The Upside…positive, forward thinking

I really enjoyed reading this article:  The Upside of Down, published by Associations Now, the ASAE publication.  Given where we all are right now, a little perspective and focus on the ‘silver lining’ is where I’d rather be focusing.  And as these statements are true for Associations, they can also be applied to for-profit organizations as well.  In the article, a few ASAE folks talk about forward-thinking moves, and I agree (with my interpretations below):

1. Assess everything for true ROI (return on investment) and Results – tangible or intangible as they may be.  What’s working?  What’s not?  Hold onto the former, let go of the latter.

2. Recognize realities – black tie affairs are ‘out’, brown bag lunch-and-learns are ‘in’

3. Get creative, and ask your customers what they really need…

4. …Then give it to them.

 I would add one more, that is:

5.    Capture the knowledge and expertise of your customers (members) and convert that knowledge into tangible products that the rest of your customers (membership) will highly value. 

Of course, I’m always going to take the “learning” point of view – but truly, having customers continue to value you as a provider (and not consider dropping you this year) will pay dividends this year, and years to come, since a lost customer is a lot harder to re-engage.

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Do you have a project or focus like this underway for ’09?  Share your great story here for all our Leadership Headlights readers.

 

Screw It. Let’s Ride.

What a great ad!  That was the first thought when getting knocked over by the full-page, back-cover ad on the Money section of USA TODAY on Friday.

Harley-Davidson Motor Cycles became a leader by figuring out what the customer experience was and turned it into a culture.  It's not about them.  It's all about you and the person you think you are, trying to bust free. 

There's a lot of reasons to love this ad.  First of all, we salute creativity and good writing.  Next, we realize that advertising is necessary to sell stuff and pay for things we like to have at lower costs, such as newspapers, magazines, websites, and trade shows. 

This ad is all about what is going on with the economy–the biggest thing on everyone's mind.  It's about how you feel about it and what it possibly means to you.  Look closely.  What do you notice about this ad that is different from most ads?  There is not one word about the product, the features, the benefits, specifications, the price, the location of dealers, or the great people and management of Harley-Davidson.  Not a peep.  It's all about what is in your head and because of that, it totally connects. .

It's mostly words and just the hint of a motorcycle with an illustration of a pair of hands on the handlebars.  It says:
The other side of fear is courage.
The other end of Wall Street connects with millions of better roads, all leading far from the stink of greed & billion dollar bankruptcies.
If it was all just a casino, where were the complimentary cocktails?
Metal is our currency. 
It''s value is on the rise, even as wealth on paper spontaneously combusts.
So we'll still lend to those putting in long days. 
The American ideal of work & reward does not diminish with the stock market.
Screw it. 
Let's ride.

The lesson for all who wish to have leading companies and leading associations is clear.  Become an expert at what your customers, members, constituents think, want, say about you and expect to see coming from you next.  Then talk about that–not your product, your service, your blah blah blah.

Leadership is about the courage and connection with what empowers those most important to you–the people who buy from you and refer others to you.

When we think of the leadership of Harley-Davidson, we also think of the association executives our firm has served, who look like really important, impressive leaders of prestigious national associations by day, in their three-piece suits.  These include Dr. Michael Jones (OD), Executive Director of the American Optometric Association and Linda Beverly, CAE, Vice President -Administration for the International Facility Management Association.  They love their Harleys and some weekends see them putting hundreds of miles on their respective odometers.  These leaders are all about courage and connection as well. 

Maybe that's what happens when you live the life of who you were really meant to be.

Training in a Down Economy

So we have all been watching the pundits and listening to the news bits, and many of our businesses are either forecasting or experiencing reduced activity for the current and coming months.  And in this atmosphere, I hear a lot of folks saying “I suppose training will be the first thing to go.”  In fact, this is the perfect time for training.  Think back to when your business was booming, or your members were frantic with activity.  Here were all the excuses for not getting ‘into the classroom’ (actual or virtual, as the case may be)…

1.)    Time away from work is too precious.  A little extra time on our hands, during this temporary slow down, is a perfect time to retool, train, and sharpen our skills.

2.)    What we’ve been doing has worked just fine. Some industries are quite obviously letting go of ‘the way they were,’ but others need to look at the new environment and consider how it impacts their business, and what changes can be made to get and stay ahead, with customers, employees, members and shareholders.  The right learning program can help you.

And then one for the current environment:

3.)    The investment is too great. There are many cost-effective ways to activate the ‘learning’ in your organization – from action learning teams and mentoring, to formalized external programs. Think like an investor – if time is not currently at a premium, now is the perfect opportunity to invest.

All this to say… now is the time. Business as we know it has not come to an end, things will start up again, even if right now feels like a holding pattern. On the other side of the current crisis, the wisest of us will be retooled, with a well-trained, re-invigorated work force, distribution channel, or volunteer base, ready to take on new challenges.   - SAC 

Did Learning Happen? (Part III)

Third quick tip on validating knowledge transfer – almost more of an ‘after the fact training patch.’

3.      Build a Job Aid

No matter how good training is while it’s running, only 30% on average of what is learned in the classroom will be retained… unless you reinforce it somehow.  One of the easiest methods for doing this is to create a small reference.

Soft Skill Examples:  business card size reminder for wallet, bookmark with key points

Computer Skill Examples:  create a template for the keyboard for quick keys, or a step-by-step reference with icons that tucks under the keyboard or attaches to the side of the monitor.

- SAC

Breakthrough Learning

A recent book by a former professor of mine had me thinking – there really are only a handful of core learning experiences that make an indelible mark on one’s personal and professional development – particularly as an adult learner.  A coaching client once asked this very question:  What learning experiences generated the biggest leaps in your professional development? I was surprised to discover that my answer was a relatively short list.  I have always believed in lifelong learning, but the degree of poignancy you can glean from any given learning opportunity wanes over time, and the breakthroughs come fewer and further between. 

One of the core breakthrough learning opportunities I have benefited from in my personal and professional development has been Stew Friedman’s Total Leadership course, which is now a book of the same name, Total Leadership: Be a Better Leader, Have a Richer Life.  Stew’s approach of building your life and work into an integrated woven pattern, and live as a whole person with everything you do, changed my whole perspective on “life versus work.” And with his Total Leadership methodology, I have learned to make small changes in how I live and work, as he calls them “experiments,” to see what works for me and the important people in my life.

Wouldn’t it be great if you could live as a ‘whole person’ in all the parts of your life, rather than the ‘1/2 work person’ at work, ‘1/3 parent or spouse’ at home, ‘1/8 community member’ in your neighborhood, leaving whatever is left for your ‘self’? I encourage you to crack the binding on Total Leadership. If it’s not your time for a breakthrough, you’ll still benefit from its pages.

What’s on your list? It would be interesting to see the breakthrough learning experiences of Leadership Headlights’ readers. Post yours, and see what other readers say.

For my next post, perhaps a discussion is in order on how to create these types of breakthroughs with learners.  -SAC

Did Learning Happen? (Part II)

Here’s another entry on validating knowledge transfer:

2.      Have Students Perform

Based on your learning objectives, have students demonstrate that they can do what you have just taught them to do.  Key tenet here:  only expect a student to do outside the classroom what you have first observed them doing successfully inside the classroom.

This is true for soft skills, hard skills, behavioral training, you name it.  Certainly, a formal quiz or assessment is an excellent tool.  But even an informal assessment by peers or an instructor can go a long way.

Example: In the case of software training, have students perform operations on the actual software.  If this is not possible, have a simulation.  If this is not possible, have students describe the steps, one by one, and have peers and/or the instructor validate responses.

Did Learning Happen? (Part I)

Taking a moment to validate knowledge transfer goes a long way to ensure that your training is absorbed by your students.  After all, what’s the point of training if they’re only going to forget?

1.      State Learning Objectives

At the beginning of each section of learning, state what students are expected to be able to do, in behavioral terms, by the end of the course.  (Avoid passive verbs like understand or know; use action verbs instead.)

• Both say and have written what the learning objectives are.
• Confirm with students at the end of each section:  What were the learning objectives?  Do you feel you can do these things now?

For the training industry standard on best practice training structures, check out IACET.

Quick Tip: Team Building

In a recent quick-tips article by Brandon Hall (CEO, Brandon Hall Research), I had the opportunity to share a favorite technique for getting teams to integrate quickly.  Whether in a virtual meeting or a physical one, each team member is asked to share two things:  what they need from the team, and what they can provide to the team.  This can be skills, resources, access to people or groups, even energy or attitude.  The point is, everyone has something to bring, and everyone can benefit from the group.

For one international team, 20 members sat around the room in a U-shape.  After viewing presentations on what each region was doing, we threw a ball into their midst.  When you had the ball, you had to say what you needed.  The person that could provide it would say “I can provide that” and catch the ball.  Then they would say what they needed, and pass it on.  This may sound corny but it’s a great energizer, and gets teams focused on interdependency as a tool for team cohesion.     – SAC

For the other great tips in this article, check page 20 of CLO Magazine May 2008. 

Or check out the latest from CLO Media.

What is a Learning Organization?

Learning has many facets, and there is no shortage of products and services being sold, claiming to enhance, expand, fulfill or otherwise deliver learning.  But to truly become a learning organization … can you buy it off the shelf?

I say no.  Certainly, there is great training and education out there.  But to have a competitive advantage, Learning has to be part of your DNA – and something that your competitors cannot easily purchase.  What does it really mean to be a Learning Organization?

The Training Organization (Good!):

• Is interested in Training, for the sake of doing what they do well
• Teaches people how to do their jobs
• Provides educational opportunities to all employees
• Hires Trainers and buys training products
• Performs processes consistently
• Prevents most errors by teaching the correct way
• Team members think of themselves as the hands of the organization
• The customer is the #1 reason to do your job well

This is great!  But in today’s marketplace, to truly get the strategic competitive advantage of being a Learning Organization, it looks more like this:

The Learning Organization (Better!):

• Is interested in Learning, for the sake of doing better, and finding new ways to exploit what they do well
• Listens to people with ideas on how to improve their jobs
• Ties specific education and credentials to achievement, and participates in establishing and improving the credentials in their industry
• Builds Learners, and Leaders as Teachers
• Continuously improves processes
• Learns from errors by listening, giving and receiving feedback, and implementing positive change
• Team members know they are the ears of the organization
• The customer is the #1 voice with insight on how you can do better

So, unfortunately, there is no colorful box at the office supply store, no software download, not even an end-to-end training program that can make you a true Learning Organization.  It is a culture shift, a change to your organization’s DNA.  And a culture shift takes time, support from the top, lots of motivation, and strong leadership.  But that doesn’t mean it can’t be done!  Anything this valuable is worth the effort.      -SAC

First and best resource on learning organizations:  The Fifth Discipline, Peter Senge

Becoming a Learning Organization

“We must become a Learning Organization!”  This was the challenge posed to a client of mine by her CEO.  At the executive strategy meeting, it was atop the agenda.  They had tremendous competitive pressures, keen investors, and awareness that people were their key asset.  It was time to grow beyond the market, stand out in the industry, attract and retain strong performers, and get ahead of the curve.  Sales, Marketing, Operations and Finance all nodded their heads, and turned to Human Resources, who must surely be prepared to make this happen.  Her question to me was this: 

     What is a Learning Organization?

What an insightful question!  This is what the Leadership Headlights Learning Path blog is here to discuss:  using learning as a strategic competitive advantage – inside and outside the organization, with industry partners and customers alike.  Stay tuned to this blog as we take on the last great advantage in the marketplace – Learning!     Stephanie Ackley Crowe, CLO