Do Good Intentions Lead to Results in Performance?

Setting goals are key to improving performance, but how often do people set goals then never measure them or quit halfway? A better way to approach goal-setting is to decide what your intentions are (i.e. what kind of performance you expect) and start from there.

According to Jeffrey Gitomer, “What you intend to do is what you actually do. Goals notwithstanding, it's all about your intentions."

In the world of personal growth and development, it’s generally accepted that goals and intentions are linked. Intentions actually precede goal setting. If you fall short of intention, or don’t focus on your intention, you are not likely to achieve the goal you set.

The same is true in the business world. Sometimes, the intention is so off the mark that the identified goals (and subsequent results) take business performance way off track. The best example of this I’ve ever seen was reported in the April 16, 2001, issue of FORTUNE magazine about Gateway Computer:

One policy put a time limit on customer service calls; reps who spent more than 13 minutes talking to a customer didn't get their monthly bonuses. As a result, workers began doing just about anything to get customers off the phone: pretending the line wasn't working, hanging up, or often--at great expense--sending them new parts or computers. Not surprisingly, Gateway's customer satisfaction rates, once the best in the industry, fell below average. What's more, many customers stopped recommending Gateway to their friends and families; Gateway's referral business, once 50 percent of total sales, fell to about 30 percent.

The intention was reducing call times, the goal was 13 minutes or less or no bonus. The result was painful!

You may have a goal for a training class, or you may have been given goals for training your workforce, but your intentions will dictate the job performance related to your training effort.

Be clear about your intentions for each training effort:

• Write down the performance intentions before you write the course goals.
• When creating a course, keep the intention in mind at all times. Ask the question “Does this (information, task, activity, exercise, etc.) lead to my performance intention?”
• For each course goal, make sure you can identify the content that addresses the goal.
• Finally, develop a method to confirm when the performance intention is fulfilled on the job.

This article was originally published on TrainingDay Blog.

Incentives—Fast Track to Performance Improvement?

While I've been remiss in keeping up with my postings, I have been contributing to the training industry in other ways. This is the link to my recent posting on TrainingDay's Blog:

http://vnutravel.typepad.com/trainingday/2006/09/incentivesfast_.html

Teams Miss the Boat on Accountability

The Table Group, the consulting firm of business author Patrick Lencioni, has identified a major trend plaguing teams today - team members readily avoid holding their peers accountable for both their performance and behaviors that might hurt the team.

A full 68% of teams scored "red" on accountability - or lowest on The Table Group's three tiered rating scale of green-yellow-red. Other red scores for the remaining four dysfunctions include: absence of trust (44%), fear of conflict (39%), avoidance of commitment (25%) and inattention to results (28%).

Lencioni's definition of accountability goes beyond just informing people about missing "their numbers." The essence of this dysfunction is the reluctance of team members to tolerate the discomfort that accompanies calling a peer on his or her behavior. Team members have a general tendency to avoid difficult conversations.

This problem is even more apparent at the executive level- 80% scored in the "red". This is attributed to the fact that members of an executive team typically have similar socioeconomic status and, therefore, don't feel justified commenting on a peer's performance.

To overcome this dysfunction, Lencioni suggests leveraging peer pressure on a team by publicly stating the team's goals and standards, instituting regular progress reviews and rewarding team achievement (rather than individual contribution).

The Truth in eLearning

A colleague of mine, Peter Cervieri of ScribeStudio, recently asked me to write a review/recap of his company's premiere webTV episode of "The Truth in eLearning". It was a great honor and opportunity to see what other experts in the field have to say about eLearning, and see if I agree or disagree with their perspectives! Read on for my full review:

http://blog.scribestudio.com/articles/2006/07/31/the-truth-about-e-learning-roi

Trainers and Professional Development

Thanks to Tony Karrer for this posting on his blog:

eLearning Technology: Pew Survey on Blogging - Training Professionals Far Behind

Given my post on July 20 (Women Rock the Blogs), it's unfortunate that more female training professionals are not active in the blog world. It makes me wonder if this is due to training professionals not having enough time to increase their personal learning, or just overwhelmed by the sheer volume of information out there? Are they spending more time developing materials for others, or developing themselves?

Christopher Sessums recently commented on this topic in his blog. He also quotes Courtney Shannon, a teacher using a blog for her World History class. In reference to the use of blogs for professional development of teachers, Ms. Shannon says, "Blogs can offer an open forum with teachers near and far to discuss lesson plans, share classroom management ideas, ideas for summer reading lists, strategies to deal with the stresses of the world of teaching, rubric ideas, and to discuss "hot topics" in education, leadership, and policy."

If teachers have the time available to reach out and grab the technology that is readily (and freely) available, I believe the teaching world will continue to grow smaller as the ideas get bigger.

A new survey of teachers and their use of technology suggests there is a clear correlation between hours spent in professional development, classroom integration of technology, and improved student performance.

Technology use by teachers continues to rise, the survey indicates; three out of five teachers said their tech skills were at least "somewhat advanced," four of five think it engages students, and two in three believe it can improve performance.

Professional development in the use of technology also is on the rise, according to the survey--though one in five teachers still receives no such training.

According to Tim Sanders, in his book, "Love is the Killer App," the average manager reads 0.7 (business related) books every 5 years, and the average Fortune 500 CEO reads 12 books a year. What and how much are the training professionals reading? I'd like to find out what you are reading - post your comments and let me know!

Assessing E-Learning Effectiveness in Corporate Environment

Dave Boggs of Syberworks posted a link to a great primer on measurement of the effectiveness of e-learning in corporations. I've had similar discussions with quite a few people over the past few years, especially as this is one area I focus on in my consulting. Without true measurement of effectiveness, how can training departments truly justify their existence? If they cannot demonstrate how courses delivered contribute to the organization's bottom line, budgets are likely cut when times get tough...

Corporate managers are constantly looking for more cost-effective ways to deliver training to their employees. E-learning is less expensive than traditional classroom instruction. In addition, many expenses – booking training facilities, travel costs for employees or trainers, plus employee time away from the job – are greatly reduced. However, some firms that have spent large amounts of money on new e-learning efforts have not received the desired economic advantages.

In 1999, E-learning was seen as the cure for the training ailments. However, when effectiveness was not measured as a part of the process, and those promised 3000% ROIs didn't materialize, organizations slammed on the brakes and claimed "this stuff doesn't work!"

Measuring e-learning effectiveness is not rocket science, nor is measurement of traditional training - you actually have to do it, do it right, AND be consistent. And when something is no longer effective, change it!

Read the full article by Judith B. Strother of the Florida Institute of Technology to find out more about e-learning measurement.

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Shannon Lear Martin is the President of Austin, Texas based TrainUtopia (www.trainutopia.com) and helps companies improve their organizational performance to meet their business goals. She is also considered an expert in training effectiveness measurement. Shannon publishes a monthly newsletter “Training News You Can Use” http://www.trainutopia.com/news.htm , which is jammed with resources, articles and tips on performance improvement, training and development. She can be reached at smartin@trainutopia.com.

Women Rock the Blogs!

Ok, this has nothing directly related to training (or maybe it does...) but very interesting, regardless!

It turns out that 56% of blogs are created by women, and they don't abandon them as quickly, either! Here's a quote from a recent article in the Boston Globe:

Blogs have helped women to find their voices. Some of them find their voice 15 minutes at a time, which is why Lisa Williams said it's a perfect medium for multitasking parents. Many women talk about how they see their lives as markedly different pre- and post-blog. The biggest benefits -- relationships, community -- can't be quantified.

Having been a latecomer to the "blogosphere," I can readily agree with that! When you read someone's thoughts and opinions day after day, you feel like you know that person. This creates a real sense of community. Bloggers also provide links, credit and feedback as they write, which allows for greater contribution and sharing regardless of industry, geography or sex. Since women validate our lives by the breadth and depth of our relationships, it seems only natural that we would be drawn to a medium that allows that to an infinite degree!

Rock on, Ladies!

Are Leaders Born or Trained?

Is leadership something you are born with or something you learn along the way? According to an Tamim Ansary, people are not born leaders - they must learn to lead.

http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/Departments/elearning/Default.aspx?article=CanLeadershipBeLearned

There is also something to be said for genetics - some people avoid conflict and are less likely to step into a leadership role. You can't be a leader if you roll over at the first suggestion of disagreement. Leaders have to stick their necks out, and be willing to get their heads chopped off on occasion.

In any case, it's good to hear that U.S. companies see leadership as something worth investing in. First line managers are the most likely to receive leadership (management) training, followed by entry-level employees and mid-level executives.

It makes sense for new managers to receive the first benefit of these (ever-important) training dollars, as they were most likely promoted for their ability to do the job, but have yet to learn how to manage people doing the job.

Now it's your turn - I'd like to find out what YOU think makes a leader.

Click here to complete a quick poll! I promise to share the results!

Trainers Need to Sharpen those Spreadsheets

As I keep telling my clients and prospects, the best way for a training department to justify its existence (and budget) is to prove training's return on investment. While training is often seen as a "touchy feely" sort of operation, more and more organizations are seeing the light on this important business requirement:

http://www.workforce.com/section/11/feature/24/37/85/index.html

Training efforts are being disected for more than just content - are they efficient, are they effective, do they reduce costs, are they aligned with corporate goals? These are just a few tough questions that Chief Learning Officers, HR execs and departmental trainers are facing today.

The answers are critical, and available, if you take the time to gather the data and do the analysis. If you don' t have the time or capability, call me - I'll be glad to help you out, I've got Excel all warmed up...

Training Doesn't Work!

I think most in the working world would agree that it’s normal to use the training department to address skill gaps (among other things). It appears this approach hasn’t been working for many companies, and executives place some of the blame within the HR and training department. (GASP!)

According to the “Accenture High Performance Workforce Study,” only 14% of respondents said the overall skill level of their organizations’ entire workforce is industry-leading. And only 20% of respondents believe that most of their employees understand their companies’ strategy and its road to success.

So whose fault is it? The surveyed executives attributed performance problems in part to the HR and training departments. On average, only 10 percent of respondents reported being very satisfied with the performance of their human resources and training. Fortunately, respondents also took some responsibility for their low satisfaction rates.

The gap between the two could be attributed to a lack of connection to business drivers, failure to measure the business impact of HR and training efforts, ineffective or non-existent knowledge capture and sharing capabilities, and a lack of leader involvement in people issues.

Only 36% of respondents said their companies adjust their HR and training to each function’s needs and contributions to the organization. Meanwhile, more than 40% said they do not evaluate the impact of their HR and training efforts against profitability, and half (50%) do not evaluate those efforts against revenues and sales.

It has become more recognized that companies that fail to develop their workforces risk losing their competitive edge. A key component to making the leap from acknowledgement to implementation is for executive teams to view the HR/Training leader as a strategic business partner - not just the touchy-feeling team building guru!

This survey also demonstrates one of the main reasons to move from training to performance improvement - accountability and measurement of impact. Without measurement of the difference made by a training initiative, there will never be a way to demonstrate the true value of training to the organization. If one kind of training is not adding value to the organization (i.e. profitability), don't do it.

Find out what will add value and do that. Measure and confirm the value. And just like shampoo - repeat!

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Source: CLO Newsletter

Corporate Learning Facts from Bersin

The researchers at Bersin have launched "The Corporate Learning Factbook", a new study on the US learning market. According to Bersin the US learning market is worth $46.6 billion.

Some facts they found that you might be interested in:

• The corporate learning market grew by 5% in 2005, with fastest-growing spending rates in the technology and retail sectors. Spending increases by small and medium-sized businesses (6 to 6.5%) were double those of large enterprises (approximately 3%).
• The biggest percentage of program dollars go to management and leadership training, rated as a first or second priority by 37% of respondents. These investments are fueled by succession planning and the need to develop new and mid-level management talent.
• Spending per employee varies widely, depending on industry sector and company size. The spectrum ranges from $4,000 per employee in business services to $200 in retail. The average per learner expenditure is $1,412.
• LMS spending is typically 3 to 7% of an organisation's total training expenditures. Consolidation of LMSs is a significant trend, with 26% of large enterprises consolidating or reducing the number of LMSs within their organizations over the last year. One-third plan to consolidate in the next 12 months.
• The adoption of virtual classroom technology is high in most sectors. The study found that 60% of respondents are now using virtual classes as part of corporate training.
• One-third of training groups report staff increases over last year. One-half say staffing resources have remained unchanged, and just 13% have reduced staff size.

For more information, go to www.bersin.com/factbook.

Top Five Mistakes Made When Hiring or Promoting

The most common mistake organizations make when hiring or promoting managers and executives is failing to define and assess those roles most crucial to successful performance, according to a survey by Right Management.

The most common mistakes organizations make in hiring and promoting managers and executives are:

• 43% - Inadequately defining and evaluating roles critical to successful performance
• 41% - Insufficient grooming of high-potential employees (i.e. coaching, mentoring and training)
• 29% - Using overly subjective criteria
• 27% - Too much focus on managerial and interpersonal skills - and not enough emphasis on less apparent talents, such as morale or team building
• 20% - Giving inadequate consideration to people from outside the organization

Lower employee morale and decreased productivity are the biggest consequences of bad hiring and promotion decisions. Other negative consequences of bad hires and promotions include: lost customers and market share, and higher training, recruitment and severance costs, according to the survey.

Here is an interesting fact that a colleague of mine, John W. Howard, Ph.D., collected from SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management):

• More than half of applicants lie or exaggerate in applications and resumes! (We don’t know which part is lies!)

What do most employers do to try to improve this flawed information? We check references. (Unfortunately, reference checking is prone to all of the flawed information of applications, hard to obtain, and time-consuming.) To complete the information-gathering, we use that time-honored tool of the hiring process, the interview.

So what does an interview get us? More scary statistics...

• 63% of all hiring decisions are reached in less than 5 minutes of interview time. The next 25 minutes we spend does not change or improve this decision.
• Interviewers have less than a 15% chance of identifying lies from application information
  in an interview.
• Interviews predict job success only 14% of the time.
• As much as we try not to, demographic variables such as age, race, or gender influence interviewer judgments.

How can we overcome the multiple challenges described? Introduce as much good, accurate, reliable, valid information into the process as you can. Use valid, reliable, legally defensible assessments. Assessments may include behavioral assessment tools, workplace simulations, situational judgment, cognitive ability testing, etc.

When we have access to reliable, subject information in the hiring and promoting process, we also gain the following benefits:

• Turnover goes down!
• Cost of the hiring process diminishes!
• More hires become “Top Performers”!
• Most importantly, profits increase!

Seems like a good place to start!

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Shannon Lear Martin is the President of Austin, Texas based TrainUtopia (http://www.trainutopia.com) and has been helping companies improve their organizational performance to meet their business goals. She is also considered an expert in training effectiveness measurement. Shannon publishes a monthly newsletter “Training News You Can Use” , which is jammed with resources, articles and tips on performance improvement, training and development. She can be reached at smartin@trainutopia.com.

Coming to a Corporate Trainer Near You - No More Orders!

As I've been evangelizing to my clients lately, the role of the corporate "trainer" is evolving away from an order taker to that of a performance consultant.

“There is a very strong trend in the best-practice organizations to move away from being an order taker,” Marcia Dresner, senior researcher and consultant with Corporate University Xchange, said. “To move away from somebody who responds to ‘We need a course. Go and produce a course,’ to a much broader role as a performance consultant. Determine if learning is an issue and provide the appropriate kind of intervention rather than just throwing courses at a business problem.”

Sue Todd, President of Corporate University Xchange, said this move to the performance consultant role is indicative of a macro-level trend similar to the one the IT industry experienced a few years ago. “IT was really considered an order taker. People would ask for new technologies and new systems. IT would come in and put them up, and they would be there and nobody would use them. The company would get no benefit, and there’d be a lot of money wasted on a solution that didn’t contribute to improved performance. Training has followed that exact path in terms of their maturity levels and is coming to that point now where they’re really starting to get some credibility in organizations that they really can have a significant impact on performance.”

“That goes along with an increase in accountability,” Dresner explained. “People need to be accountable. Business leaders are insisting that learning be accountable for results. Leaders do not want to hear learning professionals tell them how many courses they taught. They want to hear how sales are improving or how profits are improved as a result of learning. Many organizations are doing this by sitting down with their business leaders beforehand. That’s the other really important trend. The one that says ‘We are going to decide what the purpose of this intervention is before we do it. We need to agree on the metrics that will measure our success.’”

Hallelujah and Amen! Metrics, anyone?

Click here to read full article.

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Source: Chief Learning Officer Magazine, June 2006.

The Key to Fixing Employee Weaknesses

In a perfect world, managers would never have to worry about employees that don't meet performance expectations. Employees would come onboard with the requisite skills, they would easily adapt to change, and if there were any skill gaps, they would eagerly put in extra hours and training to reach their full potential. In the real world, however, employees manage to slip through the interview process and come into an organization under-prepared. Others fail to progress with changing times and responsibilities. And some just don’t get it, and they make no attempts to improve their performance (read: government employees within two years of retirement).

According to a nationwide survey from NFI Research, the top course of action for managers to deal with weaknesses in their subordinates is to discuss the weakness. The next leading courses of action are to provide additional training, support, regular meetings and then put them on notice.

Even with ongoing performance discussions, only 20 percent of senior executives and four percent of managers said they are extremely successful at correcting weaknesses in others to meet the manager’s expectations or requirements. There are also times that the person and the task or job are no longer a fit, but the challenge is to identify it sooner rather than later for the benefit of both parties.

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Shannon Lear Martin is the President of Austin, Texas based TrainUtopia (www.trainutopia.com) and has been helping companies improve their organizational performance to meet their business goals. She is also considered an expert in training effectiveness measurement. Shannon publishes a monthly newsletter “Training News You Can Use” , which is jammed with resources, articles and tips on performance improvement, training and development. She can be reached at smartin@trainutopia.com.

Nano-Learning: Bite Sized Chunks of Knowledge

Elliot Masie, president of The Masie Center and the director of the Learning Consortium, has done it again. He is one of the premiere thought leaders in the learning world, and has now come up with a new approach to learning, Nano-learning.

Right now, most learning modules start at 15 minutes and often cover hours or days of involvement. But most learning moments are teachable moments. Malcolm Knowles described the perfect teachable moment as the intersection of a small question with a great small answer. That is at the heart of nano-learning.

You can read the full article titled "NanoLearning: Miniaturization of Design." on the Chief Learning Officer website.

Bringing Government Training into the Measurement Era

I recently spoke at a meeting for education and training personnel from a variety of Texas state agencies. Needless to say, it was an education for both sides. Recognizing the need to measure training effectiveness is more apparent in the private sector (think profits), and less developed in the public sector.

In the corporate world, training departments are maximizing their ability to be internal consultants to better align training deliverables and outcomes with corporate goals and objectives. The main goal for a corporate training initiative is to improve people's skills, knowledge and abilities to positively affect the bottom line. In the government arena, training departments have a budget and they need to spend the money or lose it the following budget cycle.

My entire purpose in this presentation was to demonstrate the many ways workplace competencies could be used to measure and demonstrate the ROI (Return On Investment) of training through conversion of performance improvement into dollars. Dennis Kravetz of Kravetz and Associates has written and spoken at length on this incredibly valuable topic.

One of the areas I covered was using individual and aggregate workplace competency scores to determine focused training and development needs. Many of the group stared at me like I had grown a second nose. One attendee commented, "You mean training departments actually get that kind of information?"

Another person told me, "All we really use are smile sheets, and we know that's not enough."

I proceeded to educate the group on the variety of uses for workplace competencies, all of which better align training delivery with the needs of each job. In addition, if you have a baseline of the individual's competency, you can re-measure after training delivery (or after time back on the job) to further assess the true impact of the training on workplace performance.

By the end of the meeting, each person had a new box of tools to take back to their department - measurement was their new motto.

Despite the fact that many technology advancements have come from the military in the past, I think it's safe to say that the corporate world is leading the way in development of targeted training and measures of effectiveness.

Remember, what can be measured can be improved!

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Shannon Martin is the President of Austin, Texas-based TrainUtopia (www.trainutopia.com) and has been helping companies improve their organizational performance to meet their business goals. She is also considered an expert in training effectiveness measurement. Shannon publishes a monthly newsletter “Training News You Can Use” http://www.trainutopia.com/news.htm jammed with resources, articles and tips to help companies improve their approach to training and development. She can be reached at smartin@trainutopia.com.

iPods Invade National Semiconductor

Here's a news item that I ran across today that made me wonder, "How on earth will this add value to the organization?" Don't get me wrong, I love the iPod, but I don't see it enabling value for their customers. Bravo to the sales team at Apple for getting this deal.

National Semiconductor said today that it is giving each of its 8,500 employees a 30GB fifth-generation iPod. The company said the iPods will be used as communication tools at National, allowing employees to download National podcasts and other communications. “We’re looking for new and more effective ways to communicate with our employees—and the iPods will help us do both,” said Brian L. Halla, National’s chairman and CEO. “Our employees were vital contributors to our most successful year in National’s 47-year history, and we wanted to equip them with the tools to help us create more value for our customers,” said Halla. “The Apple iPod exemplifies the next stage of the consumer electronics revolution as content such as downloadable music, movies and digital photos—as well as a compelling user experience—takes center stage.”

With the advent of Web 2.0, and Learning 2.0, etc. the iPod is indeed a part of this evolution of the digital learning space. There are some incredible learning solutions being offered via podcasts and the iPod's video capabilities (see podTraining as an excellent example), but can National Semiconductor ensure that the iPods are used exclusively for business-related activities (is that even a requirement)? It remains to be seen...

Diversity: Beyond the Black and White Basics

Every now and then, I realize that I haven't given certain topics recent consideration. Diversity has been out of sight, out of mind for me lately- and then I read the following results of a recent survey regarding diversity, and it jumped to the front again!

According to a recent survey of 3,100 senior HR executives, minorities often get less coaching in organizations today. The Novations Group Internet survey found that 25 percent of respondents report that minorities get coaching at a lower rate than their proportional presence in the workforce. In addition, the survey stated that virtually no respondents reported that minorities receive executive coaching at a higher rate.

“We have found that coaching, mentoring and sponsorship to be part of most companies as an informal system, and that over the past decade, coaching has been generally extended to an increasing number of employees because it is a key driver for upward mobility within organizations,” explained Audra Bohannon, vice president of diversity and inclusion practice for Novations Group. “We looked at the high-potential groups in these organizations and how minorities were represented, and they tended to be represented in small numbers if at all.”

Diversity inclusion strategies, which are about understanding, valuing and making the most of the individual differences, can help organizations achieve a culture that supports and values every employee. In fact, organizations that tend to thrive today value diversity and are committed to developing a culture and workforce that will support the expanding global marketplace. “The data shows that a homogenous group that is performing well versus a diverse group that is well managed that the diverse group will outperform the homogenous group because you get diverse opinions, you get diverse thought, ideas and experiences. It really allows you to go to a higher level,” Bohannon said. “However, a diverse group that is allowed to run amuck, that is not managed and that is not embraced, tends to under perform compared to a homogenous group.”

Because learning and development opportunities can be directly linked to increases in retention, it is important to provide all motivated employees with the tools, including coaching, to ensure opportunity. However, to offer everyone opportunity for growth is difficult when many organizations’ budgets are strapped. Organizations will need take an out-of-box approach to provide personal growth opportunities for all motivated employees.

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Source: Workforce Performance Solutions Magazine, June 6, 2006

For a monthly dose of highly informative Training News You Can Use and relevant articles of interest delivered straight to your email, click here to subscribe to the TrainUtopia newsletter. You just missed the June issue, but July is expected to be excellent, too!

Building Trust - Foundation for a Better Workplace

Nine out of ten employees experience gossip and backbiting as the number one breach of trust at work.

Lack of trust also leads to workers who don't feel like their manager is always acting in their interest, and workers who sense they can't take co-workers at their word. The result is a disfunctional workforce, let alone an HR migraine!

While the importance of trust is widely recognized as a foundation for successful relationships these days, many organizations are now incorporating it as part of their mission statement or even adopting it as a core competency. There are still plenty of problems for companies in addressing this area.

Step one is making workers aware of how trust is built, violated and, whenever necessary, repaired. Training programs that define trust for employees and provide them with instruction for preserving and fixing it should be given on an ongoing basis, but primers may be necessary at certain critical junctions in a company's life such as during mergers and acquisitions.

Training that emphasizes the importance of communicating fears and concerns directly with managers and co-workers, rather than relying on the old gossip mill, therefore, is essential.

In addition to unclear (or unused) channels of communication, workers may feel their manager doesn't trust them if they end up doing work that doesn't take advantage of the skills they were hired for. When people have skills, abilities or insights they are not able to offer, they often feel as though they are not being trusted by their leaders. They feel as though they are not being perceived as trustworthy, and not feeling trusted, they are not trusting in return.

Trainers and HR execs who are able to effectively match employees' skill sets to their work may see an organization that's not only more efficient, but one that suffers a lot less from interpersonal problems.

Source: Inside Training Newsletter, May 31, 2006

Survey shows Company Culture Vital in Employee Recruitment

A new study released this week by NFI Research demonstrates that recruiting new employees is more difficult than retaining valued employees for the majority of organizations. While I think people can relate to this personally, it's always good to have quantifiable data!

Eighty-one percent of senior executives and managers said that recruiting new employees is more difficult than retaining valued employees, according to the nationwide survey of 223 senior executives and managers conducted by NFI Research.

When recruiting or retaining employees, the less tangible things appear to go a long way.
The three most effective incentives for recruitment were company culture (59 percent), organization's reputation (57 percent) and stability of the company (54 percent).

"While compensation matters, there are other softer things that keep employees at their jobs," said Chuck Martin, NFI Research CEO. "This shows that company reputation does matter."
For retention of valued employees, the top three incentives were company culture (57 percent), stability of company (50 percent) and flexibility (44 percent).

There was no significant difference by company size.

"The biggest challenge is ensuring that we as leaders live and breath the culture of the organization that we want to create," said one survey respondent. "If you are really doing this ... it shows to new recruits and those you want to retain."

NFI Research surveys 2,000 senior executives and managers globally every two weeks. It has chronicled the transformation of business and countless workplace issues for seven years.

Source: Workforce Performance Solutions Magazine, May 19, 2006.

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The Value of Becoming a Learning Organization

Many companies face the question of the value of investing in organizational learning.

Consider this: A four-year study by the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD) shows that firms that invest $1,500 per employee in training compared to those that spend $125 experience on average 24 percent higher gross profit margins and 218 percent higher income per employee.

While those impressive statistics may occur over a long period, it’s also possible to evaluate how learning contributes to the performance of your company in a more immediate manner. Some measures are directly quantifiable, but intangibles can also provide indicators of organizational learning. It’s important to recognize and track a variety of measures, from the global down to the specific, the tangible to the intangible.

• Meeting Business Goals and Objectives. A recent client wanted greater penetration into key markets, but the sales force lacked the skills. They invested in a new sales analysis system together with direct training in data analysis, presentation and negotiation skills. Their clear measure of success was in hitting financial and business goals.
• Measuring Effectiveness of Employees. Metrics include skill testing, competency certification and surveys. The client described above revises and repeats its sales force skills survey annually to determine whether employees have remained up to speed and up to date.
• Valuing Speed of Decision Making. Perhaps the best indicator of the continuous progress of organizational learning is continuous reduction in the time it takes to make business decisions.
• Sharing Best Practices. The most successful companies track the sharing and implementation of internal and external best practices. This lends itself to both process and business improvement measures when a practice is adopted.
• Retaining Future Leaders. Your most talented employees and future leaders want to gain new skills, meet new challenges and earn recognition and rewards. Another clear indicator of [lack of] learning is how many of these talented individuals choose to leave in a given time period.
• Recognizing the Cost of Not Learning. Calculate the lost productivity from failing to use best practices known elsewhere in the corporation. Or the cost of delay in everyone recognizing a marketplace shift of delays in bringing a new product or service to the market. If you repeat mistakes, how many customers do you lose? What’s the impact to the bottom line? These measures can be more anecdotal than systematic, but they can reveal a pattern.

“If it’s worth doing, it’s worth measuring.” “That which is measured improves.” Don’t let the breadth and types of potential measures become a barrier to action. People will often use the argument that results are too hard to quantify in order to resist making an investment in learning. Once you make the commitment to be a learning organization, the willingness to measure results will shift. You will find new ways to track the effectiveness of initiatives, allowing you to learn better and faster the next time. The need to prove the business value of learning will also diminish as people will be involved in their own learning on a daily basis. You will become a learning organization.

What is a Learning Organization?
David Garvin, Harvard Business School professor, captures the essence of a learning organization in his book, “Learning in Action”:

An organization skilled at:

• Creating, acquiring, interpreting, transferring and retaining knowledge
• Purposefully modifying its behavior to reflect new knowledge and insights.

With a culture which…

• Stimulates, tests and adopts new ideas
• Encourages and rewards skills development
• Recognizes and accepts differences
• Provides timely, accurate feedback
• Encourages appropriate risk-taking and learns from mistakes
• Shares knowledge widely and rewards collaboration

Do you have a learning organization? Ask yourself the following questions:

1. Do you have a defined learning agenda?
2. Are you open to unfavorable feedback?
3. Do you avoid repeating mistakes?
4. Do you lose critical knowledge when people leave?
5. Do you act on what you know in a timely fashion?
6. Do you view learning as vital to growth?

Training Success is all in the Preparation

As in any aspect of life, if you want to get somewhere, you have to know where you are going. Otherwise, you get the results you've always gotten and wonder why things never change.

The same is true when designing training programs. In my field of performance consulting, I often talk to prospective clients about their past failed training programs. The comment usually sounds like, "Well, we tried that before and it just didn't work." My response is to find out what preparation was done prior to creation and delivery of the training.

In most cases, where "training" failed, the reason for the training was not properly identified and clearly linked to the business requirements. Or, management threw training at the problem, without truly assessing and understanding the core problem. Training programs that lack a connection with an established business objective are often doomed before they begin!

Key Questions Prior to Training Development

1. What business problem are you trying to solve?

2. Will all levels of the organization be included in the process?

3. What will success look like upon completion of the training program?

4. What obstacles will potentially hinder the implementation of skills learned?

5. What are the consequences for those that do not participate in the training?

6. What are the consequences for those that do not adopt the skills learned?

7. How will you measure success?

If any of these questions are left unanswered prior to development or implementation of a training program, the door is left open for failure, either in the application of the skills learned, or the justification of the training program in the eyes of management. Answer these questions clearly and everyone will understand what's at stake and recognize successful results!

Just Say No to TMI

If you are in the "Business at the Speed of Information" world today, chances are you are struggling with TMI (too much information). However much you may want to be informed about everything that's going on, there is no way you can keep up on it all without increasing unnecessary stress and derailing your productivity.

I receive at least 200 emails a day. Some come from lawyers in Uganda looking to give me money. Some come from company ezines. Some come from listservs to which I've subscribed. And some -- not too many, but some -- come from customers! If I thought it were important to read and respond to every e-mail, I'd be spending at least eight hours a day doing that. By the time I would get done, I'd have zero energy left to actually work!

One recommendation I've found for handling a deluge of e-mails comes from Bill Jensen, author of "The Simplicity Survival Handbook". Don't read every word, he says. Instead, scan them with the purpose of discovering what action is being called for. "If the communication does not contain an action and a short-term date [to complete that action], ignore it."

This applies to all communications. If hitting "delete" makes you worry that you're missing something, do it anyway, he says. There is a 69% chance you'll get the same communication again, a 48% chance you'll get it a third time, and a 36% chance you'll have to show up at a meeting or event to review it.

Bad Hiring Costs More Than We Think

I received an article yesterday from Training Magazine, and found the survey results interesting as they provided validation for concerns I've heard from clients recently.

According to the results of a study of 444 organizations throughout North America by Right Management (www.right.com), bad hiring and promotion decisions come with a significant aftermath. Lower employee morale and decreased productivity are the biggest consequences of these less-than-stellar hiring choices.

• 68% of survey respondents cited employee morale as a result of these decisions
• 66% said decreased employee productivity was a consequence
• 54% linked shoddy hiring and promotion choices to lost customers and market share
• 51% said not hiring and promoting properly means higher training costs.

And, that's not the only cost. Human resources gurus, trainers and organizational leaders who don't think carefully before making their next appointment could cost their companies money in other areas as well, especially when direct reports decide to hit the road.

• 44% of leaders, for instance, said bad hiring decisions result in higher recruitment costs
• 40% cited higher severance costs
• Recruitment, training, severance and lost productivity may add up to two times the employee's annual salary 42% of those surveyed said
• 26% said it amounted to three times the employee's annual salary
• 11% cited costs up to five times the employee's annual salary
• 6% said it's four times his or her salary.
• 15% said it's about equal to what the employee would have made in a year had they stayed

Source: Inside Training Magazine newsletter, May 11

Study Finds Hiring Right Personality Equal 14 Times More Engaged

In the course of my work, I've started working with companies that have high turnover issues (call centers, credit unions, hospitality, etc). It's no surprise that it costs a substantial amount of money to replace misplaced workers. What you see on a resume, and who shows up for an interview is [gasp!] only the tip of the iceberg.

In a recent DDI (Development Dimensions International, Inc.) survey, 44 percent of managers said their most significant hiring surprise was that a candidate’s personality in the interview differed from what they are actually like on the job. (Study of 3,800 employees in different industries and roles)

DDI identified six personal characteristics – adaptability, passion for work, emotional maturity, positive disposition, self-efficacy, and achievement orientation – that when combined help predict a candidate’s probability of being an “engaged contributor” in the organization.

Candidates which show a blend of these traits – which can be measured in pre-employment tests – are 14 times more likely to become highly engaged employees.

The study found employees with engaged supervisors were more engaged themselves and were nearly 20 percent less likely to leave the organization within a year.

Source: Human Resource Executive, February 2006

For additional information about assessments for hiring and development, go to http://www.trainutopia.com/Catalog/Assessments%20Overview.pdf

Create SMART Goals and Know When You Reach Them

As part of our focus on measurement, I'd like to demonstrate how employees and managers can learn to write "SMART" goals? Answer each of the following questions. If the answer to the question is anything other than "Yes", the goal needs to be refined (or in some cases, abandoned):

1. Specific: Does the goal have a single, well-defined result?

Compare a sales manager's goal of "plan meetings for next week" with "prepare agenda for scheduled sales, management and staff meetings so that all discussion is completed in less than 60 minutes per meeting." I'd even propose a higher goal: "increase sales revenue by 5 percent" or "decrease product returns by 2 percent" where the meetings include discussions and training on how to achieve these goals. In truth, planning meetings is not even a goal for this manager - it is an activity required to monitor how well his team and staff are doing toward achieving the goals.

2. Measurable: Can I clearly tell when it has been accomplished? Is there a date by which I will have it accomplished?

Next month is definitely measurable but I'd encourage you to go one step further : "Sign 15 new clients by June 30th." To keep you on track, create a dashboard of activities that can be measured to help you monitor progress and report results as you go.

3. Attainable. Is there some evidence that I will be able to achieve this objective, even though I may not yet see how?

Is this goal simply a hopeful outcome with small probability of success, or something that is truly within my reach? Will it stretch me, get me excited, put me at risk and cause me to think deeper?

4. Realistic. Given the time, resources and support available, is achieving the goal possible?

Are there enough suspects in my target market to support conversion to prospects? Is increasing sales by 8 percent realistic given the current product line, competition, economic climate?

5. Tangible. Is there something that will represent a visible result of this goal? Will it forward what I'm up to in my business/life?

If there is not a physical manifestation of the outcome, you won't know when you've reached the goal. If you can't see the progress you've made, you are less likely to acknowledge your accomplishments in the process of reaching your goals. Know when you "get there" so you can appreciate what you've done!

Dr. Fathi El-Nadi's Blog

As I was searching the Blog universe for like-minded individuals in my field, I found this gentleman's blog. His comments on assessment and testing of training are exactly my thoughts.

Dr. Fathi El-Nadi: Management and Human Resources consultant: Assessing And Testing Training Effectiveness: HR Consultant

Without a way to validate that learning occurred or that an improvement was made, what would be the point of training? It would be a waste of time and money, not to mention frustrating for the person delivering the intervention!

Tradeshow Tips from a Small Business Owner

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I was preparing for a tradeshow this week. I've learned a few things in the process of preparing and attending (as a small business owner).

One - Pick the right show on which to spend your money. I decided early on that I didn't want to join or participate in a group of my competition. I prefer to join associations or exhibit with my target customers. For instance, I'm in the training field, but I don't get many customers at a Training Expo...I can, however, find out who my competitors are.

Two - Know in advance what you want to cause and attract during the show. Although the show was expected to bring in international delegates from the World Congress of Information Technology across the street, I was more interested in the other exhibitors as prospects. My goal was to get 25 qualified leads as a result of my presence there (Result - 6 excellent leads and an additional 12 maybes). I also created a way to measure my results - I created a lead qualification form. I know who I spoke to about what and how urgent their need is.

Three - It's up to you to "cause" the action. If you are sitting behind a table with your arms crossed, no one will show up. If you stand up outside your booth and create a welcoming presence, people will always smile and often stop and chat. The Law of Attraction also comes in - when there are people at your booth talking, it attracts more, and before you know it, there are too many for your team to address. I like having THAT problem!

By the way, it really doesn't matter what "goodies" you are giving away - some people seemed skeptical of taking freebies, as if it created an obligation to do business...

Next step is even more important...FOLLOW UP! (again, part of the system)

Mike Beitler's Blog

This is a blog from someone whose views I really appreciate in the area of organizational change and performance measurement:

Mike Beitler's Blog

Preparation is Priceless

I love to plan - lists, to-do's, systems, etc. One of the areas that I've been finding more and more important in my business is creation of systems. If you can create a system, then you can repeat it. When you can repeat something, often you can re-produce results.

Here's the key:
If the results are good, keep the system. If the results are bad, investigate where your system is flawed and make the necessary changes.

I am exhibiting in a big tradeshow tomorrow, so I put everything that I need to do and take into a master checklist. I've been adding to the list for about a week. I'm sure there will be something I've forgotten. However, I have everything assembled to cart down to the show. Anything I missed will be added to the list, not to be missed for the next show.

Next step is an inventory of my systems...

Dipping My Toes in the Blog Water

It was recommended to me that I begin a blog....

Hmmmm, I'm not convinced that I can come up with something to say each day. I'm willing to give it a try for the next month and see what ideas get sparked, opinions get reached, and people get intrigued by my views on the training and performance world...