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| CIASTD Member Newsletter | December, 2002 | |||||||||||||||||
| CIASTD
Chapter Services 8444 Castlewood Drive, Suite 400 Indianapolis, IN 46250 (317) 841-1395 Fax: (317) 841-8206 |
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Ethics
– Do our own individual standards measure up? I’d like to conclude my year as president on a bit of a philosophical reflecting note (in keeping with the practice of year-end introspection). This has been the year of the ethics discussions. Enron, Arthur Andersen, and Imclone have highlighted scenarios where people did not behave in a manner that most of the world would label as ethical. Suddenly, the topic of corporate ethics became big. When Dennis Raina joined us in November at our Fall Forum to present a keynote on the topic of trust, it was timely. We were engaged. It intrigues me that we tend to label companies as “unethical” or “untrustworthy” rather than recognizing that companies consist of people. Before we point fingers at corporations for displaying a lack of ethics, we have to look at our own behavior. How do we operate on a daily basis? Are we worthy of trust or do we use the mantra, “It’s just business!” to justify behavior that would be unacceptable in any other arena? In discussion about ethics and readings throughout the year, I’ve distilled some consciousness-raising questions:
Roger Kaufman, long a thought leader in our field, argues that our companies must consider the social benefit of their products and processes to be truly viable organizations. It’s something worth considering. As we point fingers at companies for being unworthy of our trust or for engaging in unethical business practices, we need to realize that companies don’t lie, cheat, or deceive – people do. As practitioners in a field that helps and empowers, we have unique opportunities to look at ourselves and decide whether we are upholding standards of ethics and trustworthiness. The International Society for Performance Improvement (ISPI) publishes a code of ethical conduct for human performance improvement practitioners. Go to ISPI.org and review it for yourself. Make a vow in 2003 to uphold this ethical standard and set the example for our field. Thanks
to everyone who made my tenure as CIASTD president such a positive
one. MP Records did a spectacular job in their first year providing
association management to us. All of the CIASTD board members and
the chapter volunteers also deserve special thanks for their efforts
to support and enhance the chapter. I appreciate the opportunity
to have served the chapter, and I welcome Dan Johnson as the chapter’s
leader for 2003. Best wishes to Dan and to the entire 2003 CIASTD
Board.
Sharon is the founder and president of Bottom-Line Performance, Inc. She has been in the field of training and development for more than 15 years and has gained extensive experience in instructional design and performance consulting. Fall
Forum
The primary complaint was that participants were forced to attend only 3 of the 15 breakouts. (Perhaps the Special Events Committee will take that under advisement for 2003.) The breakouts ranged from how we can develop managers, using coaching as a strategic tool, measuring business value of training programs, web-based training, theater techniques, workplace violence, business development, to ROI. Wanting to attend at least 12 of the 15, I chose three that I felt would most enrich my consulting practice.
They
included Dan Johnson’s session on career development, Nancy
Alrich’s session on managing retention, and Leslie Yerkes
session that offered 11 principles that sustain fun in the workplace.
One of my sessions wrapped up early, so I slipped in to Jay McNaught’s
session on web-based training to find standing room only. As I reflect on the knowledge, ideas, and contacts I gained at this year’s Fall Forum, you can bet I will be the first to register for CIASTD’s 2003 Fall Forum. “What a bargain,” I thought as I drove home. Only $109 for the day! Now that does make this year’s Fall Forum the best yet!!! CIASTD’s success hinges on member feedback and involvement. Throughout the year, let the leadership know what topics interest you. Suggest presenters as well. Better yet, get more involved in CIASTD’s committee work! You make the difference! And it showed this year at the Fall Forum. Hope to see you at the 2003 CIASTD Fall Forum.
I attended Jim A'Allier's, “The Business of Training: From
'Job Impact to ROI',” Jay McNaught's, “Web-Based Training
that Really Works,” and Debra Taylor's, “Business Development
is Everyone's Business™.” I walked out of each session
with valuable, thought-provoking information, and tools I could
immediately apply.
Of all the offerings, I gained equally as much from the informal
interactions. The Thursday evening cocktail time was relaxing and
stimulating at the same time, and I truly enjoyed and learned from
the lunch discussions and vendor displays. [Sue Ann Ford is a new member to CIASTD. As such, she brings a fresh perspective. Following is her review of the Fall Forum.] Managing
for Retention from Day One Can you fill in the blanks? “We need to hire people who can hit the ground ______________.” “Career development is up to the _________________.” “You should be grateful just to have a _______.” “If you don’t like it here, ___________.” If you recognize these statements, little wonder. They are examples of old mental models about employment that have been prevalent in the workplace for years. And they are not at all employee-centered. But the most profitable employers in today’s unpredictable economy, says author, consultant, and expert on “Employers of Choice,” Nancy S. Ahlrichs, are employee-centered as well as customer-centered. In her Fall Forum presentation, “Managing for Retention from Day One,” Ahlrichs discussed her research on what separates organizations with high turnover and lower profits from those with high quality of services, products, and financial performance. The author of Competing for Talent: Key Recruitment and Retention Strategies for Becoming an Employer of Choice, Ahlrichs stated that even in today’s economy, it is not easy for employers to find and keep “good people.” “Employers of Choice,” says Ahlrichs, "recognize this and implement strategies to recruit and retain talent." She offered this definition of an “Employer of Choice”: an employer “able to meet growth and profitability goals because it attracts and retains the quality and quantity of employees it needs.” Ahlrichs discussed strategies for recruitment and retention. She began by focusing on “who’s who in the workplace … and why.” She noted that employers must recognize that diversity is not just about appreciating ethnic and racial differences, but also about acknowledging generational differences. Ahlrichs talked about the four generations now present in the workplace and how their life experiences, values, and orientations toward family, technology, and work differ. She discussed the implications of those differences for employers. The presentation also focused on two strategies common to Employers of Choice: 1) Doing Day One Right, and 2) Managing for Retention. Ahlrichs posed the question: “When is an employee positively euphoric with their decision to work for a particular employer?” She suggested that the answers to this question should guide planning of an employee’s first day. Ahlrichs asserted that efforts to retain talent should begin even before the first day of employment. She provided suggestions such as preparing existing staff, sending paperwork for completion in advance, enabling access in advance, and making benefit and other information available on-line. Ahlrichs also cautioned participants to avoid spending an employee’s first day on detailed provision of information about benefits or similar activities, since the first day should be about “bonding.” Ahlrichs
shared ideas for “Managing for Retention” and discussed
the implications of generational differences for employer practices
such as career development, compensation, benefits, and rewards/recognition,
management style, and work culture. [Judy Hasselkus is a regular contributor to The Facilitator. In this issue she has done an excellent job of reviewing two of the Fall Forum sessions she attended.] Effective
Career Development Initiatives Powerful Strategies to Meet Business Needs and Strengthen Employee Commitment What is the benefit of a career development initiative? Dan Johnson, performance consultant with Performance Mastery and CIASTD President-elect, posed this question to participants at the Fall Forum on November 8. Participants developed a lengthy list of benefits including better morale and more loyalty to the company. But the bottom line? Well, it is the bottom line. Johnson discussed how an internal career development system for an organization can decrease cost associated with turnover and loss of talent. Johnson provided a model for a successful career development initiative based on the career center he established as Director of Performance Improvement for American United Life Insurance Company. The model features a three-step approach: “look inward,” “look outward,” “look forward.” The first component of the model focuses on supporting employees in discovering their skills, values, career anchors, etc. The second aspect involves identifying appropriate career opportunities within the organization. The third aspect of the model focuses on helping employees create career development plans that align their goals with the needs of the organization. Johnson discussed each aspect of the model and gave concrete examples of how each component is implemented at AUL. To illustrate one exercise used to help employees “look inward,” Johnson asked participants to draw a career line to identify their top two career anchors. A career anchor, Johnson explained, is a motivating force that influences career decisions. The concept is based on the work of Dr. Edgar Schein who identified eight basic career anchors such as security and stability, pure challenge, and life-style integration. Participants experienced first-hand the value of such an exercise. In addition, Johnson shared several techniques for building a strong career development initiative within an organization. He emphasized three key points: 1) Get buy-in from senior management, 2) have a point of contact within the organization to oversee the initiative and 3) measure and report. Johnson highlighted the importance of studying turnover costs and identifying employees who say they would have left the company had they not participated in a career development intervention. He shared a written testimonial from an AUL employee (with permission) as one example of documentation of retained talent. In closing, Johnson summarized lessons learned through his experience establishing an internal career development initiative. He emphasized the importance of speaking senior management’s language. Focus on talent management and retention, reduced costs, and measurement. This, says Johnson, is what builds a compelling case for career development within the organization. Johnson also discussed the importance of housing the career development operation away from the human resources office so that it is viewed by employees as a “safe place” to explore career issues. This is essential to encourage employee participation. Finally, Johnson cautioned that a career development initiative must have a dedicated resource to oversee the initiative and to ensure that the program is integrated with HR and the organization’s strategies for recruiting and employee relations. According to Johnson, “This position does not need to be a full-time position, nor does it need to have career development in its title.” Start
The New Year Off Right!
Trainer's
Tips Do you have a training tip that you would like to share with our readers? If so, send it to Kathleen M. Robbins at kmr@indy.net. New
Members December
16, 2002: Volunteer Opportunity |
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