Chief Learning Officer- September 2008

24x7 production capability that allows it to develop learning programs faster than before. 3. Learning delivery: The course delivery team schedules and conducts live classroom and virtual, instructor-led sessions. This team has a group of full-time master instructors, most with deep industry experience. They select and train a network of subject specialist instructors that deliver classroom sessions in more than 70 locations throughout Australia. They also manage two dedicated facilities and venue infrastructure. 4. Learning administration: An administrative workforce supports the entire operation, providing technical assistance to learners through a help desk. It also manages the course catalogs and tracks delivery. Telstra’s transformational strategy had two components: become an integrated telecommunications company focused on the customer and create shareholder value by growing revenue while reducing costs. Measurable Success The Telstra Learning Academy is having a measurable impact on the performance of the company’s people and its business. Not long after its establishment, the academy was commissioned to support a major organizational restructure with the centers that manage ﬁeld workforce logistics. In support of the redesigned jobs and needs for systems training associated with the reorganization, the Telstra Learning Academy developed more than 55 hours of courses and assessments under a tight timeline and delivered more than 6,000 hours of training across Australia over a two-month period. This training helped smooth the transition to the new organizational structure and contributed to an increase of more than 15 percent in workforce productivity, company ofﬁcials said. Another program, called “Communication Technicians of the Future,” provided an opportunity for innovative learning. By installing new software tools in the more than 5,000 mobile computers used by ﬁeld technicians, the company provided them with the best tools, systems and processes to do their jobs and serve customers. An induction program for call-center employees introduced in January covers processes, products, systems, health and safety, troubleshooting and customer service. The program has improved employees’ product knowledge and helped them give more informed advice to customers. An internal study found the program contributed to an 11 percent reduction in average call-handling time, which could save Telstra more than $1.6 million Australian per year. Other operational beneﬁts that the Telstra Learning Academy has contributed during the past two years include: • Reports of service trouble reduced by more than 40 percent. • Cost of activation cut by more than 22 percent. • Held orders for Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) service (orders that temporarily cannot be fulﬁlled) reduced by more than 90 percent. A Strategic Investment in People In the two-and-a-half years since its launch, the academy has partnered closely with the business in executing Telstra’s transformational business strategy. The company has equipped more than 21,000 people with the skills and knowledge to plan, manage and communicate the emerging technologies, products and services Telstra is introducing to its customers. The strength of the academy model, based on an outsourcing collaboration, comes from the discipline it can now bring to the way training is developed and delivered, as well as from more scalable and ﬂexible solutions, the blend of delivery styles and readily accessible global learning expertise. Above all, the academy’s success can be attributed to the power of aligning learning investments with business results. The single most important element learning executives should focus on achieving is a governance structure that identiﬁes where a company is headed and what employees need to learn to get there. When successfully carried out, it can form the basis of competitive differentiation and high performance. CLO John Clifford is director of the Telstra Learning Academy. Richard Clarke is the Accenture executive who oversees and manages Accenture’s learning outsourcing engagement with Telstra. They can be reached at editor@clomedia.com. 60 Chief Learning Ofﬁcer • September 2008 • www.clomedia.com http://www.clomedia.com

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Chief Learning Officer Editor’s Letter Contents Connections Imperatives Selling Up, Selling Down Strategies Take Five Lifestyle Learning: Improve the Bottom Line With Behavioral Education Tracom’s Social Style Model CLO Profile IOL: Determining the Impact of Learning Communicating With the Boss About Impact Mission Accomplished? Measuring Success of Corporate Universities Borrowing Measurement Practices From Investors Value Creation With Human Capital Investment Business Impact Analysis at Chrysler Learning or Performance Enhancement: Which Is It? Best Practices in Global Project Management Training Case Study Business Intelligence Advertisers’ Index Editorial Resources In Conclusion

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