25 tips for performance support

Transcription

1 Industry insights on performance support in tips for performance support The third LearningNow of 2013 explored the importance of performance support and how it can be integrated into workplace learning to improve the impact of training programmes. This Epic and Towards Maturity resource summarises information from our guest speakers and the contributions of attendees in the interactive discussion sessions.

2 How are we learning now? Our facilitator Laura Overton introduced the topic in the context of the Towards Maturity Benchmark , which looks at the way learning technologies are being used in organisations, and identifies key changes and trends in the way companies implement learning and training. The newly released report also surveyed learners to find out how people actually learn as well as how companies are delivering content. Some of the key findings from this year s Benchmark include: 94% want to speed up application of learning at work 86% want to push updated information to staff 88% learners learn from collaboration with team workers 70% of learners learn from Google 19% achieving it 26% achieving it These figures show why we need to work smarter to bring performance support into the workplace: there is a huge disparity between what organisations want to be doing and what they are actually achieving. Meanwhile, we know that learners like to collaborate, search and use technology to find answers to their work-related questions. So, how exactly can we go about supporting performance? The role of technology in performance support The first expert speaker of the day was Epic s Director of Learning, Imogen Casebourne. Imogen explored how we can use technology to deliver performance support and highlighted the importance of finding the delivery channel that will work best for your company. 1 Deliver via custom portals Embed into Use mobile existing software devices Design tailored resources How can we use technology to support performance? These are all ways for L&D departments to use technology to deliver performance support to staff as and when they need it. Material can be accessed again and again in the most convenient way, such as through the use of an embedded help button for live support or creating mobile content for instant access. 1

3 Letting go of control to enable collaboration Our second guest expert speaker Jane Hart from the Centre for Learning and Performance Technologies (C4LPT), told us that more and more workers are turning to Google and their professional networks on social platforms for help with their roles. But what does this sharing and building of collaborative resources mean for L&D? Encourage individuals to find their own job aids. Help them acquire effective web search skills and ability to validate resources. Help individuals build their own professional network of trusted colleagues inside and outside the organisation. Encourage individuals to share what they find in the most appropriate way and place. Help them build their own job aids in useful formats and share them. After all, if it s useful to you, it s most likely useful for someone else. Encourage co-creation of resources so that they can be developed further and improved by others. The key message from Jane s presentation was that L&D professionals need to let go of control over performance support. While a company s L&D department should be able to deliver the support that staff need to carry out their jobs, social sharing and collaboration should also be encouraged as methods of performance support. The best performance support provides support in the places staff will find it, whether this is on the intranet, on their mobiles, in a dedicated support area or on social media. Tips for supporting collaboration Laura facilitated an interactive discussion session to find answers to some of the questions surrounding performance support. Here are some responses from the first discussion: What practical things can L&D do to support collaboration? Explain when and how job aids should be used and make people aware of their existence. 10 Encourage learners to share case studies so they can learn from positive experiences. 11 Create an internal business exchange, such as a staff intranet, to be used as a platform where staff can collaborate and share knowledge. 12 Create a Trip Advisor-like system to rate job aids created by others. 13 Enable role swapping to help improve understanding of each other s roles. 14 Conduct a survey to find out how people use technology and where we can use it

4 How to DRIVE performance Epic s DRIVE model is a handy guide for people starting to design performance support: D Decide how performance support fits in Does it supplement existing training? Will it embed new behaviours? Can it replace or partially replace existing training? R Reach out to stake-holders Contact IT Seek out senior sponsors Liaise with line managers I Identify appropriate support mechanisms Video? Checklists? Decision aids? Delivered via portals? Embedded into software? V Validate your support solution Should you pilot? Choose a group of users and gather feedback Use your findings to adapt before you roll out the solution E Engage the users Have you got a marketing strategy in place? Can your resources act as marketing collateral? Will people know how to find and use the resources? Mobile delivery? To DRIVE performance, you should consider a blend of technology-driven and collaboration-driven support to help staff find the answers they need in an efficient manner. For example, a technical process may be explained in a step-by-step guide placed alongside the button to start that process, while a quick question about who to contact in a given scenario may be better answered by that employee s professional community online. Tips to help L&D to change Our next interactive discussion turned the attention onto the L&D departments themselves. For example, are there any aspects of the DRIVE model that are commonly missing from L&D s approach to sharing and collaboration? What skills do L&D need to develop themselves to enable sharing and collaboration? Get over yourself L&D departments are there to enable learning, not just to impart their special knowledge. 16 Narrate your own learning and document as you go along with successes and failures. 17 Learn to use language that speaks to real users of support materials. 18 Nurture a motivational, inspiring and innovative outlook to engage learners. 19 Think in terms of organisational development, not just normal L&D function. 20 Practice what we preach do as we do, not as we say

5 Practical tips for using job aids The Towards Maturity Benchmark highlights that only 26% of L&D leaders agree that their staff have access to job aids online and only 14% are using defined performance support practices to support the transfer of learning online. Yet the top performing organisations are twice as likely to focus on supporting performance. So how do we get started? 26% of L&D leaders agree that their staff have access to job aids online 14% are using defined performance support practices to support the transfer of learning online. Reaching out to stakeholders Our tips include: Speakers and delegates at the LearningNow event highlighted the importance of working with stakeholders to understand the need and how to address it before jumping straight into the technology. According to the Towards Maturity Benchmark only 55% of us analyse the business problem before recommending a solution, liaising with senior sponsors and line managers upfront not only helps us to identify the issue but also the appropriate solution. Sometimes it may only need a simple performance support tool; other times, a more detailed course or programme, which should be backed up with performance support tools to encourage the application of learning. Liaising with stakeholders up front will not only help you to define what you need a performance support tool to do, it will also encourage their buy-in to the tools that you create. As with any learning resource, you will need to communicate how and where to access them, and don t forget go back to staff to find out if they have been using the tools and the difference they have made. See Appendix i for a quick template to help you design job aids Liaise with stakeholders to define what you need a performance support tool to do. Agree the best media for delivery (sometimes paper works!) Let staff know that the tools are available (don t forget to use or reference them in the formal courses) Think about how to validate success 14

6 Resources The following resources have been compiled to help you consolidate your knowledge of the topics discussed at our LearningNow event. This includes useful Epic resources, the slides from the day and the resources from the interactive discussion sessions. Supporting resources Insight: Performance support the secret of L&D success? Insight: Digital learning resources At a glance: What does BYOD mean for your learning strategy? White paper: Evaluation of learning The right learning at the right time LearningNow: performance support Books Innovative Performance Support: Strategies and Practices for Learning in the Workflow by Bob Mosher First Things Fast: A Handbook for Performance Analysis by Allison Rossett Towards Maturity The Towards Maturity Benchmark Study Presentation slides Laura Overton Facilitator Imogen Casebourne Using technology to aid performance support Jane Hart Enabling sharing and collaboration to support workplace performance Simon Martin Using learning portals to drive performance Past LearningNow handouts LearningNow: insights on induction LearningNow: insights on compliance training 15

7 Appendix i Designing job aids for: Project name What do we need the job aid to help us do? Who do we need to get involved to reach out to learners? What technologies/ media are most appropriate for job aid? How do we validate success? 16

8 Appendix ii Embedding learning into the workflow your next steps Why not use this page to reflect on the actions that you now intend to take? Things to do: People to talk to: Learn more about: Are you looking to roll out performance support? Epic can help. Click here to request a demo and we ll be happy to show you examples of how we ve helped our clients with performance support solutions. hashtag #LNperformance