Sitting at the Top of the Clock-Face: Governance and Advisory Systems/Processes – A Formal Approach to Alignment for T&D/ Learning/ Knowledge Management

Getting “aligned” to your internal stakeholders is critically important for several key reasons…

– it ensure that the focus for resource investment is on target with Enterprise leadership

– it helps the stakeholders see what resources are really needed

– it typically will stop all non-critical efforts and redirect resources to where the leadership feels/knows are truly important

– it provides a forum for T&D to dialogue with clients and key stakeholders on “what works and what doesn’t” – so that in the end, the Enterprise is served with evidence-based efforts and avoids the fads of the time

– if/when times get tough – if you are not working on efforts seen as critical, you and your function may be deemed less than critical and subject to the chopping block

The 12 clockface positions of the T&D Systems View model each represent a subset of the total system of T&D. They are organized into three groupings.

– T&D Leadership Systems and Processes

– T&D Core Systems and Processes

– T&D Support Systems and Processes

Here is a top level description of the 12 sub-systems of a T&D/ Learning/ Knowledge Management…

Here is a version of the Process Maturity Model applied to such as Function/System…

Sitting “atop-the-clock” – at 12 O’Clock High – is the most important system – the one with the “processes” that align and resource the whole shebang – so to speak – the one that drives the needs of the Enterprise and holds the specific function/ functions accountable.

Here at 12 O’Clock is where a T&D function enables better command-and-control of its efforts, of the resources applied to the needs of the Enterprise to the stakeholders of that Enterprise.

12 O’clock: T&D Governance and Advisory System

1. T&D Governance Process

2. T&D Advisory Process

– T&D Governance and Advisory System – This system’s processes organize all of the key stakeholders of the enterprise in order to formalize the channels of communication for providing advice from the T&D internal marketplace customers and governance from the leaders of the enterprise.

Process Outputs and Their “Utilities”

The key outputs from the T&D Governance Process include the following:

Key Outputs	Key Utilities
General goals, objectives, and measures for the T&D system’s operations	These help others within the T&D operations processes determine where to focus their improvement and investment resources. These channel efforts and build and maintain the infrastructure required to operate.
Specific goals, objectives, and measures for the T&D system’s products and services	These help others outside the T&D operations processes determine where to focus their improvement and investment requests for resources. These operate the infrastructure to build products and services for key targets with high-payback potential.
Ultimate approval for any and all initiated T&D business case projects, and the business rationale for any/all T&D efforts and resources	These help others understand the impetus and importance of any effort that they may be directed to participate in, as well as explain and document the “costs of conformance” (to a standard/benchmark), and the “costs of nonconformance.”
Budget, headcount, facilities, and other resources within their budgetary control or influence	These ensure that the executives in control of enterprise resources (and on the board of governors for T&D) understand the link between their requests for T&D and the resources necessary to accomplish their goals.

Is It Broken? Clues and Cues

Your T&D Governance Process may be broken if

– The priorities and projects of the T&D system often change midstream, with little business rhyme or reason.

– There is little energy or enthusiasm for many of the T&D projects, and it is difficult to get the internal customer engaged and involved in timely, meaningful ways.

– Projects are under resourced or improperly resourced (any “body” “will do”).

– Projects have unrealistic cycle times.

– Projects themselves have no structure and do not seem to be scheduled activities on the calendars of the customer to be served.

– T&D is not a major component of either the overall business plan, or the HR plan, or the business plans for the other business units and functions.

Process Outputs and Their “Utilities”

The key outputs from the T&D Advisory Process include the following:

Key Outputs	Key Utilities
Proposed T&D projects, return on investment, and the budget requirements (headcount and expense dollars)	These allow the board of governors to see a longer range approach to meeting the needs of critical audiences in successive waves, driven by priorities based on both their cost of conformance and cost of nonconformance.
Completed T&D project efforts and specific T&D products and byproducts	Products are then released to T&D deployment (delivery) after successful completion of the development projects.

Is It Broken? Clues and Cues

Your T&D Advisory Process may be broken if

– The advice given to the ultimate, executive decision-makers regarding T&D resource allocations is happening without T&D’s active, structured involvement, and is more political than rational/process-performance based.

– There is no macro development plan for key target audiences.

– Most T&D projects are “one-offs,” one-shot efforts, that do not lead to anything cohesive for key target audiences.

– T&D development projects are conducted without a clear understanding of their cost of conformance and cost of nonconformance or forecasting the life-cycle costs that will be incurred over time to offer this T&D product/service to the T&D marketplace.

– You feel that you have to continually roll with the punches and are constantly going from one T&D project “fire” to another.

Here is but one of many ways to configure such a system (sub-system).