[Flash 10 is required to watch video.]Dick Handshaw Family Dollar Presentation Instructional Design:  How to Sell the Real Value March 23, 2011

Dick Handshaw Instructional Design:  How to Sell the Real Value March 2011

I’ve spent countless hours during the past few weeks talking to SME after SME, staring at documentation, and willing the information I needed to complete my task analysis to arise out of nowhere and make itself known.  No surprise—that wasn’t happening.  Here’s why it was such a challenge:  The project is for a client who is implementing a new software application.  They need to train various users to complete their tasks in the system.  Since the system is in development there aren’t any users to observe or interview: Strike 1.  I talked to many line of business SMEs who understand exactly what each type of user does in the workflow, but they don’t know completely how they’ll be using the system to do it: Strike 2.  I also talked to some software developer SMEs who understand the functionality of the system, but not exactly the context in which it’ll be used: Strike 3.  So, I had a large (and very significant) gap in my analysis between what the user does, what the system does, and how the user does it in the system.  Here are the steps I recommend if you find yourself in a similar situation: 1. Conduct a gap analysis on your own work.  Clearly identify what information you need.  Take it from "Eh, there’s a big hole" to "I need to know how this user uses this system to do this task." 2. If the gap is in the details of your task analysis, try to have the highest level tasks/process firmly established before you look to fill the lower level gaps.  Run it by your line of business SMEs and get unofficial verbal approval that this level of analysis is correct.  This will provide you with a solid, organized base upon which to build as you gather more data. 3. Contact all of your project team members on the client’s side and SMEs that you have been in touch with to date.  Explain your information gap and ask who might be able to provide you with this information, and if any documentation exists that might fill the need. 4. Once your SMEs identify who has the information you need, it can’t hurt to ask them for an introduction, especially if you are an outside vendor.  Your new SME will be more likely to share information with you if they’ve heard about your need from someone they already have a relationship with. Following these steps with my task analysis led me to the gold mine of information I needed.  I found the person on the client’s side who was working on the use cases for quality assurance.  After a phone call with her, we realized we were working toward identifying the same level of tasks, and we built a partnership that allowed us to share information we found through other sources with each other.  Task analysis - done! Beth Hughes is a Lead Instructional Designer at Handshaw, Inc. She takes projects through the entire process of instructional design and development, incorporating learning principles, instructional needs, and methodologies into the best learning solution for each client. Beth earned her M.Ed. in Instructional Systems Technology from UNCC.

Last Tuesday, April 19th, I had the pleasure of working with members of the Piedmont ASTD Chapter in Winston-Salem, NC. I delivered a four hour workshop that afternoon titled, "Testing and Learner Validation." The testing portion consisted of hands-on skill building for the selection of testing instruments and the writing of better test questions. Test construction is a difficult and often over-looked part of Instructional Design. This session included two useful job aids which, with a little practice, can almost guarantee you will be developing tests that are valid and reliable. In the Learner Validation portion we learned how to plan for, conduct, and evaluate a Learner Tryout and a Field Test. Then we actually conducted a Learner Tryout in the session with a sample of an e-Learning course. Everyone in the room found needed revisions to the instruction, which they readily agreed were worth the time spent to know this information before they continued with more development. Most everyone in the workshop was familiar with Instructional Design practices, but interested in finding a few new methods to make their design better. We worked pretty hard and the time flew by. Thank you all for having me and for an engaging afternoon.

I have always admired the activity level of the Research Triangle Chapter of ASTD and the quality of their speakers. I recently attended a great workshop there led by Ruth Clark. So I was very gratified when they invited me to do a session titled, "SMEs—A Marriage For Better or Worse." I developed this topic about three years ago based on some research I did with some of my clients. In fact, it was one of my Raleigh clients, Susan Funderburk of NC State Employees’ Credit Union, who put the idea in my head. She complained that they were really having problems dealing with subject matter experts and wanted to know if I had any advice for how to make the process work better for all parties concerned. I created a short questionnaire and sent it around to a few other clients and also to my staff. My straightforward attempt at research revealed that we all had the same set of problems, and in fact, there were really just seven of them. I only had to draw on the best practices of project management and some performance consulting principles in use here at Handshaw for many years to address the seven problems. Since I developed that presentation in 2008, I have seen a growing interest in learning how to work with SMEs. Earlier this month I attended Darryl Sink’s excellent session at the 2011 ISPI Conference titled, "Subject-Matter Experts: Don’t Just Say, ‘Now Spill the Beans.’" One of RTA chapter’s own members, Tracy Hollister, also announced a study on working with SMEs done by her company TrainingIndustry.com with General Physics Corporation that will be released on May 21st. It does seem that interest in developing best practices for working with subject matter experts is on the increase. I’ll continue to revise my presentation as I learn more about working with SMEs. I will also add some concrete examples, at the suggestion of some kind person who took the time to fill out an evaluation Thursday. Thank you for that good idea. And finally, thank you to the three SMEs in attendance who allowed us to talk about you like you really weren’t there. You gave us a lot of great feedback. I hope we are all better equipped to work with you the next time you get assigned to work with one of us on project.

Dick Handshaw will present a half-day preconference workshop at the 2011 ASTD International Conference and Exposition.  His workshop "Training Request?  Ask Questions First" will be offered on Saturday, May 21st from 8:30 am - 12:00 noon.  The conference will be held from May 22nd - 25th, 2011 in Orlando, FL.  Handshaw’s workshop presents an effective process for partnering with clients to define the performance needs that will lead to business results.  During the workshop participants will participate in a re-framing exercise that allows them to become both consultant and client during a role-play.  The exercise equips participants with the skills needed to turn a training request into a performance consulting opportunity.  Participation in the workshop allows participants to discover their own abilities as a consultant and helps them to develop the confidence to use them. For more details or to register for this event visit:  www.astdconference.org.

The best part of the evolution of my job at Handshaw is that I get to spend a lot more time talking to people who are actually out there, daily keeping up with requests, and keeping the people in their organizations trained. For the most part they don’t complain a lot, but if you ask them what bothers them most about their jobs, they will tell you they don’t like being order takers. So you might ask, if not order taker, what do they want to be? The answer would most often be a strategic business partner. When I ask people why they are in this predicament, they reply with one of two things. Many of them may say they lack the skills to be a performance consultant along with all the other things they have to do in their jobs. Most of them would say they just don’t feel like it’s appropriate for them to be talking directly to the head of a line of business, or even if they do, they don’t feel it’s their place to tell them what to do. The first problem might not be that hard to resolve. We could probably give them some training with plenty of practice and feedback to build their consulting skills. The second problem is a little more difficult.  I’d like to take this opportunity to speak directly to those of you who find yourself in this situation.  Even if you build the skills, it will be difficult for trainers to act as strategic business partners if the culture, meaning your manager, won’t support an environment where consulting is accepted, encouraged, and rewarded. Don’t be too hard on your manager though if he or she doesn’t want to jump right in and support you. The transition will be time-consuming and there is definitely some risk involved.  You can save your manager a little angst by starting out slowly and working with one key client who is likely to support you and work with you.  Once you have a success or two to which you can point, you can begin to roll the process out further. Let me warn you of two pitfalls. Performance consulting is not offering your opinions to your clients and hoping they will take up your ideas. Performance consulting is asking the right questions, so your client will discover the correct solutions with you. And finally, avoid putting the title "Performance Consultant" on your business card, at least right away. Advertising the fact that you are a consultant doesn’t get the job done nearly as effectively as acting like one. Next week … more on Proactive and Reactive Consulting. 1 of 3 in series

The Robinsons begin their chapter on "Proactively Identifying Performance Consulting Opportunities" in the Second Edition of their book Performance Consulting with a quote from Wayne Gretzky.  It reads, "I skate to where the puck is going to be, not to where it has been."  That’s the best answer I can think of for the question posed by my title. Now let’s think about what that means to people who have to provide learning solutions every day, on a budget, on a schedule. It means we have to pay more attention to developing relationships. We want to be brought to the table earlier and we want to participate on a strategic level. That means we will do far better if we seek to understand our client’s business, including his or her pains and opportunities, before a specific initiative or project arises. Building trust among individuals takes time, especially when there are risks at stake.  That’s why relationship building is so important. It’s not something you can put on a project schedule or assign a convenient due date. It’s an investment you make over time and it does pay off.  In their book, Jim and Dana Robinson go on to state that the purpose of the proactive discussion is "to deepen your knowledge of your client’s business and to strengthen your relationship with your client.   But you also have your antennae up to identify opportunities where you might add value when you have not been asked to be part of the project. " Mastering this simple skill alone will resolve most of the complaints I hear about being seen strictly as an order taker and having to use valuable corporate money and time developing learning solutions that we know will add little value. Beginning a methodical process of Proactive Performance Consulting will position you to be invited into opportunities earlier in the process.  It will also give you access to information you probably haven’t had in the past.  Lastly, you will have a greater and more informed voice in identifying solutions to problems, whether they are learning interventions or other types of interventions. Now about that simple skill; it really is easy, enjoyable, and interesting. Watch the Proactive Consulting Interview video on the Home page or find the link to it (and other videos) on the Resources tab.  You will see a 13 minute video role play showing one possible way to conduct this interview. If you are interested in a workshop on this skill, go to the Workshops tab and read the description for the Performance Partnering Workshop and then contact Sara Miller at sara.miller@handshaw.com. 2 of 3 in series

Proactive Consulting Interview  Dick Handshaw demonstrates how to establish a consulting relationship that will lead to clear and measurable business results.

I think the thing I like best about ASTD conferences is the truly international flavor and what that can bring to the sessions. Now I’ve only been in one session so far, and that was my own pre-conference workshop, but it’s early yet. My workshop was a skill building session on how to reframe a training request into an opportunity for performance consulting. I did very little presenting because most of the session consisted of individual role plays. One participant would play a client with a training request and the other would play the performance consultant. Naturally, culture is a big factor in how the role play is conducted and in the kind of results achieved. Normally I’m talking corporate culture, but in this case, global culture was a big factor. We had an Asian client with a performance consultant from Mexico. We had Europeans, Scandinavians, and Asians, including Singapore and Thailand, and we had a representative from Kuwait.  We also covered every corner of America from Seattle to Florida to Texas to Maine—and I only had a couple dozen participants in my workshop.  It was striking how the different participants approached the basic rules of the role play based in part by their own regional or international culture. Some were cautious and polite, allowing everyone to save face and appear strong; others were more direct with a measured strategy. Some employed humor, others were tactful and complimentary. Most of them were successful in getting their clients to see the request from a different point of view, even those with clients who most stubbornly stuck to their point of view until the consultant questioned and cajoled his or her way through the role play. I was concerned how my strategy of employing role plays would work in such a diverse audience, but I shouldn’t have been. I never had to twist anyone’s arm to take the stage to do their role play, and we saw the most creative variety of approaches I have ever seen with this exercise. Even the feedback component was lively and so eclectic in its various points of view.  So allow me to thank all of you for your participation, your brilliance, your flexibility and above all for what I learned from each of you. What I now value most about the ASTD International Conference and Expo is the rich diversity of its participants. Thank you all.