“Creating a Learning Culture”

How I performed an Organizational Vulcan Mind Meld

and Earned my never-big-enough Paycheck

Sandra Smith, Training and Develoment ManagerDenver Public Library

720.865.2071 ssmith@denver.lib.co.us

“Learning is like rowing upstream…

…not to advance is to drop back.”

Chinese proverb

DENVER PUBLIC LIBRARY

How To #1

What does a Learning Culture currently look like in your organization?  

WHAT kind of learning is happening?

WHO is doing it?

HOW is it being done?

MY EXPERIENCE What: DPL five years ago had no clear program;

only as needed, reactionary at best; small number of classes

Who: Training Manager, occasional SME, no general staff involvement, no executive or manager awareness of ROI of training

How: classes by TM, occasional SME, no general staff involvement, periodic Training Calendar

How To #2

Who is the motivator? Why should it look differently?

Who: Who wants a Learning Culture? You? Others?

Why: Organizational Circumstances? Personal Motivation? Dictates from above? What is needed and why now? If not now, what consequences?

MY EXPERIENCE

Who: me seeing an unmet need and being willing to tackle it

Why: my position exists for a reason!Why: there are organizational needs and

potential ROI to staff and and the community

DPL Organizational Needs:

DPL is changing org in changing library times: tech, activities, customers, relevance Are a learning org—set example to staffNeed to share expertise internally for better customer service (our mission)Need highly skilled, consistent staffStaff looking for development opportunities: positive work environment, retentionFoster a sense of personal responsibility and accountability for the defined topics An acknowledgement by executives of the importance of the role of staff via executives’ support, personal participation and exchange of mutual expectations

Provide a targeted, effective system of ongoing professional development for staff, including a cost-effective utilization of staff time and resourcesIntroduce a framework for defined competencies, expectations and accountabilityMaintain awareness of DPL practices and perspectives including current policies, practices and services of all departments and branchesProvide an opportunity for colleagues to network and develop and a sense of communityProvide consistent knowledge and information for all staffEnsure excellent customer service

How To #3

Whaddaya Want? and

Do a Reality Check

What do you want it to look like?

What can it look like?

TIPS Use your skills, background, talent to identify what

you’d like to see Think “what would be better” around here Observe and Listen: chat with others, get feedback in

a casual way at first, get a sense of where people’s priorities, issues, problems are. Do walkabouts and observe.

Define what is needed specifically: do an inventory of what needs to happen – now and later, doable and potential

MY EXPERIENCEMy identified goals in 2001:

to expand the types of classes offered: database skills, supervisory techniques, wider numbers of skills classes, sharing opportunities about the activities of DPL

to involve more staff in the attending of classes (ones that they feel are valuable to them in their work life) AND “get the right butts in the right seats”

MY EXPERIENCE to involve more staff in the leading of classes,

sharing their expertise and experience with others, developing presentation, people and organizational skills

to introduce competency-based outcomes, evaluation and ROI to the learning program, “what does it look like”

to create the mundane but necessary structure for tracking data and statistics on the learning program

How To #4

How do you ACTUALLY ACHIEVE

How To #3?

Oh nooooo…..are we talking Culture Changes???

Culture is People: their beliefs, attitudes, values, behaviors

Culture is the Organization: rules and policies, customs and norms, ceremonies and events, management behaviors and trust, rewards and recognition, communications, physical environment, organization structure, goals and measurements

YOU EXPECT ME TO CHANGE ALL THAT???

ARE YOU NUTS?

DON’T PANIC!!

I ONLY EXPECT YOU TO DO…

A VULCAN MIND MELD ON YOUR ENTIRE ORGANIZATION

Start the Conversation (in the Mind Meld handout this is the“getting physical” part)

Get info on past training: data, details

Talk with those who have done the training

Talk with staff/managers about past learning opportunities and current desires

MY EXPERIENCE

Informally chatted to multi-level staff I knew and didn’t know via lunches, after-hours, when they would come to me with questions about anything

Formally talked to key managers: had list of questions

Re-talked to people after gathering initial information: clarify, summarize

Plant the Seed (this is the Mind Meld transference of ideas)

Plant nuggets of what is possible to be done with training in a learning culture: ROI to the bottom line fixing daily problems workforce satisfaction improving work environment

MY EXPERIENCE 

Kept conversations on-going but with intent to further my goals

Article in newsletter about “what I do” Contribute useful nuggets to meetings Send articles to key staff/all staff Proactive in offering to help/fix issues

Marshall your forces (in the Mind Meld handout you and the recipient now have

the same knowledge, interests)

Identify your key people: soft or hard sell them on your resources, goals; connect with their closest advisors

Explore merging your resources, helping one another Support all who come for help or you reach out to,

make connections with new staff Give positive reinforcement to those who “get it”, help

you, do good deeds to the benefit of your goals

AND DO NOT…

WAIT IN YOUR OFFICE FOR SOMETHING USEFUL TO

HAPPEN FOR YOU

IT WON’T…

MY EXPERIENCE 

Gained active support from key people: initially two directors, five managers, five librarians (committee), three staff SME trainers

Formed training committee: used earlier “connections” capital to get permission if necessary

S.W.O.T. (in the Mind Meld handout, all the risks)

Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats

Identify these for the potential learning program both holistically and specifically

Get input from others Don’t operate with blinders. Don’t ass-u-me!

MY EXPERIENCE

Identified, with key people, my SWOTs

Data generation process: Documented achievements for my supervisor and reviewing rater; created tracking/statistic method

Make a success happen. (in the Mind Meld you have succeeded with one person)

Do a training or development program for a work unit (one of your supporters?)

Coach a staff person, manager Problem-solve a process Contribute to in-house publication: how you can contribute,

resources available to people, FYI articles and useful information

Facilitate a meeting Make a new learning opportunity available to staff: tutorial,

offsite class, video

MY EXPERIENCE  Asked key SME for librarians to do training in TC;

asked key group to do as well on any topic of interest Sent out request for staff to share expertise by

conducting a class Did great teambuilding day for a manager who is

influential Created/conducted several new classes in TC:

performance evaluations, NEO, discussion roundtables, time management

Saw supervisors with staff problems – offered and helped fix

Found videos, tutorials

Build on Success (in the Mind Meld mode, go for more!)

Follow up on any opportunities that result Continue making people connections Keep your program in the limelight Start working on bigger goals

MY EXPERIENCE  Reinforced new presenters: praise, help, how valuable to

staff and library mission Heard about new SmartyPants service: proactively asked

and responded to needed training; saw new skills needed as well as synchronicity from earlier efforts to connect with staff

Led to BRAINCELLS series for librarians Led to Beyond Today series for senior librarians Led to Take the Lead series for Lead Clerks Led to new service styles training for all staff

Level One: Reaction

Increase in class number and attendance 1999=54 classes 2001=100 classes 2000=200 attendees 2004=1140 attendees

Increase in positive comments Staff asking for more classes, giving

suggestions

Level Two: Learning

More staff wanting to do classes Attendees asking for more information on a topic SmartyPants pre-and post-testing results BRAINCELLS self-assessment ratings on

learning achieved Supervisors value classes

Level Three: Behavior

Executives/managers/supervisors ask for training use me as resource Verify performance improvement in staff Are willing to participate in training

Level Four: Results

CEO supports, is engaged Library Commission supports; They Like! Cost-effective use of presenters and attendee time Quality: consistent, more frequent and timely

information to the “Right Butts in the Right Seats” Have two on-going Training Committees

Personal Level One: Reaction

Satisfaction in my job… goals identified and aimed for co-worker relationships accomplishments

Personal Level Two: Learning

More knowledgeable about needs of organization

Increased project management/ /strategic planning/training skills

Increased awareness of training/learning challenges

Personal Level Three: Behavior

More collaborative, team focused More proactive, focused on goals More seeking outside

experiences/input/connections

Personal Level Four:Results

ROI to career and self: Experience Skills Contacts Community contribution

“

“If you are going to take Vienna…

…then Take Vienna.”Napoleon I

Discussion questions:

What others ideas do you have for creating a learning culture?

What successes? Challenges? Failures? Why did they happen? What other resources are out there to help?