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The

VirtualReality

BY ALAN TODD

Why companies are taking a wait-and-see

approach to virtual leadership development and

how striking a balance between technology-based

and face-to-face learning is important.

Gathering dispersed learners in the same location is difficult.

Even if getting everyone in the same place were cheap

and easy, few companies have enough physical seats to ac-commodate all the people they would like to develop.Transforming the math that dictates the reach and scale of

corporate learning through virtual technology is attracting CLOs atten-tion and a growing flow of venture capital.

But the concern remains that quality is being sacrificed in the questfor scale. Many learning leaders are waiting to see how experiments playout in higher education, and those who have begun to experiment gener-ally relegate virtual learning to low-priority subjects like compliance-driventraining and basic technical or vocational knowledge.

While virtual training may be available toemployees, it is rarely central to leadership de-

velopment strategies. The more senior the au-dience and the more focused the learning ison judgment and decision-making, the morelikely it is to be face-to-face.

In an interview withKnowledge@Wharton,an online business journal for the WhartonSchool of the University of Pennsylvania,General Electric Co.s Susan Peters put it this

way: There is an element of our teaching thatwe recognize will always be face-to-face and,therefore, probably less technology-sensitive.

ON THE WEBMillennials are social learners,

and cloud technology, with

built-in social collaboration

features, is best suited for this

next generation of learners.

How can you make it work for

other generations as well?

Find out here: blog.CLO

media.com/?p=4194.

Chief Learning Officer April 2014 www.CLOmedia.com 27

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I dont suspect that we will ever go to a placewhere we have only technology-based learning ore-learning. We really believe that inspire, connectand develop happens with real impact when peopleare physically together.

Peters, who at the time was GEs CLO and is cur-rently senior vice president of human resources, isright. No company will likely convert entirely toe-learning for senior leaders. The peer-to-peer andteacher-to-student chemistry is too powerful, the net-

work-building opportunities too important and theprestige of being chosen for high-touch investment istoo significant to ignore. Yet plenty of room exists be-tween a leadership development approach that is onlytechnology-based and one that is mostly face-to-face.More importantly, the case for moving quickly is moreurgent than most companies realize.

Under Pressure

The globalization of the workforce, more disperseddecision-making and increased cross-silo coordinationplace pressure on CLOs to boost their reach. Thosetrends also emphasize a specific leadership competence the ability to collaborate.

Analysis by The Corporate Executive Board Co., aleadership advisory company, shows that network per-formance outcomes achieved by using the contribu-tions of others and by contributing to the performanceof others as opposed to individual performance drives

an increasing proportion of overall enterprise perfor-mance. Organizations that build the network perfor-mance capability of their employees can significantlyaccelerate their performance versus focusing on individ-ual task performance alone (Figure 1).

Approximately half the impact of employee perfor-mance on firm profits is driven by the ability of theindividual to make the larger ecosystem better, not justby execution of individual tasks. Companies that donot develop the network performance are missing thepotential performance opportunity available to them.

The relative importance of net-

work performance compared to indi-vidual task performance has morethan doubled in the past decade,from 22 percent in 2002 to 49 per-cent in 2012, and we see no reason tobelieve that trend will reverse, saidThomas Handcock, senior director inCEBs HR practice.

Seen in this light, virtual learning becomes lessabout embracing a new delivery channel with supe-rior reach and scale and more about developing anew network-collaboration muscle that will be es-

sential for tomorrows leaders. This insight has threesignificant implications for learning organizations:

Classroom LearningStill Has a PlaceBy Chris Lennon

Learning management systems, MOOCs,gamification and other online tools provide

customizable and interactive online training that

makes learning available anytime, anywhere. But

e-learnings growing popularity is not a threat to

traditional classroom learning. Classroom

training hasnt just survived its on the rise.

Research and analysis firm Brandon Hall Group confirms this. In

its 2013 Relationship-Centered Learning study, the firm reported

a 5 percent increase in classroom-based learning in the past

year. While not large, that growth is fueled by the successful,

face-to-face interactions that classroom learning provides.

Classroom learning maintains its relevance largely because itsthe most effective medium to teach soft skills. These skills are

crucial across multiple development areas. Research

conducted in 2013 by consulting firm Millennial Branding and

American Express Co. found more than 60 percent of

managers agree that soft skills are the most important when

evaluating an employees performance, followed by 32 percent

who cite hard skills as the most important.

Further, many companies struggle to educate employees on

complex soft skills such as adaptability, critical thinking,

organization and collaboration traits closely tied to common

pain points related to leadership development and succession

planning. This is why classroom training still has a place. It

provides students with the opportunity to practice and receivefeedback from an instructor who can observe and evaluate their

performance in real time.

However, when students leave the classroom, if what theyve

learned is not put into practice quickly, knowledge retention

becomes an issue. According to the University of Waterloos

Curve of Forgetting study, students lose 50 to 80 percent of

what theyve learned after one day. This figure jumps to 97

percent after a month. But theres a solution integrate

face-to-face and virtual learning.

Classrooms are optimal for sof t skills training, and online

learning and social collaboration tools extend students

learning, make it accessible anytime, anywhere, and allowemployees to share and learn from each others experiences in

real time. This collaboration promotes knowledge retention

because it facilitates on-the-job skill application, counteracting

the 50 to 97 percent knowledge loss from classroom training

without social reinforcement.

The most effective learning programs combine e-learning, social

collaboration tools and the classroom. Doing so broadens

students learning opportunities and engagement, and ensures

that there will always be a place for classroom learning espe-

cially if learning leaders continually find ways to improve it.

Chris Lennon is the director of product management for learning

at SilkRoad Technology Inc., a talent management software company.He can be reached at editor@CLOmedia.com.

Thomas Handcock

Chris Lennon

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Chief Learning Officer April 2014 www.CLOmedia.com 29

1. Companies undermine their commitment to devel-oping employee capabilities to work together acrosssilos and distance if they ask them to come into acentral facility and learn face-to-face. Leaders mustmake decisions and build consensus for action vir-tually, and some of an organizations learning ap-proaches should reflect this reality.

2. The risk of a wait-and-see posture toward virtuallearning is greater than most organizations appreciate.CLOs content to wait until the discipline maturesmay cede performance and profits to first movers.

3. To develop network performance capabilities, vir-

tual learning must be collaborative. Solo learningonline can increase reach and scale, but the abilityto collaborate virtually can only be accomplishedthrough practice.While there is urgency to become more proficient

at collaborative virtual learning, learning leaders rightlyobserve that the field is still in its infancy. Vendors arescrambling to develop offerings worthy of companiesemerging leaders. Nevertheless, it is possible to identifycharacteristics of successful experiences in learning de-sign and participant engagement.

Design and Engagement Are KeyIn learning design, any virtual experience must in-clude vetted content, allow time for deliberate practiceand focus on a specific, real-world application. Success-ful online collaborative learning must structure oppor-tunities for synchronous and asynchronous interactionamong learners and actively facilitate those interactionsto reinforce healthy and productive collaboration.

As part of a focus on product management, Mas-terCard Inc. designed a collaborative virtual learningexperience to deliver training in 2013. The companychose a virtual platform because of its need to deploy

a learning curriculum globally and customize it to re-gional differences. But it was the collaborative com-

ponent of the platform and its application to real-worldproblems that has drawn the firms attention sincedeployment.

Leigh Bochicchio, vice president of global learningat MasterCard, told ElearningMagazine, Participants

are doing their job during the learning process, andsolving complex business problemsthat require collaborative thinking asopposed to working on theoreticalexamples in classroom training.

While focusing on the designand content is critical, organiza-tions must also focus on partici-pant engagement. Learning re-quires a substantial amount of time from busylearners, and virtual, social learning experiences canfeel unfamiliar and uncomfortable to beginners. To

maintain focus, CLOs can tap intrinsic motivation toreduce the amount of perceived effort or raise thestakes of participation.

Intrinsic motivation is driven by relevance, whichorganizations can generate by tying learning experi-ences to business challenges that learners collectivelyface. If a learning experience allows participants totap expert and peer know-how to get their day jobsdone, they are more likely to lean in. And partici-pants are more likely to pay attention when facultyexperts are trusted brands, either internal execu-tives or recognized outside experts.

Organizations can also reduce the amount of effort,or at least the perceived burden, of participation.Chunking content into small bites reduces the amountof energy that individuals have to expend in a singleburst and allows leaders to fit learning into cracks intheir schedules. Switching among learning modes suchas reading, video, reflection and discussion reduces theperception of drudgery. Gamification of low-energyactivities adds a sparkle of interest that gets learnersthrough slow patches. An easy-to-use technology plat-form can guide participants through the learning jour-ney so they dont have to burn energy wondering what

to do next or how long it will take.Increasing the positive or negative consequences of

participation can also boost engagement. If learnersknow the organization expects full engagement andcompletion and that engagement which is easilymeasurable online will factor into performance as-sessment, they are more likely to stay involved and tryto excel. Certification can also act as an attractive incen-tive, as can peer pressure either friendly competitionor a desire not to let down peers by being unprepared.Here is another place that technology platforms canhelp by making peer engagement rates transparent.

Source: The Corporate Executive Board Co

FIGURE 1: PERCENTAGE OF CHANGE IN PROFIT BYPERCENTAGE OF HIGH PERFORMERS IN BUSINESS UNIT

High Individual Task and Network Per formance

High Individual Task Performance Alone

n=23,339

Percentage of Employees

15

10

5

0 0 25 50 75 100

The addition of network

performance significantlyimproves the organizations

ability to achieve breakthoughbusiness performance.

VIRTUALcontinued on page 46

Leigh Bochicchio

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tigue that can come from competing priorities. Then,when employees start to see results and their peers ex-hibiting the behaviors, they often are more inspired tocontinue the transformation journey.

For example, a CLO could build a training programthat explains to current and new employees how to livethe culture strengths and overcome related challenges.

This program should demonstrate what the critical be-haviors look like in practice and the methods employ-ees can use to exhibit those behaviors. More informally,a CLO could provide opportunities for employees withsimilar interests to get together to talk about their workand their experiences adopting the critical behaviors.

Third, learning leaders can instill a sense of employ-ee pride and commitment. Look for ways to connect

workers to something larger than a new policy on pa-per. When employees feel their work is contributing toa larger purpose they believe in whether its build-ing a fighter jet that is so well-made it keeps service

members safe while protecting their countries, or de-livering a health plan that helps its members to livehealthier lives every day.

Fourth, create programs to help grow informal peernetworks and motivators, and develop methods thatempower employees to live the culture and critical fewbehaviors. While culture is often articulated at the top,managers reinforce it at every level in a company.CLOs may need to educate managers how to empow-er direct reports and praise the benefits of change in

ways that lead to improved behaviors and increaserates for change adoption.

Finally, tell company stories that embody the cul-ture, and repeat them. Stories about a strong leader inthe organization or a defining moment in the compa-nys history are often a source of pride for employeesand can be a natural way to reinforce desired behaviors.

Ideally, CLOs will include some facet of corporateculture as a part of every employee development pro-gram. For example, they should choose corporate learn-ing strategies and allocate budgetary resources in accor-dance with cultural objectives, and find ways to connectemployees with similar interests, capabilities and goals.

When fully aligned with the learning strategy, cul-ture can be used to deliver the most effective learningto help employees meet the companys strategic priori-ties. When a companys culture is not aligned with thestrategy, a culture-led approach to learning can help tocreate desired performance results more quickly andsustain them long term. CLO

DeAnne Aguirre is a senior partner with Booz & Co.

Micah Alpern is a senior associate with Booz & Co. and a

member of the Katzenbach Centers operating team.

Kristy Hull is a Booz & Co. principal. Rutger von Post is a

partner with Booz & Co. and head of the Katzenbach

Center in North America. They can be reached ateditor@CLOmedia.com.

VIRTUALcontinued from page 29

Breaking Down the BarriersWhile these strategies encourage learners to collab-

orate online, trouble spots invariably emerge. Oldergenerations may be less inclined to embrace collabora-tive technologies. Junior employees may struggle be-

cause their time and screens are not their own or be-cause discussion boards are interpreted as wastingtime in settings where employees feel like theyre onthe clock. In early stages, online communities mayeven attack individuals who admit weakness for thesake of problem solving.

So, how can organizations encourage skeptics tocollaborate virtually? Start with the learning experi-ence rather than collaborative software tools such as

Jive or Yammer. Learning experiences have a begin-ning, middle and end, so skeptics may be more in-clined to endure for a short period, perhaps just long

enough to form a habit. Structured learning environ-ments offer the control necessary to frame expecta-tions, ensure that collaboration remains productiveand contain potential misbehavior.

Front loading training for audiences who arelikely to collaborate is another useful strategy.Emerging leaders are likely to be ambitious, willingto take career risks and comfortable with socialtechnology. Making heroes out of those individuals

who contribute most to team success can go a longway toward encouraging desirable virtual collabora-tion behaviors. Starting with audiences outside the

country where the company is based is anotherpromising strategy. These leaders may be starved fordevelopment and predisposed to collaborate to ex-pand their networks.

Perhaps the most important step an organizationcan take to encourage virtual collaboration is to in-clude the skill as part of the framework of competen-cies that must be developed to achieve organizationalperformance objectives. If virtual learning is simplya tool to bring down the cost and extend the reach oftraining efforts, it is not terribly difficult for a skep-tic to resist. If it is instead the means to develop acompetence that is essential to the organizationsability to perform at a high level in the future, opt-ing out is more difficult.

The bad news is the urgency to embrace virtualcollaborative learning and the consequences of

waiting are greater than organizations thought. Thegood news is this insight can accelerate social learn-ing efforts. The result is a better chance that theimproved reach and scale that originally arousedinterest in virtual learning will arrive sooner than

we thought. CLO

Alan Todd is the CEO of CorpU, a for-profit membershiporganization. He can be reached at editor@CLOmedia.com.

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C o p y r i g h t o f C h i e f L e a r n i n g O f f i c e r i s t h e p r o p e r t y o f M e d i a T e c P u b l i s h i n g , I n c . a n d i t s

c o n t e n t m a y n o t b e c o p i e d o r e m a i l e d t o m u l t i p l e s i t e s o r p o s t e d t o a l i s t s e r v w i t h o u t t h e

c o p y r i g h t h o l d e r ' s e x p r e s s w r i t t e n p e r m i s s i o n . H o w e v e r , u s e r s m a y p r i n t , d o w n l o a d , o r e m a i l

a r t i c l e s f o r i n d i v i d u a l u s e .