My Learning Blog

Planning Determine the recruitment objectives. Identify the required and desired candidate profile. Determine the required personal attributes of the candidates (I place weightage on willingness to learn and share). Design and Develop Components of the training (or induction) program: Corporate orientation: Corporate values, vision, goals, structure, teams, market and competitors. Organization orientation: Various teams within the organization that the employee will work in (for example, project management, quality, engineering services, learning strategy, visual strategy), organizational structure, values, vision, goals, structure, market and competitors of the organization. #1 and #2 could be merged for smaller companies. Team orientation: Reporting structure , team interaction, roles and responsibilities and expectations. Project orientation: Customer orientation , introduction and usage of tools (content management system, authoring tools, time tracking, bug tracking, graphical e

This post is in response to a request from elearningtyro. I hope you find it useful. What is seat time? Seat time is variously described as: * Amount to time a learner spends to read through each page within the course (Does that include all the related tools and supplementary document? Does the learner need to read every glossary term? What if the learner already knows the terms?) * Amount of time taken by a learner to click every link within the course (What if the learner clicks the link but does not read it? ) * Amount of time a learner takes to complete the course How is it calculated? One of the ways I know (If you know any other, please feel free to leave a comment): A sample from the target audience is selected to complete the course. The time taken by each is recorded. Seat time is the percentile time that approximately 80 percent of the learners take to complete the course. When was it used? In early elearning days, seat time was taken as a metric to charge the cl

While watching Young Turks on CNBC, I found a profile particularly fascinating- Ayyappa Nagubandi, 28, started his professional life as a security guard. He joined Satyam Computers as a receptionist but soon discovered his talent for web design. He was provided opportunities within Satyam to grow as a web designer. By the time he left the cafter six years, he was a team lead and had supported clients in the US, Singapore and Europe. He left Satyam to launch his own company, TrulyIntelligent Technologies. NowPos Online Services (shortened form of Now Possible), the company’s first subsidiary, offers free voicemail over the Internet, aimed at users in developing countries with connectivity but little literacy. Tens of thousands of users in countries like Vietnam, China, and South Korea have already registered for the NowPos service (www.NowPos.com). NowPos was rated by Frost and Sullivan as one of the top 20 Broadband Innovations in Asia Pacific. Ayyappa Nagubandi’s journey from being an

Internet Youtube, Second Life, Mozilla Firefox, Google Calendar, Google Spreadsheet, Yahoo! Audibles, Yahoo! Answers, Internet connection on cell phones, Internet content on cell phones, proliferation of webinars and webcasts and strategies used to accommodate geographically distributed audience, mySpace, Flickr...realizing that the world is indeed smaller than ever. Professional growth Innovative learning solutions blending traditional classroom, elearning, webcasts, coaching and mentoring, competency development for a large (450+) technical workforce, facilitating training sessions, PMP preparation and exam. Besides the profession European holiday, swimming, interior design, blogging, Internet games.

A couple of months back, a member from the PMI organization visited my office campus. His goal was to collect inputs and feedback on PMP certification from various organizations across India. In Bangalore, he visited only one other organization besides my own. Apparently, India has the fastest growing PMP certified population. I also found out that my organization has the largest number of PMPs any organization has in the world. Among other things, the one input that cropped up repeatedly was that despite being PMP certified, many professionals were unable to manage projects successfully. I felt PMP certification should include an interview round for those who qualify the written test to ensure quality. It was an interesting discussion since it included employees of different levels who brought out varying perspectives. I am curious to know when and what changes will finally be rolled out in India by PMI.

I took the Myer-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) test today as part of a train-the-trainer session. According to the test, I am Extraverted, Sensing, Thinking, Judging (ESTJ). ESTJs are also called The Guardian or The Supervisor. A brief description : ESTJs tend to be energetic, outspoken, friendly, and productive. They make sure that things get done, having firm standards that assist them in running things. They are often campus leaders and prefer traditional leadership styles. They can achieve a tremendous amount when given room to be in charge and when others cooperate. Their talents lie in bringing order, structure, and completion. Efficient organizers, ESTJs are adept at getting things done efficiently while taking care of routine details. They are opinionated, honest, and direct to the point, sometimes being too blunt. Other words to describe an ESTJ include practical, realistic, matter-of-fact, traditional, and accountable. Detailed descriptions: http://www.personalitypage.com/ESTJ

Find out if all members of the audience know how to use Webex. If not, train them on the basics and the specific features they would need to use to collaborate in your session. For example, if they need to use the whiteboard, show them how prior to the session. Send the URL and log in steps prior to the meeting. Teleconference details (if required) should be sent along with the log in information. This ensures that all relevant information pertaining to the session is provided in a single email. Keep the password for the session short, easy to remember and easy to spell out over phone. Advise the clients that installation of Webex software would take about 2-3 minutes before they are initiated into the session. Be well-prepared to conduct the session in the absence of the Webex tool: Plan for technical snags (which occur occasionally in online collaboration tools) by sending the presentation and supporting material to the audience ahead of the meeting. Be sure to have contact numbers

Brainvisa's RapideL product enables SCORM compliant rapid eLearning development in 22 languages. No, I am not advertising RapileL since I haven't used the product. I am just happy to learn that there are localization products focussed on elearning in the market. A few years ago, I worked on an elearning course that needed to be localized in 15 different languages. This project not only threw up design challenges in building a course in multiple languages and geographies (which was fun) but also brought in a sizeable communication overhead in working with the external vendor. With localization products, hopefully the focus would remain on designing sexy courseware in multiple languages.

In my current work profile, I handle training challenges that fast-growing technology companies face in terms of upskilling and reskilling. As a training manager, I consult, market and implement various learning solutions within the organization. The learning interventions cover a range of solutions such as elearning, classroom training, blended learning, mentoring, coaching and on-the-job training. I get a realtime view on how different learning solutions are received in an actual work environment and its impact on the target audience.

I realized that the informal trainings/knowledge transfer sessions in my organization are sometimes not effective despite the best intention of the facilitator. I find that many presenters (irrespective of their seniority) need help in structuring their training sessions. I have decided to offer help to those who are interested. I just need to warn those who come to be a little open about the inputs they receive-I tend to be very detailed in my review. I was helping an employee today and I found that he was getting rather defensive as I went about giving my recommendations on the changes he could make. I am curious to find out how his session went.

It is well known that active learners learn better. More the number of sense organs employed in learning, better the retention. People generally remember: 10 percent of what they read 20 percent of what they hear 30 percent of what they see 50 percent of what they hear and see 70 percent of what they say and write 90 percent of what they do and talk about This thought is exemplified by the unique learning style of Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States. He had very little formal schooling and was mostly self-taught. Abraham Lincoln read aloud the newspaper everyday (see, speak, hear). This habit enabled him to remember what he read, improve his language skills and overcome his speech disorder to become one of the best orators of all times.

One of my friends once made grilled sandwiches for the entire team in her downtime. She became our hero since she saved us from the (company provided) oily snacks we would've otherwise been served. The sandwiches were terrific! However, making sandwiches is not really my way of using downtime. Here is what I would rather do- Improve my academic qualifications. Enhance knowledge: training, research, company resources. Get to know more people in the organization. Learn more about the organization. Handle technical snags, machine upgrades or software instalation on hold. Blog. Get in touch with old friends. Volunteer help. Start a project using the tools and resources at my disposal. Research on companies in the same line of business and follow the industry trend. Use company's recreational facilities. Participate in events organized by the company.

Scenario $80 million triple platinum account—the largest in the organization 450+ employees Broad technical groups: Three—SAP, Datawarehousing/BusinessIntelligence(DW&BI) and Telecom Roles: Diverse and in many cases overlapping—team member, module lead, team lead, project lead, project manager, program manager, account manager, analyst, delivery manager, director, consultant, senior consultant and principal consultant. Employee distribution: -Onsite:Offshore = 40:60 -Billable:Non-billable = 85:15 -Telecom:SAP:DW&BI= 25:35:40 -Permanent:Subcontractor:Contractor = 80:10:10 -Team member, module lead, team lead, project lead account form almost 50 percent of all billable workforce. Problem statement Training a diverse technical workforce Success Parameters Global reach Number of associates trained Time taken to fill the skills gap based on changing business requirement Ability to transfer training knowledge to work environment Learning Solution I am following a multipronged approac

At times senior leaders come to my desk and list the set of trainings they need for their teams. I recognize this as venting of the project pressure or a tough conversation with the client. To handle such outbursts, I first take down the list. Then later in the day or the next, I meet them to further discuss the training requirement-business reason, associate profile, objective, what do they want to accomplish, urgency etc. The requirement typically gets less urgent or important in this conversation.

Result is the factor of the scenario in which change is being initiated. Some initiatives take longer to mature despite the best efforts. Some others die young. Don't be hard on yourself—be patient, alert, flexible and move on.

Today, I am in one of those moods when I just want to oversimplify. The generalizations below are convenient derivatives of my very limited experience. I have to confess that I am embarrassed about this posting — I just want to lock these generalizations in this posting and then forget about it. I cannot allow these thoughts to interfere in my interaction with clients. Preconceived notions can be expensive. Finance : Paranoid and finicky—stickler for details and content accuracy. Their typical mindset—no one knows how to represent our facts better than we do. They seem to be paranoid about legalities—given a choice, they would probably follow each sentence with one disclaimer and two exceptions. They expertise in making straightforward thought/sentence seem complex. Pharmaceutical : Similar to Finance. Paranoid particularly about the content—how the formula is written and explained, chemical compositions of the drugs, application of the drugs, the physiological impact of the drugs on h

Impact mapping This format is used to collect data pertaining to the strategic competencies of the account from the account leaders. This format also assists the learning consultant (LC) to have a focused and effective discussion with the leaders while at the same time assists the leaders to think through/justify their training requirement. The LC asks leaders questions like—“Why is this competency important for you”, “How does this competency link with the overall unit objectives”, “Where do you see your group headed in the next 6-12 months. What competencies would your team need to meet this requirement?” Click here to view the format. Competency rating by leaders Once the LC collates all the data collected during impact mapping, a a comprehensive list of comptencies is identified. The leaders now rank the competencies in order of its importance for their group. This allows the leaders to not only view list generated after inputs from all leaders within the group but also communicat

Support and commitment of senior account leaders and managers Atmosphere of trust: It is important to encourage honest self/peer evaluation Communication: Reiterate that this is an initiative for employees' learning and professional growth. These competencies empower the employees to take charge of their careers, direct their own personal development, continually self-evaluate and improve Communication: Emphasize that the initiative is not connected to the performance appraisal. If it is felt necessary to link this initiative with appraisal, consider evaluating performance only on delta improvement the account member exhibits as an outcome of training Note for the learning consultants: Evaluate leadership’s commitment to the initiative. Tailor the solution based on their level of enthusiasm or commitment towards competency development. That means, if your understanding is that the account leadership might not be able to commit to the time for the above process, reduce some substep

Qualitative improvement For each competency, what is the gap between the star performance and desired performance reduced? How many competencies have we brought to acceptable performance within the organization? Success Criteria Bridge gap between the star performance and desired performance for 70 percent of all competencies Improve the skill competency by 50 percent i.e. 50 percent of all account members show improvement their skill rating Targeted Result In 12 months, the ratio of planned:need-based training for the account would be 85:15

Step 5: Evaluate After 12 months Review and modify the competency dictionary Undertake skill evaluation of the entire account* Measure results with the previous year After six months (if required) Undertake skill evaluation for targeted competencies Outcome Skills improvement over the previous year Competency framework for the second year Teams involved LC Account leadership

Step 4: Implement Competency evaluation -Common across the role Perform self and manager review Identify the skill gaps (LC) Recommend appropriate training for the skill-gap (LC) -Specific to a functional group within the Account (Technical subjects) Pre-assessment (In-house training department or an identified vendor, as appropriate) Recommend appropriate training for the skill-gap (In-house training department or an identified vendor, as appropriate) Post-assessment (In-house training department or an identified vendor, as appropriate) Pilot followed by organization-wide rollout Outcome Table of existing competencies across the organization Training calendar for every account member Teams involved LC In-house training department (if present) External training vendors

Step 3: Develop Create the data input format (LC) Create a brief description on the initiative and how to fill the form (LC) Identify the early evangelists (LC) Identify the courses/training relevant to each competency (LC) Outcome Finalized format for account members to input data Communication plan for the entire team Map the existing courses to the competency dictionary Team involved LC

Step 2: Design Create a skill-rating scale (1-5) against each identified competency (Learning Consultant (LC)) Benchmark rating on desirable competency performance Indicate where the star performer currently is at Indicate acceptable competency performance Create weighted competency-rating scale (1-5) (LC) Prioritize competencies in the competency dictionary using weighted scale (Account leadership) Determine conditional competencies (LC and account leadership) Outcome Skill-rating scale Weighted competency-rating scale Li st of role-based competencies in order of their importance to the account Teams involved LC Senior account leaders

Step 1: Analysis • Determine the job descriptions for the roles—team members, leads, consultants, managers (Learning Consultant (LC) and Human Resources team (HR)) • Determine the competencies across the roles (LC) • Determine account specific competencies project requirements. (LC and account leadership) Outcome • Competency dictionary Teams involved • LC • Senior account leaders • HR

Objective Provide comprehensive competence management with an account focus where training function is an active partner to the business objective. Process Step 1: Analysis Step 2: Design Step 3: Develop Step 4: Implement Step 5: Evaluate Determine the measurement matrices Define critical success factors The forthcoming postings will cover the above aspects in greater depth.

What are Competencies? Competencies are general descriptions of the behavior or actions needed to successfully perform within a particular [work] context (e.g. job, group of jobs, function, etc). Competencies are increasingly applied across human resource functions to drive both employee and corporate performance. Employees learn, develop and refine many of their competencies over the course of their careers. Competencies are used to: Translate the organization’s vision and goals into expected employee behavior Identify areas for employee development that are directly linked to desired outcomes and organizational objectives Target training monies into areas that will realize the most return on investment (ROI) Identify gap between present skills and future requirements Other tangible benefits Recruitment process Define the selection criteria based on the available and required skills Determine the evaluation areas for prospective candidates Determine the number of resources needed Redu

Audience : Onsite/Offsite/Onshore account team Typical Scenario : Who What Why Client “We expect the account member to know the bare minimum about…but he did not know about it. We did not want to spend as much time on each new team member” What was it that the earlier account member knew? What is the performance gap between the two Client “The account member does not have the same level of expertise as the account member who earlier handled this project” I want to be able to meet my client expectations and serve him better. How can I know the skill-set of the previous account member Project Manager “I need to immediately train this account member so that my client thinks I have taken action and I can keep him happy. ” Where can find the skill-set he possesses currently and the level that he is on for each of the skills? Project Manager

I keep forgetting how I can create list in Excel and then have to spend inappropriate amount to time figuring that one out and so… Open the spreadsheet> Data> Validation> Settings> Allow: List> Source: {item1, item2, item3…}> Input Message> Title: {Your default message. Eg. Choose one…}> Error Alert {Fill the boxes as required}> OK

Why was it necessary : No single go-to location for all trainings conducted in the organization. The employees had to go to different locations to view the training calendar and register, take an online course, visit virtual library or submit a training request. This was chaotic for most employees who preferred to speak to the training manager each time rather than keep tabs of the urls. Additionally some urls changed over time. Not all employees made not of the change communication. There was no single location to house the different newsletters brought out by different units, training updates or forthcoming initiatives. Project-related knowledge and resources were not being captured at an account level. Employees referred to various elearning courses on the Net. It important to collate this data to ensure we build a learning organization. Different teams used different programs for processes that needed to be standardized. For example, induction. How was it accomplished Identified a

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