Graduate Program in Training and Development @ Roosevelt University

Guest Blogger: Asma Hashmi

In a recent trip to various cities in Europe, including Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam, and London, I learned that  European countries have laws protecting employee rights, even if employees aren’t doing work that’s up to par.  Employees cannot simply be written up – a series of things needs first, which protects them from being immediately affected. In the name of social responsibility, European laws favor the employee to a degree that many Americans would consider unusually advantageous.

Established in 1973, the Europe Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) has defending European employees and is concerned about the social responsible employers and their overall impact on society.  For European employers, it’s not as easy as initiating an employee performance program without taking ETUC laws into consideration.

Unlike theUS, where steps in performance improvement can be taken without going through a detailed process, it seems the ETUC protects its employees and their job security in a way which may seem to negatively impact their performance.  Surprisingly, performance is not a legal criterion for selection inEurope.

According to the 2002 paper “Quality of Work and Employment in Europe Issues and Challenges” by the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, it appears that quality is becoming a more important issue, versus the mere quantity of work delivered.  This paper focuses on promoting performance quality, meaning:

1. career and employment security;
2. maintaining and promoting employee health and well-being;
3. developing skills and competency; and
4. reconciling work and non-work life.

One of the organizations I visited  in Paris is undergoing a merger, in which two large airlines will begin a talent assessment process to determine redundancy.  When I asked whether performance and quality of work is a factor in the decision, the answer was a quick no.  Employment laws in Europe and unions agreements decide employment based on seniority, number of children, etc.  In other words, the longer an employee has been with the company and the more children he or she has means the company is more obligated socially to retain that employee, as opposed to another employee who hasn’t been working there as long or is single.

Another financial organization I investigated is using 360-degree feedback to assess employees.  Although they can’t directly use the results for evaluation, the idea is to improve performance and use the data for developmental purposes.  This organization indicated that European employment laws prohibit use of 360-degree feedback a form of performance evaluation, specifically to determine employee retention based on performance.  Rather, 360-degree feedback is intended to develop skills individually.

The question comes back to how European employers ensure their employees are fulfilling their obligations or developing into better workers, where employment laws and unions favor employees.  Is it right to assume that employee quality should only be considered before offering a job, or should other criteria be introduced to help develop the workforce?

It will be interesting to see how the future shapes these laws and what criteria will influence them, as well as their success in promoting social responsibility.

References:

Eurofound, ‘Quality of Work and Employment in Europe– Issues and Challenges’ 2002 (http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/pubdocs/2002/12/en/1/ef0212en.pdf)

What do think of these laws?  Do you think they go too far in favoring the employee?  Should similar laws be introduced in the US?

Matching needs to economic solutions is a fine art.  Kirsten Blom shows you how.

By Kirsten Blom

After conducting a needs analysis for a client, what’s the first thing you think about when starting the design process? Aside from figuring out “nice to have” vs. “need to have” for a performance invention, ask “are there existing resources that can be leveraged?” One aspect of an effective Human Performance Improvement (HPI) Consultant is not to reinvent the wheel when a client has existing resources that can be leveraged for performance solutions. That doesn’t mean the components of an intervention already exist and don’t need to be developed – but that a company may already have the resources available without additional cost.

I recently implemented a blended training solution for a gap in a Project Management curriculum that used existing resources at no additional cost. The organization that managed the curriculum was using training licensed by a vendor for a resolving conflict topic. They employed an internal facilitator who was certified by the vendor to deliver the content, and bought training materials for each participant that went through the workshop. The facilitator left the organization and the budget was cut, so they didn’t have the money to certify someone else.

The organization needed a solution they could sustain that was cost effective in the process. Since the original content was licensed, we started from scratch and looked into resources that the company had available. Using existing eLearning modules in our Learning Management System, I found content that could provide a fundamental skill-set for resolving conflict. These eLearning modules were available to all associates, so we didn’t need to develop new content. By working with dedicated project managers, I also came up with scenarios and best practices that applied to “real life” resolving conflict issues in the organization. The final touch included a blended approach of e-Learning and virtual instructor-led content that had a time commitment of three hours, which was shorter than the original workshop. Since the instructor-led content focused on scenarios and best practices that applied to the organization, the workshop can be facilitated by a manager or anyone else who takes responsibility for the curriculum.

Has this need been addressed before?  If so, what type of intervention was used? Is there a strategy or content that can be leveraged? Why didn’t it work the first time?There are many questions that HPI consultants can ask a client during the analysis stage. To help identify existing resources that may not have been addressed in the analysis stage, here are some additional questions to pose before the design stage:

• Does the company have existing content or contracts with vendors? Who are the best contacts for gathering this information?
• Are there experienced people in the organization who can be subject-matter experts
  (SMEs) in the topic area? If so, are they available so their knowledge and best practices can be leveraged for the intervention?

Depending on a company’s size, some will have more resources available for associates than others. It’s important as an HPI Consultant to get an understanding of any existing resources in an organization that associates can use to develop their skills. Also, by leveraging non-licensed industry templates and standards, content can be built by using the organization’s SME knowledge base. These internal resources could apply to a variety of performance interventions to cut costs. Here’s an article discussing human capital and leveraging knowledge management.

Questions to think about:

Have you ever created a performance intervention using existing resources in an organization? If so, were additional costs involved? How could you have cut costs further?

As a HPI or T&D Consultant, how can you leverage non-licensed industry resources for an intervention?

“That’s just school!” A statement expressed numerous times by numerous individuals for numerous reasons. I’ve certainly heard it. My guess is that you have, too. You may have even said it yourself, “That’s fine, because there are times when that is exactly the right thing to say.” There are other times, however, when that is exactly the wrong thing to say, because school—formal education—provides us with tools for the ‘real world.’ Let’s look at an example.

This webinar was held more than a week ago, and I am still waiting for my response. During webinars, the volume of questions can often become overwhelming, but those questions are generally posed using the general chat feature. I purposely sent the question to just two individuals using the private chat feature. To give these folks the benefit of the doubt, they may have simply gotten busy and not noticed the question. Further, there may indeed be a valid, reliable source for this ‘fact.’ So, what exactly is the problem?

In school, especially in graduate school, we cannot present a ‘fact’ such as “Distractions increase learning time by +30%” without an accompanying citation. In the example, the facilitator could have avoided this dilemma by simply including a citation supporting the ‘fact.’ Providing evidence for facts ensures that our audiences can confidently repeat them.  In most areas of business, practitioners are expected to provide evidence for facts and inferences (for example, sales projections).  We in T&D/HPI need to hold ourselves to the same standards. Don’t dismiss “Says who?” as “That’s just school!”: use it liberally when attending presentations and when reading articles in trade journals. In fact, be wary of “That’s just school!”

One final note: facts not supported by evidence tend to take on a life of their own; they get repeated and changed. This can become a cycle of dis-information. Think about the oft-posited statement that Inuits (formerly Eskimos) have several words for ‘snow.’ The fact is, they don’t.*

What are your thoughts about evidence-based learning in the workplace?  Is there a popular T&D/HPI ‘fact’ you’ve heard that needs to be verified?

*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eskimo_words_for_snow

By Kathleen Iverson

In the past, technology was for e learning designers and not part of the required skill repertoire for trainers, OD practitioners, HPI professionals, and the rest of us.   But today and in the foreseeable future, skill in technology usage will be not only a “nice to know” but an essential component of workplace learning professionals’ and educators’ basic skill set.  In order to continue to do our jobs well, we need to make sure that we are “techno-literate” and have mastered a variety of software and applications that make us an essential part of the workforce of tomorrow.  Here is a list of competencies and essential tech tools that are needed not only by those working in e learning or instructional technology, but by everyone in our field.

• Communicate virtually in writing.  Organize and manage e-mail, prioritize response time, communicate clearly and concisely in writing with minimal grammatical error, and choose the appropriate words and tone.
• Work collaboratively:  Ability to work with others virtually using simple document sharing applications like Google Docs or file sharing applications like  iCloud or Live Mesh.
• Use basic software packages.  Utilize Word, Excel, and PowerPoint (or similar) to create documents that are visually, grammatically, and numerically clear, visually appealing, and correctly formatted.
• Use images to communicate visually.  Use image management and editing and capture software to enhance comprehension and clarity. This might be the free Snipping Tool that comes with Windows or a commercial package such as SnagIt from TechSmith.
• Have a social networking strategy.  Create a cohesive and professional virtual profile using appropriate social network tools including LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and other appropriate tools. Remember to keep your personal life separate from your professional life.  Many people use LinkedIn for professional networking and Facebook for personal networking. If you choose to use Facebook in your professional life, keep a separate Facebook account for your personal life.
• Synchronous Virtual communication.  Select and utilize appropriate virtual communication tools such as Adobe Connect, WebEx, Go To Meeting, Skype, Face Time, and various conference calling packages.  Some free tools, such as Google Talk/Chat and Yahoo Messenger provide a spectrum of options, from instant messaging to audio chat to video chat.
• Develop electronic information:  Using basic tools like Screenr, Jing (from TechSmith), iMovie, Sound Cloud, and advanced tools such as Adobe Captivate.

What are your thoughts about techno-literacy?  Could you add to, change, or edit this list to improve it?

Virtual Training: Preparing for Success

Date: Thursday, April 19, 2012
Time: 9:00 AM Pacific / 12:00 PM Eastern

When rolling out virtual training to your workforce, how can you ensure it goes smoothly?

Join Training magazine on Thursday, April 19, for this complimentary Webinar, sponsored by GoToTraining, and learn proven practical tips for implementing virtual training in your organization.

Follow this link to register for this complimentary Webinar, Virtual Training Implementations: Preparing for Success.

Whether you have a blended program for a large global audience or a single synchronous session, join Cindy Huggett, author and CPLP, as she shares strategies for to get facilitators ready and participants on board.

Attend this live Webinar to discover:

• 3 things you must do in advance of a virtual training rollout
• Best practices for preparing participants and facilitators
• Action plans for your next virtual training implementation
• And more . . .

Register for this complimentary Webinar today!

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