American Society for Training & Development - Twin Cities Chapter

ASTD-TCC Membership Drive - Share with Your Colleagues!

NEW and Exciting Reasons to Join ASTD-TCC

The American Society of Training and Development - Twin Cities Chapter (ASTD-TCC) now has several new and exciting reasons for you to join. You'll see the launch of our new members-only resource section with seven new e-learning sessions and much more! With almost 600 members, ASTD-TCC is the second-largest chapter in the country, serving a wide range of learning professionals.

PLUS - join between August 1-September 30 and you can attend our next two monthly luncheons for the rate of only $15! The September 16 event features Lou Russell on Project Management for Trainers, and the October 21 event features Bob Mosher's "Informal Learning: Are We Missing a HUGE Opportunity?" Luncheon.

Both Lou and Bob are nationally known, respected experts in training and development. A special registration link will be emailed to you after you join to receive this special discount – saving $15 per session!

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Expanding our Members-Only Resource Section of the Website

ASTD-TCC is expanding its members-only Resources section on astd-tcc.org to make a wider variety of learning resources available to our members. Ideas for content include:

• Tools
• Checklists
• Job descriptions
• PowerPoint presentations
• Organizational charts
• Success stories
• White papers
• Webinars

The latest contributions include our E-Learning topics:

• Strategies for Successful Mentoring and Coaching Programs, Julie Berg, HRD Consulting; Linda Livers, HCMC
• Internal Training Programs - Keys to Success, Rick Swanson, Valspar
• Shifting from Training to Performance, Steve Schad, Andersen Corporation
• Bridging the Gap: Leveraging Thinking Skills to Support Learning, Joe Lane, Crowbar Thinking

The individual contributor and/or company will receive credit and recognition for these contributions. Please email submissions to info@astd-tcc.org. 

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Member Success Story: Andersen Corporation - Increasing Productivity by Shortening Time to Proficiency
by Joe Lane, Crowbar Thinking and Jennifer Hauer, Andersen Corporation Learning and Development

A readily measurable, demonstrable increase in productivity is one of the most impressive contributions that a training and development staff can make to an organization. That kind of opportunity may not present itself every day, but when it does, alert professionals recognize the opportunity, and seize it.

Jennifer Hauer, Corporate Learning and Development at Andersen Corporation, the window and door manufacturer headquartered in Bayport, Minnesota, spotted just that kind of opportunity less than a year ago when the company hired a large number of new customer service reps who were scheduled to come on board at the same time.

As the facilitator of onboarding training for several years, she knew the three-week training program well. She and the rest of the corporate training group had participated in an in-house instructional development program the year before, when the corporation had brought in David Meier of the Center for Accelerated Learning for two-and-a-half-days of active innovation and idea-sharing. Hauer saw ways that she could leverage that experience and learning to make a difference for Andersen.

Recognizing the Need

The existing onboarding program had been developed in 2004. It provided three weeks of training, and customer service reps who took the program typically experienced a gradual ramp up to full proficiency in their roles, usually averaging about six months to a year in total. The program was thorough and the reps typically worked hard.

Hauer saw the opportunity to do better; she believed she could cut the time required for the training and get better results, shortening the time it took the reps to become proficient. She had specific ideas based in proven instructional methodology, and some creative insights about how to implement them. In the meantime, her role had just changed, from facilitator to instructional designer. When this need arose, she saw it as an opportunity to put those ideas into practice, and took it on herself to redesign the course.

Her optimism was built on more than just improving the training. In the years since the original development of the training, Andersen Corporation had implemented an improvement to the order quoting system that enables the rep to screen the order automatically for errors, and identifies potential errors — enhancing the ability of the reps to quickly check an order. Hauer saw the opportunity to combine the benefits of more efficient training and a system improvement to generate a big win for the organization.

The Approach

Hauer’s redesign of the training was based on three core insights, all well-supported by decades of research in adult learning. The principles involved are familiar to all of us:

• Focus the training on learning in areas that are most difficult for new reps. New hires may be young adults, but they are adults. They have life experience, some even have similar kinds of experience, and not everything they needed to learn was equally difficult. More than three years of leading the session gave Hauer great insights as to aspects that were difficult — aspects in which special focus would pay off.
• Heighten the focus on learning in context. Classrooms and traditional approaches may be efficient ways to teach concepts, but they often fall short in application. Hauer shifted the focus of the sessions to learning while working in the system, what educational theorists refer to as “authentic” learning activities.
• Engage reps in more active learning activities. While learning in context is efficient, active learning is powerful. This is the area in which the Center for Accelerated Learning program paid big dividends, as Hauer implemented specific approaches demonstrated in that program.

The Actions Taken

Here are two examples of approaches utilized to generate more active learning:

• The old course had the new hires learning product details by spending hours studying a thick product binder. Hauer and her colleagues created a Scavenger Hunt activity using the product itself — a real window, for example — and requiring the trainees to physically label the parts of the window with a statement about each component, using the correct technical name. 
• New hires had learned the order quoting system in the past in the same fashion that most software systems are learned: system demonstrations, and lots of practice exercises. Hauer and her colleagues came up with a presentation and practice activity based on an elaborate analogy comparing an accurately prepared order to the creation of a sandwich. The conceptual presentation uses a toy sandwich kit to get the ideas across, dramatically enhancing the new hires’ ability to grasp, and remember a series of complexities in the process.

The Results Achieved

The new program debuted this year. While longer term results are not yet visible, the short-term results are impressive. First, the classroom time for formal training was cut by a third, as the program went from three weeks to two. That in itself represents a productivity increase, even if the results simply matched those of the old program.

Even more impressively, though, the new program appears to have dramatically reduced time to proficiency. As little as two weeks after the initial training, new hires were averaging three times the number of orders completed, with some handling significantly more. Even the lowest productivity numbers in this case are more than double what new hires managed at a comparable time in the past.

A Footnote

One of the most significant broader insights from reflecting on this process has to do with the key tenets of HPT, the interaction of the variety of workplace aspects that have an impact on performance. Human performance is not just about skill, not even just about the interaction of knowledge, skills and attitude, all of which are aspects under the control of the performer. Human performance is also about the environment, the systems, and the workplace dynamics which define the conditions within that the performance occurs.

So the stuff in the textbook really works? The redesign of the training program itself, coupled with the enhanced capability in the system, demonstrates that different disciplines can contribute, in their own ways, to significantly enhanced performance in the workplace.

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Help Make History!

ASTD-TCC members, we need your help with an original research project. Deen DeGroot, a fellow chapter member needs YOU to help him make history. He is developing a career assessment instrument called the Career Compatibility Scale (CCS), and is inviting all ASTD-TCC members to participate in helping establish norms for the tool. 

As Dean noted in June's Spectrum, "...the Career Compatibility Scale (CCS) provides the individual a measure of importance among nine aspects of work; it also reveals the gap between the ideal and reality of your current work situation."

If you are willing to be part of piloting the CCS, contact Dean DeGroot, 612-789-9596 or email him dean@innerviewconsulting.com. Please touch base with him before August 31, 2011 so that they can compute the ASTD-TCC results and present them by fall or winter time.

Complete project details are available in June's Spectrum, available here on the ASTD-TCC web site.

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Conference Excellence: Interviews with Tom Kuhlman and David Vance
by Denise Patrick-Johnson, ASTD-TCC member and Documentation Manager, International Decision Systems

The ASTD-TCC Regional Conference just keeps drawing them in: empowering thought leaders and their excellent content. I'm really excited about all the terrific sessions! Watch this space as I profile pre-conference and keynote speakers in the next several newsletters. This month we feature learning experts Tom Kuhlman and David Vance.

"Designing ELearning for In-The-Moment Need" with Tom Kuhlman

Tom packs his sessions with great tips, practical solutions, and lots of takeaways for on the job. He is the VP, Community for Articulate, where he manages the Articulate User Community. He also writes the Rapid E-Learning Blog which is published weekly to more than 80,000 readers. Tom has almost 20 years of experience in the training industry where he’s developed and managed e-learning courses for both large and small organizations. Tom has a Master’s in Education Technology from Pepperdine.

When I met with Tom I asked him more about his pre-conference session and what he will share to help learning designers on the job. He said that a major challenge for learning designers is dealing with way too much information. We have a habit of pushing out too much information to our learners without really knowing its relevance. His pre-conference session will cover good learning design from the perspective of the learner. The principles Tom will present can be applied within any tool, so the session isn’t about the tools as much as it is about helping learning designers see content in a new way. This means learning should be designed within a framework that enables people to figure out how they want to learn the content, and helps them make decisions about what they need to do next.

Tom’s premise is that we should create interactive learning that enables learners to learn what they need to know at the time they need to know it, and then gives them opportunities to acquire more knowledge as they need it. It's about challenging the learner’s understanding, giving them choices, and providing a consequence for the choice such as direct feedback or another challenge.

Tom will demonstrate these universal concepts using the latest tools from Articulate. He will be demoing the functionality of Articulate’s new authoring tool, Storyline, due out in Q3 this year. Storyline will offer course authoring, screen recording, and key frames for software simulation, among other authoring capabilities. It's a robust authoring environment with a familiar user interface, similar to common presentation or quiz maker tools. Tom described it as simple enough to use for people new to creating learning but with lots of advanced capabilities for seasoned elearning developers.

So if you are looking for new ideas to help you design in-the-moment elearning content for your learners in a practical and simple manner, join us for Tom Kuhlman's preconference workshop. You will come away with tips, simple solutions, tricks of the trade, and a framework for creating such elearning not only in Articulate, but in any tools you currently use to develop learning.

"Achieving Company Goals with Learning Strategies" with David Vance

Does the presentation's title sound like something you want to do as the learning manager at your organization? Join David Vance, President of Manage Learning, LLC to understand and then practice his approach to aligning learning with your company’s strategic goals. David understands what he's talking about — prior to starting Manage Learning, David was CLO for Caterpillar University and won 2006 CLO of the Year by Chief Learning Officer magazine. He has a PHD in Economics from University of Notre Dame.

David’s thought leadership will enable you to come away with a new mental model you can put into practice immediately. You'll be able to start driving learning initiatives and help take your company to the next level using strategic learning initiatives. Changing your approach to align with company strategic goals is a step-by-step process that requires time and persistence, but pays big dividends for your organization and its resources. The deliverable is a business plan that pulls together the best approach for the strategy of learning in your organization.

The business case, which learning managers will create during his one-day manager simulation pre-conference session, uses the same strategic alignment process most other departments in your organization use to make their cases for their department. You are using the business case to convince your company why they need to invest in learning. By the end of the process, you as a learning manager and your team have a clear picture of how to execute your department’s strategy through measurable goals.

To begin the plan, you need to first understand what your company’s strategic goals are, determine how your department can align with the most important goals in the organization, and make a business case for learning by pulling benefits and cost into one place. You then wrap all of that into a written business plan for learning that includes the strategic alignment, the business case, communication strategy, how you will evaluate and measure the learning, and a detailed work plan of what you will get done.

In order to give learning managers a safe environment in which to practice such concepts, David has designed a one-day manager simulation which consists of two rounds:

• Round 1 will break the group into teams of 3 or 4 who will work together to build a plan. David will give them a staff and budget and other important need-to-knows, and then they need to decide what the learning plan should be for the next year, the cost/benefits of each: whether it is a 5-day trainer led session, self-guided elearning, or web training, for example.
• Round 2 brings each team to a mid-year review of their plan. Some elements of the plan have gone well and some have not. The teams need to determine what to change without extra money or staff. Teams need to figure out how to best negotiate and compromise within the constraints. The results are shared with the rest of the group.

In addition, teams discuss key concepts such as strategic alignment of learning, how to do a business case, scorecards to track against goals, opportunity costs (value of people’s time), how to apply ROI, and net benefits. Learning leaders will gain confidence in applying these key concepts through application and teamwork, so they can go back to their organizations and apply what they have learned.

This workshop is for learning managers who want to improve current processes for defining learning in their organization. In addition, it benefits those wanting to do better at persuading executive management of the true value of learning in their companies by aligning with the exact objectives senior executives use. 

Finally, I asked David how participants might prepare for this session in order to get the most out of it. He stated that not much is needed other than an open mind. However, learning leaders could spend some time reflecting on how they currently manage workplace learning in their organizations, how they interact with stakeholders, and how they prioritize their work. David’s approach begins with identifying/learning your company’s goals and talking with stakeholders to arrive at a plan that addresses the highest priority learning needs of the organization.

For further insights into David’s manager simulation, click here to listen to his podcast and then register! 

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ASTD-TCC and PACT Jointly Offer Lou Russell on September 15 and 16

Join ASTD-TCC and PACT (Professional Association of Computer Trainers) for a co-hosted workshop with Lou Russell, on "The People Side of Project Management" on September 15. Lou will then be our guest speaker for the September 16 monthly meeting with "Project Management for Trainers," and we are looking forward to having many PACT members attend as well. 

The full-day workshop on September 15 is a condensed version of the two-day National ASTD Certificate Program called "Project Management for Learning Professionals." This presentation by a national speaker and respected author in the field of project management promises to be an exceptional learning opportunity for ASTD and PACT members, as well as colleagues in our networks. 

With nearly 25 years of experience, Lou Russell motivates and inspires as a consultant to companies, schools and colleges; a popular author; and a dynamic and entertaining speaker who is considered a topic expert in the fields of training and performance. Her upbeat and humorous style enlightens and entertains as she offers practical insights for improving communication, teamwork, and leadership.

Lou is the president and CEO of Russell Martin & Associates. Based in Indianapolis, the consulting and training company improves business results through fun, flexible, fast and measurable learning experiences in the areas of project management, leadership and organizational learning problems.

She is also the author of Accelerated Learning Fieldbook, Project Management for Trainers, IT Leadership Alchemy, Create Strong Leadership Training Now!, and Training Triage. Lou is also the author of The People Side of Project Management, part of the Villanova Advanced Project Management certificate program. Her writing also extends to contributions to Computer World, Cutter Executive Reports, and Inside Indiana Business, among others, and publishes the monthly Learning Flash electronic newsletter.

A popular speaker, Lou addresses national and international conferences such as the Project Management Institute, Project World, LotuSphere, the American Society for Training & Development (ASTD) and the Society of Information Management (SIM).

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Exclusive Book Signing and Evening Networking with Kevin Wilde

We’ve just added a Special Book Signing & Networking Event on Wednesday, September 21 with Kevin Wilde, Chief Learning Officer, General Mills. Join your fellow ASTD-TCC members for this exclusive event on Wednesday, September 21, from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. at the Dorsey Ewald Conference Center in St. Paul. Limited to the first 100!

All attendees will receive Kevin’s book, Dancing With the Talent Stars: 25 Moves That Matter Now. This special event is ONLY $20, including the book (value $19.95) and appetizers. Sign up today!

Kevin is responsible for world-wide people and organization growth at General Mills, including talent management, executive development and the Leadership Institute. Since joining the company in 1998, the organization has been consistently recognized for its innovative development work, highlighted by Fortune’s #3 ranking as one of the best companies in the world at leadership development and Training magazine’s designation as a "hall of fame" inductee as a top company for employee development. In 2007, Chief Learning Officer magazine selected Kevin as CLO of the year.

Kevin is a columnist for Talent Management magazine and serves on the editorial board for a number of professional journals. His work has been published in over a dozen books, including Coaching For Leadership and the Pfieffer Annual on Leadership Development. He has been quoted about talent and leadership development by Fortune magazine, Business Week, the Financial Times and Time magazine.

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Partner Organization Workshop: Coaching for 21st Century Leadership

Presented by Dave Ellis and the Minnesota Coaches Association
September 17-19, 2011
St. Paul, Minnesota

Dave Ellis’s Coaching for 21st Century Leadership workshop is designed to equip organizational leaders with high-level communication, coaching, and leadership skills to meet the challenges and opportunities of leading in a rapidly changing world. 21st Century businesses and organizations call for a new kind of leadership – executives and managers who: 

• Foster innovation and creativity
• Lead with passion and vision
• Build high-functioning teams
• Effectively coach and motivate others

Created by nationally recognized coach, author, and leadership trainer Dave Ellis, this comprehensive professional development program builds the capacity of leaders in every sector to provide this kind of powerful leadership, to accelerate team effectiveness, and advance both personal and professional goals. 

About Dave Ellis

Dave Ellis is a leadership coach, author, educator, and philanthropist. His first book, Becoming a Master Student, currently in its 13th edition, has been the best-selling college textbook in the United States for over 20 years. In addition to this book, he has authored and co-authored seven others, including Life Coaching, Falling Awake, and Creating Your Future.

REGISTRATION INFORMATION

Location:  Carondelet Event & Retreat Center, St. Catherine University
1890 Randolph Avenue
St. Paul, MN 55105

Date: September 17-19, 2011

Time: Saturday 12:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Sunday 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Monday 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Cost: $595 per person 

Group discounts:
$545 per person for groups of 5+
$500 per person for groups of 10+

To register or for more information, Visit www.DaveEllisLeadership.com (click on Workshops), or contact Bill Rentz, 605-390-2343, Email: BillRentz@DaveEllisLeadership.com

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Join us for the 2011 WorkLife and Flexibility Expo

• Twin City companies are invited for a full day of celebration and learning.
• Save the date: October 11, 2011— 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Venue: Minneapolis Marriott Southwest, Hwy 169 & Londonderry Road
• http://www.worklifeexpo.com
• Members of ASTD receive a discounted rate of $120
• HRCI & CFLE Credit Hours

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September Coaching SIG Meeting

Lessons from Mentoring & Coaching in Organizations
Monday, September 12, 2011
11:45 a.m.-1:15 p.m.
Hennepin County Southdale Library, York Ave. S., Edina

Bring your lunch. Free and open to the public.

Hear local practitioners share their lessons learned from implementing
mentoring and coaching programs in the Twin Cities. Great content applicable to internal or external consultants, trainers and coaches. There will be time to share your experiences, as well, so join us for a lively discussion!

Our presenters:

Linda Livers is Senior Consultant in Organization Development and Learning
at Hennepin County Medical Center.

Julie Berg is a training consultant and professional leadership coach with
her firm, HRD Consulting.  For more about her work, please visit www.julie-berg.com.

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Join Fellow ASTD-TCC Members on "Chloe's Fight" 5K Walk

Doctors and nurses commit their lives to increasing the physical well-being of their patients. Most demonstrate a genuine love of people, which prompted them toward their career fields. Throughout my years of working in the Learning and Development industry it has been my experience that trainers and educators are also very “others” oriented. We improve people’s lives by making them more productive and knowledgeable. I believe it is this orientation that has brought me face-to-face with some of the most caring people in the workforce.

The ASTD-TCC has been given an opportunity to demonstrate that our commitment to improving the lives around us is greater than PowerPoint™ or Webex™. We are putting together a team to stroll/walk/run for a great cause — the elimination of a degenerative disease known as metachromatic leukodystrophy (MLD). The cause is one that affects all of us, even if the disease may be unknown to you.

The 5K family event will be held on October 8 at Lake Nokomis in Minneapolis. We would like to win the prize for having the largest group there, so join now as a member of the ASTD-TCC group!

The event is being held in memory of 2-year-old Chloe Sophia Barnes. For details of the race, to register, or to sign up as a team captain for your company or organization, please go to http://chloesfight.org. It is too late to make a difference for Chloe Sophia, but perhaps, with your small investment, another little Chloe will live.

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Follow us in Social Media

Follow us on Twitter: @astd_tcc

(The hash tag for the regional conference is #astdtcc2011conf)

Follow us on Facebook — click here.

(We need a volunteer to manage the page — are you interested?)

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Upcoming ASTD-TCC Events

We are committed to planning and delivering quality programs with knowledgable and engaging presenters who will provide you with tools, tips and techniques you can apply to your career and company.

Don’t miss these upcoming events:

We welcome your event listings!

Every month, ASTD-TCC sponsors monthly meetings, special interest group meetings, educational seminars and special events for members and nonmembers alike. In addition, our partner organizations, i.e. MCDA, sponsor events of interest to our members.

We also accept calendar listings for your organization's workshops and seminars. Please click here to view our submission guidelines, costs and convenient online submission form.

ASTD-TCC is the go-to resource to drive business results through learning, performance and development. Be a part of it!

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Thanks to our new and renewing members for your support of ASTD-TCC.

New & Renewing Members

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What would you like to read?
If you have ideas for articles or information that could be shared in Spectrum, feel free to contact the 2011 editor Jane Neumiller-Bustad at janen@astd-tcc.org.

Spectrum is a subscription-based email publication from the American Society for Training & Development's Twin Cities Chapter to its members.

Copyright ©2011 Twin Cities Chapter ASTD. All rights reserved.