Emergent Learning Forum

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Emergent Learning Forum
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What we are going to talk about

• Where we come from and our motivation for
  integrating on-line technology support in our
  leadership development work
• Key features in our approach
• The case of STATOIL
• What we have learned.
• Maybe a little trip online to have a little peek
  on some selected elements of one project

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AFF A foundation at the Norwegian School of
Economics and Business Administration
Norwegian School of Economics and Business
Administration
AFF 40 consultants Leadership development
SNF 130 researchstaff Research in Economics and
Business Administration
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Changes in education and learning
Classical pedagogical paradigm
Constructivist pedagogical paradigm
The expert holds the key to knowledge
More learning Faster learning Relevant
learning. Learning on demand
Changes in the market and in the surroundings
creates a need for
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Some important questions

• What are the implications of the network
  society and the knowledge technology for
  education and learning?
• What is the impact of the internet and eLearning
  on leadership training and development
• Can the new educational possibilities truly have
  an impact on personal and organizational
  performance?
• What kind of challenges and problems will emerge
  when we try to implement online learning and
  performance support in management development?
• What should we do to make the best of online
  leadership training and development?

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First experiences flat on our face
Our naive assumptions

• Trust the salesperson with the great solution and
  references
• The technology is stable and easy to use
• Leaders will be motivated to learn in new ways
  and find performance support on the net.
• The programme staffs will be interested and will
  engage in developing their programs and
  approaches
• Staffs competency will easily be transferred to
  online arenas.
• The added value will justify higher cost
• Our own management will champion the eLearning
  initiative
• Technology is easily aligned with programme
  didactics
• The eLearning suppliers are economically sound

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TIME TO EVALUATE AND RETHINK

• Stop or go?

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Statoil the company

• Statoil is an integrated oil and gas company with
  substantial international activities.
• Represented in 28 countries, the group has about
  24 000 employees. Nearly 50 per cent of these
  employees work outside Norway.
• Statoil ASA delivered a reported income before
  taxes of 8 billion in 2003

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Statoil the company the IPO of 2001

• Statoil launched an ambitious and innovative
  process to strengthen its leadership bench in
  collaboration with AFF.

• Improve overall leadership development process
• Support continuous learning
• Focus on transfer of learning from training to
  everyday performance
• Support these objectives with innovative
  application of technology support in leadership
  development program delivery and on-demand
  performance support

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Leadership Network

• Leadership Network is an online leadership
  development tool developed by AFF in
  collaboration with Statoil ASA. Currently
  deployed in all Statoil programs and in all AFFs
  programs across companies.

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Tailored company solution Leadership portal
Program support (blended learning)
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Key features in the approach

• Seamless integration with companies own
  intranet and resources
• Web design elements
• Purpose, values, competence model
• Company specific content
• Push technology.
• Newsletter with links containing info on specific
  themes, corp. initiatives and news
• Notification mails to start assignments or push
  for completion of assignments
• Information/library
• Pressing problems
• Readings in depth articles
• Practical performance support
• Tools, tips and procedures/methods

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Key features in the approach (cont.)

• WEB with condensed information to leaders who
  have participants in programs.
• Descriptions of goals, topics and themes in
  program
• Clear expectations to management attention and
  follow-up actions.
• Learning logs, sharing development activities
• Change projects
• Individual development plans
• Reflections on cases
• Interactive learning programs
• General management Dilemmas and Decisions
• Coaching and Mentoring
• Management group development
• Profiled learning
• From 360 feedback to individual curriculum and
  training tasks

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The Transfer of learning Problem
What we strive to achieve An effective and
continuing job application of the knowledge and
skills gained in training.
LearningContext
Work Context
Information Solutions
Instruction
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Factors contributing to improvement after a
program is conducted
External factors
Changes in systems/structures
Potential total improvement after program
Incentives
Management attention
Potential effect of training and development in
itself on improvement
Training/development
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How automatic is transfer (not very!)
Voluntary/ automatic transfer
Ambition and need for transfer on -Individual
level -Unit level -Organizational level
Is reflected in

• Need assessment
• Analyses
• Design
• Delivery of
• training and
• development

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How to supplement automatic transfer
Voluntary/ automatic transfer

• Need assessment
• Analyses
• Design
• Delivery of
• training and
• development

Stimulated transfer
We need to add
Potential for improvement is huge!
Transfer Management - System and climate
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Emerging improvements in reinforcement of
learning transfer and program quality

• Increased management accountability for
  leadership development. Increased involvement of
  the participants leader in the development
  process.
• Increased interaction among staff and
  participants and between participants,
• Increased visibility and sharing of assignments
  and reports, learning and reflections.
• Increased completion rates of assignments and
  tasks during programs.
• Cheaper and more effective logistics of programs.
  Communication, distribution, administration and
  documentation.

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Emerging improvements in reinforcement of
learning transfer and program quality

• More continuous learning due to systematic
  activation of participants and increased
  awareness and motivation before sessions, between
  sessions and after end of program, overcoming the
  episodic nature of traditional development
  programs.
• Increased accumulation of information and
  feedback to higher level management with focus on
  leadership issues, further training needs and the
  development of a common leadership culture.
• Increased use of self paced learning and on
  demand use of the resources available to enhance
  own performance in problem solving.

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Emerging improvements in reinforcement of
learning transfer and program quality

• Better preparations - Preparedness for learning
  and interaction with other participants
• Less time traveling and away form job
• Development becomes more need-driven and the
  leader is allowed to self-direct and
  self-evaluate their own development process.
• The learning is easier integrated with running
  the business and supports performance and
  decision-making authority.

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What worked for us lessons learned

• Start with pilots create your own learning
  ground. Implementation is a long and challenging
  process. It takes time and commitment.
• Assemble an implementation committee/steering
  board with business managers, IT and HR/ training
  staff.
• Assemble and develop your staff carefully. Early
  involvement, confidence building, advance new and
  critical skills like on line facilitation and
  technical mastery.
• Spend a lot of time on internal marketing and
  motivation. Explain and demonstrate. There is a
  lot of unfamiliarity, skepticism, lack of time
  and skills as well as uncertainty out there.
• Keep a clear focus on the place of the physical
  meeting as an integral part of all management
  development. Plan the relation between online
  work and the physical meeting carefully.

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What worked for us lessons learned

• Technology is not the most important
  issueculture is
• Push methods is decisive in competing for
  managers attention
• Content structured and built around a management
  model, personal assessment (learning need
  profiling) and business problems (Learning on
  demand)
• Increasing use of learning activities based on
  assessment feedback and profiled learning
• A full integration of the technology and
  collaborative learning process in a didactic
  framework for the programme.