Analyze 

Analyzing the need, or performing a “needs assessment,” is crucial in identifying the information that must be addressed in the program.   This is where we ask the question,  “What do we want our employees to get out of the program?”  A great way to complete this phase is to perform a “gap analysis” by comparing current results to the desired performance.  Another way to perform this phase is to treat team members as stakeholders in the process, much like we treat customers.   Get their help by asking for specifications for the training.  After all, they know where they need help…particularly when it comes to delivering a better product or dealing with customers.  This analysis is also useful in creating metrics that will help your organization gauge the effectiveness of the training. This phase is where training program objectives begin to take shape.  If an organization performs the assessment phase without rigorous attention to details, money and time is wasted.

Design

The design phase is where we link the needs assessment to the actual creation of new curriculum or the arrangement of existing curricula.   This is where we assemble information tied to each program objective.  From the needs analysis, we draw the blueprints of the training, based on the customer specifications.  Remember, in this context, the customers that we are speaking of are your team members.  If we design the training based on their needs, we get a better product.  This is also the phase where we begin to think about the operational considerations of the program.    Ask the question:  How is the delivery of the program going to influence my business operations?   The answer to this question will force functional managers to make decisions about how they will change operations in the interim to support the program.  With regard to company operations, it is better to begin the decision-making process now rather than when the implementation phase is imminent.   Operationally, here are a few things to think about:

1.        Vacation plans – Will they interfere with training, or vice-versa?

2.       Did I give the troops enough notice to facilitate planning and the potential impact on work-life balance?

3.       Training ultimately means that people will be pulled from the workforce.  Who will mind the store?  Consider making multiple sessions available for flexibility in attendance.  Take care not to remove too many key players from the field at the same time…you could be asking for trouble.

Develop Materials

This includes items like, references, info packs, case studies, movies, games, and other visual aids.  Remember to keep the information organized and easy to use by both the facilitator and the attendees…confusing programs will sabotage your program.  This is also a great time to ensure that feedback from previous sessions is included.  Make sure that the programs are up to date…spice things up by revamping statistical data, and finding new stories to tell.  If the attendees are bored, they will not stay engaged with the facilitator.  If attendees are disengaged, they will absorb less knowledge.  Keep them engaged with activities such as trivia questions, interactive exercises, and group discussions.  It is a proven fact that engagement raises knowledge retention.

Implementation

Time for Class!  This is when the training actually takes place.  Here are a few things to think about:

1.       Practice

2.       Feedback forms

3.       Management/leadership observations and interactions

4.       Facilities management, including room arrangement and equipment

5.       Classroom rules and expectations, including safety and evacuation procedures

Evaluate

All system outputs are a direct reflection of inputs, processes, and adjustments.  The training process is no different.  If the outputs of the program are less than desired, then changes to the program may be necessary.  Companies should establish a systematic evaluation process to enhance the effectiveness of the training.  We feel that the evaluation of the program should occur in two phases: 1) immediately after the program, and 2) some period later…for instance 6 months.  The evaluation performed immediately after the program serves to correct urgent training issues such as incorrect data.  This is also the time to concentrate on instructor techniques.  The later evaluation determines whether the training enhanced employee and/or company performance.

We recommend the use of metrics to monitor for performance improvements post-training.  Common Key Performance Indicators (KPI) are metrics that provide companies a clear picture of the operational health of the company.   KPI’s are used to test for things such as employee turnover rate, absenteeism, unit production rates, and customer service satisfaction.

We all know that training is an important part of company growth and improvement, but as discussed above, it is quite a process.  Remember, for training to be effective, it MUST be a process…NOT an event.  Otherwise, I promise…you will waste money.

Jarrod Clavelle

jarrod@mosaicbusinessonline.com

www.mosaicbusinessonline.com

Below is our discussion along with a list of things that a team/group leader can do to overcome “Groupthink:”
 I think that if managed and led effectively, groups can be more effective. Of course as you mentioned earlier, there are a couple of pitfalls. Groupthink is potentially VERY DESTRUCTIVE. Industries and government organizations are wrought with examples of where groups fell victim to groupthink, with catastrophic consequences. Groupthink was one of the contributing factors to the Space Shuttle disaster of 1986. There are others in recent history…the list is long.
 Here are a few ways to overcome “Groupthink:”1.   Teach group leaders to avoid seeming partial to one course of action.
2.   Foster a group culture where it’s permissible to advocate their position.
3.   If the group is large enough, create subgroups to work on the same problem.
4.   Have group members discuss the issues with outsiders and report back to the group.
5.   Invite outside experts to observe and evaluate group processes.
6.   Assign someone to be the “devil’s advocate” at each meeting.
7.   Hold second chance “Challenge meetings” including outside, critical guests to look at the final product.
 

These are just a few that I’ve used in the recent past. They seem to work most of the time…or maybe I just got lucky. I have been exposed to groups where one or more of the members were in my opinion, “megalomaniacs” with leadership titles… it was truly exhausting. Watch out for this!
 

Next we talk about a phenomenon called “Social Loafing.”

Jarrod Clavelle
Mosaic Business Solutions, LLC
Dr. Jim adds the following:Dr. Jim adds the following:I agree that, PROPERLY DONE, groups are more effective. The issue of course is knowing how to do it properly. Your list is helpful (I especially like the “Challenge meetings” after people have had an opportunity to think further on the subject or do some research – with a view to strengthening, not negating, ideas).

Dr. Jim adds the following:I agree that, PROPERLY DONE, groups are more effective. The issue of course is knowing how to do it properly. Your list is helpful (I especially like the “Challenge meetings” after people have had an opportunity to think further on the subject or do some research – with a view to strengthening, not negating, ideas).Let me add to your excellent list:

8. Review the steps/rules to be followed. Before you begin, explicitly outline the norms and expectations so that people are given permission to be “wild and crazy” with their contributions. Especially, no premature, harsh or critical judgement permitted. No “buts” (only “ands”) are allowed. No interrupting, no dismissing, no disrespect, no rudeness.

9. Consider the problem, issue or objective in silence. Take five minutes before starting to write down your thoughts. Some call this “individual brainstorming” but it ensures that, when you start, people already have ideas to contribute and “get the ball rolling.” Also, a roundtable contribution gets everyone involved from the beginning.

10. Chart every idea offered. As the facilitator, do not censor or revise the contributions made in any way. The most bizarre ideas are the key to finding innovative solutions. Evaluation of contributions, while they are flowing, is the death knell of brainstorming.

11. Leaders must role model the desired behaviour. Participants in positions of authority must be even more “wild and crazy” than the rest for they are constantly being scrutinized by followers who assume or anticipate their behaviour is being judged.

So now we are up to 11 rules – which is precisely why it isn’t that easy. Now what exactly is “social loafing”? I have never heard the term before.

Social Loafing Response

Jim,

I like your list additions…particularly the “wild and crazy” contributor philosophy. It happens to be my style as a facilitator. I learned it in the US nuclear industry, which is laden with very smart and egotistical people…we taught each other to bring out wild and crazy ideas and possibilities daily. We frequently did exercises in “what if”…just to stay sharp. No one in the room was allowed to crush another person’s ideas. If it happened, there were leaders present that would coach on the spot…teams flourish that way. The key is…the team leader must make it OK, to bring about ideas…no matter how off-the-wall…it’s a culture of “Questioning attitude.”

Let’s talk about social loafing, which is also known as the Ringlemann Effect. In my opinion, social loafing is a problem, but not as large a problem as groupthink. Both have consequence, but the fallout (no pun intended…ex-nuke….get it?) of group think is potentially grave.

Most organizational development/organizational behavior experts define social loafing as the tendency of individuals to work less hard in a group than they would individually. Ringlemann, a German psychologist, pinpointed the phenomenon by asking people to pull on a rope as in a tug-of-war, first alone and then in a group. He found that average productivity dropped as more people joined the task. He suggested that people may not work as hard in groups for a couple of reasons: 1) Some people may feel that their individual contributions are less noticeable in the group context and 2) they prefer to see others carry the workload. Simply put, many people would prefer riding in the apple cart, instead of pulling the apple cart.

In theory preventing social loafing may isn’t as difficult as preventing groupthink. We must clearly define to roles of the team members, and raise accountability by making those roles and expectations clear as well.

In practice, preventing social loafing is more difficult than preventing groupthink. Social loafing is also more pervasive. Have any of you seen the movie “Office Space?” The productivity consultants asked the main character about the beginning of his day. His reply was, “I get to work and pretty much just stare at the computer screen for about 30 minutes. I’d say that I only get about 2 hours of real work done on any given day.”

Are corporations team? Yes…big teams…filled with loafers killing productivity.

I hope this helps.

Jarrod Clavelle
Mosaic Business Solutions, LLC