Mapping Your Way to Effective Learning and Development
By Ann W. Parkman, Executive Vice President, and Dan Raymond, Senior Performance Consultant

Formal training makes economic sense when an obvious need for training to develop skills and knowledge exists. New hire training or training to teach experienced employees a new enterprise-wide software are perfect examples. But there are also countless cases in which formal training -- whether classroom-based instruction or e-learning -- does not make economic sense. Here are just a few examples:

• People who are promoted or are assigned different projects generally have some level of experience in their company or industry. The specific skills and knowledge they need for their new assignments will vary on a case-by-case basis.
• Senior- or executive-level people who are brought on board will almost certainly bring a high level of business experience. This, of course, doesn't mean they know everything; it simply means that what they don't know will again vary markedly by person and position. It is unlikely that a company's existing training curriculum or an external executive development program can target the specific needs of these individuals.
• Some positions may enjoy such low turnover, or be so specialized, that hiring is conducted infrequently at best. In these situations, the cost of developing and maintaining formal training may far outweigh the benefits.

Many organizations make some attempt to provide learning and development (L&D) opportunities that are outside the scope of their corporate training curriculums, such as industry conferences or tuition reimbursement programs. But very few organizations apply any form of upfront analysis to match needed skills and knowledge with available L&D opportunities.

In many cases, this means that people learn their new jobs or assignments through unstructured, on-the-job trial and error (as in "Go sit by Ellen and watch her work."). Even if they are fortunate enough to attend an L&D session, it's generally up to each person to know what skills and knowledge are lacking and to fill the void. This is an expensive and ineffective solution, especially when you consider that "people don't know what they don't know."

Mapping the L&D Process
We have found that one of the most effective ways to overcome this training challenge is to map out all available L&D opportunities by job position. An L&D map is a tool that provides employees and their supervisors with clear direction on:

• What skills and knowledge have already been mastered and what areas need work
• Sources for needed skills and knowledge, including but not limited to:
  • Industry conferences
  • Reading assignments
  • Meetings with and/or observations of subject matter experts
  • Coaching and mentoring
  • Formal training programs
  • Structured on-the-job training
  • Continuing education courses
• A formal structure for monitoring progress in each area on a regular and ongoing basis

L&D maps offer a number of benefits, including flexibility, the ability to take advantage of immediate L&D opportunities, and individualized mapping based on each person's specific needs. Below is an overview of the steps involved in developing an L&D map for a hypothetical Account Manager position at XYZ Co.

1. Identify or validate the job-critical tasks, skills, and knowledge needed.
It's been ten years since XYZ has had to fill the Account Manager position. Because of this, the performance technologist starts by conducting a task and skill analysis to identify all of the job-critical tasks for which this job is accountable. The task and skill analysis* includes a review of the current job position description along with interviews with the outgoing Account Manager and his direct supervisor, Pat.

During the interviews, the performance technologist is able to determine that, in addition to the critical tasks identified during analysis, there are a number of basic skills that any new Account Manager must have before he or she will be hired. There are also a number of preferred skills that XYZ would like a new Account Manager to exhibit. And there are proprietary or company-specific skills/knowledge that any new Account Manager will need to learn. The resulting report highlights some of the critical skills and knowledge identified for the Account Manager position:

Table 1: Critical Skills/Knowledge for XYZ Account Manager

2. Identify available L&D opportunities.
The performance technologist then works with Pat, Human Resources, and any other available resources to identify appropriate L&D opportunities to meet the "preferred" and "proprietary" skill and knowledge needs.

Table 2: L&D Opportunities for XYZ Account Manager

3. Map out the L&D process with the new employee.
After a comprehensive search, Pat proudly announces that Carol has accepted the Account Manager position. Carol has six years of prior experience, much of it in a similar capacity working for one of XYZ's major competitors. During her interviews with XYZ, she was able to demonstrate competence in two of the three preferred skills/knowledge (describing XYZ's industry and competitors and applying a proven sales process). Therefore, all Carol will need to learn is how to:

• Track and document customer leads and transactions using CRM software
• Explain and demonstrate features and benefits of XYZ's products
• Describe XYZ's sales processes and procedures

On her first day on the job, Carol sits down with Pat to plan out a map based on these specific L&D needs. They establish priorities and identify the resources Carol will need to access in the coming weeks. They also assign deadlines for completing each L&D opportunity, starting with more basic activities and progressing towards more complex skill and knowledge needs. Last but not least, they agree to meet on a regular basis to provide both Pat and Carol with a structured means of measuring Carol's developmental progress. Carol's L&D map for the first three months ends up looking like this:

Table 3: Carol's L&D Map

The Benefits of L&D Maps
An L&D map offers a highly flexible yet structured way of dealing with virtually any type of skill or knowledge need. It includes any necessary formal training programs as well as many other viable learning opportunities. Other benefits include:

• Immediacy: Many classroom-based training programs require a certain number of participants before a class can be held. This obstacle is eliminated by allowing people to engage in other L&D opportunities while waiting for a course to become available. Carol, for example, was able to identify some of the key tools available in the CRM software by reviewing the manual and by meeting with experienced users before attending an external training program.
• Tailored: L&D maps are tailored to the specific skill and knowledge needs of each individual while giving credit for what people already know and can do. Because of Carol's knowledge of the industry, prior sales experience, and demonstrated selling skills, she did not need to attend a regional industry meeting or sales development program as part of her initial L&D map. However, to remain abreast of current trends, she and Pat may choose to add some of these activities as future L&D opportunities.
• Learner-centric focus: L&D maps put people in control of meeting their own learning and development needs. It gives them information and access to available resources and lets them progress as quickly as they are able.
• Measurable progress: Setting regular meeting times for supervisors and their employees to agree on the course of the map and to assess progress toward learning and development is an excellent way to begin a working relationship based on open communication.

The task and skill analysis report can also easily form the basis for a Candidate Selection Tool that can weed out unqualified applicants (for more information on this tool, please go to http://www.cepworldwide.com/newsletter/risk_hiring.html).

For advice or support on L&D maps, contact Paula Alsher at 770-458-4080 or palsher@cepworldwide.com.

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