What are LEARNING IMPACT MAPS? How do you use them?

Wednesday June 9, 2010 Have you ever tried to guess the final outcome of your training classes in an organization? It's a daunting exercise, especially when your classes deal indirectly with a challenge that your organization is experiencing. So how can you make sure that a training class really makes a dent on the problem? I have successfully used LEARNING IMPACT MAPS and I am happy to share with you how this simple tool can work wonders for any of your learning projects. IT'S IMPORTANT BECAUSE... Quality training programs are focused on creating a change of behavior that affects the bottom line in an organization. We fail in this effort if we do not anticipate and clearly chart a map of: ·          how new knowledge in the workplace is going to translate into effective behaviors ·          how new effective behaviors are going to translate into business results ·          how business results are going to translate into organizational goals Defining in advance the effective beaviors that your classes are supposed to create  results in more effective learning experiences that strengthen the possibilities of real organizational renewal and change. Effective beahaviors through LEARNING IMPACT MAPS should not be viewed as an end in itself, but as a means to ensure learning excellence, innovation, and ultimately change. TRAINING TIP: How do you use LEARNING IMPACT MAPS? ·         Draw four columns in a piece of paper. In the first column write the learning objective of your session ·         In the second column write the behaviors as a result of your session that you hope will emerge after the class ·         In the third column write down the business results that will come from people adopting the effective behaviors described earlier ·         In the fourth column list how these business results will serve the overall organizational goal of the organization you are working in ·         Share the resulting document with your stakeholders and trainees. The discussion that originates will provide clear guidelines for the creation of value as you deliver training sessions. How have you dealt with making sure people understand the link between learning and effective behaviors? In what ways have you helped others to see the link between training and business results? Write your comments here.

How do you engage your learners when teaching a dry subject?

Wednesday May 12, 2010 When I'm asked this question, I answer with a quote that I like a lot by Jacques Barzun, French-American historian and scholar: "It is not the subject but the imagination of the teacher that has to be alive before the interest can be felt."  I like to use Learning Tasks to engage learners and make my training workshop interesting and engaging. Here is what I specifically do: ·         I turn the content of the materials I need to teach from "things learners need to know" (content) into "things learners need to do" (learning tasks) ·         I create scripts for giving instructions for learning tasks so that I can provide my participants with unequivocal understanding of what they are supposed to do                                                                         ·         I force myself to act as a resource rather then a "talking head" during the actual tasks letting the trainees do the work ·         I prepare in advance four or five key questions to manage the learning dialogue that follows an experiential learning task Why do I do all this, rather than traditional lecturing? Isn't easier to create a Powerpoint presentation? Sure, but not as effective. I've noticed from direct observation that the so-called domain knowledge (concepts, facts, and procedures) presented in Powerpoint, while often necessary, seems largely insufficient to empower people to solve problems at work. Adult learners are focused on "knowing how," "knowing when," and "knowing if" in order to improve their own ability to solve problems, often with limited time and incomplete information, in the context of their day-to-day tasks. I've noticed that a workshop made up entirely of learning tasks supports this kind of integration and brings about a more "transferable" and effective learning experience. My feature article in the latest issue of the THE SYSTEMS THINKER says more about this. Check it out  by clicking here. Thanks for sharing your experience What dry subjects have you successfully or unsuccessfully taught? What has worked for you? Share your experience by clicking here.  P.S. Suggestion Box Click here to suggest a topic that is most useful to you. Your success is our highest priority as we develop our blog posts.

What's wrong with lecturing?

Thursday April 1, 2010 Nothing. It can be a great, simple way to teach but unfortunately the most abused method. Lecturing is a leading cause of death of organizational learning during training programs. So I had an irreverent idea: why not mourn its death on April 1st? Check out our tongue-in-cheek death announcement for April Fool's day by clicking here...

Why is UN-LEARNING important? How do you deal with it?

Wednesday March 17, 2010 Have you ever tried to drive on the left side of the road if you are  born in a country in which one drives on the right? Or have you broken out in a sweat trying to learn a foreign language or the latest version of a software system  you have been using for years? All these situations confront us with replacing one behavior with a totally different one; one in which our previous knowledge acts as a barrier to learning something new. How do you deal with this challenge? IT'S IMPORTANT BECAUSE... Good, quality training programs are focused on creating a change of behavior that affects the bottom line in an organization. We fail in this effort if we do not recognize that people's ability to acquire new knowledge in the workplace on an ongoing basis is limited by: ·          their previous knowledge/skills and deeply held assumptions ·          their previous attitudes towards their organization's change initiatives/new programs/new opportunities. Confronting the dimensions of unlearning and relearning results in more effective learning experiences that strengthen the possibilities of real organizational renewal and change. Unlearning should not be viewed as an end in itself, but as a means to ensure learning excellence, innovation, and ultimately change. TRAINING TIP: How do you deal with UNLEARNING? ·         Try to hold three fundamental assumptions towards your trainees: regard, awareness and compassion ·         Be clear about your unlearning objectives: either "sunglasses,""contact lenses," or "eye surgery" ·         In the class take on the four roles that facilitate the unlearning process of your trainees: host, co-learner, devil's advocate, supporter ·         Use experential learning tasks that explicitly touch on previous knowledge and future implemention of learning ·         Support the "after-the-class" process of implementation of learning with technology, trainees supervisor's involvement, and informal events  See more about this by clicking here. How have you dealt with your own unlearning? In what ways have you helped others to unlearn? Write your comments here.

Why Innovative Training (without PowerPoint) has Great Value

Wednesday February 17, 2010 Recently, I had a conversation with someone new to my work and it struck me that she didn't fully understand the value that innovative training (without Powerpoint) can bring to her organization. Understanding training's value helps you make the best decisions about when and why to use it. Innovative Training Supports the Organization's Goals  Lowered Training Costs. Producing traditional training is time consuming whether it's in person or online. With innovative approaches like Conversational Learning, the Learning Construction Site and the World Café , each time a learning opportunity presents itself the training can be set up in less than a week. Because your preparation costs are minimal and the returns you gain from your team avoiding past mistakes has real impact, you lower training costs considerably. Improved Morale. Training organized this way is essentially a work of capacity building. Recent studies reveal that recognition for a job well done is the number one motivator at work. Allowing top-performers to teach your team not only recognizes their work, but it also allows urgent learning topics to bubble up and be dealt with in an organized forum. Increased Productivity. Innovative training is not only done in person but also uses e-learning and webconferencing. It is not bound by geography or time. As a result you can control training's impact on production by training people during down times. In addition, with the current economy, you're asking people to do more with less. So innovative training is a great way to give them the tools and skills needed to enhance their performance. Innovative Training Nurtures a Learning Organization & Community Effective Knowledge Management. Many people see training as a workshop experience. But innovative training includes all sort of online technologies. If - aside from classroom time - you incorporate some of the tools that allow collaboration and conversation, you can capture organizational knowledge that is available for future learners. Encouragement of Sharing. The foundation of a learning community is built on sharing what you know with others. This is where incorporating a forum or wiki really adds value to your team. Depending on how the course is structured, you can encourage sharing of resources and insight gained from the course.   TRAINING TIP One of the challenges with making training more effective is to clearly state its results. I'm an advocate of defining the training results in business terms. If you're training your employees, you might consider how that impacts their learning and new results. Do people have access to training resources when the course is complete? Are you rewarding them for implementing the learning? What accountability mechanism exists after the class? ASK YOURSELF: What action will need to happen in the next 90 days to verify that the knowledge gained in this class has changed some behaviors? Innovative training is cost effective and can produce great results. Where have you seen innovative training effectiveness in action? What suggestions would you offer to those who are just getting started? Feel free to share your ideas via the comments link.   Adriano Pianesi ParticipAction Consulting Inc. | www.participactioninc.com 306 Aspen Place, Alexandria, VA 22305 Ph: 703-920-0208 | Fax: 703-562-0856 | Cell: 202-262-3371 Join me in our conference sessions! STIA Conference, Seattle, November 2-4 Excellence in Government Conference, Washington DC, April 19 IAF 2010 Conference, Chicago, April 20-25 Join me in our public webinars! Pegasus Communication 90-Minute Live Webinar, June 2, 2pm EST      Forward this email to a friend. Not interested anymore? Unsubscribe. ParticipAction Consulting Inc. - 306 Aspen Place | Alexandria, VA 22305 | 202.262.3371 / 703.920.0208