September 2011 - Chief Learning Officer - CLO Media https://www.chieflearningofficer.com/2011/09/ Chief Learning Officer is a multimedia publication focused on the importance, benefits and advancements of a properly trained workforce. Tue, 21 Aug 2018 14:59:50 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 https://www.chieflearningofficer.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/cropped-CLO-icon-Redone-32x32.png September 2011 - Chief Learning Officer - CLO Media https://www.chieflearningofficer.com/2011/09/ 32 32 Four HR Tech Vendors Combine to Create Cloud System https://www.chieflearningofficer.com/2011/09/30/four-hr-tech-vendors-combine-to-create-cloud-system/ https://www.chieflearningofficer.com/2011/09/30/four-hr-tech-vendors-combine-to-create-cloud-system/#respond Fri, 30 Sep 2011 09:19:00 +0000 http://dev-clomedia.pantheonsite.io/2011/09/30/four-hr-tech-vendors-combine-to-create-cloud-system/ The four companies have collaborated to create “HR in the Cloud,” a collaboration of unified SaaS products that integrates applicant tracking, human resource information system, performance management and learning and compliance management.

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Ottawa — Sept. 29

Four HR technology vendors have joined forces to create HR in the Cloud, which combines software of myStaffingPro, BambooHR, CRG emPerform and Strategia Ed.

The product is a collaboration of unified SaaS products that integrates applicant tracking, human resource information system (HRIS), performance management and learning and compliance management. Together the products touch on recruitment through the entire employee life cycle.

Once hired, the employee data is exported into the HRIS system, BambooHR. BambooHR features employee data management, as well as PTO, benefit and training tracking.

The final phase, aligning and developing employees, is accomplished with emPerform’s employee performance management suite and Strategia’s learning and compliance management system. EmPerform comes with performance management tools such as automated appraisals, succession planning, compensation management, goal alignment, 360 multi-rater reviews and reporting functionality. Strategia offers the Ed Learning System, which provides a global platform to plan, deliver, track and manage an organization’s formal and informal learning activities, compliance, competencies and certification programs, and to create and deliver content through one or multiple portals including e-commerce gateways.

HR in the Cloud provides a recruiting and talent management platform to enable businesses to attract, recruit, align, reward, train and retain top talent.

HR in the Cloud will debut at the 2011 HR Technology Conference Oct. 3-5 in Las Vegas.

Source: HR in the Cloud

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Refining Tomorrow’s Leaders https://www.chieflearningofficer.com/2011/09/29/refining-tomorrows-leaders/ https://www.chieflearningofficer.com/2011/09/29/refining-tomorrows-leaders/#respond Thu, 29 Sep 2011 11:00:00 +0000 http://dev-clomedia.pantheonsite.io/2011/09/29/refining-tomorrows-leaders/ Irving Oil created a formal, academic leadership experience to support business literacy and build stronger relationships.

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Through its 90-year history, Irving Oil employees in Canada and the United States have taken advantage of a variety of internal and external training programs. These range from traditional job training and developmental opportunities to highly technical and mandatory annual training required by industry regulation. Many employees also have taken advantage of coaching and mentoring support, which is not required but offers support to ensure employee success. These programs enabled the energy company’s employees to expand their skills and equipped them to take on leadership positions as the company grows.

Some employees refer to their workplace as Irving University, and while the company does not have a corporate university, the term was coined due to the opportunities available to employees interested in taking on new roles and advancing their careers. The company’s long-standing commitment to developing its workforce is one reason it maintains high retention rates. More than 37 percent of its Canadian and U.S. employees have remained with the company for a decade or longer. Its overall attrition rate is less than 1 percent per year.

Industry Movement Shifts Education

In early 2010, Irving Oil saw the need for a more formal, academically focused leadership experience to build greater business and financial capabilities in its employees. This need was spurred by the fact that the oil industry is changing. More volatile markets are making it increasingly difficult for refiners to be successful. Irving Oil understood that to remain successful, it needed to place an emphasis on performance — not just ensuring the company’s physical assets were performing at their best, but also strengthening leadership, improving employees’ business acumen and developing stronger professional capabilities.

After identifying the need to cultivate existing employee talents and invest in the future, the human resources team took its commitment to leadership development a step further. With support from company executives, including newly installed President Mike Ashar, who joined Irving Oil in 2008, a formal partnership with the University of New Brunswick — Saint John Campus (UNBSJ) launched a joint executive MBA program (EMBA).

A major investment for Irving Oil, the EMBA program establishes an accredited learning degree program onsite. Students are selected based on academic guidelines established by the university and performance standards set by Irving Oil’s human resources team. The final group composition is formed via collaboration between the company and the UNBSJ to ensure a diverse group representative of various functional areas, business units, roles and responsibilities, and years of tenure.

Because each student cohort represents a diverse cross-section of the company, the EMBA program nurtures innovation, ideation and strategic thinking, while leveraging their cross-functional relationships. The program is designed to serve as a platform for employees to learn from one another while increasing their individual capabilities.

Working with the university has enabled Irving Oil to deliver a cost-effective program. It represents approximately 25 percent of the company’s training and professional development budget. The EMBA program is one of the largest learning investments Irving has ever made, yet the senior management team expects the program to pay off within five years. The return on investment is based on an expectation that students will generate ideas and bring work tools and business insights back to the company. Employees will use these skills to enhance their own work products as well as share this information with team members.

Survey data from 2009 and 2010 by the executive MBA council aligns with Irving Oil’s internal findings. The council’s 2009 survey of 3,348 students from 112 programs found 97 percent of students said their programs met or exceeded their expectations for organizational impact.

Flexibility for Part-Time Students

Irving Oil’s program officially kicked off in October 2010 when more than 50 employees attended their first class onsite. Students can take courses on a range of business-relevant topics, including business ethics, accounting, research and statistics for two years. The program was designed to fit the needs of part-time students who have full-time obligations at work, with families and in the community.

To ensure success, Irving Oil’s senior management team determined that part of the program would hold classes in the late afternoon, twice per week, instead of during the evenings or on weekends, with flexibility given for exam preparation and group work as required.

“The executive MBA classes have been incredibly valuable, and throughout this process, Irving Oil has been very supportive of our transition to student life,” said Lesley MacLeod Dickson, a public affairs specialist and member of the inaugural class. “I wanted the opportunity to obtain my EMBA because I believe that now more than ever a graduate degree in business gives me the skills I need to take on increased responsibilities, and having more responsibilities makes my work life more satisfying.”

Class lectures are delivered by the same UNBSJ professors who teach in the university’s full-time EMBA program, so Irving Oil students receive the same education as their full-time counterparts. The company has provided facilities onsite in renovated classrooms near the Irving Oil main offices. Because managing a new schedule and increased workload can be a challenge, the company also offers workshops to develop skills in time management, writing and effective studying.

Buy-in from managers also has contributed to the program’s success. It was imperative that Irving Oil integrate managers carefully into program logistics so they would feel like they were a part of the decision-making process. The company encouraged managers to be flexible and to accommodate students’ schedules, and managers continually receive messages about the program’s progress from the president and executive team and are urged to support students along their journey. Students are also held accountable to their managers and are expected to work hard in their studies and in their day-to-day responsibilities.

Measure Impact With Bottom-Line Results

The impact of the EMBA classes has been tangible and almost immediate. Student groups perform real work projects that provide solutions to challenging areas for the company. For example, student papers have been shared with the executive team as input for team meetings, rather than purchasing this work from a consulting firm. Other work, such as competitive analyses and analyses of barriers to the company’s vision, is also being evaluated and generated by internal talent.

Because they view their roles from a new and different perspective and have new tools under their belts, students report having renewed energy for their jobs. They’re excited to apply new concepts and test new skills in the workplace.

“All projects associated with our courses have been focused on topics relating to our company’s operating environment,” Dickson said. “By examining new management processes and financial data through this corporate lens, I have a better understanding of how my role connects to our company’s objectives. Irving Oil has also been tremendously supportive to the class by offering us an onsite learning facility, the latest technology, ongoing coaching and mentorship by our company’s leadership team.”

In turn, students readily see and appreciate the company’s central role in contributing to their professional growth and development, and, in time, to the growth of their careers. The executive MBA council reported similar findings in its 2010 survey, which showed 68 percent of graduates reported new responsibilities as a result of entering an EMBA program, and 37 percent received a promotion and job change during their program.

While the first student cohort still has a long way to go in the classroom — the group will graduate in October 2012 — the HR department already has observed students’ deepened knowledge and expertise in the workplace. The fact that students from one part of the company intermingle with students from other parts has turned out to be particularly beneficial. In an internal student survey, employees systematically reported that their opportunities to interact with employees from other areas of the company in the classroom — individuals with whom they would not ordinarily interact — has brought them a better understanding of the business as a whole.

“The executive MBA program allows us to build stronger relationships across the organization, which we can leverage to make a more effective company,” said Alex Coles, a senior manager in the execution and integration office at Irving Oil. “Through this program, Irving Oil is supporting business literacy by providing educational opportunities that allow us to build more capability within the organization, providing us with a competitive advantage in today’s economic climate.”

Paying tuition for the first student cohort of more than 50 employees, while continuing to pay their salaries and benefits, is a large, ongoing commitment. In October, Irving Oil will admit 60 students into its second class.

In 2010, a BenchmarkPro survey revealed how companies are dealing with economic troubles caused by the recession. Nearly half of the surveyed companies reduced or eliminated employee benefits. At a time when so many companies are cautious about increasing spending on benefits, Irving Oil sees investment in its human capital as the best path forward.

Tanya Chapman is the corporate human resources officer for Irving Oil. She can be reached at editor@CLOmedia.com.

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E-Learning Provider Releases New Platform https://www.chieflearningofficer.com/2011/09/29/e-learning-provider-releases-new-platform/ https://www.chieflearningofficer.com/2011/09/29/e-learning-provider-releases-new-platform/#respond Thu, 29 Sep 2011 09:15:00 +0000 http://dev-clomedia.pantheonsite.io/2011/09/29/e-learning-provider-releases-new-platform/ The makers of Lectora e-learning software announce a new offering of instructional design training for developers.

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Cincinnati — Sept. 28

The makers of Lectora e-learning software announce a new offering of instructional design training for developers. This instructor-led course enables e-learning professionals to acquire an understanding of instructional design principles to develop effective e-learning courses and training.

“Instructional Design Training for the Everyday Developer” provides learners with processes, techniques, templates and tools to create sound design and courseware for e-learning. Taught by expert trainers, this course takes attendees through an e-learning journey from initial conception through course delivery and evaluation.

This course covers the concepts of instructional system design (ISD) and focuses on e-learning instructional design (e-learning ID) to give participants the opportunity to maximize the effectiveness, efficiency and appeal of instruction in e-learning.

ISD focuses on a structured approach to designing and developing learning as a process. E-learning ID, one phase of ISD, can be described as the art and practice of designing an instructionally sound and engaging self-paced e-learning course.

The new “Instructional Design for the Everyday Developer” course takes place Oct. 13 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. CT at the Chicago Lectora regional training facility. Attendees can also take advantage of Lectora Fundamentals and Lectora Intermediate training in Chicago in conjunction with the ISD training session.

Source: Lectora and Trivantis Corp.

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Creating a Generation of Asian Business Leaders https://www.chieflearningofficer.com/2011/09/28/creating-a-generation-of-asian-business-leaders/ https://www.chieflearningofficer.com/2011/09/28/creating-a-generation-of-asian-business-leaders/#respond Wed, 28 Sep 2011 15:00:00 +0000 http://dev-clomedia.pantheonsite.io/2011/09/28/creating-a-generation-of-asian-business-leaders/ The CLO will play a key role in forming a successful strategy around leadership identification and development in the new Asian-centric economy.

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The center of gravity in the global economy is rapidly shifting to Asia. The region, led by emerging market powerhouses India and China, is first out of the gate in the global recovery and building on its lead. This is more than a simple economic resurgence. A new, 21st century model for success that has the potential to endure for decades is taking shape.

With all of Asia’s promise, the market also presents considerable risk. Success will come down to the quality of leadership talent, particularly local talent, in place. This talent will be different than any previously sought in Asian markets. Leaders must be more participative and less directive, more strategic and less operational.

Research data from executive recruiting firm Korn/Ferry suggests the leadership style required to meet this need is in short supply. To understand the emerging leadership and development needs in the region, the forces propelling the Asian economy forward at such a rapid pace must be examined first. There are three fundamental shifts at work:

The consumer shift: This is the most critical shift under way. Asia’s middle class is growing at a frenetic pace. During the next two decades, the ranks of the middle class in Asia will swell exponentially. The Brookings Institution estimates that nearly two-thirds of the world’s middle class will reside in Asia in 2030, more than double today’s figures. As the new middle class emerges, so will new attitudes toward consumption. A recent Credit Suisse survey of emerging consumers also indicates an increase in discretionary spending in India and China.

The innovation shift: Companies such as GE and Tata recognize the need to adapt their products and services to the burgeoning middle class. This has unleashed a wave of innovation. According to its Ministry of Commerce, China is now home to more than 1,200 foreign-invested research and development centers.

The workforce shift: If companies are going to succeed by creating new types of products and services for a new type of consumer, they will need a new type of employee. Asian managers have historically focused on building a low-cost, high-productivity workforce. The emphasis is now shifting to developing a creative pool of talent that can generate and implement breakthrough ideas. Singapore is noteworthy for increasing research and development spending more than 20 percent in an effort to further transition from manufacturing to a knowledge-based economy.

These shifts present companies doing business in Asia with a whole new set of challenges. No longer can strategies be replicated as companies move into new markets. Instead, new strategies are necessary to generate growth in previously underserved segments. Likewise, go-to-market methodologies need to be customized for the particular opportunities and threats inherent to a situation, and not just at the country level, but sometimes by city.

The Leadership Challenge
These shifts and the corresponding challenges culminate in the need for a new type of leader — the Asia 2.0 leader. This person doesn’t automatically stick with what has worked in the past, but questions the status quo. The individual has local knowledge and savvy, but also can operate on a global stage. The person may not issue commands, but instead actively engages others’ thinking and participation. This leader doesn’t just set a direction and stay the course, but responds nimbly to environmental changes.

Particular aspects of Asia 2.0 leaders’ style clearly differentiate them from their 1.0 predecessors. Figure 1 shows a comparison of leadership styles based on two dimensions: focus and style of decision making. Four distinct styles emerge from 2.0 leaders.

Asian 1.0 leadership relied on single-minded focus on plan, execution and task. Asia 2.0 leadership success will depend on ability to handle multiplicity, diversity and cultural differences.

Korn/Ferry analyzed the prevalent leadership styles of 100 top executives in China and 99 in India and compared them to 1,000 top-rated global executives. The picture that emerged is stark. Even as the need for Asia 2.0 leadership becomes more critical, the executor and controller styles that distinguish the classic 1.0 approach to leadership remain dominant in Chinese and Indian C-suites. The energizer and integrator styles essential to 2.0 leadership — and more common to top executives the world over — were in much shorter supply.

The findings were further validated by looking at a broader pool of candidates for executive and managerial roles in Asia. These results also confirm the pool of available talent ready to lead in the Asia 2.0 business environment is shallow.

Reviewing assessments of 1,246 executives and 642 managers who were finalists for top-level jobs, Korn/Ferry found few had the competencies needed for the future (Figure 2).

New Challenges, New Solutions
To build sustainable success in this rapidly growing marketplace where talent is scarce, companies need to identify individuals with the potential to lead and develop them fast. The CLO will be the catalyst. The keys to success will be accuracy in assessment and speed in development.

The principal elements to assess leadership skill are fit and agility. Fit will identify which current organizational leaders match the energizer-integrator profile and what gaps exist. The individuals most capable of closing those gaps, getting out of their comfort zone and adapting their skills to meet the demands of the Asia 2.0 environment are those high in learning agility.

Diagnosing the situation is just the beginning. An appropriate set of principles and practices needs to be in place to support and sustain a 2.0-driven learning strategy. This likely will require a significant evolution in how an organization views and invests in talent, especially within regions targeted for growth (Figure 3).

Shifting the organization’s approach to development is likely to yield the biggest gains. The key here is speed. A lot of development needs to take place in a short amount of time. Shift the emphasis away from traditional methods such as technical training and leadership development courses. They provide essential knowledge but there is often a gap between classroom knowledge and real-world application.

Instead, use the organization as the classroom. Make sure high-potential leaders have assignments that not only stretch them, but provide the opportunity to practice and refine new skills required to lead the future organization. For example, a particular leader may need to develop customer focus, strategic agility and skill building effective teams. An assignment to lead a cross-functional team to launch a customer loyalty program or reposition a product to a new market segment might provide the right exposure and challenges to spur development in these areas.

This approach to development requires taking some risks. Success in these assignments should not be guaranteed. A certain amount of development heat needs to occur for the learning experience to leave a deep and lasting impression. Like a crucible heats up a material to such a high degree that it transforms it, an intense, on-the-job development experience can have a similar effect on an emerging leader.

Executed correctly — the right assignment to teach the right skills to the right person at the right time — this type of development can accelerate learning on a steeper path so each shift in leadership style can occur in two to three years rather than seven to nine. When mistakes and even outright failures occur, it is critical not to punish employees. Use the mistake as an opportunity to reinforce learning relevant to the skills targeted for development. Leaders typically learn much more from their shortcomings than their successes.

The Asian business landscape is full of promise and peril. Success will require courage and foresight. Organizations will need the right strategy to develop leaders who are open-minded, engaging, adaptive and creative. The CLO plays a key role in developing awareness of the type of individual needed and providing the framework and resources to identify and develop those with the potential to lead.

George Hallenbeck is the vice president of intellectual property development, and Indranil Roy is the managing director of Asia Pacific for Korn/Ferry Leadership and Talent Consulting. They can be reached at editor@CLOmedia.com.

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2011 LearningElite Organizations https://www.chieflearningofficer.com/2011/09/28/2011-learningelite-organizations/ https://www.chieflearningofficer.com/2011/09/28/2011-learningelite-organizations/#respond Wed, 28 Sep 2011 12:00:00 +0000 http://dev-clomedia.pantheonsite.io/2011/09/28/2011-learningelite-organizations/ Congratulations to the 2011 LearningElite Organizations! Editor’s Choice in Leadership Commitment: Deloitte Editor’s Choice in Strategy: Defense Acquisition University Editor’s Choice in Execution: Qualcomm Editor’s Choice in Impact: IBM Editor’s […]

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Congratulations to the

2011 LearningElite Organizations!

Editor’s Choice in Leadership Commitment: Deloitte
Editor’s Choice in Strategy: Defense Acquisition University
Editor’s Choice in Execution: Qualcomm
Editor’s Choice in Impact: IBM
Editor’s Choice in Business Performance Results: AT&T
Editor’s Choice in Best Small Company: Orkin

  1. AT&T
  2. Deloitte
  3. Defense Acquisition University
  4. IBM Corp.
  5. Accenture
  6. General Mills
  7. Qualcomm Inc.
  8. EMC Corp.
  9. McDonald’s Corp.
  10. Lowe’s Companies Inc.
  11. Farmers Insurance Group
  12. Vanguard
  13. Orkin
  14. Vi
  15. Bristol-Myers Squibb
  16. InterContinental Hotels Group
  17. Spectra Energy Corp.
  18. St. Peter’s Health Care Services
  19. P&G
  20. Cerner Corp.
  21. Scotiabank
  22. Emory University
  23. FedEx Corp.
  24. J.C. Penney Company Inc.
  25. Genentech
  26. Sidley Austin LLP
  27. AlliedBarton Security Services
  28. Grant Thornton LLP
  29. New York Presbyterian Hospital
  30. Department of Veterans Affairs
  31. NIIT (USA) Inc.
  32. Nationwide Insurance
  33. CA Technologies Inc.
  34. NetApp Inc.
  35. Loblaw Companies Ltd.
  36. Prescription Solutions/UnitedHealth Group
  37. Banner Health
  38. Alexian Brothers Medical Center
  39. RWD Technologies LLC
  40. Life Time Fitness Inc.
  41. Almac Group
  42. ManTech International Corp.
  43. Amdocs

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Study: Shared Services Executives Accelerate C-Suite Visibility https://www.chieflearningofficer.com/2011/09/28/study-shared-services-executives-accelerate-c-suite-visibility/ https://www.chieflearningofficer.com/2011/09/28/study-shared-services-executives-accelerate-c-suite-visibility/#respond Wed, 28 Sep 2011 09:59:00 +0000 http://dev-clomedia.pantheonsite.io/2011/09/28/study-shared-services-executives-accelerate-c-suite-visibility/ Executives who lead shared services organizations are increasingly accountable to the corporate c-suite, according to a new Accenture study.

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Miami — Sept. 26

Executives who lead shared services organizations, designed to reduce overhead costs by consolidating administrative or support functions in areas such as finance, human resources and information technology, are increasingly accountable to the corporate C-suite, according to a new Accenture study, released at its 11th annual Global Shared Services Conference.

In fact, 59 percent of the shared services executives polled report to C-suite-level officers, including their company’s top finance, operations, human resources and information technology officers. And 17 percent of them report directly to the CEO. In a similar study completed by Accenture two years ago, only 8 percent of the shared services executives reported to the CEO.

According to a report on the study’s findings, “Trends in Shared Services: Unlocking the Full Potential,” as their popularity grows, shared services programs are evolving, and they are being designed to deliver services that require more skill than basic administrative functions. Among the more advanced shared services organizations, the Accenture study identified the emergence of integrated business services (IBS) that leverage the company’s global corporate resources and contract with outsourcing partners to deliver cost-competitive one-stop services to their entire enterprise.

For instance, one pioneering IBS organization cited in the report provides end-to-end support for sales and marketing organizations covering trade promotion management, consumer contact, digital marketing and merchandising initiatives and consumer and merchandise analytics, as opposed to performing a collection of individual functional activities such as sales order management, or contract management, or customer invoicing.

Ninety percent of the companies represented in the survey have already added more geographies and markets to the scope of shared services they deliver. And, within the next five years, 49 percent of the executives said their shared services organizations intend to deliver innovation services as well as other value-add services, such as data analytics and research. Nearly half (48 percent) said their organizations would provide communications, treasury, legal and other services that are not typically part of the shared services mix today.

The Accenture study found that high-performing shared services organizations continuously look for ways to improve. In fact, 42 percent of the respondents said they allocate 10 percent or more of their annual operating budget for continuous improvement initiatives.

Currently, information technology is the type of service most frequently offered through shared services organizations, according to 75 percent of the executives. More than half (58 percent) said their organizations also deliver finance services, client-facing services such as billing and collections (51 percent) and human resources (50 percent).

In the future, 42 percent of the executives said that computing technologies, such as cloud, will have the greatest impact on their organizations. As their clients’ service needs evolve, cloud computing may provide a platform for shared services organizations to scale quickly to meet business needs and still manage their risk mitigation responsibilities in a cost-effective, virtual manner.

Eighty percent of the executives said they are proposing flexible work arrangements for shared services employees who support their global organizations. These arrangements typically allow shared services employees to work from home, which provides these organizations a way to tap into skilled labor pools in a cost-effective way.

And more than two-thirds (69 percent) of the executives said their organizations began using outsourcing to fulfill their global service requirements within the first four years of establishing shared services programs.

As shared services programs continue to evolve, the study shows many of these organizations are struggling with the fundamentals of achieving process excellence while elevating the quality of their service delivery to meet the demands associated with assuming a more strategic role as an IBS organization. Just under half (49 percent) of the executives surveyed reported that their shared services organization had standardized its policies, processes and supporting systems; 26 percent had standardized the policies but not the processes and supporting systems; and 25 percent lacked the supporting systems.

According to Accenture, the struggle to standardize policies, processes and systems may stem from the fact that 78 percent of the organizations included in the study define their processes at a global level but 48 percent still implement them locally. Standardization is necessary for process and service improvements.

Looking ahead, social media is expected have an impact on shared services, according to 90 percent of the executives surveyed, with 57 percent suggesting it may offer them the opportunity for greater collaboration among employees and greater productivity. Nearly as many (56 percent) expect it to lead to improved client collaboration and service delivery and 43 percent said it may increase satisfaction among shared services employees. However, the executives are generally taking a “wait and see” approach, as they evaluate how to use the social media most effectively in a time of rapid technology change and varying levels of social media adoption.

About the Study

The Accenture study, “Trends in shared services: Unlocking the full potential,” is based on qualitative and quantitative research, including a series of in-depth interviews with executives with three to five years experienced in the management of shared services organizations. Additionally, over 100 executives across 16 countries completed a telephone survey that delved into the trends and prospects for shared services in the years to come.

Source: Accenture

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Trivantis Corp. Finalizes Purchase of Flypaper Studio Inc. https://www.chieflearningofficer.com/2011/09/28/trivantis-corp-finalizes-purchase-of-flypaper-studio-inc/ https://www.chieflearningofficer.com/2011/09/28/trivantis-corp-finalizes-purchase-of-flypaper-studio-inc/#respond Wed, 28 Sep 2011 09:30:00 +0000 http://dev-clomedia.pantheonsite.io/2011/09/28/trivantis-corp-finalizes-purchase-of-flypaper-studio-inc/ Partnership couples e-learning authoring software and flash interactions builder and digital signage platform.

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Cincinnati, Ohio — Sept. 27

Trivantis Corp., producer of e-learning authoring and learning management software, announced the company’s acquisition of its partner, Flypaper Studio Inc.

Bringing together Trivantis and Flypaper provides the industry more than a decade of e-learning expertise within Trivantis and its extensive roster of Lectora clients along with flash and digital signage experience offered by Flypaper Studio.

The partnership couples e-learning authoring software, Lectora, along with Flypaper, a flash interactions builder and digital signage platform. Don Pierson remains as president of Flypaper Studio. Additionally, Pierson will now preside as executive vice president and member of the board of directors of Trivantis. He will report to Chairman and CEO Charles J. Beech. The initial announcement regarding the acquisition was made at this year’s Lectora User Conference in May.

Source: Trivantis Corp.

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Leadership Development for Uncertain Times https://www.chieflearningofficer.com/2011/09/28/leadership-development-for-uncertain-times/ https://www.chieflearningofficer.com/2011/09/28/leadership-development-for-uncertain-times/#respond Wed, 28 Sep 2011 01:01:00 +0000 http://dev-clomedia.pantheonsite.io/2011/09/28/leadership-development-for-uncertain-times/ Stock market volatility and economic uncertainty persist. But there are steps CLOs can take to help leaders adapt and profit from increased volatility.

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One of the few business certainties today is continued uncertainty. Stock markets are up one day, down dramatically the next. An interconnected global economy means debt crises in Europe drag down share prices in America and Asia. And business has lost faith in gridlocked politicians to act quickly and decisively.

It’s enough to make business executives long for the good old days, when markets were stable, profits grew slowly and steadily, global competition was manageable and politicians were predictable. The only problem? Stability and certainty is a myth.

“We create a fiction for ourselves that there are times when things aren’t changing,” said Daniel Rasmus, business consultant and author of Management by Design. “We’ve always had uncertainty. It’s a matter of if that’s affecting you or not at that moment.”

The difference now is the uncertainty du jour happens to be a global financial issue that has affected a wide range of people, Rasmus said. While volatility and economic uncertainty persist, there are steps CLOs can take to help leaders adapt and profit from increased volatility. They include helping leaders define uncertainties that affect their businesses, practicing scenario planning and developing feedback loops and mechanisms.

Training leaders to cope starts with putting a name to uncertainty so unexpected conditions don’t blindside them. Generally speaking, people are not very good at putting issues on the table, Rasmus said.

“Once you name something that is uncertain, you start exploring different ways under different circumstances that it would play out.”

CLOs can also help create culture where it is acceptable, and expected, for people to share concerns and express uncertainty. Too often, office politics is the biggest barrier to naming uncertainty. Many bosses think it’s better to look smart than admit ignorance, Rasmus said.

“It’s not OK to say ‘I don’t know the answer to that but let me tell you how I’m thinking about it,’” he said.

Scenario planning can then help leaders to develop a thinking process that allows them to explore the range of possibilities and exercise their ability to adjust to divergent outcomes. Agility can’t be just something you say you’re going to do. The practice of planning is useful even if those scenarios don’t end up being used.

“If you don’t practice it you don’t do it. Scenarios force you to do that,” Rasmus said. “They force you to go into these very divergent futures.”

Rasmus called it “wind-tunneling,” putting ideas through a virtual wind tunnel to test scenarios and watch how they respond to varying conditions. That sort of experimentation and analysis is critical to dealing with an uncertain future.

“There’s no data about the future,” he said. “Just having more data and doing more research isn’t going to give you a better answer about something where there’s no understanding of what the future will be.”

While a spirit of experimentation is key, so is the ability to do something with the results of those tests. Rasmus recommended setting up a rapid feedback loop that enables leaders to discuss results and quickly make adjustments.

In addition to helping leaders develop the skills and abilities to deal with uncertainty, CLOs can also serve as an example for the rest of the organization for the behavior and mindset needed to handle rapid change and uncertainty. Processes and practices are fluid, Rasmus said, and learning and development professionals should conduct experiments with their own work and be willing to try new approaches if it’s not working.

“You can’t get married to everything,” he said. “The processes and the practices that we put in place are not going to be something that we’re going to see 10 years from now. It’s going to be different.”

Executive shuffles can add to the uncertainty. In Silicon Valley, Yahoo’s board ousted outspoken CEO Carol Bartz and HP fired its third CEO in six years, naming former eBay executive and California gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman to replace Leo Apotheker. Partner those changes with economic uncertainty and the result can be leaders feeling like they’re operating in strategic limbo.

“The most important skill these days is learning how to learn,” Rasmus said. “It’s not what you learn, but being open and having the capability to integrate new learning and new data and modifying your points of view and your worldview based on what’s coming at you.”

Mike Prokopeak is editorial director of Chief Learning Officer magazine. He can be reached at mikep@CLOMedia.com.

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Perception of Learning Defined By Culture https://www.chieflearningofficer.com/2011/09/27/perception-of-learning-defined-by-culture/ https://www.chieflearningofficer.com/2011/09/27/perception-of-learning-defined-by-culture/#respond Tue, 27 Sep 2011 11:00:00 +0000 http://dev-clomedia.pantheonsite.io/2011/09/27/perception-of-learning-defined-by-culture/ Some CFOs believe learning is a good investment and some don’t. They need more data and analysis to make more productive investment decisions.

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I was quoted in “Measured Response,” an article in the June issue of CFO magazine. The essence of the debate therein was summarized in the last paragraph: “In the end, it may come down to a CFO’s inherent orientation. ‘My sense is that those who believe training is a good investment don’t need a lot of data to reinforce that belief … And for those who don’t believe it, no amount of data will convince them.’”

The last sentence is about culture, not facts, for both learning executives and finance executives. Learning executives hold deep beliefs about learning’s value. One might conclude that such a deeply and widely held belief works to their advantage, and in some ways it does. But in other ways it is a huge disadvantage for learning leaders and their organizations.

Investment decision making in human capital has implications for individuals, our organizations and our nation. Basing resource allocation decisions on beliefs about these things doesn’t work. There is simply too much risk for all involved. In the end, the stakes are too high.

I believe that as a nation we are investing too little in our human capital, and we are not making human capital investments wisely when we do make them. In both cases, we need more data and analysis to make more productive investment decisions. This may not come as a surprise to those who have been patient enough to listen to my railing about these issues for years. But we struggle to define policy at the national level, and then we miss key priorities at the enterprise level.

The ROI debate is all too familiar to our learning community. What is new here is the perspective from the CFO community. Surprisingly, when it comes to human capital investment, finance leaders tasked with bringing objective, data-based investment decision making to the senior leadership team are willing to make investment decisions based on belief. The contention that these beliefs will not be swayed by facts is even more surprising. The $126 billion which the American Society for Training & Development estimates we spend on learning is a lot even in the age of trillion-dollar deficits.

Here is the bottom line of the cultural debate. The conclusion of the CFO article is that there are two separate camps for CFOs. There are those who believe learning is a good investment and those who don’t. The basic thesis is that those in the first camp don’t need data because they already believe, while those in the latter camp would not change their beliefs even if presented with objective data and analysis.

While I might accept that the culture of learning executives might not be compelled to measure financial data and do the analyses, I find it difficult to believe that those trained in the profession of dispassionate financial decision making have come to the same conclusion. Finance executives live in a culture of data and analysis and are chartered to be stewards of the financial resources of an enterprise. In the resource allocation game, $126 billion is no small chunk of change.

In the end, the real issue is that neither the learning profession nor the finance professions have, as a core competency, what every pharmaceutical organization has: the knowledge and experience to separate the influence of so many factors from the financial impact.

There is not a single capable finance manager who would be unwilling to spend, say, 5 percent of a planned capital investment to assure the senior executive team that the financial return the advocating operating manager believes in is supported by the facts. That work is routinely performed for virtually every balance sheet-based investment made in large organizations.

Five percent of $126 billion is $6.3 billion. There are two important points about this $6.3 billion. First of all, we are not spending it. Secondly, one is hard-pressed to conclude the management of $6.3 billion used to gather data and do the financial analysis on the $126 billion in investments is, in the culture of any competent senior management team, a waste of time.

Michael E. Echols is the vice president of strategic initiatives at Bellevue University and the author of ROI on Human Capital Investment. He can be reached at editor@CLOmedia.com.

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Kulhman, Vance to Be Featured Presenters at Regional Conference https://www.chieflearningofficer.com/2011/09/27/kulhman-vance-to-be-featured-presenters-at-regional-conference/ https://www.chieflearningofficer.com/2011/09/27/kulhman-vance-to-be-featured-presenters-at-regional-conference/#respond Tue, 27 Sep 2011 09:00:00 +0000 http://dev-clomedia.pantheonsite.io/2011/09/27/kulhman-vance-to-be-featured-presenters-at-regional-conference/ Corporate training experts Tom Kuhlman and David Vance will be among a group of presenters as The American Society for Training and Development, Twin Cities Chapter, hosts its 2011 Regional Conference & Expo.

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St. Paul, Minn. — Sept. 26

Corporate training experts Tom Kuhlman and David Vance will be among a group of presenters as The American Society for Training and Development, Twin Cities Chapter (ASTD-TCC), hosts its 2011 Regional Conference & Expo. The two-day event will be held Nov. 14-15 at the RiverCentre in downtown St. Paul.

Kuhlman manages the Articulate user community. He also writes the “Rapid E-Learning Blog,” which is published weekly to more than 83,000 readers. He has nearly two decades of experience in the training industry, where he’s developed and managed e-learning courses for both large and small organizations.

Vance is the former president of Caterpillar University, which he founded in 2001. Until his retirement in January 2007, he was responsible for ensuring that the right education, training and leadership were provided to achieve corporate goals and efficiently meet the learning needs of Caterpillar and dealer employees. Previously, he was chief economist and head of the business intelligence group at Caterpillar Inc.

Part of the 70,000-member American Society for Training and Development, the Twin Cities Chapter is the second-largest in the U.S. Founded in 1958, ASTD-TCC is focused on learning and development professionals in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area.

Source: ASTD

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