Discovering my love for all things HR . . .

I stumbled into the world of HR on a whim.  I had been managing some of our outpatient clinics for the past couple of years, and was becoming disillusioned with the career path I thought I wanted.  I had worked my way up from front line healthcare positions with a goal of moving into a management role, and was happy when I was given my first opportunity to lead a clinic.  While it was rewarding in the beginning (I had a great staff that was team oriented and worked well together), I realized after the first year that there were things about the role that I did not anticipate or particularly like.  This is not to say that many people do not love the role and excel - it just was not my particular cup of tea.  I liked to refer to myself as a firefighter because all I seemed to do every day was put out some sort of "fire."  Whether that was an angry patient, upset staff, or angry provider, I could not seem to get to my regular managerial duties because of all the chaos. 

Fast forward another year, and I was sitting in a meeting listening to one of the HR managers present on some new policies that were soon to be implemented.  Something about her enthusiasm and passion gave me pause, and I left the meeting thinking, "THAT is someone I would love to work with."  When I got back to my office, before I could think too much and talk myself out of it, I emailed her and told her that if she ever had an opening in her department to let me know as I would be interested in speaking with her about a possible career move.  I got a phone call from her the next day, and within two weeks I was interviewing for a new position that had just been created in HR.  I was offered the job the day after the interview, and almost 3 years later I am the happiest I've ever been professionally.  I took a huge leap of faith, and it has paid off exponentially.

People tend to look at HR through a negative lens.  We are the ones people associate with disciplinary actions, terminations, and policy changes - all things that make employees scared to even talk to us sometimes (thanks, Catbert!).  This could not be farther from the truth (at least in my own workplace).  Yes, we are present for those not-so-pleasant employee relations issues, but we are also here to help develop our employees and really do want them to grow within our organization.  We love seeing people move up through the ranks, and also love the many fun events we host that let our employees let loose and have fun.  I've even heard employees come into our HR office and talk about how positive of an environment we have created as opposed to the "scary" HR offices of their past employers. 

I encourage anyone looking for a career change to check out entry-level positions in HR.  There is so much more to it than being the "bad guy" and delivering bad news and disciplines.  We are instrumental in coming up with new, inventive ways to attract and retain employees, as well as offer curriculum to enrich and grow our people from within.  We hate terminations and disciplines just as much as anyone else, and truly work hard to keep them from happening.  We want our employees to be successful, and celebrate that success whenever possible.  Working in HR will give you the opportunity to help the company grow through its people, and it has been an incredibly rewarding journey for me to see those efforts pay off. 

Image Sources:
https://creativeconflictwisdom.wordpress.com/2010/12/07/dilbert-and-hr-top-tips-from-their-interaction/
https://www.redbubble.com/people/adma101/works/12001074-love-hr?p=tote-bag
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/522136150527988955/

In the 2017 Workplace Learning Report by LinkedIn, we are given an overview of corporate learning and development (L&D) trends in 2017, as well as the challenges many L&D professionals face when developing and delivering content.  While there is a wealth of useful and relevant information in the report, I am going to focus my blog this week on one section in particular - how to deliver learning that meets the expectations of modern learners.

Reaching today's learners can be a challenge.  More companies are allowing employees to work remotely, and others are trying to manage the learning of employees that are spread throughout the country or even the globe.  Today's workforce is not satisfied with standard, pre-crafted out-of-the-box training programs that are not specifically catered to company needs.  Companies today need to be creative, and, as discussed in the report, "create and facilitate modern learning experiences - not just one-off learning programs."  These experiences do not have to be elaborate, they can take the form of short, informative videos, an informal discussion with a peer or mentor, or even, according to the report, "making a mistake and acknowledging the 'Aha!' moment."

These modern learning experiences should have one goal in mind, and that is to change behaviors.  Most of our behaviors have become our habits, and in the workplace, these habits include how we communicate with others, how we use technology, and, if in a leadership role, how we manage direct reports.  The report talks about how L&D professionals must "get crisp on what the habit is you want to instill in your learners."  One of LinkedIn's Learning Authors quoted in the report, Dr. Todd Dewett, talks about how difficult changing behaviors can be for learners: "You're not just implementing a new learning tool or delivering a course.  You also need to be able to help employees manage the mental process of understanding change."

Companies that want to attract and retain top talent will need to find ways to meet these learning needs.  They must develop content that is easily accessible while at the same time addresses key behavior changes.

Article and Image Source:  https://midstate.mrooms3.net/pluginfile.php/332050/mod_resource/content/0/2017-workplace-learning-report.pdf

Econet is engaging its employees through learning

Image Source: https://www.linkedin.com

In his December 2017 blog post on LinkedIn, Paul Petrone discusses the new learning initiave Zimbabwe's largest telecom provider, Econet, rolled out to its employees in the Summer of 2017.  In a video sent to all employees, COO Fayaz King announced that everyone now had access to LinkedIn Learning's 10,000 online courses, and all were encouraged to use that access to meet a new goal of learning one hour every week.  He spoke of needing to "evolve and change by upskilling ourselves for the future."

This new initiative showed almost instant positive results.  Within two months of the announcement, 94% of Econet employees had used LinkedIn Learning, and many easily reached their goal of 4 hours of learning per month.  The support of Econet executives was key to the program's success.  Prior to the program's launch, the executive team participated in a "roadshow" to promote it, and have remained supportive through its inception.  They now begin weekly meetings by discussing what learning they did the week prior, and also participate in group sessions in which work teams watch learning courses together.

Econet wanted to make sure employee learning was also tied to their performance goals and professional advancement.  Now, during their semi-annual performance reviews, managers sit with employees and set goals for the next six months in areas they want to grow and develop.  Mangers then use these goals to assign specific LinkedIn courses to employees.  If an employee wishes to move to a new position within the company, it is now standard practice for hiring managers to ask them about their learning activity.  Petrone discusses how Econet uses these new practices to "see if there is a correlation between high performing employees and their LinkedIn Learning usage."

Image Source: https://www.edupliance.com/blog/post/4350

Is Econet's investment in their employee's learning and development paying off?  I would say absolutely.  As Petrone points out, "Econet Wireless's employees have among the highest engagement rates of any LinkedIn Learning customer."  One does not have to look far to see why this is so.  Since one of the most common reasons employees leave their positions is lack of advancement opportunities, Econet is remaining ahead of the curve by showing employees they are truly invested in their educational an development goals.

Source: https://learning.linkedin.com/blog/learning-thought-leadership/how-this-company-inspired-their-employees-to-learn-an-hour-a-wee

One size does not fit all when it comes to designing elearning content

http://yourelearningworld.com/

Elearning is a great tool.  It has revolutionized the way training is delivered, and allowed employees to learn in many different environments.  It also has fiscal benefits, too; it eliminates the expense of hiring in-person trainers and results in less lost production as employees no longer have to leave their work areas for long stretches to attend classes.  It really is a great tool in the learning and development arena.  However, it is only as good as its design, so it is important to take certain factors into consideration when developing content. 

In his March 2017 blog post titled How to Avoid the Potential Pitfalls of Elearning on e3learning.com, Troy Foster talks about some of the most common difficulties companies have when developing their elearning content, and shows trainers how they can get overcome obstacles and design training that is engaging and effective. 

One of the first things Foster discusses is repurposing content.  He talks about how companies often attempt to take existing training materials and simply transfer the material to an elearning course, which he says often result in "poorly written, text-heavy modules" that don't hold employees' interest.  He suggests overcoming this issue by including things like quizzes, games, and even "instant affirmations" that encourage and motivate learners. 

Another mistake companies often make when designing elearning content is assuming all learners have the technological savvy to complete the training.  As we all know, tech skill levels are incredibly variable in any organization, so trainers should keep this in the forefront of their minds when designing content.  Foster suggests things like providing easy to follow instructions for accessing and completing modules, and keeping focus on one subject at a time so the content does not feel overwhelming to those less skilled in the technology.

https://kashmirreader.com/2017/02/03/conflict-gender-resistance-one-size-not-fit/

Companies often attempt to design their elearning content using existing resources already available online. Foster discusses how companies should avoid this approach as "the potential to miss the mark with a 'one-size-fits-all' approach is too great."  This type of design fails to take into account the varying learning styles of employees in the organization.  There are many resources available to trainers that can assist in customizing training that will keep the unique needs and values of the company in mind, while at the same time taking into account the different learning styles of trainees.

The final issue Foster mentions is how to effectively evaluate training results when using elearning methods.  He emphasizes the advantages of using an elearning provider that can guide organizations through the programs and help not only with the content design, but also help breakdown and evaluate data collected to track employee learning. 

Elearning is a great tool for any company to have in their learning and development arsenal.  Following these guidelines will help ensure that content is delivered in an effective manner that encourages learning transfer and keeps employees engaged in the process.


Source: https://www.e3learning.com/confidentbusiness/avoid-potential-pitfalls-elearning/

Ensuring trainees get the most out of their e-learning experience.

Dealing with Disruptive Trainees

We've all experienced it in some form or another.  You are in a training session, and there is someone who refuses to participate, starts asking ridiculous, off-topic questions, or has their nose in their phone or laptop.  My personal favorite is the "what-if" participant. You know, the one that insists on inventing completely implausible scenarios in which whatever concept you are teaching would not work, and asking what they should do if it occurs.  I had to endure this for years in a previous position by a fellow manager that attended our monthly management meetings.  It created a very tense environment in which it was hard to concentrate on the topics at hand.

How can we as trainers handle disruptive participants?  Do we call out their behavior or do we allow it to continue to erode the session?  Of course there are no black and white, right or wrong answers to these questions.  There are many factors to consider, as our goal is never to embarrass the one disrupting (even though we may want to at times), but instead to cease the behaviors so training can be productive for all participants.  In his August 2015 Trainer Tops blog, Onno Schuit, gives some helpful strategies for dealing with disruptive trainees.

One of the first pieces of advice Schuit discusses, is in the curriculum design itself.  He advises designing training to "circumvent or anticipate any objections," and "don't provide potentially disruptive participants with any ammunition."  This can be achieved over time by observing trends in trainee behavior, and modifying the design to proactively deal with common disruptions.

A common practice that Schuit advises, and I myself have used in my own trainings, is to call a break when things start to get heated with a participant.  Once the session goes to break, pull he/she aside and ask them about their objections.  By saying something like "I notice you do not seem to be enjoying today's training, please tell me if there is something I could do better," you are not attacking them for their behavior, but you are putting the onus on them to explain why they are not engaged.

Sometimes, in group training situations, it can make a huge difference by simply relocating the disruptor to another area.  Schuite advises paying close attention to each participant's demeanor, and moving the person next to someone that is highly engaged to act as a kind of mentor.  This doesn't need to be done in a way that singles out the participant; it can be framed as a way to change up the environment mid-way through the session to revitalize the room.

One final way Schuite discusses dealing with difficult trainees is to get the group to explain how the training affects them.  This can help participants that feel the training is not applicable to their specific work, or feel that the training is "beneath" them in some way.  If you can get group consensus about the value of the topic and how it relates back to each participant, this can keep further distractions from occurring.

While these are just a few examples, they set a good foundation for dealing with different types of disruptions.  There will be times that someone is so disruptive, you may have to (privately) ask them to leave the training, and/or get their manager involved.  These are not easy conversations, but as trainers it is important to have them for the sake of the rest of the group.  All it takes is that one Negative Nancy (or Norman) to ruin the dynamic and make the training ineffective.


Source: http://blog.trainertops.com/2015/08/how-to-deal-with-difficult-trainees/

Image Sources: https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/misbehavior-college-classroom/
                         https://www.magnapubs.com/online-seminars/handling-annoying-disruptive-and-                                 dangerous-students-3053-1.html

Is training right for the situation?

I've seen many situations in my own work in which managers will request training for their team based on one issue or another, and when the team arrives to deliver the training, we realize it was either a completely different issue than what the manager portrayed, or that training is not the correct course for the team.  This is why needs assessments are so important.

I came across a 2010 article written by Jane Bozarth on this very subject on the Learningsolutionsmag.com site.  Bozarth is the Director of Research for The eLearning Guild, and has written many books on the subject.  She discusses a grid she uses (see figure below) when speaking with leaders to determine if training is the best course of action for their staff.

Image source: https://www.learningsolutionsmag.com/articles/442/nuts-and-bolts-when-training-works

Quadrant A of the grid is pretty basic - it could be that the employee is simply not a fit for the job and should likely not have been hired in the first place.  Bozarth talks about red flags that can indicate an employee falls into this quadrant, such as frequent absenteeism in their first weeks on the job and complaining about core job duties.  Bozarth says of these employees, "training will not make the person more inclined to learn or perform."

Quadrant B moves on to employees that know their core functions, but do not seem motivated to perform them.  These are employees that can have some longevity in the organization, and typically know how perform their tasks correctly, but have had recent dips in productivity.  Bozarth discusses how employees in these categories are likely struggling with issues training will not fix, such as personal issues, boredom with the tediousness of their tasks, or, in some cases, even suffering the effects of a bad manager.  In these cases, training will not be able to address the root causes of the decline in their work. 

Moving to Quadrant C, we now have employees that are skilled and able to perform their core duties, but performance targets are not being met.  Bozarth places people in this category that have issues getting the support and resources they need to complete their tasks.  These resources can come in the form of physical equipment needed to do the job (keys, office supplies), technological issues (access to required computer programs), or not having access to subject-matter experts.  Bozarth talks about how, in these situations, it is often "the supervisor making the request who really needs the training - in managing performance problems."

Bozarth is very specific in stating that the only time training is deemed the solution, are for employees that fall into Quadrant D.  These staff members are motivated to perform, but truly do not know how.  She does caution, that even these employees may not require actual training, but instead "a job aid or performance support tool may be better than a training solution."

Considering the time and resources it takes to develop training programs, tools like these can be instrumental in determining which situations actually warrant training.  By taking the time to sit down and have these conversations with managers, companies can better determine how to allocate limited training budgets and resources to employees that would best benefit.

Source: https://www.learningsolutionsmag.com/articles/442/nuts-and-bolts-when-training-works

In his March 2018 article for TrainingJournal.com, Paul Matthews, founder of People Alchemy, talks about the near/far model of learning transfer.  This model was conceptualized over 100 years ago by psychologist Edward Thorndike.  The idea of near/far learning transfer, according to Matthews, is that "the extent to which information learned in one situation will transfer to another situation, is determined by the similarity between the two situations.

Can you tie a shoe?

Chances are, if you are reading a blog about learning transfer, you have already mastered this important life skill.  But have you given much thought about how that learning took place?  If your answer to that last question was "no," you are not alone.  I will admit I have never given a moment's thought to how my kindergarten teacher taught me how to do this.  I just put them on, give a few deft twists to the laces, and go about my business.  However, Matthews uses this essential skill as a perfect example of near transfer learning.

Near transfer learning occurs when a skill is taught in the exact same conditions in which the learner will be using it.  In the case of shoelaces, there really is not much variance in how this is done.  Sure, there may be different colors, widths, lengths, etc., but the act of tying them is the same.  Matthews discusses how the near transfer learning "hardwires" these skills into our brains by explaining "this ability to generalize a skill to solve nearly similar problems has been, and still is crucial to us and our species for survival."  How true.  Can you imagine back to the times of cavemen and how difficult survival would have been had they needed to re-learn how to hunt each time they made a kill?  I think it is safe to say we would likely not be sitting at our computers reading blogs about learning transfer if that was the case.

OK, so you can tie a shoe, but what about that pesky door handle?

Yes, I understand we all know how to open a door.  Well, unless it is one of those rotating doors - I still feel like I'm on a hamster wheel in those sometimes, but I digress.  Matthews uses door handles as a rudimentary example of far transfer learning, and, stay with me here, it may not be as simple as it sounds.  Far transfer learning occurs when a subject is trained in a skill, but the environment in which they are trained is different from the environment in which they will use the skill.  When far transfer learning is successful, a person is able to adapt the skills they have learned to many different environments.  In our shoelace example, we determined that there is not much deviation from the end result, no matter what type of laces were being tied.  However, with the example of a door handle, life can get much trickier.

If we were shown how to open a door with a knob or handle, we could them move about life fairly confident that we are able to open any door with these same mechanisms, no matter where we go.  Life is good, and we are opening doors everywhere.  But it is at this point that Matthews throws our lives into upheaval by telling us we now have encountered a door with a push-button mechanism.  This could spell disaster for us since, up to this point, we  have only been equipped with knob and handle turning skills.  Our training did not have the far transfer we needed in order to adapt to the changing world of door-opening apparatuses.  

Matthews uses these basic life-skills to raise an important point about learning transfer.  He discusses the need to "expand our skill to include a wider range of contexts," which ideally will lead to creating "higher-level ideas in our mind that will enable us to solve problems that are even further away from what we first learned."

We need to ensure we are equipping our employees with the training they need to not only be successful in their daily duties and tasks, but also with the ability to acclimate and make the necessary in-the-moment decisions based on their training.  In other words, we must empower our employees by providing them with training that goes beyond just knobs and handles.  Let's get them moving seamlessly through those revolving doors and beyond.