Online Follow-Up Using Technology to Enhance Learning

Transcription

1 Online Follow-Up Using Technology to Enhance Learning Participants in leadership development programs face a big challenge once they get back to work: preventing the energy created during the program from evaporating over time. To sustain the learning process and effect substantive behavioral change, follow-up is needed, and a technology-based approach, with coach support, is proving effective. It s probably the most common refrain heard from participants in leadership development programs: This has been a wonderful experience, but what can I do to ensure I will be able to use what I have learned when I get back to work? Indeed. One of the biggest challenges for both providers and participants is finding ways to transfer what has been learned during leadership development programs to the workplace and to continue building on that learning. Even when participants initially gain significant self-awareness and make genuine commitments to change their behavior, the energy and exuberance the glow derived from the safe and supportive environment of a leadership development experience can recede as the realities of the day-to-day work world the stresses, uncertainties, and old habits reclaim their hold. Why do some training and development opportunities fall short? Why do some managers remain unchanged after taking part in developmental initiatives that on the surface appear to be well thought out and executed? Often the reason is that no welldefined goals and action plans are proposed, and the best intentions of applying the learning fall by the wayside, largely because of insufficient follow-up management and support. It is CCL s belief, based on research and experience, that although distinct leadership-building events do occur, effective leadership development is predicated not on a single event but on a process in by Wynne Whyman, Laura Santana, and Leigh Allen 14

2 other words, it takes place over time. This means that constructive followup such as periodic assessments, continuous setting of goals and tracking of their completion, ongoing feedback, on-the-job training, and coaching are key to effective leadership development. By continuing to use and evaluate what they learn in training programs, leaders can extend the developmental experience. For the past three decades, participants in CCL s Leadership Development Program (LDP) have been asked on the last day of the weeklong program to identify, using a paper form, how they will apply their learning by setting one to three goals. Soon after, CCL mailed participants a copy of their goals, along with a letter encouraging them to continue making progress on meeting those goals and asking them to report back on their progress. For such a paper system to be effective, however, the participants must be selfstarters and must feel empowered to accomplish their goals, as there are no built-in supports such as coaches (although program graduates could request personal, one-on-one coaching for an additional fee). Under this paper system only a small percentage of participants reported back on their progress toward their goals, and the forms that were returned indicated that only 24 percent of the stated goals were achieved. CCL felt there had to be a better way to help LDP participants engage in an ongoing developmental experience connected to their daily challenges and opportunities. GETTING BETTER In an effort to find such a better way, CCL studied the use of an innovative, Web-based tool during a ten-week pilot program running from July to September 2004 at CCL s three North American campuses, in Greensboro, Colorado Springs, and San Diego. The tool, called Friday5s,was developed by the Fort Hill Company, a leading provider of follow-through technology and know-how, and was customized for CCL. The tool s technology platform allowed CCL to follow up with each participant something that had never before been possible through face-to-face or telephone follow-up because of the sheer number of attendees. Every other Friday an was sent to the participants asking them to take five minutes to update their goals. The system gave these leaders the ability to connect with their fellow LDP participants and to communicate their goals to their managers and colleagues. It also provided online materials and supports, including guidance on action steps, a bibliography and book summaries, and access to online coaching from the CCL feedback coach with whom each participant had had a four-hour, face-to-face session near the end of the LDP. At the end of the ten-week pilot, both participants and coaches were enthusiastic about the online follow-up system. Perhaps the most important and beneficial aspect of the system was the access to coaching sessions, during which participants could request feedback and ideas for addressing their specific challenges. As noted in In It for the Long Haul: Coaching Is Key to Continued Development (LiA, March/April 2002), CCL recently conducted a study with two groups of LDP graduates: one had participated in the follow-up coaching option and the other had not. The study looked at the goals and selfreported behavioral changes of both groups. Those participants who had follow-up coaching were also asked what it was about the coaching process that they believed helped them achieve positive behavioral change. The study results indicated that a follow-up coaching program, even a minimal one, offers significant benefits in reinforcing the developmental experience and producing onthe-job behavioral change. CCL recognized, however, that although the feedback coaches participating in the online system already had expertise in face-to-face and phone coaching, it would be helpful to provide them with specialized training in techniques for the online support process, which requires an additional and sometimes different set of skills. CCL, drawing from its understanding of online dynamics and the field of facilitation, devised the following guidelines some broad, some more specific for coaches to apply during the online follow-up process: ABOUT THE AUTHORS Wynne Whyman is a CCL design faculty member and manager of the Center s blended learning solutions project, which integrates learning technology with face-to-face learning. She holds an M.A. degree from the University of Colorado at Denver. Laura Santana is a CCL delivery faculty member and a member of the Center s blended learning solutions team. She holds an M.S. degree from the United States International University s Mexico City campus and is working on her Ph.D. degree from Antioch University. Leigh Allen is chief assessor at CCL s Colorado Springs campus. She holds a Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.) degree from the University of Denver. 15

3 Write substantive and specific responses. Suggest revisions to the coachee s goals that will make the goals stronger. Focus on behavioral goals, and reinforce the coachee s progress toward attaining them. Look for behavioral patterns, and make them explicit. Remind coachees to be specific about which problems can be addressed. Consciously use language that invites further interactions. For instance: I m looking forward to receiving your update next Friday. Please let me know how I can be helpful. Keep responses short. People typically don t read every word on the computer screen; they tend to skim. Make the main point first, then add supporting information. (This is the opposite of the common coaching technique of first giving the supporting information, then building to a conclusion.) Use capitals to emphasize a single word, and typographical devices such as asterisks and smiles to express emotion and emphasis. FOUR R S CCL believes that effective online coaching principles, whether coaches are using , a collaboration tool, or threaded discussion groups, can be learned and can have relevance not only in the online environment but also in the workplace. Coaching is about helping people to effect behavioral change, not about giving them a how-to on accomplishing specific projects. During the pilot program, many of the coaches did an exceptional job, using solid online coaching techniques. Other coaches struggled. Using ten weeks of data, CCL analyzed the factors that made feedback from particular coaches effective or ineffective, as well as the ways that coaches were engaging participants and the impact of stretching participants to meet their goals. After reviewing more than ninety responses from coaches, CCL identified the following four R s components of effective online coaching: Reignite the Relationship Make statements that recall the content and rapport of the feedback session that occurred at the end of the program. Let the coachees know that they can readily work with you again. Hi, Jane. It s great to hear from you. I really enjoyed the time we spent together during the program, getting to know you and learning more about the work you do. I hope that your learning experience continues to be as meaningful now that you re back home as it was while you were here. Recognize and Reinforce Coachees Progress Toward Their Goals, and Acknowledge That It Takes Hard Work Affirm their feelings about working on their goals, and recognize how others their colleagues, family members, and friends may be reacting. Focus on behavioral goals and reinforce coachees progress toward attaining those goals through their action steps. I can see that your goal of team building follows from our feedback session, and I think you have chosen an important goal and a way of implementing it that is first-rate. I know this was a sticky goal. As I recall, you were going to have a conversation with your boss. I have a hunch that it seems easier to you because you have really gotten in touch with the impact you desire. Although it does take a lot of discipline to stay quiet when you would like to add more, I see that you are getting the results you want by thinking ahead and keeping your silence and really listening. I have found that true progress happens in varying ways. There will be some bumps in the road, as you have already experienced. The best part about it is that you worked hard to stay present and realized what was happening. The more you do this, the more often you will have success. I m glad you liked the idea of having people observe you in meetings and provide direct feedback. That should be productive to work on when you return from vacation. Respond with Suggestions Look toward a future direction with a specific call to action. Describe the benefit of the change. Integrate as appropriate with other resources or assessments. Ask questions and offer suggestions rather than being directive. For those who are new to working with you, have you considered sharing specifically with them that you are experimenting with some new behaviors (yours)? What about teaching them SBI (Situation- Behavior-Impact) so they can give you feedback? I d like to suggest to you that there are two ways about thinking about your style of decision making: consensus making and authoritarian. Short-term, urgent situations benefit from an authoritarian structure, whereas long-term situations affecting a broad population fit a consensus model better. I like to use the SBI (Situation- Behavior-Impact) model in requesting 16

4 Combining High-Tech with High-Touch Technological approaches to learning have a reputation for being impersonal, but comments from LDP graduates who participated in CCL s Friday5s pilot program indicate that online interaction with their feedback coaches gave a human face to the technology and provided a way for the graduates to reach out and connect: The act of staying in touch has been important, and your feedback has been so valuable to me. Your feedback has kept me on target. I feel a lot more in tune with my goals and where I want to focus daily. One person talked to me after a team conference call and commented that it was the best meeting our team had convened. He attributed it to the manner in which the meeting was conducted and to the listening skills you have been helping me with. The comments I have received from my coach, and putting in writing specific actionable goals related to improvement areas, have been most valuable. Mentoring from my coach has provided me with very good feedback and given me ideas to broaden my horizons. Her encouragement over the past eight weeks has been terrific. I know I have made more significant strides in my two goals because of you and the graceful way that you have communicated both the bad and the good news to me. Thank you for your help in reshaping my behaviors. feedback. My assumption is that you participate in meetings and briefings. Could it be useful to rotate the leadership of the team meetings quarterly? If you want to run some ideas by me, I d be glad to talk with you. Don t forget the tips on downsizing the conflict and practicing absorbing the energy of the other person versus reacting. You can be in the driver s seat here and keep your cool and feel good about how it turns out. As far as checking perceptions and interpretations of others, remember to take thirty seconds or so to ask others to summarize what they think is happening/being decided. So, where are we on this? and What did you hear me say? are a couple of leading questions that might get you some helpful responses. Reconnect Proactively Bring closure to the online message with a description of a future time or event when you will connect again. I ll be very interested in hearing more about the mentor program you describe, both the mentoring you receive as well as insights you gain from serving as a mentor yourself. I look forward to an update from you as you take the first steps toward these good goals. I look forward to hearing in two weeks about the progress you have made. STANDARD TIME Are there ways for leaders to increase the application of learning through technology? CCL s pilot program with Friday5s indicates that an online platform can be effective in managing the intentional planning, time, and effort necessary to create the level of follow-through necessary to bring about successful and lasting behavioral change. As a result, CCL has made Friday5s a standard feature of LDP. Thus far about 80 percent of participants have been active in Friday5s a significant improvement over the previous paper-form system giving them additional help in sustaining and building on the program experience. 17

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