Welcome to the fifth 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 articles on the ROI of learning and performance interventions, a trainer's mantra as well as much more. We hope you enjoy this edition. Ready? Here we go...

By Harold D. Stolovitch
hstolovitch@hsa-lps.com

Let me present you with a paradox. In the American Society for Training and Development's (ASTD) 2002 State of the Industry report (its latest, comprehensive report on training and performance related activities and expenditures), the number one cited top trend is:

"Money: Increasing pressure from shareholders for short-term profits
means that there is great pressure on employees to produce results
and on training to show a return on investment." (p. 4)

The same report (p. 23, figure 8), shows that the percentage of companies reporting measurement of results to be approximately six to seven percent and of return on expectations four to eleven percent. In both cases, these are significant decreases from the previous year for training investment leaders (eleven to seven percent and five to four percent). What does all of this suggest?

In simple terms, the ever-increasing pressures of the marketplace demand that those of us responsible for learning and performance improvement in organizations must demonstrate the worth and return on investment (ROI) of what we do. In the same simple terms, the data clearly indicate that we are not doing our job.

What are the consequences of not demonstrating ROI?

Simple. We lose. Competition is not only occurring in the outside world. Internally, departments and project teams also compete for funds. The executive vice-president of a railway once posed this series of questions to me in a senior management meeting to which I had been invited: "I'm being asked by the transportation group to invest $100 million for new locomotives in order to remain competitive. Their business case is extremely convincing in terms of the impact of this investment. The IT department has also requested $100 million for upgrading our systems, again with a solid business case and ROI projections. My training people also want $50 million to improve the performance of our workers.

"I know what the locomotive and IT investments will give me. But what exactly will I get from the training dollars? And what will happen to the company if I don't spend a dime on training this year? What's the ROI?"

These were great but tough questions. I could offer no immediate, specific responses.

We have to be in a position to provide solid answers. The consequences of lack of response are: decreased budgets and resources; lack of respect; lack of clout at the decision-making tables; job losses when times get tough. Saddest of all is loss of opportunity to make a difference to the organization when we are in wonderful positions to do so.

It's a shame…

Truly, it's a real pity that we do not rise to the challenge more often. In our studies of why evaluation, in general, and ROI demonstrations, in particular, are so rarely and poorly done in learning and performance support groups, we find the following:

• No time. We hardly have time to finish one project when we're off to the next.
• Backgrounds based in content knowledge or learning design and not evaluation.
• Few managers bother to ask for ROI figures from learning and performance support. "It's rarely or never been done before in this organization."
• Reactive and tactical mentalities.
• Lack of models and experience along with lack of confidence to do it well.
• Didn't budget for it.

What is most discouraging is that we really can do it. Building solid evaluation strategies into each project is neither that difficult nor expensive. Models exist. And when the effort is made to conduct a front-end analysis, select and implement appropriate interventions, and calculate the ROI of these efforts, the results are astounding. The ROI of improved human performance is amazingly high. Leveraging the human capital in our organizations even a little produces remarkable bottom line results. For a list of references on this topic, write to info@hsa-lps.com.

You can do it

Here's the bottom line on calculating ROI for you. It's important to be able to do it. Expect its importance to increase over time. We at HSA have done it very successfully. For further reading on this topic, visit the Publications section of HSA's Website and delve into an article on calculating worth and ROI in a banking context (Calculating the Return on Investment in Training: A Critical Analysis and a Case Study) and another on the ROI (with calculations) of a structured on-the-job intervention carried out in a developing nation (Structured On-the-Job Training in Developing Nations).

What's more, very shortly, we have a complete toolkit being released to help you conduct front-end analysis and calculate worth and ROI, complete with guidelines, job aids and many examples. Keep your eye out for its announcement in upcoming editions of the HSA e-Xpress.

To conclude

Calculating ROI in learning and performance improvement is growing in importance. It's not being adequately done. Tools and models exist to assist you. Take advantage of them. Be proactive. Make the investment in becoming ROI proficient. You'll reap your own astonishing ROI.

For more information on HSA's FEA & ROI Workshop, click here or
contact Erica Keeps at ekeeps@hsa-lps.com.

By Erica J. Keeps & Harold D. Stolovitch
ekeeps@hsa-lps.com & hstolovitch@hsa-lps.com

Just imagine. We are seated in a circle on the floor with our legs crossed. Our eyes are closed and we are relaxed. The light is dim. We repeat over and over again "learner-centered…performance-based…learner-centered…performance-based…" Why this mantra? Because these two terms are the keys to transforming learners. Let's examine each of them individually.

Learner-Centered

Imagine that you are an accountant and have been asked to run a training session next week for a group of technical and professional personnel recently promoted to managers. Your mandate is to teach cash flow management to these nonfinancial managers. What will you do to prepare? Be honest and check off which of the following two scenarios more closely describes actions you would take.

From experience, we have found that the overwhelming majority of people, when placed in this position, opt for A. They go for the content. The more appropriate answer, however, is B. Focus on the learners with their needs, concerns, desires, fears, frustrations and characteristics. Option A leads to telling and transmission. The emphasis is on the instructor. Option B leads to training and transformation. The focus is on the learner.

Performance-Based

If you examine most course notes, either those of the trainer/instructor or of the participants, you likely will find them filled with information - lots of content. There is an impression that more is better. How often does one hear trainers complain, "I didn't have enough time to cover the content?"

Here's a simple choice for you. You have a group of technicians who have to learn about a totally new approach to diagnosing a problem. Check off your response below. Do you want them to:

The obvious choice is B - do the job correctly. You probably wouldn't mind them "knowing the approach," but the priority is clear. We want them to be able to perform, not merely to know and talk about. Option A leads to a content-based approach. Option B is performance-based - being able to act and to achieve worthwhile, verifiable results.

"Learner-centered…performance-based…" two key principles - a trainer's mantra. Instructor-centered and content-based efforts lead to telling and transmission. Learner-centered and performance-based efforts result in training and transformation.

This article is an excerpt from Harold Stolovitch and Erica Keeps' award-winning,
best-selling book, Telling Ain't Training. To order a copy, click here.

Want to make this trainer's mantra come alive? Click here to learn about
HSA's workshops: Train-the-Trainer and Training Delivery Seminar.

In September, Harold Stolovitch and Erica Keeps were invited guests of the Sydney and Melbourne Australia ISPI Chapters. They delivered their Front-End Analysis (FEA) and Calculating Return on Investment (ROI) workshop in both cities with participants from Australia and New Zealand. There is the same heightened interest in FEA and ROI for learning and performance projects down under as there is in North America. Harold delivered the opening keynote address at the ISPI Sydney Conference as well as other sessions on performance consulting topics.

What's it like down under? Erica and Harold found the professional climate stimulating, the people very friendly and hospitable, and the cities of Sydney and Melbourne beautiful and energizing. In September, they experienced spring weather in Sydney and chiller weather as they traveled south to Melbourne. After such a warm reception, Harold and Erica are already planning a return visit in autumn (or is it spring?) 2004!

Engineering Effective Learning Toolkit

Click on the above book cover to read an excerpt and/or to purchase this publication.

The newly released Engineering Effective Learning Toolkit offers a systematic step-by-step approach for designing, managing and evaluating successful training, learning and performance projects. Harold Stolovitch and Erica Keeps, international leaders in the field of workplace learning and performance and co-editors of both editions of the Handbook of Human Performance Technology and co-authors of the best-selling, award-winning Telling Ain't Training, have designed this toolkit based on their popular instructional design course that has been conducted and tested with hundreds of leading organizations worldwide. A hands-on resource, the Engineering Effective Learning Toolkit is filled with illustrative, real-world examples and includes a CD-ROM with easily reproducible and customizable information charts and job aids to help you accomplish each step in the instructional design process. This indispensable toolkit is a personal "coach" you can refer to on an "as-needed" basis or use to complete a training project from start to finish.

Here's what reviewers have to say:

Watching great instructional design is like observing great ice skating. The audience is wowed by the flow and beauty and usually has no inkling about all it took to get there. Erica and Harold know how to make the magic happen. They also know how to make it easy for their readers. They offer us all the ingredients for their special choreography.

- Beverly Kaye, CEO and founder, Career Systems International and author,
Up Is Not The Only Way; co-author, Love 'Em or Lose 'Em: Getting Good People to Stay

As a training manager for the last 20 years, I have used and implemented the Stolovitch and Keeps Engineering Effective Learning process. It has proven to be very efficient in designing, developing and implementing instructional interventions. I am thrilled to see that this process will now be available to all!

- Daniel Dupont, Chief Learning Officer, Société des Alcools du Québec

If you're involved with the design of learning, then this book has something to offer you. From beginner to the most advanced instructional designer, there are tools and tips that you can immediately and effectively put to use!

- Frank S. Wilmoth, Director for Learning Excellence, Prudential Real Estate and Relocation Services

Engineering Effective Learning Toolkit is the first book in the Learning and Performance Toolkit Series. The next in the series, Front-End Analysis and Calculating Worth and Return on Investment Toolkit, will be launched spring 2004.

The Canadian Society for Training & Development (CSTD) will be presenting Harold Stolovitch with the 2003 CSTD President's Award on November 12 in Toronto, ON. Established in 1998, the President's Award recognizes an individual who has contributed to and enhanced the field of Adult Education, Learning and Training.

The Call Center Consortium (CCC) recently had an article on talent troubles in call centers published in the Call Center Management Review. To read a copy of it, click here.

Kim Shephard, Harold Stolovitch and Beverly Kaye, the three members of the CCC, recently presented Talent Troubles at the Help Desk? Recruiting, Developing and Retaining Help Desk Talent, a well-received session at the DCI Help Desk Conference in Los Angeles, CA. Beverly Kaye also conducted a career development session at the same event.

Watch for CCC event announcements in upcoming editions of the HSA e-Xpress.

To learn more about the CCC, visit www.callcenterconsortium.com.

Partner, colleague, friend and best-selling author, Beverly Kaye, has released a new book along with co-author Sharon Jordan-Evans. Love It, Don't Leave It: 26 Ways to Get What You Want at Work is intended to help every worker find the meaning and satisfaction they want...right where they are...now. You're invited to read a sneak preview of the first three chapters by clicking here. Love It has gained such momentum in the first three weeks on the market, that Fast Company has nominated it to be January's book of the month! If you agree that it's perfect for workers today, take a minute and click here to vote for Love It as January's Fast Company's Book of the Month. Good luck, Bev!

Harold Stolovitch will be presenting Incentives, Motivation and Workplace Performance: Best Practices on November 13 and Telling Ain't Training and Training Ain't Performance on November 14 at ISPI's Golden Circle Chapter in Des Moines, IA. At the Society for Technical Communication in Orange County, CA, Harold is presening his very popular Telling Ain't Training session on November 18. Click here to view HSA's Events Calendar to learn where and when he'll be as well as read 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. Here is a recent submission that might intrigue you:

What is the difference between skill and competency?

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

For more information on HSA, visit our Website at www.hsa-lps.com, email us at info@hsa-lps.com or call us toll free at (888) 834-9928.

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

To unsubscribe from this Newswire, please reply to this email and put the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the subject line.

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