Training Industry Quarterly - Summer 2008 - (Page 39)

10 QUESTIONS WITH VINCE EUGENIO 1 What’s most important to a learning professional — classroom/training experience or business experience? Business experience. I think if you’re going to be a true head of learning in an organization, you have to subsume the theoretical and really put yourself in the operating reality of the business. They’re not going to want to hear about the five levels of Kirkpatrick evaluation. They are going to be more interested in metrics that matter to them, such as who has completed mandated training, do they see this training as being able to impact their job performance, does the employee’s manager see a difference in performance, are any governmental requirements being met and appropriately documented. Managing multiple competing priorities. It’s trying to identify the truly high payoff opportunities and ability to contribute amongst all these aggressively jostling organizational needs and demands. My day can be extremely busy, but if I’m not careful I’d be busy working on the wrong things. It’s a tough one and I think it never goes away no matter how long you’ve been in an organization. 6 7 8 What’s the most challenging aspect of your job? What’s the most rewarding aspect of your job? I really think it’s dependent on what you’re trying to do. I guess I’m channel neutral, because each channel has its pros and cons. I would prefer to select the right tool for the situation rather than have one tool I use or promote for everything 2 3 What’s your favorite training methodology? Seeing the organization valuing and understanding where you’re trying to bring them, and seeing executives selling what is contained within your strategy. That’s when you know you’re starting to get some success. That’s an indication of success and buy-in, when they’re selling for you because they so deeply believe in what you’re trying to do. Do you find the time to continue your own professional development? What’s your most memorable training experience, good or bad? Back at AT&T, probably in ’94, we were getting ready to spend about $1.3 million on a full-blown real-life lab that would allow telecom technicians to do fairly complex work activities. I was able to work with leadership there and rather than investing that $1.2 or $1.3 million I was able to get them to invest $100,000 in a computer-based simulation. We had wrapped some very significant exercises around that simulation to get these technicians to understand why they had to be prepared for an emergency situation where the power went out. Alarms bells were ringing, it was distracting these guys, simulated phones were ringing with executives on the phone, there was a counter on the screen counting down how much money they were losing. That was simulation was wildly successful. That experience and envisioning and implement the Knowledge Channel at the Bank of America, a business television network. Eight years after initial implementation, there are over 2,000 receive sites and multiple recording studios across the U.S. I am extremely proud of that as well. I did a CLO panel about 10 months or so ago. They asked people what they’re reading professionally. I said before we talk about what we’re reading, let’s talk about what we’re doing professionally. That’s where the rubber hits the road. I’m not so sure if it’s understanding the latest learning technology or the latest point of view, but how you’re operating and the points around that. It’s not conferences, it’s not books – it’s learning by doing, and being introspective. 9 Any recommendations for folks out there – books, partners, resources, etc.? My advice would be to understand where the energy streams are in the organization and see if learning and development could be possibly pulled by that energy stream, and then propose a solution in partnership with the organization that is tied into that energy stream and take the risk to get that off the ground. That’s where you’re really going to move your career forward. I’ve had a number of role models over my career, each bringing a different perspective. One taught me how to handle myself in tough situations. One helped me to sell very complex interventions in a very simplistic way the business would understand. Another helped me to really simplify my language and adapt my style to the audience I was delivering to. Those were probably the ones that really helped me be better. 4 5 Who would you consider your most valuable role model? 10 If someone wants to follow in my professional footsteps, I’d tell them to be sure to… It’s really being able to understand at a deep level the strategic direction of the business and being able to align yourself against that. This is the advice I just gave to two groups: I said if you want to aspire to be a senior leader within learning, you have to have the will and the stomach to see your strategy through over a multi-year period. If you’re not willing to put yourself in that position, don’t sit in that seat. What are the most pressing issues on your professional plate now? Helping the organization solve the questions on how do we increase employee engagement and management effectiveness in the company and where does learning and development play in that. Training Industry Quarterly, Summer 2008 / A Training Industry, Inc. ezine / www.trainingindustry.com/TIQ 39 http://www.trainingindustry.com/TIQ

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Training Industry Quarterly - Summer 2008

Training Industry Quarterly - Summer 2008 At the Editor’s Desk Contents Ezine Email Winning Organizations Through People Before You Buy… Learning Technologies Games & Simulations: Playing to Learn Designing Learning Simulations: Strategies for Leveraging Failure Business Impact 101: The Value of Learning Strategic Alignment: Transforming the Business of Training Meet David DeFilippo Meet Krys Moskal Meet Vince Eugenio Dealing with Death: Learning’s Most Sensitive Lessons Closing Arguments

Training Industry Quarterly - Summer 2008

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