American Society for Training & Development - Twin Cities Chapter

Spring is Around the Corner...
by Jane Neumiller-Bustad, Spectrum Editor, Co-Director of Marketing and Communications

After this long winter, we deserve a wonderful spring! And, despite the promise of more snow this month, we can see a time in the near future when sprouts of green grass and growing tree buds promise renewal and new life.

As a training and development professional, spring is a great time to take stock of your own learning and professional growth needs. Here at ASTD-TCC, we have a wealth of new opportunities to offer you.

This month you will have the opportunity to hear the legendary Dr. Don Kirkpatrick speak at our monthy meeting AND at our first ASTD-U ("ASTD University") workshop. If you've spent much time at all in the training and learning profession, you know the profound impact Kirkpatrick has had on the industry. If you're new to the field, this is a tremendous opportunity to learn from one of the giants of our profession. Do take advantage and register for both ASTD-U and the March monthly meeting today!

This month in the Spectrum you'll also find a wide range of webinars, Special Interest Group (SIG) meetings and learing opportunities from partner organizations.

Another sign of growth? 10 new jobs listed in Talent Scout! When training and development jobs start appearing, that's a good sign that the economy is showing signs of solid improvement. If you are considering adding a permanent, part time, or contract job in your organization, please advertise it here in Talent Scout. You'll reach an amazingly talented group of industry professionals for less than $3.00 a day.

You can also give back to the profession by speaking at the Regional Conference in November. While that seems a long way away, we are accepting presentation applications until May 2.

Until next time, enjoy the learning!

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Top Training Tips as Submitted by Our Members
submitted via our LinkedIn Group

Lisa Leet, ASTD-TCC Director of Finance
Here are my tips:

• Don't assume training is the solution. Do a thorough analysis to determine the performance issues.
• If training is the solution, make sure you tie it to the employee's work objectives and tasks.
• Write your objectives describing the employee's performance and measurable outcomes.

Ralph Jacobson
Here is a great framework that I always follow when implementing new initiatives and training:

• Alignment: Align learning with strategic goals.
• Anticipation: Anticipate success.
• Alliance: Create a learning alliance between learner and boss.
• Application: Apply learning immediately.
• Accountability: Hold learner and organization accountable for business results.

Taken from: Stephen Gill & Sean Murray, Getting more from your training investment: The Five As Framework.

Ryan McVay
I like Ralph's topics as they apply to "user adoption" -- a major factor/contributor in any training program. Here are some additional tips:

1. Keep it real
I like to "Keep it real." I have attended many classes where the materials where built around a utopian environment...I've never been to one of those companies. Make sure that the learners can make mistakes (in a safe environment), or even lead them down a wrong path and let them figure out how to solve the problem to get back on the right path. Making mistakes is real life. Solving the mistake is real learning!

2. Role-based training
Provide the right type of training for the right groups of people. Yes, this means different training materials for different people...this just means more work for us and that hopefully means more money. But the point is not for me to make money; it is for us to supply the correct amount and type of information to the right people. Make your training more roles-based than just a generic training session. Providing generic training will only get you generic results. (Bold statement, I know.)

David Truchot

Top 3 tips for trainers...

1. For classroom training, know your audience. I have seen many trainers give the wrong real-life examples during training.

2. For in-the-field training, know your place. I have witnessed many trainers get out of their "coach" role and start doing the work of the trainee.

3. For the actual content, I would say, work the PowerPoint slides before going to the show. Have someone look at them before D-Day. Make sure the PPT slides are not too crowded or boring, which often leads to the trainer reading the slides to the audience.

Cheers!

Gabriella Broady

1. Focus on what you want the participants to be able to DO as a result of the training.

2. Communicate with participants' managers, too, to partner in ensuring learners can use their new skills back on the job.

3. Consider what the learners will need to start doing, and what they may have to give up as a result of the training.

4. Design learner-centered materials -- powerpoints may help the facilitator, but learners may need takeaway items that are easily accessed on the job, not buried in a training binder.

Julie A. Berg

I'll quote my favorite from Accelerated Learning:

1. If the body don't move, the mind won't groove. (Get participants active in their learning.)

And, a couple more I train by...

2. The wisdom is within the group. (Get participants learning from each other. They believe their own data much more.)

3. Take your job seriously but yourself lightly. (Too many of us are dying from "Terminal Professionalism.")

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For "Mary" Who Sat at My Table at the February Monthly Meeting...

by Terri Cheney, ASTD-TCC 2010 President
Principal at CONNECT Instructional Design

Dear Mary (I know that's not your real name),

When I joined your table at the February meeting you joked that I was the odd-one-out at the "unemployment table." Not surprisingly, the table conversation turned to networking and the importance of remaining active in professional associations despite the severely restricted cash flow of unemployment or reduced employment.

You seemed so discouraged that your intense efforts at getting a new job were going nowhere, and you appeared unconvinced that you would renew your chapter membership when it runs out. You pointed out that you had never gotten a single job as a direct result of networking, and others thoughtfully agreed.

How different from my experience! I have my web of ASTD contacts to thank for every project I have been involved in for the last couple of years. (It hadn't been my plan to go independent after my own job had disappeared, and I really was going to get around to sending out resumes... right after this one more project with an ASTD colleague. And one more, and one more...)

I was bursting to find out more about what you were looking for, Mary, and help you uncover how you might tap into the rich network of relationships that develop when people jump into volunteer roles. That the program began at that very moment didn't bother me; I was sure I'd have a chance to talk further with you after the program.

Wrong.

I never spotted you again after the speaker scrambled the seating arrangement.

Rats. But maybe I could find you in the chapter's online Member Resource Directory and recognize your last name. How many women named Mary can there be in one chapter?

Lots.

Rather than harass all the Marys in the directory, I opted for this slightly more public way to connect with you. Here in the second-largest ASTD chapter in the country, we get top talent for our monthly programs, and I do encourage you to continue attending.

But that is not where the magic happens.

The biggest payoff for being active in the chapter creeps up on you rather gradually. It happens when you join a task group or a committee or a greeter pool or a SIG. Years ago, after serving as a conference volunteer, I never really intended to join the membership committee. But there were some really cool people from the conference team on that committee, and they had asked me to check it out. Well, one committee meeting couldn't hurt. I'd show up as they had asked and later quietly demur that, regrettably, I had no time for committee work after all.

The meeting was a blast. Maybe I'd go to one more. And they seemed to need people for this project they discussed; I could help out this one time.

What happened in the next few years was predictable, but I hadn't seen it coming. Would I help with this new project team? How about joining a task group to evaluate that new idea? And now that I had been on a committee for so long, would I consider joining the board of directors? Initially I would hesitate, then I would decide it looked like fun.

It wasn't until much later when I was introducing a guest to friends at a monthly meeting that I noticed just how many individuals I knew in the room. My guest was impressed at the number of people who walked up and addressed me by name. And they were terrific people! I had leaned on their help to wrestle with challenges at work and even coaxed a few to offer their very expensive services gratis to the non-profit that employed me.

I had never thought of my activities as "networking" per se. I was just trying new things (new skills!) and meeting new people and pitching in a bit with the work of the chapter. But what a rich harvest I have reaped in professional contacts and meaningful friendships!

It is joining the small groups, learning and working side-by-side with the same people over a period of time that creates bonds with a growing circle of colleagues in ASTD-TCC. Even better, people in our profession tend to be a fairly gregarious bunch. Our chapter is full of professionals who want to know you and learn from you and help you.

Will diving into SIGs or volunteering lead you directly to the job you are looking for right now? Probably not, although it is certainly possible. But you will build relationships that will have the effect of smoothing your professional path. And over time they could even radically alter what you believe you are capable of doing.

Hoping to encounter you again, Mary,

Terri Cheney
President 2010

ASTD-Twin Cities Chapter

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Chapter Volunteers Needed!

Our chapter runs on people-power...specifically, that of volunteers. Each of our seven committees and their subcommittees are seeking new members now that 2011 is here. You can choose a short term option, in order to participate within a limited time frame...or perhaps a more detailed leadership opportunity to build your skills and experience. The committees are:

• Membership
• Finance
• Marketing and Communication
• Corporate Connections
• Professional Development
• 2011 Regional Conference

In addition, we'll be looking for help with:

• SIGs (Special Interest Groups)
• Advertising and PR development

Specific openings at this time include:

Marketing
The Marketing and Communications team is looking for volunteers who are interested in gaining experience in the following areas:

• Public relations -- write and send press releases, conduct follow up interviews.
• Social media -- share chapter events on a wide range of social media platforms, including Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, etc.
• Event publicity -- ensure upcoming chapter events receive needed communication and publicity.
• Spectrum editor -- write for and edit the chapter's monthly newsletter.

Please contact RJ Duff, Director of Membership, to volunteer or go here on the ASTD-TCC website to volunteer online.

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Corporate Connections

Corporate Connections is an ASTD-TCC committee that builds relationships with corporate learning professionals. The committee sponsors the Learning Directors Network (LDN), a quarterly peer networking group for corporate learning directors. We are looking to fill the following volunteer role in 2011:

LDN Chair

Prepare to take on the role of overseeing the Learning Directors Network. Recruit and work with the LDN Task Force (four LDN members who chose the convening questions and/or presentation topics for LDN meetings), oversee arrangements for the host locations and the meeting logistics, and serve as the primary contact between LDN members, prospects and our chapter.

Membership in ASTD-TCC is required, and we prefer that the LDN Chair-Elect be a member working in a corporate environment. If you are interested, please contact Diane Autey, Director of Corporate Connections, at 612-716-7642 or diane@projectsdonewrite.com.

Member Orientation Facilitator

Encourage member engagement by facilitating Member Orientation. This hour-long session takes place prior to monthly meetings several times each year. Volunteer once, twice, or every time to help get our membership involved by showing them all our chapter has to offer!

Contact the Board member in charge of the committee, task or project you're interested in to volunteer -- go here on the ASTD-TCC website to volunteer online.

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 Dr. Donald Kirkpatrick's Last Twin Cities Appearance Before His Retirement!

Last appearance in the Twin Cities before his retirement in 2011: Dr. Don Kirkpatrick

World renowned Dr. Don Kirkpatrick will speak March 18 at The Metropolitan Ballroom for the March ASTD-U Seminar and Monthly Lunch Meeting on Change Management.

Friday, March 18, 2011 at The Metropolitan
8 a.m.-11:00 a.m. ASTD-U Seminar
11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. ASTD-TCC Lunch Meeting and Presentation
Co-Sponsored by: Knowledge Advisors

Donald Kirkpatrick, Professor Emeritus at the University of Wisconsin and a former national president of the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD), will speak at The Metropolitan on Friday, March 18, in Minneapolis. He is scheduled to speak on Change Management at an ASTD-U seminar from 8 to 11 am, and again at the monthly lunch meeting of ASTD-TCC from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm.

Don is best known for creating a highly influential model for training evaluation in 1959, consisting of four levels of learning evaluation. He is the author of several how-to books on management consulting and development including Evaluating Training Programs, How to Train and Develop Supervisors, and How to Manage Change Effectively -- which will be the topic of his presentation to ASTD-TCC.

The "Kirkpatrick Model" has since become the most widely used approach to evaluating training in the corporate, government, and academic worlds...going beyond simply reaction questionnaires to rate training programs. The Four Levels of Learning in Kirkpatrick's evaluation model essentially measure:

• Reaction of student: what they thought and felt about the training
• Learning: the resulting increase in knowledge or capability
• Behavior: extent of behavior and capability improvement and implementation/application
• Results: the effects on the business or environment resulting from the trainee's performance

ASTD Members can attend the morning seminar for $99. Non-members' price is $125.

ASTD Members can attend the lunch for $30; it's $45 for non-members and $20 for students.

To register for the ASTD-U seminar, click here.

To register for the ASTD-TCC Lunch Meeting, click here.

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Kirkpatrick Retires

It is with mixed emotions that Kirkpatrick Partners announces that 2011 will be Dr. Don Kirkpatrick's final year of regular speaking engagements. Kirkpatrick, two decades beyond usual retirement age, has enjoyed a wonderful career, sharing his knowledge with people around the world. Upon this announcement he is happy, healthy, and thankful. He would like to spend more time with his wife Fern, and family and friends in the Milwaukee, Wisconsin area.

Kirkpatrick's ideas were first published in 1959, in a series of articles in the US Training and Development Journal but are better known from a book he published in 1975 entitled Evaluating Training Programs.

All levels of evaluation are important. Sometimes people skip the "level 1" evaluation because it doesn't directly relate to learning; however, if the student is distracted by something in the learning experience, his or her ability to learn can be impacted. Levels 3 and 4 are the most important because a difference in behavior is what we strive for. Levels 1 and 2 should be measured to make sure nothing gets in the way related to the training event/solution itself.

Several authors have suggested the addition of a fifth level of evaluation. JJ Phillips has argued for the addition of a "Return on Investment," (ROI) level which is essentially about comparing the fourth level of the standard model to the overall costs of training. Roger Kaufman has argued that ROI is essentially a level-four type of evaluation since it is still internal to the organization and that a fifth level of evaluation should focus on the impact of the organization on external clients and society.

We invite you to enjoy one more opportunity to learn from one of the true giants in the training and development industry!

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Success in Another Way: New Wine in Old Bottles
by Joe Lane, highlighting Tirzah McPherson, Dakota County Training Coordinator

We have all heard success stories about the creation of new programs. What about a new approach to an existing program?

For Dakota County government, that is proving to be a winning strategy.

For many years, Dakota County ran a successful development program, originally called the Management Academy, and later, the Leadership Track, created to develop its supervisors into managers. The county had plenty of anecdotal evidence that participants enjoyed and benefitted from taking the courses. On the other hand, the program did not directly document knowledge acquisition, and lacked a focus on specific content areas unique to the needs of county staff. So when county government resources tightened a few years ago, and the HRD function lost some of its staff, the program was viewed as expendable.

Training Coordinator Tirzah McPherson, now a 5-year veteran, but at that point, relatively new to the County's Employee Relations Department, was hearing that supervisors needed help assuming greater responsibility. Rather than simply pushing to reinstitute the program that had been held in the past, she set out to research the need.

McPherson had something we don't always get to start our projects: a clear goal. The county needed a way to promote and support the ongoing development of staff people who had management responsibility, or management potential. That, curiously enough, provided one of the problematic issues. The former program had been set up in a way that lumped experienced people together with those identified as "high potentials." In theory, that might be a good mix. But this program was seeking to drive more than just conceptual learning. The Leadership Track was conceived as a source of peer networking -- something that doesn't work so well when the participants don't see each other as peers.

Another problem: the earlier program had been a bit too general to address the specific needs of county managers. That program, provided by a local college, was shared, and necessarily broad in scope. The concepts were there, but the application was missing. The program had been brought in-house to address the more specific needs, but it still wasn't clear that the necessary concrete application of ideas had been achieved. McPherson realized that if the county wanted to drive to the level of application, it would probably have to insist on more direct follow-through.

In the rapidly tightening budget situations of most local governments over the past few years, justification increasingly means measurement -- and anecdotal evidence doesn't cut it.

So McPherson addressed the challenge, and put the pieces in place. First, it was clear that county administrators needed to see demonstrated value. That meant reporting and evidence. She started the process by looking for something measurable. The effort began by identifying what was needed -- literally, the "holes" in staff background and capability. Once those "holes" were identified, McPherson structured the programming with pre- and post-testing, not only to prove that the holes were filled at the end, but to provide the baseline to demonstrate that the holes were there in the first place.

Next, the value needed to extend beyond the testing scores. That meant the networking component had the potential to make a big difference. Dakota County is geographically extensive, and the three county centers in Apple Valley, Hastings, and West St. Paul are sufficiently separated to make it difficult for peer relationships to develop on their own. This new program aimed to stimulate and support new peer networking -- first, by grouping the experienced managers with other experienced managers, and second, by grouping the "high potentials" with their peers. The peer groupings were achieved by alternating offerings -- experienced supervisors and managers one year, and "high potentials" the next. That second year, with its focus on "high potentials," is getting under way right now.

Unlike an earlier mentoring program, which had been rigidly structured, and eventually, had faded away under its own weight, this peer networking would be kept open, fluid, and focused on common needs.

Finally, the county had to address the need for the direct application of ideas within the program. This meant conducting in-depth conversations with the contract instructors, and driving to the level of detail necessary to ensure that participants did, in fact, apply what they were learning conceptually.

The results? First, the program did provide evidence that the vast majority of the topics were on target: the need was there, and the program was aimed in the right direction. Second, the networking appears to be having an impact. Finally, the learnings from the program have extended beyond the participants. The quarterly training held at each of the county centers -- the EDGE program (Employee Development Guided Education) -- has benefitted from the measurement and feedback provided by the management program. Unlike the top down approach used in the past, many of the EDGE programs offered now are determined responsively, by what managers and supervisors say they need.

Earthshaking change? Probably not. But to the extent that our county governments become more effective in their efforts, all of the residents benefit. McPherson was realistic. "It's been a good beginning," she said. "If we're smart about how we approach it, the county administrators will see the benefit, and we can do a lot more in the future."

We love highlighting member success stories! We'd like to know how your organization is putting learning and developing principles and ideas into action. Contact us to have your story told.

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Professional Development Opportunities:
Upcoming Webinars

The Seven Keys of Persuasion

March 21, 2011
11:30 am-12:30 pm CDT
REGISTER HERE

Cost: $25

Being able to communicate your ideas and persuade others of their merit is considered one of the most important communication skills you can have. Whether you are interacting with a peer, direct report, boss or another person in your organization, you will find countless situations where persuasion skills help move projects forward. In this workshop, we will address the unique challenges of persuasive communications and provide tools you can use that really work. Using examples from the experts and other case studies, you will learn the seven keys that will win you more approvals.

When you leave this session you will have learned:

• That almost every persuasive argument touches the three brains: rational, emotional and functional.
• The difference between interests and positions and why you should focus on interests.
• How to prepare for objections.
• Eight different ways of providing rational evidence.
• Nine techniques for connecting to the emotional brain and why this is so important.
• The concept of persuasion triggers and why they are a short cut to getting a “yes.”
• Why every communication needs to be visual.
• Why complex messages get passed by and how to reduce the clutter and complexity.

Emerging Challenges in Learning: Proving the Business Value

March 22, 2011
12:00-1:00 pm CDT
REGISTER HERE

Presenter: Jeffrey Berk, Knowledge Advisors
Cost: FREE

This session will provide an overview of major challenges leading organizations face in measuring the value of learning and development. Today it isn’t enough to just report on how many students completed a course. Senior management wants metrics linked to business objectives. Learning professionals need metrics that will help them quickly see trends and act on those trends for continuous improvement. This interactive seminar will provide best practices for learning measurement, and real-world strategies for overcoming the most common challenges.

Some of the key challenges discussed will be:

• Linking to shareholder value
• The convergence of talent management
• Showing business impact
• “Scrap” learning / manager support
• Performance optimization/Six Sigma
• Predict and forecast, then follow-up
• Actionable metrics
• Informal learning measurement
• Measurement maturity and sustainability

About the Presenter
Jeffrey Berk is Chief Operating Officer for KnowledgeAdvisors. KnowledgeAdvisors is a human capital analytics solutions and technology firm that helps organizations measure, communicate and improve the impact of their people by better managing processes through reliable metrics. Berk works closely with clients to optimize their talent development investments through measurement and analytics tools.

Berk, a CPA, is also an adjunct professor of management at Loyola University and is the author of the book Champions of Change: The Managers Guide to Sustainable Process Improvement and co-author of the book Human Capital Analytics: Measuring and Improving Learning and Talent Impact.

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Reach the Biggest Pool of Training and Development Talent in the Twin Cities!

You can tap into a huge talent pool when you list your open training and development jobs, gigs, projects and freelance opportunities on the Talent Scout portion of our website HERE. We are on track to have an excellent year of advertising openings, and we invite your organization to participate.

We don't advertise job openings in the chapter's LinkedIn group, since our job board is a well known resource in the training and development community. Paid job listings benefit you as a member, since it is a source of income for the chapter. They and other advertising opportunities help keep our dues affordable. Talent Scout postings are cost-effective and targeted to the people best able to benefit your organization.

Track the openings on the main page of our website with the Talent Scout tracker! We currently have 10 opportunities listed.

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April Coaching SIG Meeting:
Coaching Brand Awareness, Development, and Promotion

Monday, April 4, 2011
11:45-1:15
Southdale Library, 7001 York Avenue S., Edina
Bring your lunch.
Free and open to the public.

Tom Peters in his famous 1997 Fast Company article "The Brand Called You" wrote, "You are a brand. You are charge of your brand." Personal branding can be a powerful tool to help identify one's strengths, develop his or her craft, and stand out in a crowded market. This session examines the concept and benefits of a personal brand and explores the process to discover, strategically create and promote your brand. Also planned is a brief discussion regarding the use of social media in personal branding. Apply what you learn to your own practice or to help a client shine! A list of texts and electronic resources will be provided.

Our presenter:
Vic Massaglia is a career counselor for the University of Minnesota Law School. He is also principle of Cygnus 360, a career development consultancy practice that helps career counselors, career services offices, and clients use social networking tools and other technology to build their personal brand and to be more productive and connected.

If you have questions about the Coaching SIG or you’d like to present on a topic relevant to coaching in organizations, please contact co-chairs Julie Berg, Julie@julie-berg.com, or Cindy Edwards, cindy@tofindyourfit.com, or visit the ASTD-TCC Coaching SIG group on Linkedin.

Group Membership Has its Privileges!

Join ASTD-TCC as a group if your organization has 3+ members.

If your organization has three or more learning professionals who belong to ASTD-TCC or are interested in joining, consider group membership. Reduced per-member rates and attractive benefits are offered. We recently developed a Group Membership brochure and added information under "Why Join" on the chapter website. To see the current list of Group Memberships, click here.

The ASTD Twin Cities Chapter is the second largest in the nation with more than 600 members and popular chapter activities. Whatever interest you may have, there will be a community or group of members who will share their experiences, best practices, professional tips and tricks.
For example, learning leaders who develop their organization's strategy for workplace learning and performance are invited to participate in the Learning Directors Network, and this year we will be adding services for corporate learning professionals.

For information on Corporate Connections offerings please contact:

• Group membership: Robb Bingham, 1-615-423-4422, or Nataliya Balabanova, 612-590-8315
• Learning Directors Network: Sam Annala, 612-839-7006
• Corporate Learning Professionals: Sandy Ruben, 612-667-3104
• Corporate Connections Committee: Diane Autey, 612-716-7642

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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. If you would prefer not to receive the newsletter anymore, click here to unsubscribe and enter "Unsubscribe" in the subject line of the email reply.

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