UNIVERSITY TO USEFUL

Transitioning performers from classroom learning to performance for technical professionals

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Situation

• The easy oil is gone. New technologies are being developed to get to more difficult oil to meet the world’s demand.

• The way the industry is doing business needs to change. Collaboration, or working across disciplines has become a must.

• The industry has many senior professionals retiring soon . There is a need to hire many new professionals to take their place leaving a gap of knowledge and experience.

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Discussion in Pairs

• Find a partner and review the scenario presented on your handout.

• Discuss the challenges presented and how you (or your organization) might have dealt with them.

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How Would You…

• Bridge the gap from learning to performance to meet management’s mandate?

• Develop curriculum from a list of topics or a broad ‘bucket’ of subject matter that spans the breadth of a technical discipline?

• Equip performers who are armed with only university knowledge to produce quickly in a technical role that draws on a depth of technical experience and a breadth of region-specific application of knowledge when the existing curriculum is organized by topic or subject?

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How Would You…

• Systematize course development quickly for seven courses of two-week duration for a range of technical disciplines to be developed in less than 12 weeks?

• Generate the understanding and buy-in of subject matter experts (who hold the keys to your success with the business line) to a new approach (performance-based rather than content-driven) even as you are undertaking it?

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Our Solution

• We came upon Beacon Performance Group through a contact from previous work they had done with our Leadership Center.

• I met with Mason and described our situation.• Over the next several weeks we put together a plan:

– a team of analysts would perform a PDNA analysis to target the major outcomes of each discipline.

– From the analysis, the outcomes and modules would be identified, lending to the curriculum definition.

– Then a team of instructional designers, technical writers and graphic artists would come to office and develop the courses alongside the SMEs from each discipline.

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What Happened

• By the time we were able to bring our analysts over, it was mid-October. – Only 12 weeks to take these courses from beginning to end.

• Three analysts had two weeks to perform PDNA on 5 job families.

• The product of the interviews was a map of outcomes and preliminary processes for each discipline.

• More data crunching back in the states resulting in a more detailed report of the outcomes and high-level processes.

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What Happened

• From the reports each major outcome and high-level process was broken down into major modules.

• Outcome deliverables and action objectives were identified for each module.

• Reviewed by SMEs again.• Development teams hit the ground running in mid-

November and produced systematized templates, and process for developing courses.

• We reached our goals and the flagships were delivered.• Couldn’t have done it nearly so well without Beacon’s

PDNA help.

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How We Did It

1. Started with a clear performance-based approach

2. Ordered and organized the job family and curriculum based on outcomes

3. Designed and developed courses in alignment with the performance model (from analysis)

4. Managed the change - Held regular overview, focus group and validation meeting with SMEs

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Step 1 - Performance DNA™

• We conducted Performance Analysis using Performance DNA™ (PDNA)– Used in ASTDs HPI Certificate Program– Validated across many organizations

• Used the follow-on approach Performance DNA™ Training Design– Aligned to PDNA– Quick and efficient for porting over PDNA data

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The Performance Chain

• The basis for building outcomes-based accelerated development

Performance happens in this direction

We analyze performance in this direction

Influences Tasks Processes Business GoalsOutcomes

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Performance DNA ™ Training Design

Define organization’s business goal and job that may need training

Define majoroutcomes required

vs. currently produced

Define key workprocesses used

to produce outcomes

Detail tasksperformed in

key work process

Break down sub-tasksor steps for problematic

or new tasks

Investigate factorsthat influenceperformance

Develop curriculum plan

PERFORMANCEANALYSIS

DESIGN & DEVELOP INSTRUCTION

Plan and design courses

Specify materialsto be developed

Plan and design modules

Validate and evaluatefor performance

PLAN

Conduct research on required content

and information

Determine how tocause learning,

retention & transfer

Determine parametersand constraints

Determine mostappropriate approach(job aid vs. training)

DESIGN & DEVELOPJOB AIDS

Specify job aid type

Plan the job aid

Design and developthe job aid

Determine appropriatejob aid format

Validate and evaluatefor performance

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Step 2 – Order the Job Families

• Order and organize based on performance– Conducted Performance DNA™ Analysis interviews

across 5 job families– Organized outcomes around job roles and

specialty roles– Created outcome maps as organizing templates

for job families

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From Technical Area Chaos…

… To Job Role Clarity

Specialist Role 1 Specialist Role 2 Specialist Role 3 Specialist Role 4

Job Role 1 Job Role 1 Job Role 1 Job Role 1

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And From This…• Job of a Geophysicist:

– Task 1– Task 2– Task 3– Task 4– Task 5– Task 6– Task 7– Task 8– Task 9 – Task 178

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… To This

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Step 3 – Design and Develop

• Course Design Planning Worksheet, Part 1– Document the Job Outcome addressed by the

course– Document expected Learning Difficulties– Document pertinent Work Process details that are

relevant to Course coverage

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Course Design – Part 1

Course Objective:

Expected Learning Difficulties (based on characteristics of learner audience):

Work ProcessAddressed

Process Output Difficulty Level* Complexity Level*

Number of Tasks

Tasks Require High Level of

Decision Making

Tasks Require Performance at High Speed

1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5

Course Design Planning Worksheet, Part 1Using Key Work Process Worksheets to Plan Course CoverageCurriculum:___________________________________________ Course Name:__________________________________Job Outcome Addressed:_______________________________

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Step 3 – Design and Develop (continued)

• Course Design Planning Worksheet, Part 2– Estimated Course Modules – Documented Task Details and Drafted Module

Names– Documented Potential Interactions

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Course Design – Part 2

Tasks Related to Work Process(es) Task Difficulty Rating

Draft Module Names*(Write same Module name beside

multiple tasks that will be treated in the module if you are combining 2 or more

tasks into one module)

Describe Potential for Interaction with or Confusion

with Other ModuleED D M E

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

Course Design Planning Worksheet, Part 2

Using Task Definition Worksheets to Identify Tasks Addressed in Each ModuleCurriculum:___________________________________________ Course Name:__________________________________Work Process(es) Addressed:_______________________________

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Step 3 – Design and Develop (continued)

• Course Design Planning Worksheet, Part 3– Sequence Modules and Document Module Details– Document Job Outcome Produced by Module– Determine Source of Module Content– Determine Delivery Location and Ratio– Determine whether Evaluation is required as final

activity

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Course Design – Part 3

Module Name(Transfer from Part 2)

Sequence of Module Delivery

Desired Job Outcome Produced

by Module

Module Content Source

(select instructor, course materials,

eLearning, job aid, and/or simulation)

Location Ratio of Learners to Instructor

□ Instructor□ Course materials□ eLearning□ Job Aid□ Simulation□ Instructor□ Course materials□ eLearning□ Job Aid□ Simulation

Course Design Planning Worksheet, Part 3Course Content PlanningCurriculum:___________________________________________ Course Name:__________________________________

Evaluation Required as Final Course Activity? □Yes □No(If Yes, document rationale.) _______________________________________________________

Practice Methods Required: (mark only after Module Design Worksheet, Part 2 has been completed)

□ Isolated practice on each module □ Integrated practice across all modules at end of course

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Step 3 – Design and Develop (continued)

• Content Analysis and Requirements Template– Analyzed Course Design Documents for Content

Requirements– Worked with SMEs to Identify Availability and

Source and Condition of Content– Specified Next Steps for Content Inclusion

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Content Analysis

Content Requirement Description

Exists?

(y/n)

Content Source

Information Type

Content Format

(PPT, DOC, Etc.)

Summarize Content Usage

Rework Required

□ Key terms

□ Concepts

□ Facts

□ Processes

□ Principles

□ Other

□ Writing□ Editing□ Graphic Design□ Other

□ Key terms

□ Concepts

□ Facts

□ Processes

□ Principles

□ Other

□ Writing□ Editing□ Graphic Design□ Other

Content Analysis and Requirements TemplateProject:_____________________________________ Page___ of ____Foundational Course:_____________________________ Technical Writer:_____________________Module::_____________________________________

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Step 4 – Manage the Change

• Held regular overview, focus group and validation meeting with SMEs – Introduced began to educate and continued to

socialize the difference between subject matter and performance

– Ensured that they had a voice in the process– Managed their input (not always well!)

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Be Mindful of the Inertia!

• Lessons Learned:– We got some black eyes

• Deep feelings among SMEs about how “their topic” must be handled

• Resistance to change• Politics – internal and departmental divisions• A whole lot of “this is how we do it here,” and “I know

what they need to know.”

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Questions?

To find out more, contact:

Mason HollowayDirector

Beacon Performance Groupmholloway@beaconassociates.net

443-995-4797