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Chris Willis

You need more than good software to showcase authoritative content. Here are a few strategies to level up training through careful planning, design, and creativity.

How to Turn Expert Knowledge Into Stand-Out E-Learning

The economic climate in recent years has tested not only our best leadership skills, but also has caused organizations to re-think how leaders must change and evolve to meet the needs of a changing workforce. The primary role of a leader has been to achieve the right results at the right time to keep their organization viable and moving forward. Historically, this role was approached in a rather linear path:define the job to be doneassign/delegate the taskmonitor the work in progresstake corrective action as neededtry to stay calmkeep your boss calmacknowledge when the work was completeddo it all over again. Curves, Bumps, Dead Ends—and Solutions Today, however, that path has expanded. It includes more turns (some sharper than others), as well as significant distractions, speed bumps, and dead ends—as a result of ongoing competitive demands coupled with the dynamics associated with a growing Millennial workforce. While the risks associated with these dynamics have increased, the rewards still exist. But to realize those rewards, leaders of the future will need to guide their teams using clear, specific goals and priorities so that everyone “stays on the same page.” Comfortable inaction. Leaders in the future must be alert to “comfortable inaction,” which occurs when your unhappiness or discomfort about a particular issue has not quite reached the point where you feel the need to do something.Leaders achieve results by solving problems when necessary. But no problem is really ever solved when it’s ignored. Problems are best solved when they are acted on while they are still small and less complicated. Comfortable inaction, though, encourages problems to grow and become more complicated and more damaging. Indeed, comfortable inaction, especially by people in leadership positions, can be a significant threat to an organization. When work isn’t completed—and when problems go unattended—an organization suffers. It will see decreases in revenues but increases in expenses, loss of market share, and a myriad of other challenges. Legacy thinking. In the process of achieving the right results, leaders are often called on to challenge the status quo. When this happens, the need to change is right around the corner. Legacy thinking involves holding on to the ways things are, have been, or how the leader believes they should be. When a leader is reluctant to challenge the status quo because they are comfortable with where they are and the results they are achieving, they are positioning the organization for future disaster. These leaders mistakenly think that their current status quo will continue into the future as-is. The failure to recognize legacy thinking can become deadly to any business—big or small—very quickly. Kodak is a classic example of the dangers and results of legacy thinking. Many don’t realize that Kodak owned the early patents on the digital process before it became popular. However, because of the large profits being generated from their film business, they ignored the digital marketplace opportunity until it was too late. Jack Welch, the legendary CEO of GE once said: “If change is taking place outside of your organization faster than it does inside, the company will be toast.” This sentiment pretty much sums up one of the dangers of legacy thinking. As a leader, one of your primary roles is to change the nature, shape, and form of your organization to adapt or to give it a competitive edge. Strong Grasp of Reality + A Specific Vison More so than ever before, leaders need to have a strong grasp of their reality coupled with a specific vision of where they want to direct their organization. In the absence of a grasp of reality and a specific vision, a leader has no chance of building a team that is effectively engaged in what needs to be done. Getting a team successfully engaged in the “work at hand” has been a challenge for all leaders since the beginning of time—and will become even more important in the future. Engaging workers is especially important as employers of all sizes work to meet the challenges brought on by today’s competitive economic climate and what we see ahead in the foreseeable future. Companies with “healthy” employee engagement share the following: A clear vision that leaders consistently discuss with their team. It’s action, not just words. Employees are able to describe correctly and consistently the vision and purpose of the organization and who they serve.Employees are emotionally attached to the vision, believe in what they do, and are committed and loyal to the organization. To be effective, tomorrow’s leaders will need to focus some of their energy on making sure these factors are included in how they lead their teams. Team Education and Development So, you need a “great” vision that your team can willingly buy into and adopt. For that to happen, every member of your team must know: what they dowhen they need to do ithow they need to do itwho they do it for (internal and external customers)why they do it (this is the most important factor)where they fit in within their company (so they know that what they do is important and their contribution is valued). Most companies do a relatively good job on points 1 to 3. However, the opportunity to build an engaged workforce for the future rests with how well they also address points 4 through 6. But if you can correctly educate and develop each member of your team on these six points, your team will understand how what they do will help make the vision a reality. In turn, they will realize that achieving the vision will fuel their internal motivation to make it happen. Snapshot of Future Leaders What will the leaders of tomorrow look like? First, future leaders will need to be effective communicators and be able to set and monitor priorities. Next, they must adapt well to change (whether anticipated or unexpected) and function effectively in times of uncertainty. They also must be confident in their ability to take action when they have limited or incomplete data. Finally, leaders of the future must be solution-driven with a laser focus to constantly keep moving forward. Here are some other mandatory characteristics tomorrows’ leaders will need in order to succeed. They understand why the “status quo” periodically needs to be challenged.They set and spell out timetables and milestones to measure progress.They show no fear.They never offer or accept excuses.They acknowledge the right actions and say “thank you.”They set performance expectations and hold people accountable to get the job done.They challenge their team to develop them to help them grow and “stretch” their capabilities.They reward the right actions—those that make a difference.They act quickly when poor performance has been identified.They solicit and to listen feedback. A Final Word The good thing about the future is that you know it’s coming. The next best thing is that you can prepare for it today. What are you waiting for?

The Ever-Expanding Role of the 21st Century Leader

8.4 trillion dollars.That's how Jean-Marc Laouchez quantified the impact of the talent crunch on today's organizations. Laouchez leads the Korn Ferry Institute and the Korn Ferry Academy, and recently delivered the opening keynote at Degreed’s annual innovator’s conference, LENS.So how best to make sense of such a staggering figure?Insight #1: People are your number 1 capital.In his welcome message at LENS, Degreed CEO Chris McCarthy reminded leaders that "technology and products can always move faster than organizational change."There is still a disconnect between what learning and development (L&D) leaders communicate as a top priority to the CEO (investing in people) and what the board/shareholders prioritize (investing in technology). \[4\] That there is disparity between how these two stakeholder groups view strategic priorities is unsurprising. In fact, even in high-performing companies, it's estimated that less than 30% of employees correctly identify organizational strategy. \[5\]The advantage of clearly communicating to all audiences that "people are the #1 asset" is that this clarity empowers employees to move quickly and confidently in alignment with goals. In their book, Talent Wins, Charan et al. go further to emphasize that executives and boards must recognize that talent, even more than strategy, is what generates value. \[1\] Laouchez laid out a clear plan of action that challenges organizations to pursue change by understanding how to "maximize internal talent to capture future value." \[4\]Insight #2: Define and develop the right skills, for the right jobs, for the right talent.Laouchez shared a study that Korn Ferry conducted with the World's Most Admired Companies (WMACs), where less than half of those organizations felt their talent had the right skills and capabilities to execute strategy. \[3\] This finding aligns with PwC's 21st Century CEO Survey where "80% of CEOs say they’re worried and 38% are extremely concerned about availability of digital skills in their country." \[9\] The conversation around the skills gap is complicated by the argument that employers should focus on increased wages—oversimplifying the problem to one of supply-and-demand driven primarily by the price of labor. Gartner's Marcus Chiu explains that for the many employers who are already willing to pay more, this solution is fraught with diminishing returns. \[2\]So what happens when there's a high supply of workers? The LinkedIn Workforce Report for September 2018 analyzes migration trends between major U.S. cities and which cities present the largest skill gaps. Interestingly, although Austin, TX gained the most workers in September 2018, this city also ranked among the top 10 cities with the largest skill shortages. \[6\] This suggests that an influx of workers is not always enough to solve the mismatch between the skills workers have and the skills employers need.It is worth noting that "more than one-half of employees rated opportunities to use their skills and abilities at work as a very important contributor to their job satisfaction." \[10\] This signals a shared value: Both workers and employers want to match skills to roles. Everyone now has access to the millions of courses, books, articles, videos, apps, podcasts, social networks, and other learning content. Key to building the skills needed to win is for employers to connect that content to skills, and then connect those skills to jobs.Insight #3: Make learning work by balancing outcomes, capabilities, and purpose.Culture—this is what ties it all together. A digital learning strategy that connects content to skills and skills to jobs must be anchored in a strong culture. If the digital building blocks for a highly-skilled workforce are firmly set on the cornerstone of a talent-first agenda, the organizational culture can thrive. \[1\] A culture of continuous learning is a competitive advantage, and is key to attracting talent—especially Millennials. \[8\] Laouchez outlined a three-point framework for how employers can drive a strong learning culture \[4\]:● Purpose: Come and work with us, and be who you are.● Capabilities: Do what you are good at, or do what you like, and master it.● Outcomes: We are going to put the needed resources behind you to achieve the desired results.Technology alone is not the magic bullet. In this paradigm, technology is an enabler—one that helps drive a disproportionate return on talent. This framework is also about nurturing trust between the organization and its talent to capture future value. Shane O'Leary references Daniel Coyle to explain that organizations like IDEO, Google, and Pixar integrate purpose and profit because they "build a common purpose, share vulnerability, and create psychological safety." \[3\] \[7\] Another way to build trust is to reward the talent that generates outsize value for the organization. Developing a roster of top-skilled talent is not just about the talent at the top. Further, those value creators can be many positions distanced from the CEO. \[1\] A flash of genius almost never sparks in alignment with organization hierarchies, but instead comes "from a volume of random ideas by lots of different people with different perspectives." \[3\]Want to learn more? Check out this pathway that includes the sources cited throughout the post.\*\*\*Charan, R., Barton, D., & Carey, D. C. (2018). Talent wins: The new playbook for putting people first. Boston, MA: Harvard Business Review Press.Chiu, M. (2018, June 4). Can US Employers Close the Skills Gap With Higher Wages Alone? Probably Not. Retrieved from https://www.cebglobal.com/talentdaily/can-us-employers-close-the-skills-gap-with-higher-wages-alone/COYLE, D. (2017). CULTURE CODE: The hidden language of highly successful groups. S.l.: BANTAM.Laouchez, J. (2018, October 4). L&D Strategy: How to Win the Battle Between People and Profits. Keynote speech presented at LENS 2018 in New York, New York.Leppert, J., & Kotter, J. (2014, June 9). When CEOs Talk Strategy, 70% Of The Company Doesn't Get It. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/johnkotter/2013/07/09/heres-why-ceo-strategies-fall-on-deaf-ears/#240067ed3663LinkedIn. (2018, September 11).LinkedIn Workforce Report | Atlanta | September 2018. Retrieved from https://economicgraph.linkedin.com/resources/linkedin-workforce-report-september-2018O'Leary, S. (2018, July 8). The surprising reason why IDEO, Pixar & Google prioritise 'psychological safety' to win the battle for better ideas... Retrieved from https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/surprising-reason-why-ideo-pixar-google-prioritise-safety-o-leary/?lipi=urn:li:page:d\_flagship3\_profile\_view\_base\_recent\_activity\_details\_all;sdxb2rg3S8mRhNOmIoT35A==&licu=urn:li:control:d\_flagship3\_profile\_view\_base\_recent\_activity\_details\_all-linkPalmer, K., & Blake, D. (2018). The expertise economy: How the smartest companies use learning to engage, compete, and succeed. Boston, MA: Nicholas Brealey Publishing.PricewaterhouseCoopers. (2018, January 22). Key findings on talent: 21st CEO Survey. Retrieved from https://www.pwc.com/gx/en/ceo-agenda/ceosurvey/2018/gx/deep-dives/talent.htmlSHRM. (2016, November 16). 2016 Employee Job Satisfaction and Engagement: Revitalizing a Changing Workforce. Retrieved from SHRM.

Chris Willis

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