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A short while back I was Posting on “Asking So What 5 Times – before Asking Why 5 Times” – here and here – and at its root – that has to do with Prioritization of Effort.

And P of E plays out in Time Management and Problem Solving and Risk Assessment, and even in establishing estimates and actuals for ROI, RONA, etc. It applies in your job most likely.  It applies in lots of places, lots of Performance Contexts.

For it’s all about THE RESULTS.

Or should be.

And their Seriousness and Likelihood.

Or should be.

I learned about this Seriousness and Likelihood thing a long ago, from each of several Problem Solving (PS) training sessions that I attended back in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and from my learning from my role in many different training sessions where I did project planning, the analysis of the performance requirements and the enabling Knowledge/Skill Requirements, and then designing some learning intervention thing – typically using a Simulation – an Application Exercise approximating Real Work – if Real Work wasn’t available for the APPO.

The APPO often follows the DEMO which follows the INFO – in my Lesson Mapping tool/technique. But I digress.

What’s It All About?

Seriously? It’s about the Results.

And it’s about the Risk Assessment and/or Reward Assessment – for making any change to get those results or avoid those results – for determine the R in ROI if your targeted improvement opportunity competes for time, attention and money with other opportunities – requires looking at both the seriousness of the problem/opportunity, and then if worthy, looking at it’s likelihood.

If it’s not Serious, then why bother with likelihood?

Unless you need to exercise some of your extra your resources on something so they don’t get stale from non-use. Because you’ve got sooooooo many resources  You aren’t constrained. Maybe.

Sometimes – most of the time some would argue – while others would insist that it’s always – you have more to do than you can shake a stick at – as that saying goes.

You might be resource constrained in the face of more demand than you can shake a stick at. And so you need to prioritize.

Many jobs require an application of this S&L thing – in Problem Solving within their own jobs, such as your own job, and a generic approach to teaching  never gets authentic enough to actually have that prayer of transferring back to the job, for the attendees/ participants/ learners/ Performers. That authentic thing is big, right? Required , right?

And that that unless the generic approach just happens to fit the attendees’ real-world applications close enough you are wasting your time and everyone else’s time, and someones money. Some owner or shareholder.

And if your learning thing isn’t authentic enough – well, that means the level 4 evaluation will be negative – as for me, since 1979, the level 4 in evaluation  has always meant ROI and not just any Results – why bother with measuring for levels 1 and 2?

If you aren’t going to be authentic enough in the learning experiences, it’s isn’t going to transfer, that level 3 of the popular 4 or 5 Levels of something, evaluation for learning (and anything else related to change). Doing level 1 and 2 evaluations when you can predict that it won’t transfer is spending good money before bad, predictably.  You would be adding to the negative-ness of the ROI, the more you waste additional first costs and other opportunity costs.

An Adaptation of This For Learning/ Training & Development

Can you see this application?

Protect and Improve the Enterprise

In that order. First things first.

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Please go – here.

Joe Harless, Richard E. Clark, Bob Mager, Neil Rackham, Roger Chevalier round out the top 5.

Enjoy!

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Otherwise one is just doing their thing, with no measurable thinking or goals to determine success, parity or failure.

That could include working under a banner, named along the lines of one, or more, of these:

• Business Process Engineering
• Business Process Management
• Employee Development
• Human Resources
• Human Resources Development
• Learning
• Organizational Development
• Quality
• Quality Improvement
• Talent Management
• TQM
• Training
• Etc.

A comment about the Post’s title, later.

Forms Should Always Follow Function IMO. Except in Art.

When it doesn’t, form following function that is, I feel the dissonance. Do you?

I know that one shot, at the top of the e-page, is not a good sampling to get you to a place of being able to provide a well thought out, informed response.

But with your first blush, what’s your first impression, of the following 3 examples of what I’m talkin’ ’bout here…

What’s right/wrong – good/bad about this picture?

Inviting? Or not?

Or this one?

Any better?

Or how about this?

IMO only one of three are inviting when coming to them via a smartphone.

Two of these, IMO again, seemed not built and deployed with those users in mind.

Which is a shame, today. For I would think that a majority of their visitors would visit via that route, for content, professional development, in the moment of need or at their leisure.

But no. Two out of three times.

Of course I gamed the results in my selection. To make a point.

Back to the Post Title

With apologies to Rod Stewart and the Faces.

And to you, sorry about the commercial…

The lead song BTW is “the one” song I play repeatedly – once or twice each cycle, each drive in the Jeep from home to the airport and then back again in a very predictable pattern – a weekly round trip. With short weekends.

It, the song, of course reminds me of back in the day.

Which is a good thing.

For comparisons. To today.

For CI – Continuous Improvement. Or to right the course. As needed.

All the way to Discontinuous Improvement. As needed.

And in that vein, let me share with you an more recent version of that song than the 1971 version above, Every Picture Tells a Story…

Laugh it off.

Oh. Wait one.

Here is what another example.

To balance the Results out.

50/50

Beware of Sampling techniques.

So – what have these pictures told you?

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This month we start the First Friday of May 2013 with another of my favorite gurus…

Carol Panza

Carol M. Panza is a management consultant specializing in performance effectiveness systems for clients in a broad range of industries and functions, via her firm, CMP Associates.

Carol holds a BS degree in Marketing and an MBA in Industrial Relations.

She was selected as an Examiner for the New Jersey Quality Achievement Award (NJQAA) in 1992 and continues to serve in that capacity. (The award is based on Malcolm Baldrige criteria.) She has served on the local level of the American Society of Training and Development (ASTD) as an officer and as an Executive Board member at the chapter-level of the International Society for Performance Improvement (ISPI).

She is also a member of the Human Resource Planning Group (HRPG), the American Society for Quality Control (ASQC) and the British Institute of Management (BIM).

Carol’s consulting company, CMP Associates belongs to the International Federation of Training Development Organizations.

CMP Associates is a management consulting firm specializing in the analysis and custom design of improvement strategies for business. The important word here is analysis. She does NOT OFFER an answer in search of a question or an off-the-shelf solution like a training session in interpersonal skills or communication. Before implementing any solution, you first need to ask yourself what changes or performance impact you will measure and how that relates back to the solution?

Prior to beginning her own firm, she was Senior Associate with the Rummler Group (TRG), a research and consulting organization. She managed a number of major projects for TRG over a six (6) year period.

I have know Carol professionally since we started working together in 1981 when I was at MTEC – Motorola Training & Education Center and she was working with Geary A. Rummler.

We did a lot of work together, months and months at a Motorola site near Plantation FL and in the Motorola corporate offices in Schaumburg IL,  and at Geary’s offices – in a house – in Union NJ.

After that I saw her continuously on an annual basis at NSPI – which later became ISPI – Conferences, where she and I were both very involved. We served together on the Board of ISPI for one year, in 2002-3, when Jim Hill was President and I was incoming President-Elect.

I am a big fan of Carol. I helped get her to my ISPI Charlotte Chapter to present at an evening session in early 2012, which was very well received.

Carol has been recognized and honored in her service to many like-minded professionals:

• ISPI Board of Directors 2001-2003
• ISPI Distinguished Service Award 2007
• ISPI Europe/EMEA Board of Directors 2006 – present
• IFTDO Board of Directors 2005 – present

One of the Many Things I Learned From Carol

Was how to look at an organization  from the top down, in a big picture view, using Organizational Mapping, which she did with Geary for years. She is a master at helping everyone get a big picture view of what’s really going on – so that upstream root causes for business issues can be more readily seen when starting with a symptom – which is a problem. Just not the cause. Addressing won’t solve much for long.

As her web site states:

Establish the CONTEXT.

Start with the macro/context and relationship view of an organization versus process specification.

What I Also Learned From Carol

Some Great Resources From Carol For You

Carol has a couple of books available via her web site:

Picture This . . . Your Function, Your Company . . . by Carol M. Panza ($13 – discounted price through her web site only) For more information on the book, click here.

The No-Nonsense Guide to Common Sense Management by Randolph I. James ($21.95) For more information on the book, click here. — To visit the James & Associates web site, click here.

Also connect with Carol at LinkedIn – here.

My Favorite Memories of Carol

Are the debriefings at the end of the day we shared with Geary, and often my boss Paul during that work with MTEC in 1981 and 1982.

I learned a lot from the insights she shared from her interviews and observations.

I was learning like a sponge.

And she freely shared, briefing me and debriefing me as I tagged along with her to see her approach. It was an invaluable experience.

Share Your Stories

If Carol has been a valuable influence and/or resource for you – please share your stories about that in the comments section below.

Or share a URL that is relevant.

And thank you for sharing!

My Favorite Guru Series

Next month – Allison Rossett.

The Series so far …

• Carol Panza – May 2013.
• Jane Bozarth – April 2013 – here.
• Judy Hale – March 2013 – here.
• Margo Murray- February 2013 – here.
• Neil Rackham – January 2013 – here.
• Robert (Bob) Mager – December 2012 – here.
• Joe H. Harless – November 2012 - here.
• Thomas F. Gilbert - October 2012 -here.
• Sivasailam Thiagarajan - September 2012 -here.
• Geary A. Rummler – August 2012 -here.
• Dale Brethower – July 2012 – here.

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How are you embracing and following EBP – Evidence Based Practices in your Process Performance?

And have you proven your Process Practices?

Where have you made your strategic bets, and why?

How does that tie in to how score is kept and the requirements and desires of your stakeholders?

Lessons in Making Lemonade

Tips from Buzz and the Gang down at the Lemonade Stand, if they are not in a Classroom somewhere.

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Note this 2013 App has been updated to reflect Learning Verbiage Versus Training Verbiage, from the 2001 book: T&DSystems View, but IMO a rose is a rose is a rose.

Stop and really smell the roses.

This $20.00 iOS and Android App – will take your down a systemic and systematic path of first targeting, then assessing, and finally planning for improvements to your own L&D or T&D organization or Quality organization or any Improvement-oriented organization.

And please note:  The names of these functions, and collections of people, with budget allocations, and Results expectations, vary widely across the Enterprise landscape. Widely. But they all share something. They share their Processes, both Formally recognized and managed, but for the most part Informally at best, and at worst, not really recognized and managed at all. Doesn’t need to be.

The App facilitates a systematic and systemic process, so that you can target your priorities based on data and/or other insights, assess and compare assessment for prioritization at both the Sub-Systems and Macro Processes levels, and then at the Key Output level, in your current state. You can then plan improvements to those Output Processes for the Process itself, it’s Human Asset Management Systems, and/or Environmental Asset Management Systems, then you send yourself a Report to use as is, or edit further.

The 2001 Book and the 2011 Update

The 2001 version of the book is available as a $20 paperbound – and as a free PDF.

Please go here for more info.

The 2011 book The Curriculum Manager’s Handbook is available as a $20 Paperback and a $15 Kindle.

Please go here for more info.

Back to the App

It helps anyone in a Learning & Development-type functional organization, in a shop of 1 to 1000, to take a “systems view” approach to assessing it’s ideal state, current state and a plan for improvements. It applies to old school T&D – Training & Development organizations too. A rose is a rose….

You first target, zeroing in on a few priorities or many priorities of your own L&D or T&D systems and processes targets, leading to then a deeper assessment, prioritization

Go here – for the Android App at Google Play.

Go here – for the iOS App at the iTunes Store.

Deeper Dive Into the App

In the App Guide – from the Home Page – there are several one time administrative tasks to do, such as entering your name, enterprise and email for use later when You wish to forward the Report to yourself.

In the App Guide you will also find step by step App guidance and App navigation guidance.

These are the 4 major Steps in the L&D Assessment & Improvement Planning process of the App:

1. Targ (Target)
2. Asse (Assessment)
3. Plan (Planning)
4. Rept (Report)

1st you target your later assessment efforts using the 12 sub-systems framework of the clockface.

2nd you conduct an assessment by reviewing that sub-set of the total 47 Processes where your earlier Targeting steps focused you. And you further assess those in your prioritized Processes for that sub-set of the 71 Outputs.

3rd you estimate both the Investment Costs and the potential Return values and the cycle time for the start to finish of the improvement effort in 3 areas: 1: redesigning the Process itself, and/or 2: various Human Asset Improvement Initiatives, and 3: various Environmental Asset Improvement Initiatives

4th you send yourself your Report for further editing, or use as is. Just add page numbers.

Back to the Report

Once, or after each time you have played around with your targets, your priorities, your assessments, your improvement planning you can always email yourself a copy of the current report – for copying & pasting into whatever word processing/publication stuff you use.

Here is the Table of Contents of the Report that you would create:

1- Report Summary

2- The Tool and Methodology Overview

3- The L&D Sub-Systems Targeted

4- The L&D Macro Processes Assessments

5- The L&D Key Output Assessments

6- Prioritized & Sequenced Improvements

7- Next Steps

8- About the App: L&D Assessment & Improvement Planning

T&D Systems View Content

Training & Development Systems takes a process-centric view of the function known as Training & Development, Learning & Development, etc.

 T&D Systems View – ISPI – 2000 - 46 page PDF – from the 2000 ISPI Conference – covers the T&D Systems View from Guy’s eventual 2001 book of the same name.

TDSV - ISPI Fall Conference – 2004 - 84 page PDF – covers assessing the T&D System to identify targets with worthy ROI potential.

TDSV Assessment – 5 Day WS – 2007 - 372 page PDF – created for a 5 day workshop in Russia that never happened. Originally an agressive/fast-paced 3-day workshop – it was extended due to anticipated language/communications issues.

Back to the Book

Here are the marketing quotes I solicited in 2001 before I took this book to press…

What people say about “T&D Systems View”

George West, Director, Educational Services  Siemen’s Building Technologies:

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 which 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.

John M. Swinney, Performance Consulting   Bandag, Incorporated:

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.

Judith Hale, Hale Associates:

“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.”

Miki Lane     MVM Communications:

Guy Wallace has done it again!  After demystifying the ISD process in his “lean-ISD” 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 a 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 clock-faced 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.

Dale Brethower, Professor, Western Michigan 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 assure 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.”

Carol Nicks, Director, Workforce Development, Verizon:

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

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

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.

The App Landing Page

Is here.

This is where you can find all the info, instructions and examples of the process and Report that we have on this.

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And we should be able to do better. Always.

But too often we don’t consciously assess and plan and implement. By understanding the constraints, the variables, the provisioning systems. The complexity.

Begin with the end in mind – the popular slogan goes, one that I am sure Deming would not have liked, liking no slogans.

But then what?

It’s Dang Difficult to Overcome Constraints

The following kinds of constraints in this graphic…

But What’s a Process All About?

It should be guided by goals and aspirations of the Enterprise.

It’s then it’s about Accomplishments not Behaviors, Results not Activity, Products from Efforts.

Yes.

And it’s about how you got there. The Process employed.

And the effectiveness and then the efficiency of how those Products came about, from their Processes.

There are many models to depict this. I have bunches.

Here is one of my favorite big pictures of the big picture…

What’s your own model? What can you add to yours, to mine?

Constraints are the variables one needs to management, and if there are problems/opportunities - one needs to first begin with the end in mind and understand the goals, the Products and then the Processes, and then the Enablers of Processes, and if any of those are discovered to be The Constraint, then one must look to the internal and external “provisioning systems – upstream – that are inadequate.

Understand those, at the right time.

Improve the Performance of those.

For downstream metrics improvement.

Begin With Both Ends in Mind.

Upstream and Downstream.

Yeah. That’s the ticket.

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This song says it all – IMO.

In a most pleasing way.

And this is from way back in the day – for me anyway.

1971.

Bringing back to my mind…this refrain…

Oh, when will we ever learn?

When will we, ever learn?

Happy Earth Day!

A day when Social Responsibility takes a Global Systems View – IMO.

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