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Frank Weil

July 2010 - The Public Manager

Whos Afraid of Central Park? Modeling Collaborative Governance

ATD Blog

While facilitating leadership development workshops at Emerson (a Fortune 125 company with 90,000 employees in 140 countries), there is an interesting comment I frequently hear: “I did not realize how much time you would give me in this workshop to think!”Is that a compliment or a complaint? I believe most people mean it as a compliment because they are surprised. Most of them haven’t had enough time to think in prior trainings.I’ve heard this comment many times, and it never takes me by surprise. In fact, I would be disappointed if I did not hear it. Most learners aren’t given adequate time to think and reflect when they attend training sessions.Far too many training programs rely on content rather than application and do not offer learners time for intentional reflection. In my 28-year learning and development career, I’ve seen too many programs approach learning by telling learners as much as possible in the time provided. Many of us in L&D call that strategy “ten pounds of training in a five-pound sack.”Fred Harburg, former chief learning officer at Fidelity Investments, sums it up well: “If there is no time for reflection, there is almost no chance for improvement.”L&D professionals want to create value for learners. One of the most valuable activities we can build into the design and delivery of our courses is intentional reflection and implementation planning. To improve our training programs, we must stop talking and pushing content, and let learners think.This represents a paradigm shift for many L&D practitioners. Spend less time on content and more time on intentional thinking and reflection.L&D thought leaders Roy Pollock, Cal Wick, and Andy Jefferson (authors of The Six Disciplines of Breakthrough Learning) popularized the term “learning scrap.” Learning scrap refers to content covered in a workshop that is never applied. Most L&D programs have a typical learning scrap rate of 85 percent. At best, most learners apply 15 percent of what’s taught in a workshop on the job. If you want to decrease learning scrap and increase learning transfer, build more deliberate thinking and reflection activities into your courses.In his classic book, Learning and Memory, Donald A. Norman writes, “To remember is to have managed three things successfully: the acquisition, the retention, and the retrieval of information. Failure to remember means failure at managing one of these three things.” I argue failure usually occurs at the retention level. If there is no reflection, there is no retrieval. If there is no reflection and retention, do not expect retrieval to follow.This issue is well-documented by Ruth C. Clark, Frank Nguyen, and John Sweller in another classic book, Efficiency in Learning. They refer to this concept as “information fatigue.” We need to give learners more time to process during a training program. The authors’ research shows a lack of time for reflection leads to cognitive overload. Overload implies a malfunction; learning is short-circuited. If a person attends a program to learn, and we cram it full of content without giving them time to think, it’s no wonder learning scrap occurs.Several years ago, I codeveloped a workshop with Michael Watkins (a former faculty member at Harvard Business School and founder of Genesis Advisers) to create a workshop based on his bestselling book, The First 90 Days. Our workshop designed intentional thinking activities that asked participants a series of questions at the end of each module. The reflection activities took between 20 and 30 minutes to complete and consisted of five or six questions. These were not simply recall or comprehension questions, but rather synthesis and evaluation questions (the higher levels of cognitive thinking).Some of the top executives who attended this workshop told me that if I had not built in deliberate time to think, their goal would have been to rush through the course so they could move on to the next thing on their list.Here are some ways to build time for reflection into your programs:
Build thinking time into the design and delivery of every learning program you create, no matter the delivery method (in person or virtual).Resist the temptation to add more content to your courses. Do not fall prey to the “myth of more.” More content at the expense of intentional time for reflection will not improve learner performance. It will diminish it.Remember, the goal is not to give the content. The goal is for learners to get it, which will only happen through the discipline of quiet reflection.If trainers are given the option to talk or let their learners think, many would choose to fill the silence with their own voices, but the greatest value trainers bring to a workshop is knowing when to stop speaking and give learners time to reflect.

Want Them to Learn? Give Them Time to Think

ATD Links Archive - ATD Links

Understanding your personal motivators can help you know when to delegate and when to do a task yourself.

Delegate Well: Check Your VITALS

In our post “Being a Can-Do Leader: Want to Be On the Ball as a Leader? Think TPL!” we promised to explain how an easy to remember acronym, VITALS, can help you unleash an engaging “Can-Do” spirit in people that sparks their willingness to drive for high levels of performance. Please note that we said “enable you to unleash” this spirit, in your role as manager. Not create it, but unleash it. This is because the true Can-Do spirit isn’t just a matter of being persuaded that we can do something. The “spirit” part of it is a visceral feeling that energizes us to want to do something—want it a lot. And, of course, when these feelings are in force, performance is likely to soar.   Feelings of enthusiastic determination can only come from within each person. A leader cannot force this to happen with exhortations, demands, and speeches. But here’s the good news: You can, as a manager, create the conditions that will unleash this Can-Do spirit in others. Before we explain how, here’s a very important can-do leader caveat: Do not put yourself in the other person’s shoes. Most likely you’ve heard the oft quoted homily: “If you want to understand another person’s point of view, you must put yourself in the other person’s shoes.” We feel that is bad, or at least misleading, advice! It’s not enough to mentally put yourself in the other person’s position. If you do that, it’s still you that is being put in that position. If the issue is what will motivate this person in these circumstances, it is irrelevant what would motivate you in this situation. The fact is that each person has his or her own particular set of personal motivators, which cannot be identified by simply projecting our own motivational profile onto another person. So, how can we go about identifying and making good use of the motivational profiles of the people who work with us? Check their VITALS An effective way to zero in on a person’s key motivators is to do your best to become familiar with their particular Values, Interests, Talents, Aspirations, Longings, and Style. In other words, check their “VITALS.” This word can serve as a useful acronym to help you remember each of these important motivational factors. Simply put, the Can-Do spirit is most likely to be unleashed in people when their most important VITALS can be satisfied at work. You might think of this as mentally checking a little box associated with each of their VITALS. Here’s how it works: Values refers to the standards or principles that a person believes are important to uphold in life, which could include things like trustworthiness, loyalty, fairness, and beliefs. A person’s values are important to consider when giving an assignment because if you ask someone to behave in a way that is opposed to what he believes in, you may actually motivate him to work against you. In a diverse workplace, it is particularly important for a leader to appreciate the power of the cultural beliefs of the different groups represented. For example, if Lee comes from a culture where being singled out for public praise is personally embarrassing, it would be more effective to praise him in private. Interests are the particular work-related subject areas that grab and hold a person’s attention. The deeper a person’s interest in something, the stronger her motivation will be to work on projects that allow her to pursue that interest. The curiosity associated with strong interests is what motivates the kind of learning that pays dividends in the workplace. For example, if John loves to solve problems, giving John an opportunity to solve a complex customer fulfillment issue is likely to pique John’s interests in a way that unleashes his can-do spirit. Talents refer not only to strong skills that a person may have developed, but also to the underlying ability or aptitude that makes it possible for someone to develop a noteworthy skill. When a person has a strong talent in a particular area, that person often enjoys developing and displaying that talent. The key is to identify the particular talents a person has that he or she would enjoy developing and displaying. For example, if Maria is very skilled at creating innovative software designs and likes to talk about her creations, providing Maria opportunities to demonstrate this talent on the job is likely to be very motivating for her. Aspirations are the ambitions that a person has—what this person wants to be and achieve in the future. A person’s aspirations may shift over time, but the more you know about what a person thinks he wants to achieve in terms of his career goals, the better able you will be to match him with assignments that will make him feel like he is pursuing his dream. For example, if Sandip, a very competent engineer in a high-tech company, has aspirations for management roles, giving him opportunity to manage an engineering project is likely to be highly motivating for him. Longings are the nagging (when not sufficiently satisfied) psychological needs that people bring to the workplace. This includes things like a fondness for stability and predictability, a desire for personal achievement, a continuing need for close personal relationships at work, a strong desire to be held in high esteem by colleagues, or a desire to be in charge or in control. For example, if Trish has strong relationship needs, she is likely to be most engaged when given opportunities to work collaboratively in a group. If Damita, on the other hand, has a low need for affiliation but a very high need for autonomy, she is likely to be quite motivated when given opportunities to work independently. Style at work refers to a person’s characteristic ways of taking in information, making decisions, dealing with success and failure, and interacting with others. The style concept focuses on preferences rather than abilities. When we understand other people’s personal styles, we are better able to find effective ways of being influential with them. For example, if Pablo is a planner by nature and likes to be particularly well organized and structured in how he approaches work, giving him an assignment that allows him to draw on this preferred style is likely to increase his level of motivation. A thought you might be having right now is: This "Check their VITALS" strategy might sound like a good idea, but how can I possibly know all these things about the people who work with me? Identify their VITALS To get a handle on someone’s VITALS, you can observe his or her reactions to different situations and assignments and make your best guess. But a more reliable way to understand other people’s VITALS is to simply ask them to tell you about themselves. Ask them what particularly interests them: What are their near and long-term ambitions? Ask about the kinds of activities and hobbies they find most interesting when not at work. Listen carefully to their responses and use the VITALS acronym as your mental checklist. You’ll never learn everything there is to know about another person’s motivators. But if you ask people a few questions about their VITALS, you’ll know a lot more about what motivates them than you did before. And when you give them an assignment, you’ll be better able to unleash the Can-Do spirit!

To Unleash the Can-Do Spirit, Check Employees’ VITALS!

As the Great Resignation continues, corporations are focusing on development and inclusion in order to retain top employees. In this webinar, HR leaders from L’Oreal, Intuit and LMI detail how they use mentoring to further DEI objectives across their organizations. By implementing various mentoring formats, these companies are building more inclusive cultures. Learn how mentoring can increase retention and satisfaction by focusing on participant criteria, recruiting, and program engagement.

During this event, you will learn:

Types of mentoring formats that best serve DEI objectives
Mistakes to avoid when promoting your DEI-focused mentoring program
How to measure impactful mentoring programs


How L'Oreal, Intuit, and LMI Are Using Mentoring to Build Inclusive Workplace Cultures

To build and sustain an inclusive workplace culture where all employees have equitable opportunities to thrive, organizations can’t rely on leaving things to chance or the one-and-done approach. In this webcast, we will discuss where even the most well-intentioned organizations can take a wrong turn. Learn how to create a DE&I strategy that establishes measures of accountability, fosters a truly inclusive culture, and exists across all stages of your employee experience.
During this session, you will learn:

When and where to seek employee input as you are building your strategy
How to set goals that drive the right behaviors for an inclusive organization
Initiatives that DO move the needle on diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging over the long-term


5 Things Companies Get Wrong About DE&I and How to Get It Right

This book features true-to-life workplace examples as well as unique strategies and tools that both help you identify your values and provide insight into your natural leadership style. 

Becoming a Can-Do Leader

If your managers are telling you they are “too busy” to develop their people, don’t miss this webcast. Jamie Millard and Frank Satterthwaite, authors of Becoming a Can-Do Leader: A Guide for the Busy Manager, will discuss how you can change the mindset of your busy managers to become your willing and able partners in workforce development. After this webcast you’ll be able to get your “too busy” managers to:

Embrace a can-do mind shift that makes leading and doing mutually reinforcing activities.
Use “multi-impacting” strategies that enable them to find the time to develop their people.
Think TPL and check VITALS in ways that enable them to develop their people, whether they are leading or doing.
Unleash their can-do spirit as they become your fully engaged partners in workforce development.


Becoming a Can-Do Leader: A Guide for the Busy Manager

In our last Being a Can-Do Leader blog post, “Too Much on Your Plate? Try Multi-Impacting,” we made the case for using the strategy, “purposeful multi-impacting,” as a way to get more done in less time. The essence of this strategy is for leaders to make decisions and pursue a course of action in ways that will simultaneously achieve more than one desired objective.But, of course, when you are in a leadership position, your goal isn’t just to get more done in less time. More importantly, you want to make sure that you do the right things as a leader. This means that  you need to purposefully focus on fulfilling your leadership responsibilities whenever possible.Thinking TPL                                 So, how might you keep a purposeful focus on your leadership agenda? Chances are you’ve already had a quick look at The Answer. The answer, that is, in the form of the Can-Do Leadership Zone below. Now, let’s take a closer look at this ball-in-the-box graphic.Can-Do Leadership Zone  This three-dimensional graph is an easy-to-remember representation of the fundamental people management responsibilities that all leaders inherit when they take on a management position.The three axes are tagged “Task,” “People,” and “Learning.” They are meant to remind us that, if you are going to be the sort of leader who excels at building teams that can get the right things done with a high level of know-how and commitment, these areas will require your continual attention as a leader. For shorthand, we call giving appropriate attention to the relevant Task, People, and Learning issues as “Thinking TPL.”Getting on the ball as a leaderNow, as for that ball in the box that we call the Can-Do Leader Zone, it is there to remind us that in order to get the right things done with enthusiasm and skill, leaders must continually give appropriate consideration to addressing the relevant task, people, and learning issues whenever they can. Give some consideration, that is, not just to one of these leadership dimensions, but to all three. Reminding yourself to Think TPL can help you remember to do what needs to be done to lead your team into the Can-Do Zone.Thinking TPL in real time Nice theory you might say, but how might this actually work in practice?  Here’s how Kim, a recently promoted manager in a Big Four accounting firm, put the Think TPL mantra to good use as she led her first big audit project.Her boss told her right up front that, although he wanted her to continue to use her considerable auditing expertise to do some pieces of this project herself, now that she was in a leadership position she would ultimately be evaluated not only on how well her team performed, but also on her ability to develop the skills and capabiities of her team.Mindful of the importance of getting her team into the Can-Do Zone, Kim realized right from the get go that continuing to remind herself to Think TPL would help her recognize opportunities to fulfill her leadership responsibilities.   Thinking T reminded Kim that whatever else happened, her job (first and foremost) was to get the audit done correctly and on time. At a minimum, Kim had the continuing responsibility to make sure that her team members were clear about tasks they needed to perform to achieve the desired results. Also, she would need to see to it that at critical junctures along the way the proper things were getting done. Thinking P reminded Kim that several of her former peers who now reported to her have been  frustrated and unhappy with their past project experiences at this firm. She would  need to continue to find ways to help these particular team members get fully motivated to drive for high levels of performance. She did so by discussing with them what their main concerns had been, and seeking their advice on what would help them be more engaged and productive, given the realities of this project.Thinking L reminded Kim to continue to make a conscious effort to find multiple opportunities to develop the current and future capabilities of her team. When she was doing work alongside her team members as a player/manager, she tried to teach as well as do (achieving T & L). More important, when Kim was considering who should do what (T & P), whenever possible she gave skill-building stretch assignments (L)—rather than always delegating assignments to her most skilled team members (achieving T, P & L).  By making Thinking TPL a habit—before swinging into action—you will keep focused on fulfilling your leadership responsibilities in a purposeful, systematic way in a wide range of situations.  Do this, and you’ll always be on the ball as a leader!Coming up next: Want an easy-to-remember acronym that will keep you properly focused when thinking about the people axis of our leadership model? Our next Can-Do Leader Blog, will show you how checking your team members’ VITALS will enable you to unleash an engaging Can-Do spirit.

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