Creating an Environment for Ongoing Learning ...

Creating an Environment for Ongoing Learning
By Michele B. Medved
A newly hired employee asks her manager a question. The harried manager replies that the classroom training or Web-based course will provide the answer. The worker feels disappointed and frustrated; the manager has missed an opportunity. He’s sent a message to the employee that learning begins and ends with training. From then on, she may ignore other chances for vital formal or informal learning.
This is how workers start expecting learning to flow over them and stop taking a self-directed approach. But training departments can play a critical role not only in helping new hires become productive quickly, but also in building a culture in which learning is viewed as an ongoing process and employees take responsibility for their own learning and development. Here’s how.
Provide immediate access to basic information and references
Have you ever been amazed when a new hire asks for information that you were sure he had learned during orientation or the first week on the job? Avoid this situation by gathering the questions that new employees ask most frequently regarding the job, company, industry and market, competition, products, and so on. Categorize the answers in an easy-to-read format published on the company intranet. When possible, offer links to other documents. If your company doesn’t have an intranet, provide a binder to new employees with the basic facts and FAQs [link to glossary].
To ensure that they have the baseline knowledge to begin job-specific training, new workers should be able to demonstrate their understanding of basic information. They can do that by taking an online quiz, participating in an informal workshop with other new hires, or talking with their manager..
Use key result areas (KRAs) to clarify expectations
A key principle of adult education theory is relevancy. Learners are motivated to learn when they perceive that the knowledge gained will help them perform their jobs more effectively. To ensure relevancy, all learning should be linked directly to job expectations. Managers should provide each worker with Key Result Areas (KRAs) for the position. A KRA is made up of tasks that work collectively towards achievement of a goal.
KRAs help employees determine their goals, monitor progress, and measure achievement. They also provide managers with a coaching tool to target specific areas for improvement.  For example, for the position of property manager, one of the KRAs is financial management. The table below shows the associated tasks for this KRA.
KRA
Tasks
Financial Management
Prepare monthly reports.
Annotate income and expense variations.
Read and interpret reports.
Pay accounts.
Monitor income and expenditures based on budget.
For the worker’s first few months on the job, it may be useful to specify competency expectations. (Competency is defined as performance with no assistance.) The following table demonstrates an extension of the Financial Management KRA.
KRA
Tasks
Time to competency (performance with no assistance)
Financial Management
Prepare monthly reports.
Annotate income and expense variations.
Read and interpret reports.
Pay accounts.
Monitor income and expenditures based on budget
Guidance until 3 months
Guidance until 3 months
Guidance until 1 month
Guidance until 3 months
Immediate
Use KRAs to design learning
Instructional designers can use KRA’s to determine appropriate content and resources to help learners achieve their goals, verify whether existing courses facilitate the learning of key tasks, and create new content where there are gaps. The end result is a checklist of self-directed activities for a learner to complete, starting from day one up to a year on the job.  A learning plan checklist can include
Timeline. For example, Week 1.
Activity. For example, Review sales commission and incentive matrix.
Resources. Forms, online resources, tools, or people to contact.
Status: Complete or incomplete.
Reflection/follow-up. Depending on the type of content and its application, learners can reflect on the activity by
·         answering guided questions in a development workbook
·         sharing answers to guided questions in an online forum (email or discussion groups)
·         meeting to discuss an issue with a small peer group
·         discussing reflections or questions with their manager
·         participating in a follow-up training session.
The checklist must be updated frequently to reflect changes in the position or company. With support from key stakeholders and marketing efforts, you can promote the checklist as a roadmap to successful job performance. Ultimately, workers and managers are responsible for using this tool effectively to ensure job-specific and personal development.
Organize learning communities
Learning is fundamentally a social activity. Help your learners to access dynamic, rich knowledge from experts and colleagues by providing a forum to exchange ideas and best practices. Learner communities can form in various ways.
Online discussion board. Monitored by training facilitators or a subject matter expert, a discussion board creates a knowledge base from previous postings. That can be used by new hires to answer questions and review best practices.
Synchronous online learning. Using synchronous technologies, learners can meet with and learn from employees with more-developed skills.
Face-to-face. Gather your learners for a summit. In addition to providing formal learning opportunities such as breakout sessions, presentations, and games, f2f sessions can enable learners to share war stories, learn new tips, and find resources over coffee or drinks.
Prepare learners for formal training
According to constructivist theory, learners approach any learning situation with their own assumptions and beliefs. To prepare workers for formal training, you can use discussion boards, email, or surveys to ask people reflective questions about their baseline knowledge or attitudes. Here are some examples.
·         Before a class on customer service, a facilitator asks learners to email their own service “delights and duds” and then posts the responses on the intranet.
·         As a prerequisite for a class on change management, learners are required to read Who Moved My Cheese and answer a few reflective questions on change.
·         Before a global sales and marketing summit, learners are notified to bring pictures or samples of effective marketing ideas in the industry and be prepared to explain why they’re effective.
Encourage reflection and application of learning
Instructional designers are often unsure whether or how employees are applying their learning on the job. There is one simple, straightforward way to find out. Follow up and ask. By using discussion boards, email, or surveys, you can encourage learners to share how they have used the information, best practices, war stories, and scenarios.
Formal training is an excellent opportunity to introduce job aids, resources, and templates to learners. For example, at the global summit, executive managers introduced a template for site-specific community outreach. Learners were asked to complete the template and send it back to facilitators. By applying theory back to practice and visa versa, workers are able to bring personal meaning to their learning and remain motivated to continue the learning process.
Advocate the manager’s role in learning
Finally, we return to our disillusioned new hire. Her manager needs to appreciate his role in her learning process and help her reach her KRAs. Instructional designers can help managers be effective in that role by
·         educating them about their role in learning, especially in helping learners complete their development plan
·         providing tips and resources for coaching employees
·         making sure they are aware of the content of all learning programs and have necessary resources at their fingertips
·         consulting them on specific training objectives
·         ensuring that they are the first stop in a training rollout
·         encouraging them to contribute to learning communities.
The ideas suggested in this article can help cultivate a learning culture and encourage workers to take an active role in their own learning. Keep in mind that your job is never done. Learning is a lifelong process and the fruits of your labor are in the journey, not the destination.
Michele Medved is instructional design manager for Oakwood University, part of Oakwood Worldwide, and has a master’s degree in educational technology;mmedved@oakwood.com