Workforce Development BriefThe September 2012 issue of the Workforce Development Brief continues to bring new information to members of the ASQ Education Division.

Guest editorial

using the Baldrige Performance excellence Program for Workforce development

This internal consulting team uses the Baldrige framework to drive its workforce development efforts.

Politics and Workforce development

This final installment of a six-part series provides information on one of the five components of a framework for the field of workforce development: politics.

Professional ethics: ethical systems

This article is the second in a multi-part series on how to design and implement an ethics training program that will assure your organization’s success.

Student Preferences Influenced by Internship Experience

http://www.naceweb.org/s09282011/intern_student_survey/?menuid=109&referal=knowledgecenter

United Nations Competencies for the Future

http://www.unep.org/vacancies/PdF/competencies.pdf

Microsoft Education Competencies

http://www.microsoft.com/education/en-us/training/competencies/pages/default.aspx

seven things leaders Need to do to Help Millennials Be successful in the Workplace

Find out how to access this free webinar provided by Jan Ferri-Reed, an expert in managing the multi-generational workforce.

Virtual Course on instructional design offered

Learn more about the ASQ Education Division Workforce Development Committee’s first virtual course that is designed to provide fundamentals on instruction design and delivery with a combination of flexible learning webinars and interactive discussion sessions.

staying Connected With other Workforce development Professionals

Here’s an update on what’s happening with the Workforce Development Network.

reprise: engaging employees in the learning organization

This webinar is available at no cost for Division members to view at their leisure.

liNks to otHer artiCles oF iNterest

The Workforce Development Brief is provided for members of the Education Division three times per year. Articles generally should be 1,000-1,200 words in length and should be submitted to the editor, Deborah Hopen, at debhopen@nventure.com.

asQ education division’s Workforce Development Brief

Steve Zocklein and Steve Pollock

Guest editorial

Using the Baldrige Performance Excellence Program for Workforce Development

When people who are unfamiliar with the Baldrige Performance Excellence program initially hear about or become involved with it at either the national or state-level, they typically do not associate Baldrige with workforce development. People often equate Baldrige with quality, quality awards, and performance improvement. These outcomes, however, require solid workforce development efforts. We recommend the Baldrige program as an excellent tool for workforce development.

team experience With Baldrige and Workforce development

Our team of 13 quality engineers became involved with the Baldrige criteria in 2007 through Kentucky’s state recognition program administered by the Kentucky Center for Performance Excellence (KYCPE). As an enterprise-wide, internal consulting team for quality excellence we initially engaged with

KYCPE to strengthen our strategic planning efforts and now use the Baldrige criteria to:

• Improve how we operate.

• Plan for the future.

• Serve clients.

• Broaden our thinking.

strategy With kYCPe: Collaborative Partner

We started small by using the Baldrige criteria as part of team development training. Over time our interest grew. We become fully involved with KYCPE serving as examiners, submitting team applications for feedback, and even having two team members volunteer as examiners in the national program. The initial intent of volunteering as examiners was to learn about the criteria and how others utilize it so that we could apply it better to our own team. Along the way, we learned that being examiners was a great (and inexpensive) way to develop leadership skills.

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We also brokered a unique pilot program with KYCPE to be a test case for participating in the feedback program as a work team. Kentucky remains the only Baldrige-based recognition program in the United States that allows work teams to participate along with organizations. Since our initial pilot in 2008, six other work teams at Humana and other Kentucky employers have engaged with KYCPE for their performance excellence strategies.

driving Workforce development

Those volunteering as Baldrige examiners become immersed in the criteria as they have the opportunity to see a framework for organizational planning, performing, measuring, and learning. The Baldrige criteria promote action-oriented learning, which is a key leadership development approach. Examiners learn how to look at what an organization is doing in response to the criteria. They understand how to review their response around two evaluation dimensions: process and results. Using these dimensions allows the examiner to develop a more objective and disciplined way to perceive a process in action. Key thinking patterns emerge around the:

• Process approach

• Process deployment

• Process learning

• Process integration

These are called ADLI (Approach, Deployment, Learning, and Integration).

Additional thinking patterns also develop around:

• Process levels

• Process trends

• Process comparisons

• Process integrationThese are called LeTCI (Levels, Trends, Comparisons,

and Integration). ADLI shows how a process is organized while LeTCI demonstrates how a process is performing using metrics. Examiners become familiar with a holistic way to think about process management.

Changes due to Baldrige engagement

As a result of using Baldrige criteria, our team has changed the way it thinks and operates significantly. The team is better focused on meeting the client at its point of need. Rather than working with clients to bring them around to how our team thinks, we align with the clients by finding the right balance of approach that helps get the job done and is true to our methodologies. Associates have more of a holistic, system approach at their individual processes. Team members focus on how their work contributes to the overall goals of the organization.

Team members who have served as Baldrige program examiners, either on the state or national level, offer the following reflections on their experiences:

“It has changed how I start to think when I come across a process—I want to understand the approach. See how it works and how well it is deployed. Know if they have made improvements to it and how do they do that. Then, ultimately, know it ties to all the other work being done. This is a way of approaching things that I would not have had without Baldrige.” “Our team has changed how it operates. We document and standardize our internal, core processes. We listen more effectively to our clients and seek actionable feed-back. We continue to evolve our processes for developing the workforce to better meet the needs of the team and individual, and we have changed how we look at the out-comes of our work to ensure we are really achieving the expected results.”The following quotes are from team members on how the

team has developed as a result of applying the criteria and having members serve as examiners:

“Thinking in terms of ADLI and LeTCI has provided an even stronger structure in how I approach assisting clients from a consulting or teaching perspective.”

“The understanding that quality engineering pursues high levels of Baldrige performance positively affects the way I perform my work. Each new process or efficiency I create or improve is done so with the mindset that it must be simple, effective, and easy to put down on paper in a way that is easily communicated.”

“The sense of unity on our team has grown through the process by incorporating the criteria into how we work.”

summary

Applying the Baldrige criteria has been a great experience for our team. We have started to work with other internal teams to help them realize some of the benefits as well. We encourage any team to consider the Baldrige criteria as a way to improve the team and their workforce development.

STEVE ZOCKLEIN is an ASQ certified Master Black Belt and a process engineer for the quality engineer’s team in Humana’s Enterprise Consulting Group. He is active with ASQ’s Team Excellence Award as a regional judge and coordinates examiner training for Kentucky’s state Baldrige program. Contact Zocklein via e-mail at Szocklein@humana.com.

STEVE POLLOCK is an ASQ Fellow and director of quality engineering, a shared-services team in Humana, Inc.’s Enterprise Consulting Group. Pollock’s doctoral research focus is on what internal coaches are doing to support knowledge creation by Green Belt teams; the information will be used to develop a best-practice model. He is a member of the editorial review team for The Journal for Quality and Participation. Pollock may be reached via e-mail at spollock@humana.com.

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Politics and Workforce Development

This is the final article in this series on workforce development and what defines and drives it. As we have gone through the series we have explored four of the five areas identified by Jacobs and Haley in their study,1 as listed below:

• Globalization

• Technology

• New economy

• Demographic shiftsIn this article we will explore political change, the final area they addressed.

If you have followed the political scene both here in the United States and in Europe during this global economic recession, you probably have noticed varying philosophies expounded by politicians around the world. The debate presented in Jacobs and Hawley concerning the role government should play in the oversight of private industry is still going strong today.

Here in the United States, we have seen this debate magnified by the polar extremes embodied in our elected officials. Peter Orszag, an American economist and former White House budget director, described how paralyzing our bipolar Congress has become during a recent network news interview.2 He stated that we would not be able to move forward to resolve our economic problems until we replace these bipolar

groups with a more moderate Congress willing to work together for the best of the nation.

Unfortunately this paralysis is having a negative effect on our economy and on the development of the workforce for the future. Rather than concentrate on the ills of Congress in this article, we will focus on what constitutes the appropriate role of government in workforce development related to improving the readiness and responsiveness of our workforce in this ever-changing world.

When stepping back to look at the larger picture of workforce development, we see that it is really composed of three pieces. We will use the analogy of the three-legged stool to show how all these components must be present to keep our workforce in balance and prepared for the future. The three components of workforce development are:

• Jobs

• Training

• WorkersBy working closely with industry to

understand changes in products and services and to determine the skills and knowledge that workers will need to succeed in those jobs, the government can impact the first leg of the stool. These are ever-changing targets, influenced by a variety of factors including the environment, technology, globalization, and associated demographic shifts.

Thomas G. Berstene

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Not only do these drivers affect how and where products and services are produced and provided, but they also change the knowledge and skills required for worker success.

In my work with some Caribbean island nations, I learned how government can talk regularly with private industry to determine what jobs will become available and what competencies will be needed in the next five to 10 years. Then the government, either through tax dollars or special funds from specific industries, offers scholarships to develop the workforce to meet these new opportunities. The workers complete the various development programs and agree to work in one of the new jobs for a specified period of time as payback for their education and training. In some cases, this means the workers actually may work overseas in an affiliate of a company before returning to their homelands.

We all could benefit by having by having the government assist with developing an active, large-picture analysis that aligned education and workforce development infrastructure with an understanding of the types of jobs currently available and forecasts of future job types. This could be used to establish the appropriate education and training necessary to prepare the workforce for the new jobs in the future.

The second leg of the stool involves the education, training, and development of the workforce. Many of these efforts involve government-sponsored institutions. Many recent articles and interviews describe a general disillusionment with the abilities of U.S. institutions to provide graduates who are ready to work. Part of this disconnect probably comes from a poor understanding of the job and competency requirements that exist for these students. Obviously, solidifying the first leg of the stool will help support this leg, too.

Education and training institutions need to understand the number of new jobs that will be available; the knowledge and skills required to succeed in those jobs; and the timelines for the rise, plateau, and decline of these job types. With this information, education institutions can provide better guidance to their students as well as make sure their curricula are up to date. This information also provides data on how many workers may need retraining to remain current in their present job or to prepare them for new careers.

The third leg of the stool relates to ensuring that workers with appropriate aptitudes are placed in the jobs. When the infrastructure of the educational institutions is aligned with the future job types and competencies, it becomes possible to guide student enrollment more specifically. Candidates’ knowledge, skills, and abilities can be vetted to foster greater learning success, reduce drop-out rates, and increase hiring rates at the time of graduation. It also lowers the on-the-job turnover rate because new employees are prepared better for

the work and have the aptitude to achieve greater success from the start.

Unfortunately, in today’s job market there are many displaced workers who are not qualified to do the work required in the available jobs. Although the government has increased support to help them during periods of unemployment—both financially and with education and training very little support is provided to channel workers toward their highest-potential jobs. This is another area where the government needs to look at its current processes and measure their effectiveness and efficiency. In the future, government programs need to analyze jobs that will be available and determine how workers may or may not fit the required competencies. Each displaced worker’s retraining plan should take current knowledge, skills, abilities, and aptitude into account and identify the best job match for the future.

As we can see, there is a role for government in workforce development. Once politicians set aside their differences and look at the needs of industry and what is involved in workforce development, they should be ready to tackle the essential tasks of providing data on current and future job trends and associated competency requirements. The government should work with educational institutions to ensure curricula provide the necessary education and training and assist displaced workers to find their best job matches so they can rejoin the workforce. The three-legged stool paradigm reminds us that the government can partner with industry to create a more streamlined way to address issues related to jobs, training, and workers, creating a process that prepares individuals to become successful members of the workforce today and in the future.

references

1. R. L. Jacobs and J. D. Hawley, “The Emergence of ‘Workforce Development’: Definition, Conceptual Boundries, and Implications,” International Handbook of Education for the Changing World of Work, 2009, Vol. 1, pp. 2,537-2,552.

2. Peter Orszag, Fox Business News 2012.

THOMAS G. BERSTENE is the founder and president of Workforce Planning Associates, Inc. (WFPA). He has more than 20 years of work experience in the area of quality and organizational assessments. Berstene worked for Aetna as an education evaluator and was a commissioned officer in the U.S. Coast Guard where he was a founding member of the Leadership Development Center. He can be reached at tberstene@wfpa.us.

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Professional EthicsEthical Systems

Part one of this series on professional ethics began with a basic introduction to the distinctions among ethics, morals, and virtue. Understanding the foundations of these fundamental concepts is important because each of the ethical systems discussed in this segment of the series builds from the ideals and concepts of these key terms.

In general, an ethical system is a way of conceptualizing and differentiating between good and bad or right and wrong. As such, a fully developed ethical system will act as:

• A source or guide of moral beliefs.

• An underlying premise from which an individual or organization makes judgments.

• A foundation that is beyond reproach.1 Baelz, in his work Ethics and Beliefs, further

refined the concept of an ethical system as being:

• Prescriptive—certain behaviors are demanded and as such, are clearly defined and form the basis for all decision making.

• Authoritative—the concepts of the system are not fluid and serve as a moral base that should not be challenged or questioned.

• Universal—the concepts and beliefs of the system apply to everyone equally, regardless of rank or position.

• Non-self-serving—the focus of the system should be the effect on others, not just the individual.2

In essence, selecting the right ethical system is critical to the scope and direction of any type of ethics training, a code of conduct/ethics, or even an effective mission statement. Without this firm foundation, employees and management will be left without direction as to what constitutes the moral rules of the organization. When this happens, individuals must rely on their own belief systems, which may or may not be consistent with the vision of all involved.

Foundations

The foundation of any ethical system can be found in one of two primary ideologies: the Deontological or Teleological perspectives. The Deontological viewpoint focuses on the means, rather than the end. It’s not what you get done that holds true value, but how it’s done that’s most important. For example, a company that believes in being honest with its customers, even

Bruce Bayley

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in times when doing so may affect the profit margin, would be following a Deontological perspective.

The Teleological viewpoint, however, is the exact opposite. The end result is all that matters, not how you get there. Using the example above, another company might believe what while being honest with its customers is ideal; to do so at times that might cost the company money is not acceptable. In short, the ends justify the means. It’s important to remember, however, that the Teleological perspective isn’t always as bad as it might seem. It’s still possible to focus on the end result, as long as how you do so is consistent with your foundational ethical system.

Normative Versus descriptive approaches

Another way of looking at ethical systems is whether or not the focus is on the individual or others. On one end of the spectrum, the normative approach tends to emphasize the concepts of “norms” and “normality.” In doing so, the benchmarks for each action are the boundaries that a culture has set for differentiating between acceptable and unacceptable behaviors. For example, in some professions lying is considered a “tool of the trade,” where as in others, those actions would not be tolerated. As such, someone using a normative approach would ask the question: “Are your behaviors considered normal conduct for the group?”

The descriptive perspective also equates a person’s or company’s action to standards set within a particular culture (such as a profession), but then takes the additional step of also comparing these behaviors to all other persons and professions. This extra analysis is designed to be a more holistic approach because the comparisons are not only made to your particular profession (your culture), but also to professions like yours. With this in mind, a particular set of actions might be acceptable using a normative framework where the focus is on a particular group, but unacceptable when compared to other groups doing the same or similar things.

Basic ethical systemsEthical Formalism

One of the most well known Deontological systems is ethical formalism, which focuses on the will or intent of the person committing an act or behavior, instead of the results that act or behavior may produce. For Emmanuel Kant, an 18th century philosopher and leading proponent of ethical formalism, the primary factor in deciding what is good or bad centers on the concept of good will. A prime example of this is the current debate over extra-large sizes at discounted prices in the food industry. If a company offers its customers extra-large portions because it truly appreciates their business and is doing so to say “thank you,” then under ethical formalism the action would be considered good. But, if they were offering extra-large portions to get customers “hooked” on a new ingredient, then even though the customer is benefitting, the action would be bad because there was no good will involved. In the end, the question to ask is: “Why am I doing this?”

It’s also important to remember that under ethical formalism, if an action is bad, it’s always bad and if an action is good, it’s always good. This absolutist perspective is a key component to this ethical system because it eliminates any subjectivity to what constitutes good will. This inflexibility, however, is often cited as a major limitation to this ideology.

utilitarianism

While ethical formalism focuses on intent through the concept of good will, utilitarianism, a Teleological perspective, strives to provide the greatest benefit for the greatest number of people. What is good, however, is determined by the outcome. If, for example, your company makes a design change to a popular product that will benefit most, but not all of your customers, the utilitarian perspective would judge that change as good. Likewise, if the change did not benefit most of your customers, then the action would be bad. Many professions feel this particular ethical system is a realist approach to everyday issues because it acknowledges the impossibility of making everyone happy with every decision. Not everyone agrees, however.

While the concept is simple enough, a primary problem with this particular ethical system is the ability to predict an outcome. In the example above, a company technically wouldn’t know whether or not the decision to make the design change was good or not until after the modification had occurred. In addition, others are worried about the perceived lack of concern for the rights of those in the minority.

egoism

Gordon Gekko, in the 1987 movie “Wall Street,” was infamous for uttering the now notorious phrase “Greed is good.” Whether he knew it or not, this popular catch phrase centered on the primary focus of egoism—what is good for me (or what is good for the company), is good and what is bad for me (or the company) is bad. While on the surface this type of ethical ideology may appear to lack any type of moral compass, this is not necessarily the case. If the focus of an action is to benefit a particular person, at the exclusion of all others, then egoism is a counterproductive and often a destructive ethical system. It might produce shortterm benefits, but rarely supports long-term productivity. On the other hand, there is nothing wrong with placing importance on yourself or your company. The primary concern with egoism is when others are viewed as a means to an end for your personal happiness.

the ethics of Virtue

While the other three systems focus on what constitutes a good or bad action, the Ethics of Virtue focuses on what establishes a good or bad person. In essence, to be good, one must do good things. For Aristotle, the process of doing “good” involved the concept of virtues or “excellences” that lead to his belief in eudaimonia (living a good life and attaining moral

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excellence).3 As discussed in part one of this series, being virtuous is a process, not an end result. It’s also important to note that virtue in this ethical system is considered a balance between two extremes—being overly good and overly bad (yes, it is possible to be too good because for Aristotle, such actions are not sustainable). This sense of equilibrium is known as the Principle of the Golden Mean. An interesting perspective to this ideology is the fundamental belief that we all have the potential to be virtuous. In the end, however, it’s whether or not we have the fortitude to take action that ultimately makes the difference.

Conclusion

The intent of this second installment was to review the foundational concepts of ethical systems and the importance they play in developing moral rules that ultimately lead to moral decisions. As with anything in life, there are a variety of philosophical viewpoints and only a few of these ideologies were presented in this article. The important point of this piece, however, was to highlight the significance of understanding the ideology from which your ethical beliefs and policies are founded. Before any company, or individual for that matter, can begin to develop a belief system or set of values upon which to act, a critical analysis of the concepts of good and bad or right and wrong must occur. Once that foundation is established, a set of core values or a code of ethics can then be developed.

references

1. Joycelyn M. Pollock, Ethical Dilemmazs and Decisions in Criminal Justice, 7th ed., Wadsworth Publishing, 2012.

2. Peter Baelz, Ethics and Beliefs, Seabury Publishing, 1977.

3. William J. Prior, Aristotle’s Nicomanchean Ethics From Virtue and Knowledge: An Introduction to Ancient Greek Ethics, William J. Prior ed., Routledge, 1991.

BRUCE BAYLEY is a former correctional officer and deputy juvenile probation officer. Bayley currently serves as an associate professor of criminal justice at Weber State University and adjunct instructor at the Weber State Police Academy. Along with research in ethics and correctional special operations teams, he teaches courses in ethics and ethics training to criminal justice agencies worldwide. He can be reached by e-mail at bbayley@weber.edu or by phone at 801-626-8134.

Workforce development Brief Vol. 2, No. 28

According to Joyce E.A. Russell, director of the Executive Coaching and Leadership Development Program at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business, “As many of us know, over the next decade the baby-boomer majority of the workforce will retire and leave huge shortages in jobs. Those positions will mostly be replaced with individuals from Generation Y—also known as the ‘millennials.’ Currently, they account for about 25 percent of the workforce and are expected to make up almost half by 2014. They are the largest generation since the baby boomers and are expected to have a huge social and economic impact...”1

Clearly, the need for workforce development professionals to understand the characteristics of this generation and develop appropriate adaptive strategies for their education, training, and development is essential. The Education Division’s Workforce Development Committee invited Jan Ferri-Reed to share some insights on how leaders can help millennial workers become successful contributors to the workplace in a one-hour webinar. Ferri-Reed is the author of Keeping the Millennials: Why Companies are Losing Billions in Turnover to This Generation and What to Do About It and is a widely-respected consultant who works

with leaders to create workplaces that attract, retain, and get the most from their talent. She is a frequent contributor to ASQ’s publication, The Journal for Quality and Participation, most recently providing a series of articles on “Leading a Multi-Generational Workforce.”

Members of ASQ’s Education Division can view this webinar on demand from the division’s workforce development network site (see the sidebar for instructions on how to access the webinar). The webinar provides tips on the following seven key approaches that leaders can use with millennial workers:

• Don’t Give Them the Trophy—Coaching millennials is key to their success, but remember to reward them for outstanding work. Acknowledgements of a job well done are very important to millennials, but remind employees that they are in an environment that is performance based. It is also important to allow them autonomy.

• Have You Met Me Yet?—Get to know them as individuals. They have a strong desire to share information about themselves.

• Help Them Find the “ME” in TEAM—Integrate the millennials into teams. They

Seven Things Leaders Need to Do to Help Millennials Be Successful in the Workplace

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are accustomed to being a part of a team, virtually and physically. Teach them what it means to be a team member as their contribution makes a difference.

• Communicate to the iGeneration—This generation is connected 24/7. Communicate with them using all the ways they like to learn. They make decisions through multi-media resources and social networks.

• Sell Them a Career Not a Job—These are serial job searchers, and they want immediate gratification. Let them know that you are investing in their development over the long haul.

• Let Them Work 24/7—Millennials are used to being highly scheduled and most get bored easily. They are a high-paced and energetic generation that works to live. Evaluate if there are opportunities for flex scheduling.

• Keep it Real—Informal environments are appealing for millennials. They want to know the real person behind the title of their leaders. They enjoy upfront and personal dialog and feedback.In preparation for viewing this webinar, here are some

questions to consider:

• What different expectations have millennial workers expressed to you concerning their jobs and specific task assignments?

• When conducting education and training courses that include millennial workers, what behaviors have you observed that differ from those of other generations? Where those behaviors helpful or harmful to class learning? Did you know how to respond to them?After viewing this webinar, you may want to tackle one of

the debriefing exercises described here.The Millennial Worker and Instructional Techniques: Most

workforce educators/trainers understand that adults have varying learning styles. Different training techniques tend to work better for each of those learning styles. Now consider how generational differences can affect learning. What special training techniques would you apply for millennial participants?

The Millennials and Career Planning: Think about how millennials perceive their potential for professional growth. Develop a process for helping millennials workers assess their competencies and develop appropriate professional growth plans that simultaneously benefit the organization.

Reacting to Millennials: Develop a simple self-assessment tool (no more than 10 questions) that people can use to assess how they react to behaviors of millennials that differ from those of their own generations. Then add three to five analytical questions that they can use to determine what personal approaches that are useful to becoming more effective at bringing the best out in millennial workers.

Note: For more information on Jan Ferri-Reed go to http://janferrireed.com/.

Webinar offers ideas for Working With Millennials

To view Jan Ferri-Reed’s webinar, you will need to have ARF software available on your computer. If you need to download this viewing software, go to https://akamaicdn.webex.com/client/WBXclient-T28L10NSP3-571/nbr2player.msi. Once you have downloaded the software onto your computer, you may access the free webinar on demand at http://asq.org/edu/109901/web.html?shl=109901. After the webinar is loaded, you will see a table of contents box on the right side of your computer screen. Simply click on the first segment to begin viewing this webinar.

reference:

1. Joyce E.A. Russell, Career Coach: “The Care and Nurturing of ‘Millennials,’” The Washington Post, August 2010, http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/30/AR2010073005726.html

Workforce development Brief Vol. 2, No. 210

Virtual Course on Instructional Design Offered

The Workforce Development Committee of ASQ’s Education Division is pleased to announce that it will sponsor a virtual course on instruction design in October and November 2012. “Training Foundations” will be a three-part series intended for those who design and deliver training, but who have had no formal instruction on how to train effectively.

The first two sessions will provide foundational basics as well as practical tips from the trenches. These one-hour modules will be available for three weeks on a continual-access basis, so participants can take this portion of the course at their leisure. The final session will be an interactive webinar, where the first three sessions will be connected into a holistic framework, and participants will have the opportunity to discuss what they have learned and ask the instructors questions. Two optional dates and times will be offered for the final session.

The sessions will include information on what is known about the brain and learning, also touching on research done on adult learning, and practical implications for the design and delivery of training. Additional topics covered include the steps in the instructional design process, the

role of interactivity in effective training, and an overview of instructional methods that incorporate both traditional and novel approaches. Assessment strategies will also be discussed. Participants will leave the sessions with a blueprint for effective instructional design, as well as tools for the development and delivery of training programs.

This virtual course will be taught by two highly recognized experts in the field of instructional design and delivery, who also are involved with workforce development.

• Margaret Murphy has more than 25 years of experience training adults in both the private sector and higher education. Her corporate experience includes communication-related training for high-tech, biotech, telecommunications, and aeronautics companies. Her educational background includes a master’s degree in education from New York University, and a certificate in e-learning design from the Graduate School of Education at the University of Washington. She is the co-author of ASTD InfoLine: Trainer for Day. She was the director of the Continuing Education Business and Professional Programs department at Bellevue

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College for four years and is currently managing national health IT instructional design and customized training projects. Her most recent projects include designing online training for 1,000 staff at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and designing presentation skills training for aeronautics engineers.

• Nicole Bunselmeyer has been involved with business development and corporate training for more than 17 years. With a background in start-up and established software and medical companies, she has helped build and implement training programs for corporate partners, sales teams, healthcare providers, and hospital personnel nationally and in Australia. As CEO and instructional designer for MediaDesigns, Inc., a company specializing in custom, interactive, media-rich training and learning programs, she leads a team of talented e-learning designers and developers working with clients nationwide. Additionally, she is co-founder of a software company, Quid Interactive, offering e-learning course development tools and services. Bunselmeyer also teaches courses on instructional design and e-learning for Bellevue College and University of Washington and consults on project-based training and e-learning projects for local companies and colleges. Bunselmeyer holds a master’s of education degree in curriculum and instruction with an education technology focus from the University of Washington.

More information on how to register for this course is show in the sidebar.

training FoundationsThese sessions include information on what is known

about the brain and learning, also touching on research done on adult learning and practical implications for the design and delivery of training. Additional topics covered include the steps in the instructional design process, the role of interactivity in effective training, and an overview of instructional methods that incorporate both traditional and novel approaches. Assessment strategies will also be discussed. Participants will leave the sessions with a blueprint for effective instructional design, as well as tools for the development and delivery of training programs.

learning objectives

After completing this course you should be able to:

• Discuss the implications of research for training design.

• Identify best practices in the design of instructional materials.

• Articulate the key steps in the ADDIE process.

• Identify at least four different types of learning activities that could be used in a training session.

• Discuss the four different levels of training assessment.

• Identify ways to engage learners in a training webinar.

Who should attend

This three-part series is intended for those who design and deliver training, but who have had no formal instruction on how to train effectively.

Format

This is a three-hour online course. The first two hours are pre-recorded sessions that participants can view at any time. The last hour is a live webinar that will recap key points, demonstrate strategies to engage learners in a webinar, and provide an opportunity to ask questions of the presenters.

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This Brief is sponsored by

ASQ’s Education DivisionShaping the Future through Quality in Education and Professional Development

To join other people interested in knowledge and best practices related to quality in education, check out our website at http://asq.org/edu/index.html and call 1-800-248-1946 to add the Education Division to your ASQ communities.

Workforce development Brief Vol. 2, No. 212

dates

Two, one-hour webinar recordings—available on October 15 for viewing at the registered participant’s choice of day and time.

One, one-hour live webinar—Either November 2 or November 3 at noon central time. (Participants choose which of these two sessions, which will include the same content, to attend.)

requirements

Computer with a speaker, plus Internet access (a microphone is ideal, but not required).

outline

Human Cognition and Learning

• What our brains notice

• How our brains process information

• Strategies that promote retention

• Implications of human cognition for instructional design

• Adult learning principlesEffective Training Design and Methods

• Overview of key factors

• Role of interactivity

• ADDIE design method

• Development of useful objectives

• Examples of individual, small group, large group, and pair activities

• Learning activities focused on problem solving

• Pre-work and follow-up learning activities

• Different levels of assessment

Synthesis and Training via Webinar

• Strategies to engage learners on a webinar

• Resources

• Questions and answers

Value Proposition

This course provides a foundation for designing training that works. When your training is complete, you’ll have a greater understanding of the instructional design process and practical tools to use in your workshops.

registration

Price: $75 for the entire virtual course (two archived and one live sessions).

CEUs/REUs: A certificate will be issued upon completion of all three sessions by December 31, 2012.

Registration Website: http://asq.org/education/education-2012-foundations-reg.html

Staying Connected With Other Workforce Development Professionals

Adina Suciu

The Workforce Development Network continues to add new members and content that can help members learn more about the field. It you have not joined the network yet, please follow the link: http://community.asq.org/networks/Education_Division_Workforce_Development_ to sign up and see what’s posted. It’s your platform to identify, communicate, and promote the use of quality principles, concepts, and technologies for continuous improvement in all aspects of professional development.

Here are some of the content items that recently have been made available on the network:

• Article—“The Workforce Planning Advantage” In recent years, workforce planning has become a widespread concern for competitive organizations. According to a recent Infohrm survey, the vast majority of companies plan to conduct workforce planning in the near future if they have not done so already. This article outlines the benefits and critical success factors of workforce planning as evidenced by the survey and research into today’s human resources climate.

• Article—“Best Practice: Leveraging Technology for Employee Development” Technology plays a central role in developing employees at the best-practice organizations featured in APQC’s 2009 Collaborative Research study, “Talent Management in a Tough Economy.” Deere & Company, URS Washington Division, and Textron use technology to standardize talent development processes, manage employee development progress, and expand development opportunities to a larger percentage of the workforce. In doing so, these best-practice organizations maximize returns on employee development investments and are positioned to increase employee productivity, engagement, and retention.

• Case Study—“Retaining Today’s Knowledge for Tomorrow’s Workforce – NASA” National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is the primary government agency for space research and exploration in the United States. The challenges of new missions and the failure of certain missions, combined with an aging workforce, compelled NASA to realize that it

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risked losing valuable knowledge. To combat this problem, the agency has implemented a comprehensive knowledge retention and transfer strategy.

• Pamphlet—“Guide to Developing Strategic Workforce Plans” The purpose of this guide is to explain the process of strategic workforce planning. This guide is designed as a practical tool for workforce planning consultants to work with senior leaders and others involved in the strategic planning process.Now is the time to check out the Workforce Development

Network and connect with others who are involved in similar activities. There’s no better place to share your ideas and learn from others in the same field.

ADINA SUCIU is principal consultant at Adav, LLC, a company focused on helping people and organizations attain and sustain agility. She is also a Baldrige examiner and an assessor for the European Framework for Quality Management. Suciu is an ASQ-certified Six Sigma Black Belt and Manager of Quality and Organizational Excellence. She can be contacted via e-mail at adina@adavconsulting.com.

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Engaging Employees in the Learning Organization

Peter Senge’s 1990 book, The Fifth Discipline, popularized the concept of the “learning organization.” His vision of a group of people who are enhancing their capabilities continually has become one primary focal point of workforce development programs. The assumption is that improving the knowledge and skills of individual workers and teams will increase the organization’s capabilities and make it better able to meet future challenges and take advantage of opportunities.

The Education Division’s Workforce Development Committee invited Kenny Moore to share some insights on how organizations can foster a culture that engages employees in learning. Moore is co-author of one of the top-10 bestselling business books on Amazon.com, The CEO and the Monk: One Company’s Journey to Profit and Purpose. This book tells the story of KeySpan, the nation’ fifth largest energy giant and a profitable, Fortune 500 company, and the two KeySpan executives—Moore, a former monk, and Robert Catell, the CEO. Their unique working relationship was based on something as simple and powerful as “doing the right thing.” This story describes a real business and how two unusual and dedicated humanists can keep

their eyes on profits and ethics at the same time, creating a culture that embraces change and continual learning.

Moore is a frequent contributor to ASQ’s publications and conferences, including serving as a keynote speaker at the 2005 World Conference on Quality and Improvement. He brought myriad seemingly non-business approaches to his workforce development efforts at KeySpan, including everything from hosting “funerals” to acknowledge the passing of long-held practices to using horoscopes to set the tone for discussing executives’ performance improvement opportunities. Recognized for his understanding of human foibles, his ability to create safe and secure environments for people to experiment with change, and an incredible sense of humor, Moore has been interviewed by the major news publications and appeared on CBS Sunday Morning.

Members of ASQ’s Education Division can view this webinar on demand from the division’s workforce development network site (see the sidebar for instructions on how to access the webinar). The webinar presents a model for change, “The Four-Room Apartment,” that was

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developed by Claes Janssen. Moore describes how people behave in each room and shares an example to demonstrate the model’s theory. He then explains the approaches successful leaders use to deal with people who are occupying each of the rooms.

In preparation for the viewing the webinar, here are some questions to consider:

• What stops employees from wanting to increase their workplace knowledge and skills?

• How can leaders encourage reluctant learners to tackle new competency requirements?

• If members of the organization are occupying every room in the apartment, how can workforce development professionals generate enough learning to increase the entire organization’s capabilities?

After viewing this webinar, you may want to tackle one of the debriefing exercises described here.

• The Four-Room Apartment and Instructional Techniques. Most workforce educators/trainers understand that adults have varying learning styles. Different training techniques tend to work better for each of those learning styles. Now consider that learning styles aren’t the only factors that can affect how adults learn. Suppose that the room in the apartment an adult occupies also affected his/her learning style. What training techniques would you apply for people in each of the rooms?

• The Four-Room Apartment and Career Planning. Think about how people perceive their potential for professional growth depending on the room they are occupying. Develop a brief description of how people in each room would react if they were told they were under consideration for a promotion. What if they were being downsized, or if their current positions were being eliminated, and they were being transferred to a new, totally different assignment?

• What’s Your Room and Where are You Going? Develop a simple self-assessment tool (no more than 10 questions) that people can use to assess which room they’re occupying in the apartment. Then add three to five analytical questions that they can use to determine what personal approaches they can use to encourage themselves to move to another room.

For more information on Kenny Moore and/or to read some articles that he’s written, go to http://kennythemonk.typepad.com/.

Webinar offers Model for Change

To view the new link, download http://asq.org/2012/07/change-management/engaging-employees-in-the-learning-organization-webcast.html. To view Kenny Moore’s 76-minute webinar, you will need to have ARF software available on your computer. If you need to download this viewing software, go to: https://akamaicdn.webex.com/client/WBXclient-T28L10NSP3-571/nbr2player.msi. Once you have downloaded the software onto your computer, you may access the free webinar on demand at http://wpc.02C2.edgecastcdn.net/0002C2/webcasts/Engaging%20Employees%20in%20the%20Learning%20Organization.arf. After the webinar is loaded, you will see a table of contents box on the right side of your computer screen. Simply click on the first segment entitled, What’s Happening When People Come Together, to begin viewing this webinar.

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