The confessions I share combine best practices highlighted as successful, land mines to avoid, and situations from which to flee. This is an exciting time for the “Point-of-Work” discipline, and this book is intended to smooth the transition into a productive future for up-and-coming Ninjas. Black pajamas and cheap sunglasses are optional, but they are very cool.
Tag: Discovery
“GREAT” things are popping up lately like the Great Resignation, Great Retirement, and the Great Reshuffle as several examples. I am not swayed by the hype because these all point to one common denominator – Change…and the need to refocus on LEADING it. It is my opinion that we are seeing side-effects surface in the form […]
The blind spot as I see all too often involves designing solutions to fit the existing learning architecture and development tools. Status quo solutions can be a greater source of un-sustained workforce performance given the scope of performance restrainers extends well beyond what training can impact.
If one’s hair is on fire, the only solution should NOT involve logging into the LMS and completing a “Fire Safety” course. Yeah, I know…ridiculous example, but it paints an accurate picture that points to the need for “just enough – just-in-time – just-for-me” assets/opportunities intentionally designed for application at the Moment of Need.
Momentum to accept the validity of performance support has been a long time coming as evidenced by a dramatic increase of articles advocating more L&D attention targeting performance outcomes. Unfortunately, the attention given is still largely skewed toward innovative learning solutions in the training environment. Methinks part of that dilemma is a result not of the discovery questions asked, but those unasked.
My own gap for the first 20 years of my L&D career was never considering there was a need to engage at PoW. Training WAS the standard solution after all, so why look beyond the obvious? Obviously, our L&D team were more focused on efficiently and effectively transferring knowledge which by the way was what we were scoped and compensated to do. The blind spot of never considering the PoW prevented us from taking our status-quo-methodology and solution design downstream to include sustaining workforce capability at PoW. Can you also say “Cultural Blindspot?”
If sustained workforce performance truly represents the universal brass ring, L&D…or some other corporate entity…must evolve tactically and adopt a performance mindset head downstream into the post-training environment where measurable outcomes and value are generated…or lost – Point-of-Work (PoW).
A Training Needs Assessment is NOT going to deliver the mail; however, a Learning Performance Assessment targeting role-specific/task-centric challenges at PoW will reveal sources of frustration otherwise overlooked…defaulting to explanations of failure based on the inability of training to equip the performer to perform…the quality of training…the poor training experience…yada…yada. So…what should we do? Where do we look for answers?
My core point here is straightforward – we have a mandate to treat workforce performance as a continuum from Point-of-Entry (onboarding and 1st learning) to Point-of-Work (sustained performance competency). Therefore, it makes sense to me that any assessment efforts undertaken should include the downstream, post-training PoW; hence, the need for a holistic Learning Performance Assessment (LPA).
We cannot begin the effort by looking through a “training solution lens”. I can always build training IF NECESSARY. BUT…if emphasis is not first laser-focused on what solution output closes the performance gap(s) at Point-of-Work, the traditional default training solution may well be the wrong output.