them. Coercion is out, incentives are in.

Autonomy is more familiar in play than training. So imagine how effective a game would be if you told players what their next moves should be, or graded each move after it took place. Would anybody want to play with you?

You gamify training by making students to learn not from your wisdom, but from their mistakes; in other words from their experience. 7. Role play

Role play is pretending to be a character in a make-believe situation. In role play students embody knowledge and skills they are learning, in order to practice solving problems in interesting situations. Role play is the zenith of gamification because many design elements converge in it.

What makes role play unique is creative pretense, or the agency of imagination. So much of what you teach is rule-based, yet success often depends not on following rules but transcending them to a higher level of performance. Role play exercises the imagination.

You can gamify training by replacing the narrative voice of your lecture with the dramatic voices of actors playing roles.8. Unlock content

Unlockable content is a kind of reward and a key to leveling up. It is defined as critically useful information that students get only after earning it. Until then, it stays beyond their reach though they know it exists.

Unlocking in gamified training may depend on earning points,

making trades, spending assets, finding clues, solving riddles or puzzles, visiting places, asking questions, meeting people. In every case it must be worth the effort by marking a threshold between success and failure in the training.

For example, a customer in sales training may be partially revealed at first. After students earn the right to more information (by establishing trust, for example) more details may be shared. Students know what they don’t know; they just can’t break into it until meeting certain conditions. That’s gamified.9. Compete to win

Students who participate in gamified training are contestants. It’s not enough for them to do well; they also need to do better than opposing forces. Their relative standings are posted on leaderboards (a gamified scoreboard).

Some trainers won’t promote competitive behavior, feeling it’s in-compatible with teamwork and ethical conduct. Yet athletes ethically compete in ways that reinforce teamwork, respect other contestants and achieve excellent results. Competition is not the problem, though how a game is played may be.

To gamify training, allow students to experience the joys of victory and agonies of defeat. Let some win, let others lose and learn from their mistakes.10. Situate learning

You gamify training by situating learning in the real world, or in a plausible metaphor of it. Recognizable situations increase relevance and promote empathy, making instruction feel immediate and less technical or academic.

Situated learning occurs in training simulations, where students learn a system by playing with a model of it. For example, a retailer learns POS by doing exercises on a simulated cash register.

Training on a mock POS platform is better than describing system features in a workbook. To further gamify, you would add the store, a merchandise assortment, characters, and problems that occur at a terminal but are not related to POS functions. All of that comprises the situation.

In conclusion, gamification is a technique to improve the quality of training. You don’t gamify to create games, but to make regular training more playful and engaging. My 10 ways to gamify training may get you started. TEL

Gamification

Robert S. Becker, PhD is President of Becker Multimedia, Inc. He is also an E-learning consultant, creative director, instructional designer, writer and professor in the Greater Chicago areaVisit www.Beckermultimedia.com Email bob@beckermultimedia.comLinkedIn www.linkedin.com/in/beckermultimedia

21 Excellence Essentials presented by HR.com | 03.2014

By Sean Glaze

3 tips for virtual management of effective virtual teams

Effective Management Strategies

Increasingly, people now work together as virtual teams and therefore, require more effective virtual management to keep the group focused and feeling connected.

Teamwork is still defined as the coordinated activities of a cohesive group who contribute diverse skills and resources to accomplish a compelling common goal, but throughout corporate world, the nature of teams has experienced a change.

Organizations have become stretched through geographic and technological expansion.

According to recent estimates from the Telework Research Network, telecommuting grew by over 70 percent between 2005 & 2011 - and based on existing trends, the number of virtual or telecommuting workers will expand to almost five million by 2016.

Today, team members may work together on the same project but be in different time zones, working in different divisions, and even reporting to different bosses. Whether as a project team working on a specific task or as an executive management team with a responsibility to maintain cohesion, there is a definite need for team building and inspiring more effective teamwork and relationships.

And while technology has provided the tools for expansion and successful completion of tasks from remote locations, it is important to note that the isolation it allows is also a significant threat to effec-tive teamwork.

As Michael Schrage writes in No More Teams, “The real basic struc-ture of the workplace is the relationship.”

It is the job of virtual management to ensure that those necessary relationships amongst the team, no matter how geographically distant are supported and maintained.

This is not a simple order - and history offers us a cautionary example of the dangers that expansion and distance create. Consider the Roman Empire…

In 27 BC, Augustus became the first and perhaps the greatest of the Roman Emperors. He acted as head of the military, and used that power to expand the empire into Spain, Egypt, and elsewhere. Because of that expansion, Augustus created the cursus publicus - a courier service used to transport messages and tax monies from one part of the empire to another.

Trajan followed Augustus, and ruled during what was an even more expansive period. Trajan’s rule established a Roman Empire that stretched from Britain in the west all the way to Syria in the east. And all of this without phones and without the internet!

Hadrian, who ruled beginning in 117 AD, built a huge wall and sought to maintain rather than increase their empire – but the territory was already vast and difficult to control. The real shortcoming was in the inability to communicate effectively with any kind of virtual management. The vast distance created problems. People who needed approval or support were often hesitant to act without the proper authority or information, and their delayed responses sometimes had tragic consequences.

The lesson, of course, is not that you should consider wearing a toga or seek to protect your empire by building a huge wall like Hadrian did.

The take-away is that, without effective and consistent communica-tion channels to share information and maintain relationships, distance will eventually and inevitably weaken your organizational teamwork.

Technology makes the sharing of information much easier today than it was during the Roman Empire. But relationship maintenance is a different story – and it is your job to ensure that your company culture and a sense of cohesiveness amongst your staff is preserved, however distant they may be.

This is further verified by a recent report released by RW3 LLC, which is a cultural training service. They found that 46 percent of people working on virtual teams had never even met their virtual teammates, and 30 percent admitted that they had not met more than once each year. The report, The Challenges of Working in Virtual Teams, was put together with information gained by surveying nearly 30,000 employees from various international companies.

22Technology Enabled Learning excellence presented by HR.com | 03.2014

Amongst other things, the survey found that: y 94% felt the greatest challenge for virtual teams was an inability

to read nonverbal cues. y 85% felt there was an absence of collegiality among virtual

team members. y 81% felt it was difficult to build rapport and trust on virtual

teams. y 73% felt that managing conflict was more challenging on virtual

teams…and, perhaps most importantly, y 90% said they weren’t given enough time to build relation-

ships.So how do YOU keep your empire from deteriorating due to the

problems of distance?Here are three tips for the effective management and support of virtual teams:1. Modify Your Thoughts

Virtual management is all about shifting your focus from daily face to face interactions (which would be ideal, but impossible) to occasional cyber-interactions. Collaboration is STILL imperative, but will not be something that you can facilitate with everyone sitting in the same room, in person. Meetings, however you host them, it will always need to include opportunities for your team to interact. Your people need to know more than just information – they need to know team personality types and cultural backgrounds and who in the group uses sarcasm.

Don’t just broadcast information over emails or dominate the mi-crophone in a virtual meeting – allow and invite others to share their ideas and perspectives. Virtual teams need to collaborate and share their creative ideas and questions and personal lives just as much as other healthy teams would. You cannot take the temperature of your team if you do not let them open their mouths!

Remember – it isn’t just about PowerPoint slides or dictating in-formation… virtual teams need to share input and insights. Make your meetings more about people and participation than pure presentation of material. 2. Modify Your Tools

Virtual teams need a different set of tools to be successful – and as the saying goes, “the right tool makes any job easy.” So what tools are available to help you in maintaining your corporate culture or building virtual team relationships?

You will need to provide warm touches to the technology that is required. Instead of just creating a yammer account (a private social network for your company), send a gift card and buy them the coffee that they will be drinking during the meeting.

Instead of just sharing excel files and quarterly budget charts, send occasional pictures of people and daily office fun that reminds your virtual team of who they are working with.

There are a number of tools you can use to make virtual teams more effective, including skype for face time, gotomeeting for webinars, dropbox for file sharing, and basecamp for project management – but ultimately you will want to include reminders of togetherness and warmth with whatever technology you choose.3. Modify Your Techniques

Establish early on what rules you will use for email correspondence, such as what are acceptable response times, who should be copied on correspondences between teammates. Email will continue to be a valuable and efficient form of communication, but meetings must still be held to keep people plugged in.

Virtual teams require management to also consider how to give

people a sense of who is “present” at meetings, how you will help every person in the meeting to be heard, how you can facilitate engaging conversations about the topics on your plate, and how to still keep things focused and reach eventual closure.

Yes, your virtual meetings should still have a tentative agenda. But you will want to facilitate the meeting with an acute awareness of possible communication breakdowns.

Often, it is not technology that inhibits clear communication – it is an assumption or a vague statement that goes without clarification that leads to misconceptions.

Part of that is a lack of awareness that can be avoided if teammates get a chance to know the other people and personalities on the team. You may also find it helpful to work on producing relevant metaphors or mental maps for participants to refer to…

Obviously the ideal is to bring your people together to spend quality face to face time and build relationships as often as possible.

Kick off your distance-projects with an in-person meeting to allow your stakeholders to establish rapport. Have them enjoy a scavenger hunt, or a half day of fun team building for teachers (or office staff), or a nice dinner together where they have a chance to talk and ap-preciate each individuals backgrounds and talents.

The reality is that culture trumps strategy – and on virtual teams, perceptions will create the culture that your team will operate in. Virtual teammates need to have more information about the other team members to be more effective in shaping positive perceptions. The team building activities and creative interactions you help to organize for them are opportunities to build the trust that will later act as a filter that each teammate’s behaviors and work product is interpreted through.

And once you have placed faces and personalities with the names and contributions that your team will be depending upon, be sure to focus on the three tips I shared above…

Your main role as virtual management may honestly be to remind them of the culture and the cause that they are a part of. Be sure they have a clear sense of the bigger picture and appreciate the backgrounds and personalities and desires and challenges of their virtual teammates.

Find ways for your virtual team to interact and learn about each other, and then sprinkle the most important aspects of your corporate culture into those events.

It may take a bit more creative thinking or effort, but will pay huge dividends in your people’s emotional investment, cohesiveness, and ultimately the quality of work they produce. TEL

Sean Glaze is a team builder and motivator. He inspires groups to work together as a team, with increased morale and focus Visit www.GreatResultsTeambuiding.net Call 770-861-6840770-861-6840

Effective Management Strategies

23 Excellence Essentials presented by HR.com | 03.2014

By Mark Townsend, Jeff Bond & Jim Zimmermann

10 factors to consider

Learning in the Cloud

Cloud solutions are the new normal as organizations opt to deploy more business systems in the cloud. For learning profession-als, cloud-based solutions provide a wide range of benefits from cost savings to decreased delivery time, to global reach. Before selecting a cloud-based learning provider, you should understand all the benefits and be prepared to ask potential providers critical questions regarding the architecture and management of the service you are considering.Cloud computing and learning management

Cloud computing, in the most basic sense, is the use of services provided by a number of servers accessible over the Internet. There are a range of cloud providers large and small that deliver a wide variety of computing services from simple data storage to comprehensive ap-plications. Without investing in technical infrastructure and personnel, organizations can enjoy various services and software applications as if they existed within their own data center.

Learning professionals continue to accept cloud technology faster than any other area of HR software due to the convenience, reduced

administration and better user experience. And while learning systems are critically important to maintaining the ongoing health of a business, they are often given a lower priority than other business systems such as sales, finance, and payroll systems. As a result, learning systems are an ideal candidate for the switch to cloud technology. In addition, cloud-based learning allows leaders of learning and development func-tions, who may not be technologists, to present a viable option and discussion point to their IT team. If you are not using or considering a cloud-based learning system, you are missing out on one of the most valuable opportunities to deliver a comprehensive learning solution to your organization.A system of engagement

Since the late 1990s, LMSs have helped organizations automate their learning programs by providing resources online. More recently, LMSs have evolved from a system of record to a tool that supports continuous learning with the learner experience at the forefront. Today’s LMS needs the right learning assets and delivery options to

White Paper

Skillsoft Mobile Five Calls whitepaper 2013

Interactive

24Technology Enabled Learning excellence presented by HR.com | 03.2014

enable users to succeed.Cloud-based LMSs are highly interactive and are scalable for orga-

nizations large and small. Organizations with cloud-based LMSs can expect to engage more employees and provide a rich learner experience, whether their employees are in the office or on-the-go.

Choose a provider that has a history of experience with cloud-based solutions as well as a deep understanding of the learning needs you are addressing. To help you make an educated choice for your organization, we’ve provided information on the top 10 benefits of a cloud-based learning architecture.Top 10 benefits of cloud-based learning architecture1.Cost savings

One of the obvious benefits of licensing a cloud-based LMS for your learning needs is the elimination of upfront investments such as building out and supporting a technical infrastructure as well as the human capital costs of installation, configuration and ongoing maintenance. Most cloud providers license by seats, allowing you to pay for what you need and avoid capital expenditures.2.Global reach

Cloud computing companies invest heavily in architecting solutions that are robust enough to connect with users wherever they are on the planet. This gives you the ability to drive more learning to more people with lowered wait times and a better overall learning experience.3.Rapid deployment

Cloud learning solutions can be up and running almost immediately, without burdening your IT department. In many cases, self-service features even allow learning and development professionals to be in control of powerful features that allow them to deliver learning to hundreds of employees within minutes. Patches and updates are applied with little or no disruption to the learning experience.4.Application reliability

Cloud vendors’ systems are designed to provide high redundancy and availability. They provide services on a scale out of reach for most corporate IT departments. In addition, cloud vendors know their system better than a corporate IT generalist — making incident response faster. In short, the cloud enables a higher level of reliability at much lower cost. 5.Secure environment

Most vendors who provide cloud-based solutions spend a great deal of time and effort to provide multiple layers of security, ensuring the protection of your data. Cloud vendors must maintain security standards that ensure the integrity of the most security sensitive customer’s data and content both foreign and domestic. These high standards are then applied across the board to all hosted customers. 6.Enterprise integration

Cloud-based learning solutions can stand-alone or integrate with your other HR and business solutions. Cloud providers know they have to integrate with other corporate applications so they are more likely to have well-established, standards-based solutions for integra-tion. That said, integration time and ease varies from vendor to vendor so you need to ask what types of integrations are supported and how easy they are to implement. 7.Support when you need it

Licensing a cloud-based learning solution should provide you with access to additional resources that act as an extension of your own team. Support services can extend beyond just technical and customer support to include providing expertise to assist you with delivering the skills development and behavior changes your organization needs. Common services of a cloud-based LMS include content installation,

customer and technical support, learning program support, and ex-amples of best practices. 8.Scalable for organizations of all sizes

Cloud learning solutions are scalable and can accommodate twenty, 50,000 or even a million learners. This can be beneficial for small businesses allowing them to purchase only what they need and scale up easily without any disruptions. It can also be particularly benefi-cial for very large companies just beginning to develop their learn-ing architecture and taking their first steps in deploying a learning management solution. 9.Consistent performance

With a cloud-based LMS you do not have to run the risk of running out of capacity and delivering a bad experience to learners. Cloud providers predict and plan for increases in capacity. Cloud service providers can quickly scale up and down the bandwidth you require depending upon what you are trying to accomplish. 10.Reduced burden on IT staff

The cloud-based LMS provider is responsible for the entire techni-cal infrastructure required for your users — all you need to provide is Internet access. Your own company’s IT department only needs to be involved in assisting in the product selection process and any integration work that may be required between the cloud-based LMS and your internal business systems. This frees up your team and your IT department so they can address other priorities. Cloud learning solutions require no investments in hardware or software mainte-nance. And, when new innovative features are available, cloud-based LMS customers can easily get them without having to burden their IT department.Should I consider a cloud solution?

Based on the benefits described in this article, there is a very good chance that a cloud-based LMS can provide significant benefits to your learners and to your learning organization. TEL

Learning in the Cloud

Mark Townsend, Co-Chief Product Officer, SkillsoftJeff Bond, Senior Director, Product Marketing, SkillsoftJim Zimmermann, Director, Research Products, SkillsoftVisit: www.skillsoft.com

25 Excellence Essentials presented by HR.com | 03.2014

26Technology Enabled Learning excellence presented by HR.com | 03.2014

By Susan Cullen

Seven steps to make Live virtual training highly interactive

Live Virtual Learning

Live virtual training is growing in popularity because it meets the demands of a geographically dispersed workforce who is seeking targeted, customized learning in an interactive format. The programs can easily be customized and the interactive component of a live class can enhance learner engagement and accountability if delivered well.

However, the same approach facilitators used in the traditional classroom won’t work in the virtual classroom. This article is designed to show you how to structure the learning process to make it interac-tive and have long-lasting impact.

Seven Steps to Make Live Virtual Training Highly Interactive People can initially be concerned that live virtual training cannot be as interactive as the traditional face-to-face approach, but this isn’t necessarily true.  The key is to design your program well by constantly keeping it moving and keeping participants engaged.  Some ways to do this include:

Encourage the group to highly participative in the very beginning.  When you let them know you expect them to be active, they will better understand how the program is designed and what their role will be.

Have a lot of slides and change them frequently.  This helps you keep the program moving.  If you stay on one slide too long without asking them questions, they will start to think it’s a snore and men-tally check-out.

Use the hand raising feature and telephone together.  One technique we frequently use is to ask people to raise their hands in response to a question asked.  Then ask a few people who responded to explain their reason for their answer.  This keeps other people other than the instructor talking, encourages participation, and makes the program more interesting.

Actively engage the text chat feature.  When you want people to respond to an open-ended question, using text chat can be a great tool.  One excellent example is using it when asking people what they will commit to doing going forward as a result of the class.  You can then also ask them to come off mute and discuss their answer.

Incorporate polling questions frequently.  You will need to prepare these in advance as part of your learning design.  The polling capability will indicate to everyone the percentages of the class that responded to each answer.  Using several polling questions sprinkled throughout your program also keeps things moving and the participants engaged.

Use webcams on each computer so the participants can see each other and the facilitator.  Not every platform can provide this feature but it is a great tool when it can.  You can ask participants to raise their hand and actually see them.  You can also watch them as they verbally ask questions and provide answers.

Include interactive game technology as a warm-up or ice-breaker before the class begins.  There are quite a few resources like this avail-able if you google them. 

When you use the tips provided above, you will be better able to keep the program moving and your participants highly involved.  You will have created a highly interactive live virtual training that will keep your participants wanting to come back for more!

Checklist for Planning,Delivering and Reinforcing Live Virtual

TrainingWhen conducting a live virtual training course, it is especially important to be organized during each step of the process.  Here is a checklist that may help you.

How to Make Live Virtual Training StickIf you perceive training not as an event, but as a process designed

to reinforce behavior over the long run, you will see long-term behavior change and increase your ROI from learning initiatives. An excellent way to do this is with a “blended approach” to learn-ing, with a great deal of emphasis on the live virtual classroom. The primary viewpoint needed is to view training not as an event, but as a process of ongoing learning and follow-up.  Live virtual training can provide an excellent vehicle for helping learners retain and apply key concepts learned back on the job. Find out how you can learn more about making your training stick.

Best Practices for Live Virtual Training WebinarAs early adopters of live virtual training, we share our easy, practi-

cal tips about what works and what doesn’t in this recorded webinar addressing:

How you can make your virtual training stick for long-term learn-ing impact

How to build accountability into your course designHow to blend self-paced elearning with live virtual learningBest practice case studiesSummaryLive virtual learning is a growing trend. It’s gaining momentum

because it can be convenient, engaging, interactive and targeted to your organization’s objectives. As learning professionals incorporate best practice techniques, you will be able to impact more people, in less time, and in a cost-effective manner. TEL

Susan Cullen is a renowned expert on delivering leadership and employee development programs in a live, virtual format. . For additional information, Call 800-683-0681 or Email scullen@quantumlearn.com. Check out our website at www.quantumlearn.com.

Upcoming Virtual Events & HR.com Webcasts

Webcasts

A Selection of Webcasts Date Time

The Top 5 Game Changers in Elearning and What They Can Do for You Apr 2 2014 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM Register

Culture and Collaboration in Action Apr 9 2014 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM Register

Redesigning Learning Design: New Approaches to Meet New Challenges Apr 9 2014 1:30 PM - 2:30 PM Register

The Google analytics approach to measuring learning: allowing HR to move at the speed of business

Apr 9 2014 2:30 PM - 3:30 PM Register

Good-Bye Green Screen: New Low-Cost Video Solutions for e-Learning and Coaching-at-a-Distance

Apr 10 2014 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM Register

The Coolest Adobe Captivate Tips on the Planet Apr 10 2014 1:30 PM - 2:30 PM Register

Lights, Camera, Action! Apr 10 2014 2:30 PM - 3:30 PM Register

Click here to view all HR.com Virtual Conferences

Click here to view all HR.com Webcasts

1 technology enabled learning excellence essentials presented by HR.com | 03.2014

Virtual Events

A Selection of Verticals Virtual Event Schedule

Benefits: Cost Containment, Audits and Legal Risks May 7-8/14 Aug 7-8/14 Nov 6-7/14

Compensation: Best Practices and Trends Mar 18-19/14 June 2-3/14 Sept 8-9/14

Developing Organizational Leadership Capabilities April 1-2/14 April 1-2/14 July 8-9/14

Contract Workforce and Talent Exchanges April 22-23/14 Aug 5-6/14 Nov 5-6/14

Integrated Talent Management Mar 20-21/14 June 18-19/14 Sept 22-23/14

Employee Wellness Mar 17-18/14 June 12-13/14 Sept 3-4/14

Online Staffing and Sourcing May 27-28/14 Aug 25-26/14 Nov 13-14/14

Quality of Hire April 29-30/14 July 23-24/14 Oct 1-2/14

Performance Management May 5-6/14 Aug 13-14/14 Nov 19-20/14

Recruitment Process Outsourcing May 14-15/14 July 16-17/14 Oct 27-28/14

Workforce Management: Time and Attendance Mar 5-6/14 June 16-17/14 Sept 16-17/14

Workforce Planning and Analytics May 29-30/14 Aug 18-19/14 Oct 20-21/14

Technology Enabled Learning April 9-10/14 July 21-22/14 Oct 22-23/14

By Brian Breen

Integrating emerging technologies for employee development

Enterprise Collaboration

In the past decade, global businesses have recognized the need to use technology to bring employees together. This movement towards global collaboration through technology has driven the growth of an industry (research firm IDC found that Enterprise Collaboration, an industry sized at $800 million in 2011, is projected to grow to $4.5 billion by 2016).

Driving that growth, according to ZDnet’s Dion Hinchcliffe, are technologies that enable and empower worker interaction and sharing of information. The benefits to business are substan- tial, according to a September 2013 study by the Aberdeen Group (as reported by Information Week shown in the illustration below).

Connecting Employees Across LocationsJust as enterprise collaboration provides a technology solution to

support productivity and innovation across physical locations, online enterprise education provides the ability to do the same with employee development. The need for unified, technology enabled training is perhaps even larger than the exploding collaboration market. Consider that 77% of American corpora- tions use online training, a number that will continue to grow as the workforce gets younger, technology gets better, and as organizations continue to increase their global reach.

Because enterprises of all sizes have worldwide footprints, the concept of face-to-face training or classes is often no longer a practical solution. More employees are working remotely, and within cross-functional teams, also inviting new opportunities for online training. New technologies and techniques provide the solution.

For example, learning and instructional technologies allow busi-nesses to include all of their employees in training opportunities, to be efficient with time and resources, and to improve the overall student experience. These technology-enabled “learning environments” and “learning communities” foster longer term, contextual learning within the organization. These are powerful tools which can be employed in place of, or in support of, worksite-based training seminars or classes.

Let’s review some popular technology-supported classroom formats: - flipped, hybrid and fully online.Flipped Classroom

Traditionally, students attend lectures in a class- room and work on assignments and homework outside or between class sessions. A flipped classroom is exactly the opposite. Students login to a web-based learning management system to view and listen to pre-recorded lectures, and communicate with the instructor and fellow students. The students and instructor then meet together to work through their

assignments and activities.This benefits students because they can learn the lecture material

at their own pace, going back through any material that they might not grasp the first time through, and prepare themselves for the face-to-face experiential learning portion.

This format is particularly helpful for groups of students which span experience levels. Learners are able to engage with learning materials at their own pace, and time in class is spent illustrating and discussing the concepts all students have had full opportunity to learn, which helps learners of all levels be fully engaged in the conversation.

Cross-functional teams can meet together and apply the concepts they are learning to their daily activities or key projects to inspire success.Hybrid (or Blended) Classroom

This is a blending of a traditional classroom with online learning components. Students attend lectures and complete exercises in both settings – anywhere from 25% to 75% of instructional time is in a face-to-face environment with the remainder delivered online. This approach uses technology to provide students additional scheduling flexibility while maintaining (a smaller number of hours in) the tra-ditional classroom structure.

Hybrid or Blended classes provide some of the benefits of both traditional classroom and online instruction. Students can interact and network with their colleagues, go through the modules and learn at their own pace, and slowly get comfort- able with technology-enabled learning(“e-learning”). Students may find it easier to balance training obligations with their immediate and ongoing job responsibilities, while retaining an in-person class as a forum for discussion, collaboration and solution-crafting with their colleagues and the course instructor.Fully Online Classroom

When teams are located in multiple locations (and time zones), and particularly when the enterprise training need is driven by a project that could extend over several weeks or longer, cohort-based online training provides a solution. This approach simulates the real world virtual team environment while giving workers the ability to apply learnings to their day-to-day activities. These online classes can be conducted synchronously (in real time) or asynchronously (allowing for student interaction with each other and with course materials across hours or even days).

A rich and collaborative student experience is possible through a range of technologies, includ- ing discussion forums (formal and in-formal), Email (individual and group), mind-mapping and class Wikis (for the collaborative development of documents, knowledge clouds/maps and presentations), and synchronous instructional technologies like Chat (text, voice, video), live webinars, Skype video conferences and Google+ Hangouts. All of these technologies support interac-tion between students and their instructor, and may be applied to a particular training need in almost any combination.

Synchronous learning may also be supported through virtual Class-rooms such as in WebEx and Blackboard Collaborate. These are popular for corporate training because they are somewhat more sophisticated and include tools for discussions with whiteboard and object display. They can be used to replicate a “full” real-time class- room experience online. TEL

Brian Breen is the Director of corporate education at University of California, Irvine Extension. As Director Brian leads a team that develops and delivers professional development courses and programs to employees at companies around the world. These programs are highly customized and offered enterprise-wide, to provide employees with the skills needed to give their organizations a competitive edge.Visit extension.uci.edu/corporate Email bbreen@uci.edu Call (949)824-1847

28Technology Enabled Learning excellence presented by HR.com | 03.2014

CONNECTING HR EXPERTS GLOBALLY

Mark your Calendars for this must attend Leadership Forum!April 9th - 11th, 2014Vail Cascades ResortVail, Colorado

For the last 30 years, Leadership Excellence (now part of HR.com) has identified and recognized the top 500 leadership organizations and their strategies in our yearly ranking issue. Now we are enabling you and your team to learn, share and network with these top leaders.

This Groundbreaking Leadership Event will include:•TopThoughtLeadersandbusinessprofessionalsshowcasing“leadershipexcellence”•ProgramDesignandDevelopmentforthe2015GlobalLeadershipForumandBusinessModel•2014LeadershipExcellence500AwardsCeremony.•PersonalDevelopmentApp-Bethefirsttodemoourappthatwillhelppromotecontinuous leadershipdevelopment,personallyandprofessionally,foryouandyourstaff.

How can you become a recipient for this year’s awards?Completethefollowingformtobeenteredinthisyear’slistofnominees.

You won’t want to miss this event!

For more information email vail@info.hr.com

www.hr.com/global_leadership_excellence

APPLY TODAY!