From Wikipedia

Memorial Day is a federal holiday observed annually in the United States on the last Monday of May. Formerly known as Decoration Day, it originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the fallen Union soldiers of the Civil War. (Southern ladies organizations and southern schoolchildren had decorated Confederate graves in Richmond and other cities during the Civil War, but each region had its own date. Most dates were in May.) By the 20th century Memorial Day had been extended to honor all Americans who have died in all wars. Memorial Day is a day of remembering the men and women who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. As a marker it typically marks the start of the summer vacation season, while Labor Day marks its end.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memorial_Day

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The ASQ Topic of The Month

ASQ CEO  Paul Borawski poses these questions in his Blog Post:

Why do citizens expect and demand so little accountability for the poor use of resources in government?  Why do so few leaders charged with leading countries, states, provinces, and cities require improved performance?

Perhaps we have been conditioned. Unfortunately, successfully. Conditioned to accept and then expect below standard performance. Not to over-generalize and paint with too broad a brush, but it just seems to be most people’s experience to have had a bad experience with government service.

Lessons in Making Lemonade

I’ve read elsewhere that, “we get the government we deserve.”

With exceptions of course. There are always those outliers.

In a world full of variation, due to the earth’s temperature variation, dust in the air, gravity, and many, many other causes, we cannot expect zero defects, not here in a world full of variation. Striving for it is one thing – but not really expecting it – knowing better. Wishing for the best and planning for the worst – is what one needs to do. We cannot, should not, expect zero defects.

That’s statistically impossible, zero defects.

Six Sigma efforts aims to reduce defects to 3.4 per 1 million opportunities or instances for a success/failure. But perhaps that’s not good enough. I’ve read where Boeing uses 9Sigma for some of it’s parts and systems – because at 3.4 failures per 1 million opportunities - for, say, your landing gear – happens what? Every few days or so? Or weeks?

In that situation we demand higher levels of performance.

Paul’s Blog Post Continues

I’m sure none of us doubt the direct applicability of quality concepts, techniques, and tools to assure improved performance in the public sector. I know there are thousands of public service success stories to serve as proof positive the quality works. (Here’s one example:One ASQ member has spent the last 15 years mentoring government leaders in Botswana, and helping to create a remarkable quality transformation.)

Yet the adoption rate versus the opportunity is remarkably low. I don’t sense any positive momentum.  It seems we can do as much as we want in manufacturing, service, education, and healthcare, but if government doesn’t likewise move along in its own journey to performance excellence, we won’t be able to assure our ability to enjoy an improved quality of life.

If you know of a good public service story, please share it. Look to the stories  in the countries where you live, were educated, or work. If you have ideas of what it would take to make quality in government the rule rather than the far-too-seldom exception, please tell us. If your view on the prevalence of quality in government differs, please share your view as well.

Market forces will ultimately weed out the best from worst in the for-profit sector.  As consumers, we speak.  What ultimately assures the same in government?

My Government Experience

I worked for the government as a member of the US Navy (1972-1975) where I saw the inner workings of a very small sample size of situations – for which it would be dangerous to over-generalize my experiences to “all of government.” I was a shipboard Journalist who ran a ship’s newspaper and ran the closed-circuit TV system, producing nightly news and entertainment programming for 2400 Marines and 600 Sailors on a helicopter carrier. I saw complex things accomplished on a massive scale, including the evacuations of Phnom Penh and Saigon in April 1975. Not everything was perfect – but missions were achieved, sea lanes protected, flags were flown, yada, yada.

My work has been with people who I think fell prey, to what the late Geary A. Rummler was referring to, when he said:

“Put a good performer in a bad system and the system wins every time.”

The people generally want to work in a productive environment, doing their jobs. But the system, everything surrounding that job, may be more than dragging everyone else down. It could grind things to a halt. And sometimes did.

But, as I said before we get the government we deserve. Collectively.

But there are those outliers.

Those places where men and women won’t take the status quo, the way it is, as the way it should/ could/ or would stay.

My Thoughts

We do get the government we deserve. Collectively that is. Local and National.

We generally have high levels of quality of service in our national government systems where it is of “life and death” consequences, in our military and other national security services. Otherwise, eh.

And we generally have high levels of quality of service in our local government’s Police, Firefighters, EMS, etc. Where it is  critically important, we generally have high quality. Otherwise, eh.

Where it is less critical, less-life-and-death, we seem to tolerate the poorer levels of service.

We would complain, because we certainly know how to do so from our dealings with non-government entities, but we most often don’t.

We have learned about heads and brick walls. We only occasionally get to a point (and some never do) where we feel as John Mellencamp says when he sings: “I fight authority; authority always wins.”

Sometimes it’s a losing battle, but you fight for it anyway.

But mostly were don’t fight it. We simply accept it – if it’s not life and death.

But why?

Is this a Result, this Acceptance, built into our system of elections – and the government staff turnover – at least at the leadership levels?

The turnover that is quite necessary to give “the next gal” a chance to really affect the government’s public services and levels of quality. Is this one of the roots? Who are these non-political hacks in the bureaucratic lower levels that actually keep things moving day in and day out. Has the system beaten them? Are they in a Continuous Improvement mood and mode?

Does the general and local economy impact quality levels due to its negative impact on budgets for resources and headcount? Is that at the root? Does the call for smaller government hinder acquiring the resources needed to make sustainable changes, sensible changes? Who wins and who loses from any proposed change? What’s that worth to each?

Was it really better back in the good old days of not so long ago? Or were things masked by the general economic prosperity – and just a rising tide lifts all boats, what goes up must come down.

Does this predictable disruption of policy and practice from the planned election cycle guarantee that nothing of large or small significance has a real chance to gain traction – and then survive – and then, finally, thrive?

Or, is it that that only rarely happens? That new things actually get started and stick around. Rarely. For whatever reason, only some things stick.

And is that, a good thing or a bad thing?

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We All Wish To Utilize Evidence Based Practice

No one starts out intending to use invalid practices in their work. Not true professionals. Snake Oil salespeople, yes.

But sometimes professionals do.

Sometimes they ehar things in their Social Network that are just not true.

And without a filter – on EVERYTHING – one hears or reads – we can fall prey to Foo Foo.

It’s just too easy – in a world full of Foo Foo.

And when you search for the truth – if you look beyond your first search hit – you find that the TRUTH can be elusive.

Very elusive.

There are a lot of contradictory facts out there.

180 degrees off from each other.

Where can one turn?

Where can we go to find the truth. The evidence – not from some bogus research, that was self-serving for the Researchers.

But research by someone independent and open to finding something “other” than what they expected when they set out.

Where can we go?

Where do you go?

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Instructional Activity Development – IAD – Video – 7 minutes

PACT Video Shorts Series – Intent

The intent of this Video Series of The School of PACT - is to help others in the development of their Performance Competence in whatever Instructional Design and/or Performance Improvement roles that they have, and help them master the PACT Processes – as either adopted or adapted – for the sake of the Enterprise and its Stakeholders – and to produce significant Performance Impact and Return On Investments (ROI).

PACT has 3 levels of flexible ISD – and shared, common Analysis and Project Planning & Management tools and techniques. PACT has been field tested and proven in dozens of Enterprise Contexts – on hundreds of external client projects by myself and my staff,  and hundreds and hundreds  more on internal projects conducted by my client’s staffs – and can be adapted for any Enterprise context’s needs and constraints.

The PACT Video Shorts Series Index and Links

There are multiple Videos of varying lengths in each of the 8 Categories below…

A- PACT Overviews

B- PACT Analysis

C- CAD – Curriculum Architecture Design

D- MCD – Modular Curriculum Development

E- IAD – Instructional Activity Development

F- Project Planning & Management

G- Group Process Facilitation Tips

H- EPPI – Performance Improvement

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Additional Resources for staff development include:

• audio podcasts
• books
• workshops.

Email me, Guy Wallace for more information:  guy.wallace@eppic.biz

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In the spirit of sharing I have been offering several of my older books – from 1999, 2001 and 2008 – as free PDFs – and as Paperbacks.

Here are 3.

Book 1 Overview: lean-ISD

Begun in 1983 as “The Curriculum Manager’s Handbook” – it was published in 1999 as lean-ISD.

This book fully covers the ISD – Instructional Systems Design or ID – Instructional Design concepts, models, methods, tools and techniques for  The PACT Processes for T&D/ Learning and Knowledge Management Systems, including the 3 levels of ISD:

1- CAD – Curriculum Architecture Design and

2- MCD – Modular Curriculum Development/Acquisition (the ADDIE-like level in PACT  at the final product-level of Instructional Product Design in PACT), and

3- IAD – Instructional Activity Development/Acquisition (another ADDIE-like level in PACT at the component-level of Instructional Product Design in PACT), and

Those 3 levels of ISD are enabled/supported with a common performance-oriented Performance & Instructional Analysis methodology-set, and a common performance-oriented Performance & Instructional Project Planning & Management methodology-set, with adapted processes, steps and tools, shared across those 3 levels of ISD in PACT: CAD, MCD and IAD.

These ISD methods and processes were field tested hundreds of time by dozens of Practitioners working in teams or solo – with the Client Teams – in the collaborative approach that is PACT. This book was created to augment formal workshops and coaching session delivered by Guy Wallace.

Cover design and production by the late Geary A. Rummler (1999).

This book received an ISPI Award of Excellence in 2002 in the category of Instructional Communications.

For the free 410 page PDF please go – here.

And for the $40 Paperback at Amazon subsidary: CreateSpace – please go - here.

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Book 2 Overview: T&D Systems View

Started in 1998 and Published in 2001.  It guides a diagnostic assessment and process-oriented design of a T&D – Training & Development function/organization. It identifies 47 adaptable Processes within a T&D System, organizes those into 12 Sub-Systems – organized into 3 groups/bundles of Processes type: Leadership, Core and Support.

This book augments a working session workshop – for a L&D/ T&D Leadership Team meeting off-site – at a location of the client’s choosing and coordination - to

1) assess the state of 47 Processes for discussions on ownership, customer and stakeholder identification and assessment audits, risk assessment and ROI estimation,

2) improvement specifications for design, development and implementation of improvements with high ROI potential, and

3) developing Project Scoping Statements and an estimated Project Schedule draft for an Improvement effort.

For the free 410 page PDF please go – here.

And for the $40 Paperback at Amazon subsidary: CreateSpace – please go - here.

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Book 3 Overview: performance-based Employee Qualification/Certification Systems

This book guides one in creating an administrative System, with the Processes and Infrastructure Resources needed to develop and administrate a Performance-based/oriented Qualification or Certification System – versus a Knowledge-based/oriented Qualification or Certification System.

The book is based on several large scale efforts to build a Performance-based, Pay for Performance compensation systems tied to Staff development – beginning with a project for 18 classes of technicians working the oil fields of Prudhoe bay Alaska in 1987; then another Pay-For-Performance effort for another 20 technical populations on the Alaska Pipeline in 1994, and with an HVAC/Energy Management firm’s Branch staff for a Accelerated Time-To-Performance (and compensation) initiative  in the late 1990s.

Besides the development of Performance Tests, the book covers the 9 Subsystems of a Performance-based Employee Qualification/Certification System - which are covered in 3 groupings:

Leadership Subsystems

• L1- System Governance – for managements’ command/control/empowerment
• L2- System Change Control – to keep everything up-to-date
• L3- Communications – to keep all stakeholder groups fully informed

Core Subsystems

• C1- Individual Test Planning – to align Q/C Testing to the needs of the job
• C2- Testing – to conduct all testing
• C3- Test Results Appeal – to allow for appeals

Support Subsystems

• S1- Test Development – to develop tests
• S2- Assessor Selection & Training – to insure assessor quality
• S3- Data Management & Reporting – to handle data for all other subsystems

For the free 205 page PDF please go – here.

And for the $25 Paperback at Amazon subsidary: CreateSpace – please go - here.

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lean-ISD – Early Reviews from 1999

“If you want to ground your fantasy of a ‘corporate university’ with the reality of a sound ‘engineering’ approach to instructional systems that will provide results, you should learn about the PACT Processes.

If you are a leader of, or a serious participant in, the design and implementation of a large-scale corporate curriculum, then this book is for you. This system could be the difference between achieving bottom-line results with your training or being just another ‘little red school house.’”

Geary A. Rummler, Ph.D. - Performance Design Lab

lean-ISD takes all of the theory, books, courses and psuedo job-aids that are currently on the market about Instructional Systems Design and blows them out of the water.

Previous “systems” approach books showed a lot of big boxes and diagrams which were to supposedly help the reader become proficient in the design process.  Here is a book that actually includes all of the information that fell through the cracks of other ISD training materials and shows you the way to actually get from one step to another.  Guy adds all of the caveats and tips he has learned in over twenty years of ISD practice and sprinkles them as job aids and stories throughout the book.

However, the most critical part of the book for me was that Guy included the project and people management elements of ISD in the book.  Too often ISD models and materials forget that we are working with real people in getting the work done.

This book helps explain and illustrate best practices in ensuring success in ISD projects.

Miki Lane - Senior Partner - MVM The Communications Group

“This highly structured and detailed process for instructional design provides excellent guidelines for advanced students and practitioners. The focus is on improving training and development processes and products in business and industry.”

            James D. Russell - Professor of Instructional Design, Purdue University

“Guy Wallace is giving away the magic. This book provides a model and methodology to help a training function link its long-term outputs to the business needs of the organization. The PACTProcesses help introduce the voice of the customer into any training organization whose mission is to improve performance.”

            John M. Swinney - Manager of Curriculum Design and Development – Bandag, Inc.

“This book is not an easy read, it is something much better. It is a book written for people who share Guy Wallace’s passion for development training that adds value, for people who are so committed to competence for themselves and for the people they serve that they are willing to do what it takes to develop training that adds value. The best way to use the book is as a guide in doing projects . . . it describes the why and the what and offers many wise and useful suggestions about how.”

            Dale M. Brethower, Ph.D. - Professor of Psychology, Western Michigan University

“I’ve found lean-ISD to be a very useful reference tool and resource.  After having been involved with Guy Wallace on a large-scale application of the methodology at my last firm, I’ve taken on several recent projects in my new company using many of the methods, tools and templates of the PACT Processes for Training & Development.  The book is designed so that I was quickly able to access the information I needed to provide my clients practical, timely and quality approaches to tackling their business issues. I highly recommend this book as a guide for business professionals challenged by either training and development, learning, knowledge management, or human competence development projects.”

Randy Kohout - Director, Knowledge Management - Fireman’s Fund

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T&D Systems View- Early Reviews from 2001

“Guy Wallace has done it again! After demystifying the ISD process in his lean-ISD^SM book, he tackles the corporate training and development system and puts it in a business-focused perspective. Whether you are in-house or serving as an external consultant, you will find Guy’s model an invaluable tool for enterprise training and development.

This analytic and design process ensures that you dot all the i’s and cross all the t’s when moving your company or client to Learning by Design, not Learning by Chance. The elegant clockface model helps you develop a clear picture of any organization and clearly helps you map out how best to effectively manage all the elements of the enterprise. Once the elements are mapped out, the model, through enclosed assessment and prioritizing tools, helps determine where and when to put corporate assets to maximize corporate return on investment.

This is a must-have book for any consultant or organization that is concerned about improving the performance of their organization through improving processes and competencies.”

—Miki Lane - Senior Partner - MVM Communications

“T&D Systems View is an excellent resource for anyone with a management role in training. The book has useful guidelines and models on how to structure and manage the T&D function. The models should drive meaningful discussions that lead to better decisions about the roles, responsibilities, and relationships of the enterprise’s leadership, T&D as a function, and T&D’s internal customers.”

—Judith Hale, Ph.D. - Hale Associates

“Guy Wallace has written an appropriate follow-up to his lean-ISD [book]. The breadth and depth of his latest book, T&D Systems View, is very impressive. He uses the analogy of a clockface to thoroughly explain his 12-system process. The procedure in the book allows you to assess any training and development operation from a systems’ perspective. It is easy to read and follow thanks to its consistent structure and format from chapter to chapter. An excellent overview of the process is included, along with helpful checklists.”

—James D. Russell - Professor of Educational Technology, Purdue University- 

Visiting Professor of Instructional Systems, Florida State University

“[T&D] Systems View explains why the T&D function must be managed as a total system: to meet the challenges of a rapidly changing marketplace. The book shows, in detail, what must be managed competently for a T&D manager to ensure that learning happens by design rather than by chance. The best T&D managers manage the system components described in the book, though probably not as well as they will after studying and thinking through how to fill in the weak or missing components.”

—Dale Brethower, Ph.D.- Professor, Western Michigan University

“T&D Systems View is a useful guide for any organization assessing current T&D processes or establishing new ones. Its emphasis on T&D delivering ROI and shareholder value is a timely message and one critical to any T&D organization’s viability today.”

—Carol Nicks - Director, Workforce Development - Verizon

“Whether you are new in the training business or an ‘old hand,’ this book will provide you with as much guidance as you need to get the job done. Guy has provided material that leaves ‘no stone unturned,’ yet there is sufficient flexibility for application in all training organizations. Well thought out. Many fresh ideas along with solid reminders of things we knew we should do, but we have, somehow, let go by the wayside.”

—Charline A. Wells - Programs Manager – Corporate Training - Sandia National Laboratories

 “If you are not actively controlling the critical components of your T&D efforts, then they are by definition out of control. T&D Systems View provides an extremely comprehensive overview of all of the processes that contribute to a successful T&D system. Guy Wallace then takes the next step by showing you how to select those processes that are most critical to the success of your organization and how to get them under control before someone else does it for you. This is a must read for anyone interested in more closely aligning the T&D function with the organization’s strategy.”

—George West - Siemens Building Technologies, Inc.

 “At first glance, T&D Systems View paints a formidable picture of the ideal business-driven training and development organization. Then, it dawns on you that, intentionally or not, formally or informally, you’re already doing these things. The question Guy Wallace raises is, ‘How well?’ If I were a CEO, this is how I would look at my training and development function.”

—John Swinney - Bandag, Inc.

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Employee performance-based Qualification/Certification Systems - Early Reviews from 2008

Darlene Van Tiem:

Svenson and Wallace provide a definitive guidebook complete with sound advice and a wealth of examples, covering everything you need to establish and sustain a successful qualification/certification system!

Joe Durzo:

This whole book is like a road map to unexplored territory. Some practitioners have been there before but left no maps to guide those who follow. You have mapped out a complex territory that has had little systematic attention but which is very important.

This book is a very useful contribution to the practice of performance development and improvement. Most of the professional literature focuses on elements of the system—test development, feedback, etc. and NOT on the design and management of a whole-company approach to qualification and certification. Most of the really difficult issues are not in the individual blades of grass, but are in the overall landscape which you describe so well.

This book should be required reading for anyone who is venturing out for the first time to create a qualification/assessment/certification system.

Anita Augustine:

I like the questions approach used at the beginning and end of each chapter. I very much like the preface. It “sets” the book well regarding expectations. Emphasis on project plan criticality is GOOD! For some reason, establishing a strong agenda, for meetings, seems to be very difficult for most; these samples should be most helpful! The case studies are strong and I’m glad you incorporated those; most helpful. I really liked the work overall; it is thorough and well done.

Mark Graham Brown:

Thanks for sending me the book! You guys have done an amazing amount of work to document all this stuff and present it using beautiful pages. It looks very professional.

If the goal is to give someone step-by-step directions on how to design, develop, and maintain such a system, there is a lot of great detail here. Chapter 1 is interesting reading, addresses key questions a reader should have, and is clearly written. The book is clearly based on some valuable real-world experience. The Alaska examples are good case studies. The book is a great documentation of the process and lessons learned on these two projects.

Louise Leone:

In my opinion the first few chapters are written in a way that does interest people like myself. I think you guys have done a nice job in grabbing the audience early.

Jim Russell:

I like the 9 part cover diagram! Clear, simply written, easy to follow. The book format and layout look good – eye appeal! Excellent introductory chapters. Chapters 3-6 provide a good overview of the system. Chapters 7-10 provide more detail about the system. Excellent lists and tables. You’ve hit the target and are on the mark!

John Swinney:

This is a manual for building a bullet-proof, performance-based qualification and certification system. As complex as a project of this magnitude could be, this book provides the fundamental “how to.”

Very well done! I like the conversational style. You’ve taken a relatively complex and detailed process but have handled describing it with plain business language. The one thing I really like about all the work you guys have done together is that you are always aware of the needs of the business at every point of the process.

The project plan for the TMC Stores case study is worth the price of admission. It provides very good picture of how it all comes together. Nice addition! If I was charged with that responsibility, this book is where I’d start! Given the book as the operating guide, I think I could take the project plan and begin to do it!

Book Updates & Reconfiguration – 2011

In 2011 the first two of these three books, along with other books, articles, columns and Blog postings – were updated and reconfigured into a PACT 6 Pack.

For more information about these books – all available as Paperbacks and as Kindles, please go – here.

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‘Nuff Said

There is too much Foo Foo.

Everywhere.

How do you avoid it?

How do you avoid learning “Foo Foo as Fact” in the first place?

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Especially as a Group, it sometimes pays to go slow enough initially, so that everyone gets it, and you can all go fast, later.

To the right targets.

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Dr. James Moseley and Keith Vieregge invite you to participate in an online questionnaire about the future of the performance improvement field.  The survey will take about 15 minutes to complete.

If you wish to participate, please go to futureofpi.com before midnight, Sunday, June 17, 2012.

The results of the survey will be published in an upcoming issue of Performance Improvement Journal.

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This video of Ray Svenson – captured in 2008 – is part of two series of Videos – from either the HPT Practitioner Series – or the HPT Legacy Series.

All 60+ videos from my series may be found here: http://eppic.biz/resources/videos-by-guy-w-wallace-plus-other-favorites/guys-video-locker-drawer-hpt-practitioner-and-legacy-series/

About HPT and the Intent of the 2 Series of Videos

HPT – Human Performance Technology – is the means to the ends of Human Performance Improvement – HPI.

• All performance is a Human endeavor.
• Performance is both the behaviors and the results – and is affected by many other variables that may need improvement, including the Process itself and the Environmental Assets.
• Technology is the application of Science.

HPT requires EBP – Evidence Based Practices – or else it’s potentially Foo Foo or Snake Oil.

- Practitioner Series – short 2-10 minutes, following a script. Intended to show the diversity of HPT and HPT Practitioners.

- Legacy Series - longer 15-40 minutes, also scripted, with added stories of other NSPI/ ISPI’ers from the earlier days of the Society. Intended to capture the stories of the people from the Society’s past.

All videos were shot, edited and produced by Guy W. Wallace – unless otherwise noted.

For more about HPT – and ISPI – please go - here.

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Analogies

I like to do this – use these – as part of an Advanced Organizer – or right after the traditional Advanced Organizer:

• Connect to what the Learner already knows using an analogy or two

What is an Analogy?

It is identifying something very much like the new topic. Something that the Learner of course, understands.

Here from http://www.yourdictionary.com/analogy :

An analogy is a likeness or a comparison between two things that have some features that are the same and others which are different. (noun)

Synonyms of “Analogy” include:

relationship, similarity, resemblance, parallel; see  similarity.

Examples:

• A motorcycle is like a bicycle – except that it has a motor.
• A professional basketball game is like football in that there are 4 quarters.
• Hitting the water with a belly flop is like hitting the hard ground.
• Asking “why” five times is like peeling an onion.
• An aquarium is like a zoo – but for fish.
• Learning Objectives are to Performance Objectives as basic math is to quantum equations or as parts are to the whole.

There are some additional examples of Analogies – here.

Diverse Target Audiences

The issue for some designers – or delivery people – is that the Target Audience may be quite diverse – and finding common ground for an analogy might be difficult.

What to do?

Have the Learners create their own Analogies!

But – just in case they don’t establish correct analogies – have them share their analogies – and then the instructor – or the webinar Facilitator – needs to provide Reinforcing or Corrective feedback – so that incorrect Learning that will then need to be unlearned does not occur.

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