How do you use data and feedback to improve L&D programs?

Because business goals are performance, sales, and profits-related, we don't set L&D objectives, we focus on performance. Therefore, we set performance objectives. We measure the time it takes each worker to complete each process step, then compare all the performance intervals across 5 standard deviations to reveal performance improvement opportunities. Those opportunities may require learning and development, but more often than not they only require coaching individuals on specific process steps and work system interventions such as compensation, equipment, work policies, etc.

Quantitative data is valuable and so is qualitative. Qualitative data is just as important because you get into the nooks and crannies that are hard to quantify. Things like: - What are people saying about what they gained from the learning? - How are they working differently than they did before they knew the new skill? How is it benefitting them as an individual, team, and company? - How has the team evolved together as a result of the training? - How are you applying it day to day? Some of the answers to these are going to add more color to your quantitative data, or serve as a lead indicator that change is coming in the quantitative aspect.

Because business goals are performance, sales, and profits-related, we don't set L&D objectives, we focus on performance. Therefore, we set performance objectives. We measure the time it takes each worker to complete each process step, then compare all the performance intervals across 5 standard deviations to reveal performance improvement opportunities. Those opportunities may require learning and development, but more often than not they only require coaching individuals on specific process steps and work system interventions such as compensation, equipment, work policies, etc.

A global best-in-class practice, with our global multinational clients, is the assigned of a qualified, accredited executive coach or global executive coach, to the participant in an L&D Program, who can synthesize the various data points collected into primary themes and patterns. Participants naturally prefer external executive coaches, to reinforce the confidential nature of the conversations. This results in an effective distillation of all data points, into individual development objectives, which are specific and unique to each individual and the creation of a high-impact action plan. This component of an L&D program is often the highest rated component of an L&D program, as reported to us by our global multinational clients.

Observations should be organized and factual. I love the approach of using 'situation, behavior, impact'. It clearly outlines the environment, the behavior that was learned (if it's being used) and most importantly the impact. Nothing is valuable unless it creates an impact. Impact is the differentiator when it comes to measurement.

We use a workflow learning/electronic performance support concept to enable performance and our target audience is mostly manual workers because they produce most of the products and all of the services businesses rely on worldwide. We capture performance interval data as every worker performs every step of every SOP, and give every worker the opportunity to provide feedback after completing every SOP. Worker feedback can include anything including process changes, equipment needs, coaching requests, etc.

We use a workflow learning/electronic performance support concept to enable performance and our target audience is mostly manual workers because they produce most of the products and all of the services businesses rely on worldwide. We capture performance interval data as every worker performs every step of every SOP, and give every worker the opportunity to provide feedback after completing every SOP. Worker feedback can include anything including process changes, equipment needs, coaching requests, etc.

We use a workflow learning/electronic performance support concept to enable performance and our target audience is mostly manual workers because they produce most of the products and all of the services businesses rely on worldwide. We capture performance interval data as every worker performs every step of every SOP, and give every worker the opportunity to provide feedback after completing every SOP. Worker feedback can include anything including process changes, equipment needs, coaching requests, etc.

After capturing the time workers spend on every process step, we use a big data approach to allow admins, managers, and users the ability to analyze any process, process step, or worker performance across the system. We have a report that enables users to query captured data, then a mean performance interval is automatically calculated and all performance events within the query are displayed in color relative to the mean. Events highlighted red are outliers, gold includes best practices and coachable performance, and green highlights mean performance, which requires no action. Our feedback report compiles all feedback provided by workers.

We use 2 main reports. The Mean Performance Report is available to all users and reveals performance improvement opportunities, not just learning and development opportunities, across the enterprise. After capturing the time workers spend on every process step, we use a big data approach to reveal performance improvement opportunities. Events highlighted red are outliers, gold includes best practices and coachable performance, and green highlights mean performance, which requires no action. Our feedback report compiles all feedback provided by workers. All reports are anonymized and democratized for use across the enterprise.

This is where the 'rubber meets the road' so to speak AND where it usually falls apart. Organizations LOVE to gather and look at data, observe the problem, and continue to observe and pontificate on what can be done. Without an actual plan, the data gathering is useless and in fact can be misused. The key to action planning is making the actions as bite sized as possible. Focusing on: - What can we do everyday in the smallest moments that will move the needle on this? - How will we know we're moving in the right direction BEFORE we gather more data in 6 months? What does it look, sound, feel like? So much of change is built into everyday small moments, NOT big town halls and company wide emails.

Our reports are intended to flag performance that managers should act on. When interventions are successful, the targeted performance events will be highlighted green or gold, but will not remain red. Managers are expected to take action on all gold and red items. Managers are also expected to act on all feedback provided by workers. Our Mean Performance Report will indicate when managers are monitoring and taking effective action by both the event highlights and comparing performance across multiple locations.

Our reports are intended to flag performance that managers should act on. When interventions are successful, the targeted performance events will be highlighted green or gold, but will not remain red. Managers are expected to take action on all gold and red items. Managers are also expected to act on all feedback provided by workers. Our Mean Performance Report will indicate when managers are monitoring and taking effective action by both the event highlights and comparing performance across multiple locations.