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Driving Business Results With Innovative Learning Practices

Thursday, July 23, 2009 - by M.J. Hall

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With a continuous focus on aligning learning with work demands, doing more with less, and articulating the value of learning in building organizational capability, ASTD Benchmarking Forum members are sharing and comparing innovative learning tools and technologies to drive business results.

To investigate innovation, the ASTD Benchmarking Forum (BMF) used a variety of questions to target thinking and build a framework for learning about innovation. These questions included

What is your organization's definition of innovation?
What is your organization's approach to innovation?
What drives innovation in your organization?
What learning tools and techniques are used to build innovative solutions?
How are innovative solutions executedand measured?

In April 2009, BMF members met in a real-time, collaborative lab environment in Wheeling, Illinois, as well as in a virtual meeting space. There, senior executives participated in a panel discussion, action learning events, and multiple reflective thinking exercises to build and share a portfolio of innovative tools and techniques.

One member gave a definition that resonated with the group: "Innovation is not reinventing the light bulb, but using the light it gives off differently."

A sample of drivers of innovation identified as important by members included competitive positioning for products and services, crises in the financial markets and the resulting impact on borrowing, customer dissatisfaction, the skills gap, globalization, outsourcing, the need to expand virtual presence, employee readiness to perform, and use of digital posse

by employees.

Some of the tools and techniques used by members to accelerate learning and build business solutions include

accelerated learning techniques
alternate workplaces
blogs
collaborative work environments
communities of practice
content rationalization processes
knowledge management practices
lean methodology
mobile learning tools
moodle.org
performance-based training
podcasts
rotational assignments/details
Six Sigma tools
social networks such as Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and LinkedIn
storytelling
Web 2.0
wikis.

As with all learning, professionals are constantly challenged with moving the ideas from "aha" moments at a meeting to action in their own organizations. To facilitate this "from knowing to doing" hurdle, the ASTD BMF is continuing discussions on its collaborative website, having follow-up web conferences on topics generated at the lab, building and publishing a compendium of tools and techniques for learning professionals, and asking participants to share their takeaways with other members.

In summary, ASTD BMF members are benchmarking each other while modeling some of the best practices in learning theory and practice. By leveraging the network, the members are building a learning community around innovation and other targeted topics that collectively build organizational capability.

MJ currently serves as a Learning Strategist SME for ASTD and the Content Manager for the ASTD Forum, a membership consortium enabling forward-thinking organizations to connect, collaborate, and learn. She is an experienced performance strategist and executive coach. She has extensive expertise in designing, developing, and facilitating innovative collaborative work/learning experiences that focus on leveraging leadership development for organizational productivity and results. While assisting employees with solving problems of practice, Dr. Hall incorporates design thinking methods and quality tools and techniques. She is also a founding director of the Educational Leadership Studio at High Point University.

Prior to ASTD, she was a Senior instructor at the Defense Acquisition University (DAU) and also served as the Director of Leadership Development and Special Assistance to the Commandant. The scope of her personal portfolio at DAU included special projects such as the university’s participation in the Baldrige application, developing web-based modules and communities of practice, performing continual improvement of processes, facilitating strategic planning, and preparing management performance reports through various technology systems.

Her vast operational experience includes serving as an examiner for the Baldrige Performance Excellence Program, Program Management Officer for the Directorate of Combat Developments for the US Army Engineer School, on the staff of West Point, and as the Leadership Assessment Officer for Army ROTC. She is certified Program Management Level III in DoD Acquisition Corps. She has presented internationally and published a variety of articles and papers. She is certified in a variety of assessment tools including individual tools such as 360-degree Feedback and the MBTI and group tools including simulations and assessment center methodology. She earned a doctoral degree in Educational Leadership from George Mason University, a MBA from Long Island University, a MEd from the University of Maryland-College Park, and an ABT in Education from High Point University

Communities of Practice: Learning Technologies

Authored By:

M.J. Hall

MJ currently serves as a Learning Strategist SME for ASTD and the Content Manager for the ASTD Forum, a membership consortium enabling forward-thinking organizations to connect, collaborate, and learn. She is an experienced performance strategist and executive coach. She has extensive expertise in designing, developing, and facilitating innovative collaborative work/learning experiences that focus on leveraging leadership development for organizational productivity and results. While assisting employees with solving problems of practice, Dr. Hall incorporates design thinking methods and quality tools and techniques. She is also a founding director of the Educational Leadership Studio at High Point University.

Prior to ASTD, she was a Senior instructor at the Defense Acquisition University (DAU) and also served as the Director of Leadership Development and Special Assistance to the Commandant. The scope of her personal portfolio at DAU included special projects such as the university’s participation in the Baldrige application, developing web-based modules and communities of practice, performing continual improvement of processes, facilitating strategic planning, and preparing management performance reports through various technology systems.

Her vast operational experience includes serving as an examiner for the Baldrige Performance Excellence Program, Program Management Officer for the Directorate of Combat Developments for the US Army Engineer School, on the staff of West Point, and as the Leadership Assessment Officer for Army ROTC. She is certified Program Management Level III in DoD Acquisition Corps. She has presented internationally and published a variety of articles and papers. She is certified in a variety of assessment tools including individual tools such as 360-degree Feedback and the MBTI and group tools including simulations and assessment center methodology. She earned a doctoral degree in Educational Leadership from George Mason University, a MBA from Long Island University, a MEd from the University of Maryland-College Park, and an ABT in Education from High Point University

Driving Business Results With Innovative Learning Practices

Authored By:

M.J. Hall

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