Chief Learning Officer - August 2008 - (Page 32)

IN PRACTICE KIMPTON 2.0: DISCUSSION ON THE WEB n an effort to increase connectivity and engender informal discussion among its employees, as well as attract potential job candidates, Kimpton Hotel & Restaurant Group took the leap into Web 2.0 and rolled out a new internal social networking site called “KIMPTON!” (I Am Kimpton). The site, which launched in May, features stories and videos created by Kimpton’s employees, as well as staff proﬁles, interview tips and more. Though the site initially was created mostly to offer prospective candidates a more intimate view of the company, IMKimpton.com has blossomed into a veritable knowledge-sharing vehicle. “Our goal has always been to create an interactive online space designed for current Kimpton employees and job candidates,” said Alan Baer, senior vice president of people and information at Kimpton. “After a successful launch, we’re now focused on how we can enhance the KIMPTON! site in the coming months with interactive content [such as] links to social networking sites, blogs and more,” he said. “We also plan to continue to reﬂect the faces of diversity that embody Kimpton with multilingual videos, additional rich content and more employee stories.” To keep the site fresh and the content useful, the company regularly taps its talent for more original videos, photos and stories. Topics range from “A Day in My Kimpton Life” to “Why I Love Working for Kimpton.” The site is accessible by anyone, and the videos are hosted on YouTube so they can be viewed anytime, anywhere, I Baer said. Employee response thus far has been positive. “With our culture of diversity and inclusion, employee testimonials on IMKimpton.com speak to our target labor markets in a powerful and meaningful way,” said Dorian Oliphant, Kimpton HR director for Texas and Colorado. “In an era where virtual connections are de rigueur, Kimpton is paving the way.” The site wouldn’t be successful, however, if its main premise weren’t fully supported by the company’s culture. Seeing as Kimpton Hotel & Restaurant Group is a collection of boutique hotels across the country, the company’s brand philosophy is that “every hotel tells a story.” Likewise, the organization stresses that “every employee at our hotels and restaurants has an equally unique story to tell,” according to the IMKimpton.com home page. This inclusive culture undoubtedly inspires employees to feel comfortable communicating with each other, which in turn creates an environment ripe for knowledge sharing. In fact, Kimpton incorporated some of the content on IMKimpton.com for training purposes. “The greatest video that we have on there is from Jay Dixon, who is a host at the Poste restaurant in Washington, D.C.,” Baer said. “It’s heart-touching. I played it for a group in one of our trainings at our Kimpton Leadership Academy, and it really shows and underscores the genuineness and the caring of our people and how they relate to each other.” CLO – Agatha Gilmore boundaries, [the more] people feel like, ‘I can share my actual experience in this.’” The key is to make sure you are clear about your expectations and honestly convey to participants that while every aspect of the discussion is helpful, not every idea can be implemented, Jones said. After all, if attendees felt their thoughts were valued and the discussion was worth it, “They’re going to be a cheerleader and a great advertisement,” he said. Bringing Discussion Into the 21st Century One of the newest areas that organizations are delving into to help facilitate successful discussion groups is the Web. At Kimpton Hotel & Restaurant Group, learning executives partnered with public relations representatives to create a special internal networking site for employees and prospective job applicants. Alan Baer, Kimpton’s senior vice president of people and information, said Kimpton challenged employees to come up with personal video clips about their passion for their jobs, and the company featured the winning submissions on its new site. “We do a lot of these types of things,” Baer said, explaining that the company has held similar contests 32 Chief Learning Ofﬁcer • August 2008 • www.clomedia.com around its EarthCare and diversity campaigns. “[The] response was terriﬁc. It’s our folks talking to people who will potentially become our employees, and employees talk[ing] to each other. I think what makes this unique is knowing that this stuff came from our employees: It’s open, it’s honest and it’s candid.” While TAI makes little use of Web 2.0 tools, Ball said, the organization is willing to explore its options. “That’s something that just came out in some of our discussions,” she said. “It’s something that I really want to think through. I am on a mission to move us forward as an organization, help us step into this age of technology. We’re not really there. We do have a Web page, but this is one place I need to investigate and one place I want us to go.” That said, Web 2.0 tools might not suit every organization, and it’s important to assess the goals for your discussion groups and knowledge sharing before implementing online forums, Jones said. Further, going online never should be a substitute for face-to-face discussion. “It doesn’t mean it can’t be effective,” Jones said. “It doesn’t mean if you’ve got a core group of people DISCUSSION continued on page 53 http://IMKimpton.com http://IMKimpton.com http://IMKimpton.com http://IMKimpton.com http://www.clomedia.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Chief Learning Officer - August 2008

Chief Learning Officer - August 2008 Editor's Letter Contents Connections Business Impact Trends Best Practices Effectiveness High-Octane Leadership Development Leadership and Personality CLO Profile Discussion Groups: Harvesting Value from Real-World Experiences Kimpton 2.0: Discussion on the Web Learning Olympics: Development Through Competition Bypassing the Obstacles to Change Listen Up: A How-To-Guide for Podcasting University of Toyota: A Success Story in Podcast Implementation What Stinks About Webinars? Webinars for Learning Professionals Case Study Business Intelligence Advertisers' Index Editorial Resources In Conclusion

Chief Learning Officer - August 2008

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