PEOPLE ARE DIFFERENT AND LEARN IN DIFFERENT WAYS

 

  Training is a 365 day intervention if all line manager understand the basics (THAT PEOPLE ARE DIFFERENT AND LEARN IN DIFFERENT WAYS)  They would then  try  their best to become learning facilitators and  HR agents of the company

EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING STYLES 

MODEL

 Prof David Kolb's ( a pioneer thought leader in learning theory) sets out four distinct learning styles (or preferences), which are based on a four-stage learning cycle. (which might also be interpreted as a 'training cycle'). In this respect Kolb's model is particularly elegant, since it offers both a way to understand individual people's different learning styles, and also an explanation of a cycle of experiential learning that applies to us all.

 

Kolb includes this 'cycle of learning' as a central principle his experiential learning theory, typically expressed as four-stage cycle of learning, in which 'immediate or concrete experiences' provide a basis for 'observations and reflections'. These 'observations and reflections' are assimilated and distilled into 'abstract concepts' producing new implications for action which can be 'actively tested' in turn creating new experiences.

 

Kolb says that ideally (and by inference not always) this process represents a learning cycle or spiral where the learner 'touches all the bases', ie., a cycle of experiencing, reflecting, thinking, and acting. Immediate or concrete experiences lead to observations and reflections. These reflections are then assimilated (absorbed and translated) into abstract concepts with implications for action, which the person can actively test and experiment with, which in turn enable the creation of new experiences.

 

Kolb's model therefore works on two levels - a four-stage cycle:

• Concrete Experience - (CE)
• Reflective Observation - (RO)
• Abstract Conceptualization - (AC)
• Active Experimentation - (AE)

and a four-type definition of learning styles, (each representing the combination of two preferred styles, rather like a two-by-two matrix of the four-stage cycle styles, as illustrated below), for which Kolb used the terms:

• Diverging (CE/RO)
• Assimilating (AC/RO)
• Converging (AC/AE)
• Accommodating (CE/AE)

 

KOLB LEARNING STYLES DEFINITIONS AND DESCRIPTIONS

 

Knowing a person's (and your own) learning style enables learning to be orientated according to the preferred method. That said, everyone responds to and needs the stimulus of all types of learning styles to one extent or another - it's a matter of using emphasis that fits best with the given situation and a person's learning style preferences.

Here are brief descriptions of the four Kolb learning styles:

·        Diverging (feeling and watching - CE/RO) - These people are able to look at things from different perspectives. They are sensitive. They prefer to watch rather than do, tending to gather information and use imagination to solve problems. They are best at viewing concrete situations several different viewpoints. Kolb called this style 'Diverging' because these people perform better in situations that require ideas-generation, for example, brainstorming. People with a Diverging learning style have broad cultural interests and like to gather information. They are interested in people, tend to be imaginative and emotional, and tend to be strong in the arts. People with the Diverging style prefer to work in groups, to listen with an open mind and to receive personal feedback.

·        Assimilating (watching and thinking - AC/RO) - The Assimilating learning preference is for a concise, logical approach. Ideas and concepts are more important than people. These people require good clear explanation rather than practical opportunity. They excel at understanding wide-ranging information and organising it a clear logical format. People with an Assimilating learning style are less focused on people and more interested in ideas and abstract concepts. People with this style are more attracted to logically sound theories than approaches based on practical value. These learning style people is important for effectiveness in information and science careers. In formal learning situations, people with this style prefer readings, lectures, exploring analytical models, and having time to think things through.

·        Converging (doing and thinking - AC/AE) - People with a Converging learning style can solve problems and will use their learning to find solutions to practical issues. They prefer technical tasks, and are less concerned with people and interpersonal aspects. People with a Converging learning style are best at finding practical uses for ideas and theories. They can solve problems and make decisions by finding solutions to questions and problems. People with a Converging learning style are more attracted to technical tasks and problems than social or interpersonal issues. A Converging learning style enables specialist and technology abilities. People with a Converging style like to experiment with new ideas, to simulate, and to work with practical applications.

·        Accommodating (doing and feeling - CE/AE) - The Accommodating learning style is 'hands-on', and relies on intuition rather than logic. These people use other people's analysis, and prefer to take a practical, experiential approach. They are attracted to new challenges and experiences, and to carrying out plans. They commonly act on 'gut' instinct rather than logical analysis. People with an Accommodating learning style will tend to rely on others for information than carry out their own analysis. This learning style is prevalent and useful in roles requiring action and initiative. People with an Accommodating learning style prefer to work in teams to complete tasks. They set targets and actively work in the field trying different ways to achieve an objective.

 

As with any behavioural model, this is a guide not a strict set of rules.

Nevertheless most people clearly exhibit clear strong preferences for a given learning style. The ability to use or 'switch between' different styles is not one that we should assume comes easily or naturally to many people.

 

Simply, people who have a clear learning style preference, for whatever reason, will tend to learn more effectively if learning is orientated according to their preference.

For instance - people who prefer the 'Assimilating' learning style will not be comfortable being thrown in at the deep end without notes and instructions.

 

People who like prefer to use an 'Accommodating' learning style are likely to become frustrated if they are forced to read lots of instructions and rules, and are unable to get hands on experience as soon as possible.

 

This theory is as practical as it is deep... every manager aspiring to be a trainer or coach should understand first how these styles have influenced his learning in the last few years to make him what he is ... and they use these styles to help people learn and become what they ought to be ...ie work at their full potential

 

With best compliments

Dr Wilfred Monteiro

Mumbai- India

www.synergymanager.net

 

COMPETENCY BASED APPROACH TO human capital management

 HOW ARE COMPETENCIES IDENTIFIED

today we do not believe in magical theories of corporate success...Building human capital is largely about identifying competencies  & developing them into a resource for the next level of business excellence....

 Competencies are developed based on information collected by studying what top performers do in the defined job context.  Competencies focus on the attributes that separate the high performers from the rest of the workforce.  Information can be gathered in a variety of ways, including employee questionnaires, focus groups, and interviews with managers and employees.

 

 Two key elements in identifying competencies are:

1.           Workforce skill analysis, which describes the skills, required for today’s work.  Conducting workforce skill analysis requires the leaders of an organization to anticipate how the nature of the organization’s work will change, and then to identify future human resource requirements.  (This process spans the supply and demand analysis aspects of workforce planning.)

 

 2.           Job Analysis, which collects information describing successful job performance.  Job analysis focuses on tasks, responsibilities, knowledge and skill requirements as well as other criteria that contribute to successful job performance.  Information obtained from employees in this process is used to identify competencies.

 

Workforce planners can use competency analysis as a method of analyzing workforce gaps.  Competency analysis is a process that identifies the current competency levels of the workforce, as well as the competencies required by the jobs of the future.  As a part of competency analysis, planners can distribute a questionnaire  to employees at large or in positions that are subject to significant change in order to collect skills and education data and to assess their qualifications.

 

The competency analysis will help planners to determine if it is possible to retrain these employees so that they may develop the competencies that the organization will require in the future.  Timing and presentation of such a questionnaire is critical.

STEPS FOR CONDUCTING COMPETENCY ANALYSIS

1.        Identify the job competencies that will be required for future positions in the organization.

 A competency matrix can be used as a tool for identifying the competencies that are or will be required for specific positions.  This step will probably have been conducted during the strategic planning and preliminary data gathering step in the workforce planning processes.

 

2.        Determine whether current employees possess the competencies that will be required by the identified positions.

This is the data that will probably be missing or available only in anecdotal methods or based on assumptions related to current series and grade.  A skill assessment tool can be used to measure individual employee competencies.

 

3.        Analyze the difference (if any) between current employee competencies and future organizational needs.

The results of the competency analysis will help identify potential retraining needs that employees in certain “excess” or “surplus” positions may require in order to transition into other positions within the organization.  Employees may also want to know the results of the analysis for their own career development purposes.  This may be helpful for retention if well-qualified current staff believe there are growth and learning opportunities for them within the organization.

 

If the organization determines that current employees will not have the ability to attain the competencies that will be required in the future, workforce planners will then need to identify the most appropriate recruitment strategies for filling the skill gap.

 

 PROCESS OF COMPETENCY MAPPING 

Step 1.        Developing Core Competencies

In this step, the leadership of the organization meets to brainstorm which core competencies the organization will require in order to achieve the objectives of the strategic plan (the strategic plan consists of the Mission, Vision, Objectives, Goals, and Tactics).  Examples of core competencies are problem solving; teambuilding; decision making; and communications skills.

Step 2.        Assessing Competency Levels Required Across Positions

After the leaders decide which critical competencies are required throughout the organization, it's necessary to determine the degree to which, and manner in which, these competencies are required in each type of position (such as Sales Manager, Secretary to Sales Manager, and Account Representative).  This assessment can be made through individual interviews with incumbents in established positions, using a Position Information Questionnaire (PIQ) as a guide.  A sample PIQ is attached.

Step 3.        Developing Competency-Based Job Descriptions

Following the interview process, job descriptions can be developed that include not only duties and reporting relationships but the core competency descriptions that are tailored to each position.  The same competencies are included in each employee's performance appraisal instrument so that he/she is evaluated on the same criteria that are described in the job description.

 

Step 4.        Competency-Based Career Matrix

For career development purposes, new or prospective employees will be interested in career progression options available once they master different competency levels.  A matrix contains each core competency and a brief description of those competencies at increasing career levels.  As career options become more complex and sophisticated, the core competencies also become more complex.

 

With best compliments

Dr Wilfred Monteiro

 

www.synergymanager.net

 

Many clients wish to start a HRD AUDIT INTERVENTION We often counsel to "hold back " and recheck if their company REALLY needs such an intervention

 

HRM  EXCELLENCE  AUDIT :

moving to the next level of success

 

The triple objective  of an HRM EXCELLENCE AUDIT are to identify issues of potential liability ,to surface things that needing improvement  and to formulate strategies for improving operational efficiencies

 

The audit works best when the focus is on improving the HRD function in the organization… if not it is a toothless document. The audit itself is a diagnostic tool, not a prescriptive instrument. It will help you identify what you are missing or need to improve. It is most useful when an Organization is ready to act on the findings, and to evolve its HRD function to a level where its full potential to support the organization’s mission and objectives can be realized.

 WHEN TO START AN AUDIT PROGRAM?

 

Generally speaking, an HR Audit can be done at anytime; however, Audits are most often conducted when the company is contemplating “change.”  These situations could be summed up as:

¨      The key stakeholders have a sense that certain things could be done more efficiently and for less money but aren’t sure where to start.

¨      There’s been a  series of dis-satisfaction against the HR function and it’s been recommended that they look across all functions of the business for other areas of liability.

¨      The organization is experiencing higher than normal turnover.

¨      Employee morale is low and employee relations issues begin to consume more of management’s time and energy.

¨      The organization has “outgrown” itself and needs to identify tools and resources that will help the organization to mature.

¨      To ensure that any/all new HR systems and programs that are put in place are integrated, seamless and compliments on another.

 

IINTROSPECT ...BEFORE  YOU BEGIN:

 

Like any other function, the performance and contribution of HRD should be audited regularly. We recommend to our client that they first attempt ot answer thes 12 question before we have a preliminary round of discussion:e:

1.   What strategic contribution is being made by HRD  to the achievement of business/corporate objectives?

2.   To what extent are there well articulated and agreed HRD strategies which are aligned to the business strategy and which are integrated with one another?

3.   What role does HRD  currently play? Is this role appropriate in the context of the organization?

4.   To what extent has the responsibility for HRD  issues been devolved to the management?

5.   How well does HRD  reconcile the need for devolution with the need to ensure  that organizational, ethical and legal obligations and requirements are being mf consistently?

6.   What evidence exists that HRD  is being innovative in a practical and business way, based on an analysis of the business and people needs of the organizational and benchmarking?

7.   How well is HRD  performing by reference to quantitative measures such as added value per employee, absenteeism and attrition?

8.   How well is HRD  performing in terms of service delivery in fields such as INDUCTION, training, reward management, health and safety training  , the management of equal opportunity and diversity, advice on employee  engagement , the provision of employee assistance programmes and the maintenance and use of   HR  information systems?

9.   To what extent does HRD  express proper concern for ethical considerations, the interests of all stakeholders (employees as well as management), enhancing the quality of working life and achieving a satisfactory work/life balance?

10.   What ' contribution has HRD   made to the improvement of the employee relations climate?

11.   How well is HRD  regarded by its customers   management, line managers, employees generally, employee representatives, as measured by formal assessments or opinion surveys?

12.   Is the HRD  function well organized and properly staffed with qualified professionals who are actively concerned with continuous professional development?

 

We have found that some companies should start the turnaround in a piecemeal whilst others need a quantum change ...both approaches work according to the company "readiness" level of the corporate leadership; its top management shelf; its culture orientation. 

 

With best compliments

Dr Wilfred Monteiro

www.synergymanager.net

 

build a great company must first be started by creating managers, who are believers in the company motto - PEOPLE ARE THE STRATEGIC PARTNERS for the success of any business.

 

HOW TO NURTURE GREAT MANAGERS

 TO PARTNER YOUR HR PROGRAM

 

 A program driven by the CEO and enabled by the human resource department cannot take-off; if the line managers do not invest in the belief that PEOPLE ARE THE STRATEGIC PARTNERS for the success of any business. I have seen so many HR managers lament; that the good intentions and the best of initiatives are nullified; by the indifferent if not the callousness of the line managers . So any strategic plan to build a great company must first be started by creating managers, who are believers in the company motto, that a great workplace begins with great managers.

 

WHAT GREAT MANAGERS BELIEVE

 

1.      Great Managers believe that people are innately good. Without this core belief and faith in people, great management is not possible.

 

2.      Great Managers believe they do not work on their people, they work with them; they enable and empower them.

 

3.      Great Managers believe that “empowerment” comes from within, and has more to do with self-motivation and innate talent than with the acceptance of authority. They get their cues from the person, not from the task or process.

 

4.      Great Managers believe that all people have strengths which can be made stronger, and that their weaknesses can be compensated for to become irrelevant.

 

5.      Great managers ,  do not believe they train people,  they believe they help people learn by providing their best inputs.(         Great Managers believe they coach and mentor people, and they love doing so — not “like,” love.)

6.      Great Managers believe that the people they manage are more than capable of creating a better future. They hold great faith and trust in the four-fold human capacities of physical ability, intellect, emotion, and spirit.

 

7.      Great  Managers believe in the power of positive, affirmative thinking, and they have a low tolerance for negativity. They are confident and eternal optimists.

 

8.      Great Managers believe it is their job to remove barriers and obstacles so people can attain the level of greatness they are destined for. They believe that “can’t” is a temporary state of affairs, and that everything is only impossible until the first person does it.

 

9.      Great Managers believe that their legacy will be in the other people they have helped to achieve worthwhile and meaningful goals. They believe that success is measured in people who thrive and prosper.

  

WHAT BEHAVIOUR  DO YOU OBSERVE IN GREAT MANAGERS

 Just as there is a need to develop a leadership pipeline and sucession planning in the  HR strategic plan for organisation development; it is equally important that HR department verbalizes and propogates behaviours of "GREAT" Great Managers. As part of the appraisal process many would need a direct and blunt feedback if their attitude is lukewarm and their behaviours even damaging. Some would need training and counselling and in extreme cases relocation to a less sensitive position where managing people is less critical. You cannot have a manager disinclined to accept and practice " people are our strategic partners" motto in a place where team climate is critical

So  let us develop the profile of a ideal PEOPLE ORIENTED MANAGER ( so we know where to begin) 

GREAT MANAGERS...    Enjoy helping people grow. Few things feel better than helping someone who is new to a role, or who has been struggling, into becoming a productive, confident person. There’s a kind of satisfaction in helping someone figure out how to be successful that doesn’t come from many other living experiences. Great mangers love seeing this happen on their teams. 

 

·        GREAT MANAGERS...Love creating positive environments. A great manager creates a team and and office environment that makes it easy for smart people to do good things. They love that moment when they wander the halls and see all sorts of amazing things happening all on their own, with passionate, motivated people doing good work without much involvement from the manager. 

 

·         GREAT MANAGERS...Want to correct mistakes inflicted on them. Some great managers are looking to undo the evil managers they had. Rather than take it out on their subordinates, they want to do a kind of pay it forward revenge: prove to themselves and the world that it can be better that what happened to them in the past. This can create the trap of fighting the last war: your team may not care at all about avoiding the mistakes of your previous manager. They want to avoid the mistakes you, and your blind spots, are probably making right now. 

 

·         GREAT MANAGERS...Care deeply about the success and well being of their team. Thoroughbred horses get well cared for. Their owners see them as an expensive asset and do whatever they can to optimize their health, performance, and longevity, even if their motivations are largely selfish. A great manager cares deeply about their staff, and goes out of his way to protect, train, care for, and reward their own team, even if their primary motivation is their own success. 

 

 

·       GREAT MANAGERS... have the   Succession mentality. A successful manager eventually realizes their own leadership will end one day, but if they teach and instill the right things into people who work for them, that philosophy can live on for a long time, long after the manager is gone. This can go horribly wrong but the desire to have a lasting impact generally helps people think on longer term cycles and pay attention to wider trends short term managers do not notice. 

 

·         GREAT MANAGERS... Long term sense of reward. Many of the mistakes managers make involve reaping short term rewards at the expense of long term loyalty and morale. Any leader who inverts this philosophy, and makes short term sacrifices to provide long term gains, will generally be a much better manager. They recognize the value of taking the time to explain things, to build trust, to provide training, and to build relationships, all of which results in a kind of team performance and loyalty the short term manager never believes is possible.

 

 

·         GREAT MANAGERS...Practice  the golden rule. It’s funny how well known this little gem is, and rare in life people follow it. But I think anyone in power who believes in it, and treats all of their employees the same way they truly would want to be treated, or even better, treats employees as they actually want to be treated, will always be a decent, above average manager. A deeply moral person can’t help but do better than most people, as treating people with respect, honesty and trust are the 3 things I suspect most people wish they could get from their bosses.

 

·     GREAT MANAGERS... are     Self aware, including weaknesses. This is the kicker. Great leaders know what they suck at, and either work on those skills or hire people they know      make up for their own weaknesses, and empower them to do so. This tiny little bit of self-awareness makes them open to feedback and criticism to new areas they need to work on, and creates an example for movement in how people should be growing and learning about new things. 

 

  GREAT MANAGERS... Sets tone of healthy debate and criticism. If the boss gives and takes feedback well, everyone else will too. If the boss is defensive, passive-aggressive, plays favorites, or does other things that work against the best idea winning, everyone else will play these destructive games. Only a boss who sees their own behavior as a model the rest of the organization will tend to follow can ever become a truly great manager. Without this, they will always wonder why the team behaves in certain unproductive ways that are strangely familiar. 

 

·        GREAT MANAGERS...Willing to fight, but picks their battles. Great managers are not cowards. They are willing to stake their reputation and make big bets now and then (I’d say at least once a year, as a totally random, put possibly useful stake in the ground). However they are not crazy either. They are good at doing political math and seeing which battle is worth the fight at a given time. A manager that never fights can never be great – they will never have enough skin in the game to earn the deepest level of respect of the people that work for them. But a manager that always fights is much worse. They continually put their own ego ahead of what their team is capable of. 

 

 

CONCLUDING

 

Remember that those who are under your supervision are the backbone of your company. Treat them with respect and dignity. The Law of Mutual Exchange demands that you do. When you pick up one end of the stick, you get the opposite end also..

 

Long year of trial and error shoud make you realize that every employee is a never ending, vast supply of human potential. Tap the supply while opportunity is ripe. Every human being is a diamond in the rough waiting to be brought to full brilliance. As a GREAT manager, you must help to develop every facet until the whole person emerges. Every person is a unique individual. Find that uniqueness and tap into it. Develop it to its full potential, your first priority is to be a GREAT teacher. A GREAT manager is one who others will want to follow. Not because he is their manager, but because of what he stands for. 

 

That’s why managers matter, and why people management is the core of every organisations success DNA

 

With best compliments

DR WILFRED MONTEIRO

 

www.synergymanager.net