[Blog] The Learning and Performance Ecosystem

Debra Grommons

When I became a corporate trainer many years ago, I used to joke that I enjoyed training because I liked telling people what to do. I admit that may have been at least partially true at the time. Fortunately, I learned early on that “telling isn’t training,” and I changed my professional focus from training to learning. Training emphasizes the facilitator’s role while learning puts participants at the center of the process.

Over the years, as I moved from facilitation to instructional design and eventually to leading learning organizations, I broadened my focus to learning and performance because, at least in the corporate world, performance is the end goal. A perfectly designed program delivered by an engaging and dynamic facilitator still misses the mark if it has no impact on the company’s, agency’s or participant’s performance goals.

It's interesting how this broader perspective can completely change the role of training teams. They become partners in a larger learning and performance ecosystem, providing expertise in learning not only in the classroom but also in the workflow. They aren’t just measuring whether learning transfer and application occur, they are active participants in making it happen.

The learning and performance ecosystem

A learning and performance ecosystem is an interdependent network of people and resources working together to achieve desired performance outcomes. Interdependence is essential in this definition because the people and resources must all be in alignment for the ecosystem to thrive. Ecosystems vary from company to company. Here is an example of a learning and performance ecosystem for agents.

Mapping the ecosystem within your organization can provide several benefits. It visually demonstrates how many different sources of training are coming at agents on any given day. It can generate discussion regarding roles and responsibilities in the learning process. It highlights where stronger collaboration may be needed and where there may be inconsistencies. For example, one of the comments we often hear from new agents when we conduct learning and performance analyses in companies is: “We learn one way in training, but when we get back to the office, our manager (or an experienced agent) tells us not to do it that way.”

We also frequently find a lack of communication and coordination across the ecosystem. For example, managers often ask representatives from different business units (Life, Financial Services, Underwriting, etc.) to present to their teams. While the presentations may be excellent, they are not always coordinated across the system, so one team gains valuable information while others do not.

When working with companies, we often overlay training modalities onto the ecosystem graphic, identifying the type of training and development each group is responsible for. For example, enterprise-wide instructor-led and virtual instructor-led training are usually the responsibility of corporate training teams, and agency-specific training, peer accountability groups and coaching are handled by managers and agency trainers. We list performance support tools and online training systems separately in the model to emphasize that they are intended for different purposes. Performance support tools are used in the workflow to support activities or solve problems. When agents run into problems throughout the workday, they want quick solutions, not in-depth training programs. These tools support different moments of need than online courses.

The five moments of need

Dr. Conrad Gottfredson, Chief Learning Strategist, at APPLY Synergies, defined the five moments of need in learning and performance: New, More, Apply, Solve and Change. As learning organizations, we have typically been strong in meeting participants’ needs to learn new concepts and skills and then to learn more to advance their expertise in different areas. Many organizations are not as strong in the Apply, Solve and Change moments of need.

The learning and performance ecosystem is a valuable tool for identifying roles and responsibilities across the five moments of need. For example, managers and local agency trainers are usually on the front lines of support for agents when they run into problems. Corporate training teams can help agents become more self-sufficient by providing resources that help them solve problems on their own. They can also support managers and agency trainers by providing them with resources to help them advise and coach agents in alignment with company processes.

Corporate training teams can enlist managers and agency trainers in supporting pre- and post-training assignments. By providing managers and agency trainers with coaching guides or other performance support tools, corporate training teams can deepen learning transfer and application in the workflow.

The four C’s of an effective learning and performance ecosystem

In nature, interdependence refers to the mutual dependence different parts of the ecosystem have on each other for survival. A change to one part of the ecosystem can have a ripple effect across the entire system. The same is true in a learning and performance ecosystem. If one part of the system breaks down, the entire system is affected. Strengthening the ecosystem in these four areas can reinforce interdependence, collaboration and commitment within the system.

Clarity. Role clarity—who does what, when, how and why— is one of the most frequent gaps we identify in our analyses of learning and performance systems in companies, with why being, perhaps, the most important. Mapping out a process and defining responsibilities is a fundamental step in creating role clarity. But without agreement on why each person’s role is essential to the process, there is often little commitment to follow through. As Simon Sinek says: “To inspire action, start with why.”

Communication. Another common problem we find in learning and performance systems is poor communication between the different business areas. For example, we often find that corporate training teams, managers and local agency trainers do not have regular meetings to share information and provide feedback, creating a disconnect between learning and performance.

Knowledge sharing across agencies can also be an issue. I was once on a call interviewing new agents when one agent mentioned something she had learned about navigating the CRM that none of the other agents knew. They began sharing information with each other, asking questions and comparing notes. They were deeply engaged in learning conversations that any facilitator would envy. I have no idea if what they were sharing was correct or in alignment with company policy. A process for sharing information across the enterprise would ensure everyone has access to the same information and could quickly address inaccuracies. Peer-to-peer learning can be a powerful tool when managed correctly.

Consistency. When discussing how we evaluate learning and performance systems, most people assume we are only referring to training programs. But just as we take a broader view of learning and performance across the ecosystem, we also consider how learning and performance are integrated into the life cycle. For example, for agents, we would look at the agent journey from recruiting and selection through onboarding and everboarding (the ongoing process of learning and development throughout the agent life cycle).

What expectations are set during the recruiting process and how are they reinforced and supported through onboarding, new agent training and coaching and accountability sessions with managers? Are messages from corporate trainers, agency leaders and agency trainers consistent? Is learning content consistent across the enterprise? Do agents have the same access to learning and performance resources across the enterprise, and do they have the same experience regardless of their agency or location? Mapping the agent journey from a learning and performance perspective will help to strengthen consistency across the enterprise.

Calibration. One definition of calibration is to measure against a standard to ensure accuracy and reliability. In our context, that standard is the alignment of all parts of the learning and performance ecosystem across the entire agent journey. It occurs when people, processes and resources are aligned with one purpose and one voice.

The power of three

If you’ve attended a Korsgaden International learning and performance program recently, you know we are big on the power of three—committing to at least one action you will take within three days of the program to apply what you’ve learned and three actions over the next three weeks. If you’d like to strengthen learning and performance in your organization, here are three ideas to get you started.

1. Map your organization’s learning and performance ecosystem.
2. Map the learning and performance journey of agents, advisors or leaders in your organization throughout the entire life cycle.
3. Review the learning solutions (courses, performance support tools, coaching, etc.) provided in each of the five moments of need.