Chief Learning Officer - December 2008 - (Page 57)

EXCELLENCE IN SOCIAL NETWORKS • GOLD • PROVIDER AWARD Learning Tree International Breakfast has long been known as the most important meal of the day. Now it seems the morning ritual might also be a driving force behind the exchange of innovative on relevant issues amongst training executives. Learning Tree International (LTI) and Alan Malinchak, vice president and CLO of ManTech International, have established a forum of learning leaders in industry, government and the military in the Washington metropolitan area: the “Learning Leaders’ Breakfast.” The quarterly event involves informal social networking over coffee and breakfast, followed by a brief formal presentation on a hot topic. It concludes with a conﬁdential open Q&A dialogue between the formal presenter and participants. The “Learning Leaders Breakfast” is held in the Tower Club, located in Tyson’s Corner, Va. LTI believed if this social network initiative among training professionals was to work, LTI would have to ensure open communication among the participants without inﬂuence from the LTI staff. LTI launched the ﬁrst “Learning Leaders’ Breakfast” on March 27, featuring presenter Tony Bingham, CEO of the American Society of Training and Development (ASTD), who presented “C-Level Views about Learning,” a discussion on how the loss of knowledge from retiring workers may impact any organization and advice on how CLOs and learning leaders can be better prepared. Discussions during the Q&A dialogue at the ﬁrst “Learning Leaders’ Breakfast” highlighted the following issues: • How to show the business impact of T&D on an organization’s bottom line. • T&D: An expense or a value add? • How T&D drives talent management. • Dealing with knowledge transfer and knowledge management as the “perfect storm.” • The “war for talent.” The second breakfast forum took place on June 27, featuring two formal presenters: Brad Antle, president and CEO of SI International, and Wolf Ruzicka, CEO of EastBanc Technologies. The corporate leaders provided the CEO perspective on the role and impact of training in their organizations. They presented different views on how they align training with their corporate goals and how training has impacted their recruitment, retention, leadership development and ﬁnancial bottom lines. Some of the discussion following the presentations centered on the initiation of training: whether it’s performed by the employee or management, how leadership training is mapped internally and the crucial role of training in employee retention. EXCELLENCE IN SOCIAL NETWORKS • SILVER • PROVIDER AWARD SureSpeak When one grows comfortable enough in a sales role, the individual may deem further organized training unnecessary and abandon the process. This was the case at MyInsuranceExpert.com, and it was becoming a problem. The issue was coupled with the organization’s tremendous growth and limited training resources. MyInsuranceExpert.com aims to offer an easy-to-use online platform to ﬁnd the most optimal health insurance plans at the best prices. The company represents more than 200 health plans from 15 carriers in nine states. MyInsuranceExpert.com turned to SureSpeak to overcome its obstacles by creating a curriculum that trains new advisers and updates the skills of current advisers. SureSpeak is an online, webcam-based e-learning tool built on a model of role-play and coaching. The program has relaunched as a Web-based training and networking tool. It’s now an asynchronous coaching device that allows trainees to practice, record and save lessons. Trainees network from the site with coaches or trainers to view and review video lessons, and SureSpeak automatically archives progress. MyInsuranceExpert.com implemented the SureSpeak platform into its training program. Setup required investing in a webcam and a monthly subscription fee. Features of the program include automatic e-mails to coaches when students record practice sessions with a link directly to the trainee’s video. The trainer is able to view the video at his or her convenience, score it and offer feedback. When the scoring process is complete, the trainee receives an e-mail notiﬁcation. A video Q&A session also can be launched from the site. The SureSpeak platform was able to remedy MyInsuranceExpert.com’s issues. No new setup is required as the company grows: The program is built on a network platform, and trainers and trainees create accounts and connect to trainers as needed. If an employee leaves, the trainers are able to remove the individual from their network. Connecting is simple and can be used for continual training or on a case-by-case basis. SureSpeak has also reduced the number of employees straying from the sales process. Seasoned employees can review their old recordings to observe the progress they’ve made; therefore, sales strategies learned in training are better maintained. 57 http://www.MyInsuranceExpert.com http://www.MyInsuranceExpert.com http://www.MyInsuranceExpert.com http://www.MyInsuranceExpert.com http://www.MyInsuranceExpert.com http://www.MyInsuranceExpert.com

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

Chief Learning Officer - December 2008 Editor’s Letter Contents Connections Business Impact Best Practices Effectiveness Guest Editorial The Future of Learning CLO Profile Learning Opportunities Embedded in Social Networking ManTech Leverages Knowledge Management Approaches for Social Networking Agility Training for the Learning Organization Creating an Agile Organization With Learning 2.0 2008 Learning In Practice Awards Corporate Social Responsibility: How Can Learning Contribute? Union Fenosa Corporate University: How CSR Education Impacted the Bottom Line Training in the 21st Century: Everything Old Is New Again Zions Bancorp.: Connecting the Dots Case Study Business Intelligence Advertisers’ Index Editorial Resources In Conclusion

Chief Learning Officer - December 2008

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