Welcome to the second edition of the HSA e-Xpress. We feel it's important to keep you up-to-date on what's going on in our field as well as within HSA. This issue features an article on performance consulting, an approach to effective online facilitation, training and business performance as well as much more. We hope you enjoy this issue. Ready? Here we go...

Harold D. Stolovitch
hstolovitch@hsa-lps.com

The hype, these days, is for HPI - Human Performance Improvement. Sounds great! Feels right! So, what is it?

Briefly, HPI is a euphemism (a less direct expression used in place of one considered offensive) for Human Performance Technology (HPT), a field of professional practice that applies knowledge derived from science and organized precedent to achieve valued accomplishments through people. "Technology" has a mechanistic ring to it. "Improvement" sounds so much more attractive.

Cutting through all the hype and verbiage is a well-founded concern that single solutions to human performance problems seldom result in sustainable, positive changes in the workplace. This is particularly true of training. There is a large amount of research-based evidence that training - like diets - may provide some short-term desirable change (e.g., trainees can show they have acquired competencies directly linked to the training). However, when followed up on the job, we seldom find application of what has been learned in "the course" and few indications of improved organizational results. Mary Broad and John Newstrom discuss this phenomenon at length in their widely cited book, Transfer of Training. Kevin Ford and Daniel Weissbein, in a review of research literature (Performance Improvement Quarterly, 10 (2), 1997), also confirm this. Others have shown how poorly the huge investment in training translates into concrete, bottom-line results. Where is the ROI?

A main reason for this apparently discouraging state of affairs is the frequently indiscriminate selection of training as the default intervention to fill a gap between current and desired performance. Training departments and professionals are often unwitting accomplices. When clients approach the training group with a performance improvement request, they often bring along with them a demand for training. After all, the name of the group they are addressing is "Training." What other solution should they expect? And as this means more business for us training professionals, we often end up accepting the training order.

Is there an appropriate alternative? Absolutely. We can transform ourselves from training order takers to performance consultants. Many leading edge companies are doing this. It takes a commitment to and an understanding of what this means.

We have seen the evolution of the personnel function to that of human resources and of accounting to finance. Our turn has now arrived as we evolve from the unidimensional training specialist to the broader, more impactful and systemic-thinking performance consultant.

HSA offers a Performance Consulting workshop to assist
organizations make this important transition. Click here for more information.

Linda Waddell and Susan Byrne
lwaddell@hsa-lps.com and sbyrne@stclairc.on.ca

Online facilitation is an area that receives very little attention in organizations until it begins causing problems in a learning environment. Dropout rates surge. Overall interest in facilitated, online courses declines. When this occurs, the immediate reaction is to "fix it" with technical training for online facilitators on how to use the electronic tools efficiently. Current research on teaching and learning in online settings suggests an alternative. Offer your online facilitators "Ice Cream" - a highly effective framework that focuses attention on the truly important areas of facilitation

What is the relationship between "ice cream" and online facilitation? "Ice cream" is an acronym that helps facilitators attend to the key ingredients for great online learning. Each of the terms the acronym generates is an essential element for online facilitation success:

Interaction
Community
Engagement
Communication
Respect
Empathy
Attentiveness
Motivation

Let's explore each of these.

Interaction

Dropout rates for online learning can range from 30 to 50 percent in group-facilitated online courses. This phenomenon has been linked directly to low levels of interaction and to little or poorly conceived learner support. Interaction is necessary for effective online learning.

There are two equally important types of online learning interaction: 1) individual learner interaction with content and 2) learner interaction with others about the content. Online social interaction contributes enormously to knowledge construction, making learning not just active, but interactive. Research has demonstrated that meaningful interaction with others about learning content strongly increases learning and retention.

Community

Effective online learning programs are often based on a collaborative, interactive, constructivist approach (i.e. one in which the learner builds meaning through action, reflection and dialogue). This is why the creation, fostering and maintenance of a learning community are so vital. Students, who feel part of a group that shares common interests and concerns, as well as issues and problems, are stimulated to participate. This is like visiting the town square where familiar people gather and generate a sense of welcome and encouragement for dialogue and involvement.

Engagement

Students are more successful in completing their programs and remain connected to online learning longer as a result of increased, active engagement in the community. This happens in direct proportion to the facilitator's ability for triggering stimulating discussions among all of the learners and between the learners and himself/herself. Engaging students online requires the facilitator to read learners' statements and responses in the discussion forum, analyze these to generate dialogue points and subtly guide/focus participants' thinking and interactions through perceptive questioning.

Communication

Online communication gives rise to more misunderstandings and difficulties than face-to-face communication. In order for learners to communicate and interact at a deep, meaningful level, the facilitator must develop an environment where trust, honesty and respect are present. Therefore, both the "tone" and "voice" of the facilitator, when presenting an online message, play an important role in encouraging the type of interactivity and reflection that result in commitment, persistence and meaningful learning.

Respect

Respect and trust are the foundation for collaboration and sharing of information and ideas. Establishing trust in an online environment without face-to-face communication presents challenges. How do you build respect and trust through electronic interactions? The answer lies in the way the facilitator responds to each person's queries and remarks. Open participation does not take place if people do not feel safe and comfortable enough to contribute their thoughts - if they do not feel respected for their questions, comments and ideas. The climate that the online facilitator sets and nurtures is a key factor in maintaining an environment of trust. What the facilitator says and how s/he expresses the words generates a subtext of caring or its opposite.

Empathy

It is important for the facilitator, through the mode of salutation, choice of words, selection of expressions, treatment of what the participant shares, to demonstrate that s/he is really with the learners in an online course. A casual and informal voice, for instance, with comments that express understanding/empathy for a learner's difficulties help keep the learning community strong. Often, telling a story about oneself that personalizes a situation and presents a less than perfect view of the facilitator breaks down barriers and fosters a stronger sense of community online. Sharing pain, tempered with wisdom and guidance is a powerful means for demonstrating empathy.

Attentiveness

Everyone likes to be acknowledged. It can be particularly punishing not to be recognized online, especially since some learners go to the trouble of crafting in-depth, well-researched reflections and essays. There is nothing worse than speaking up in class, presenting a personal perspective on an issue and having no one notice those remarks. The facilitator must be continuously present. Timeliness in reaction is essential. In addition, a key role of the facilitator is to re-state and summarize postings to demonstrate understanding of what participants have expressed (without being redundant) and react to these. Excellent online facilitators succeed in responding to every participant at least once or twice throughout a course if it is a large group and more frequently if it is a relatively small-sized community. Setting expectations in terms of how much responsiveness is feasible for a particular course helps participants be realistic about attentiveness.

Motivation

Learning independently requires dedication and commitment, even for the most disciplined student. As a result, it is not surprising that many problems associated with online learning result from lack of motivation. Without an instructor and fellow students close by, a feeling of isolation can emerge. If an online course has been designed simply as a place where resources are stored for reading, learners can become easily bored. Other priorities in the immediate environment quickly capture the learner's attention. Online facilitators can inject energy and boost motivation by just being present. There are excellent examples of effective courses designed in weekly chunks in which each lesson topic offers an intriguing focus. Facilitators build interest by sending out emails at the beginning of the week to introduce the topic. Each of these might provide a unique type of learning activity to captivate participants (e.g., materials that require the learner to become a Sherlock Holmes and deduce the outcomes of a case; a series of interviews that must be turned into a newspaper report; a panel of experts with opportunities to pepper them with questions). "Cookie cutter" courses that are highly predictable in their repetitive sameness are especially ineffective for online environments. Like your favorite ice cream store, a variety of offerings stimulate the appetite.

Final Thoughts

So there it is, "Ice Cream," an easy-to-remember acronym that helps the online facilitator mix together the eight essential "ingredients" for turning out a wonderfully appealing online course that will have the learners coming back for more. Quality content...quality facilitation...quality learning. Delicious!

(Pictured from left to right): Linda Waddell, Senior HSA Associate in Vancouver, BC, and Susan Byrne, Director of Program Development at St. Clair College in Windsor, ON recently completed their Master of Arts in Distributed Learning at Royal Roads University (RRU) in Victoria, BC. They completed an action research project on online facilitation, which included qualitative research with RRU graduates and faculty.

Harold D. Stolovitch
hstolovitch@hsa-lps.com

Unequivocally, "yes." As the American Society for Training and Development's (ASTD) recent survey of 400 major companies clearly shows, the top 10 percent of major companies in the U.S. invest an average $1,655 per employee annually for training. This compares with $677 for the remaining 90 percent (3.5 percent of payroll versus 1.8 percent). Employees in the leading companies receive 62.5 hours of training per year versus 26.3 hours. Leaders also reach 98.4 percent of the workforce compared with 78.6 percent.

Is there a difference in business results? The same training investment leaders experienced a 24 percent higher gross profit margin than the others, a 218 percent higher income per employee and a 26 percent greater price to book value. This relationship between training and bottom line results has been demonstrated elsewhere.

Knowledge Asset Management (KAM), a mutual fund that invests in companies that value training has demonstrated that its recommended portfolio consistently outperforms the S&P 500. An investment in KAM at the beginning of 1997 would have yielded a 113.1 percent return over five years compared to 55 percent for the S&P 500.

So what's the bottom line for businesses concerned about cost containment in these uncertain times? Don't neglect training. Increasing workers' knowledge and skills can lead to higher productivity, greater innovation and increased profits. Employees value training highly. Everyone wins. That's a bottom line we can all appreciate.

HSA recently partnered with two service organizations and formed an alliance called the Call Center Consortium (CCC). These three highly experienced companies synergistically address call center issues:

Recruitment - DECISION TOOLBOX (DT) brings aboard the best, long-term customer service representatives (CSRs)

Performance - HSA LEARNING & PERFORMANCE SOLUTIONS (HSA) gets CSRs trained to perform optimally in minimal time with continuous improvement

Retention - CAREER SYSTEMS INTERNATIONAL (CSI) provides solutions that keep CSRs, coaches and managers engaged and productive throughout their tenures.

Services provided under the CCC banner represent an exciting new thrust for HSA. For more information about our integrated solutions, visit the new CCC Website at www.CallCenterConsortium.com, call HSA at 888-834-9928 or e-mail us at CCC@hsa-lps.com. HSA continues to offer its learning and performance services, custom contract work and professional development seminars.

Harold Stolovitch and Erica Keeps, the authors of the best selling book Telling Ain't Training, will be conducting a second one-hour Webinar through the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD) on Thursday, February 13 from 1:00 - 2:00 p.m. EST. For more information or to register, click here.

Harold Stolovitch will be presenting at a number of events over the next few months, including Training 2003, ISPI's Annual International Conference, ASTD's Annual International Conference, as well as many others. Click here to view HSA's Events Calendar to learn where and when he'll be as well as session descriptions.

Do you have any burning human performance technology questions? Visit the Ask Harold section of HSA's Website and ask your questions for Harold Stolovitch to answer. There have been some recent submissions that might intrigue you, like:

What is the difference between organizational effectiveness and human performance technology (HPT)?

To see the response, visit Ask Harold. To ask your own question, just click on the crystal ball above, fill out the form and submit.

If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact Samantha Greenhill, Publications and Communications Specialist, at sgreenhill@hsa-lps.com.

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© Copyright 2003 Harold D. Stolovitch & Erica J. Keeps