“Creating a Learning Culture”

1. “Creating a Learning Culture” How I performed an Organizational Vulcan Mind Meld and Earned my never-big-enough Paycheck Sandra Smith, Training and Develoment Manager Denver Public Library 720.865.2071 ssmith@denver.lib.co.us

2. “Learning is like rowing upstream… …not to advance is to drop back.” Chinese proverb

3. DENVER PUBLIC LIBRARY

4. How To #1 What does a Learning Culture currently look like in your organization?   WHAT kind of learning is happening? WHO is doing it? HOW is it being done?

5. MY EXPERIENCE • What: DPL five years ago had no clear program; only as needed, reactionary at best; small number of classes • Who: Training Manager, occasional SME, no general staff involvement, no executive or manager awareness of ROI of training • How: classes by TM, occasional SME, no general staff involvement, periodic Training Calendar

6. How To #2 Who is the motivator? Why should it look differently? Who: Who wants a Learning Culture? You? Others? Why: Organizational Circumstances? Personal Motivation? Dictates from above? What is needed and why now? If not now, what consequences?

7. MY EXPERIENCE Who: me seeing an unmet need and being willing to tackle it Why: my position exists for a reason! Why: there are organizational needs and potential ROI to staff and and the community

8. DPL Organizational Needs: • DPL is changing org in changing library times: tech, activities, customers, relevance • Are a learning org—set example to staff • Need to share expertise internally for better customer service (our mission) • Need highly skilled, consistent staff • Staff looking for development opportunities: positive work environment, retention • Foster a sense of personal responsibility and accountability for the defined topics • An acknowledgement by executives of the importance of the role of staff via executives’ support, personal participation and exchange of mutual expectations

9. Provide a targeted, effective system of ongoing professional development for staff, including a cost-effective utilization of staff time and resources • Introduce a framework for defined competencies, expectations and accountability • Maintain awareness of DPL practices and perspectives including current policies, practices and services of all departments and branches • Provide an opportunity for colleagues to network and develop and a sense of community • Provide consistent knowledge and information for all staff • Ensure excellent customer service

10. How To #3 Whaddaya Want? and Do a Reality Check What do you want it to look like? What can it look like?

11. TIPS • Use your skills, background, talent to identify what you’d like to see • Think “what would be better” around here • Observe and Listen: chat with others, get feedback in a casual way at first, get a sense of where people’s priorities, issues, problems are. Do walkabouts and observe. • Define what is needed specifically: do an inventory of what needs to happen – now and later, doable and potential

12. MY EXPERIENCE My identified goals in 2001: • to expand the types of classes offered: database skills, supervisory techniques, wider numbers of skills classes, sharing opportunities about the activities of DPL • to involve more staff in the attending of classes (ones that they feel are valuable to them in their work life) AND “get the right butts in the right seats”

13. MY EXPERIENCE • to involve more staff in the leading of classes, sharing their expertise and experience with others, developing presentation, people and organizational skills • to introduce competency-based outcomes, evaluation and ROI to the learning program, “what does it look like” • to create the mundane but necessary structure for tracking data and statistics on the learning program

14. How To #4 How do you ACTUALLY ACHIEVE How To #3?

15. Oh nooooo…..are we talking Culture Changes??? • Culture is People: their beliefs, attitudes, values, behaviors • Culture is the Organization: rules and policies, customs and norms, ceremonies and events, management behaviors and trust, rewards and recognition, communications, physical environment, organization structure, goals and measurements

16. YOU EXPECT ME TO CHANGE ALL THAT??? ARE YOU NUTS?

17. DON’T PANIC!!I ONLY EXPECT YOU TO DO…

18. A VULCAN MIND MELD ON YOUR ENTIRE ORGANIZATION

19. Start the Conversation(in the Mind Meld handout this is the“getting physical” part) • Get info on past training: data, details • Talk with those who have done the training • Talk with staff/managers about past learning opportunities and current desires

20. MY EXPERIENCE • Informally chatted to multi-level staff I knew and didn’t know via lunches, after-hours, when they would come to me with questions about anything • Formally talked to key managers: had list of questions • Re-talked to people after gathering initial information: clarify, summarize

21. Plant the Seed(this is the Mind Meld transference of ideas) Plant nuggets of what is possible to be done with training in a learning culture: • ROI to the bottom line • fixing daily problems • workforce satisfaction • improving work environment

22. MY EXPERIENCE • Kept conversations on-going but with intent to further my goals • Article in newsletter about “what I do” • Contribute useful nuggets to meetings • Send articles to key staff/all staff • Proactive in offering to help/fix issues

23. Marshall your forces (in the Mind Meld handout you and the recipient now have the same knowledge, interests) • Identify your key people: soft or hard sell them on your resources, goals; connect with their closest advisors • Explore merging your resources, helping one another • Support all who come for help or you reach out to, make connections with new staff • Give positive reinforcement to those who “get it”, help you, do good deeds to the benefit of your goals

24. AND DO NOT… WAIT IN YOUR OFFICE FOR SOMETHING USEFUL TO HAPPEN FOR YOU IT WON’T…

25. MY EXPERIENCE • Gained active support from key people: initially two directors, five managers, five librarians (committee), three staff SME trainers • Formed training committee: used earlier “connections” capital to get permission if necessary

26. S.W.O.T. (in the Mind Meld handout, all the risks) Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats • Identify these for the potential learning program both holistically and specifically • Get input from others • Don’t operate with blinders. Don’t ass-u-me!

27. MY EXPERIENCE • Identified, with key people, my SWOTs • Data generation process:Documented achievements for my supervisor and reviewing rater; created tracking/statistic method

28. Make a success happen. (in the Mind Meld you have succeeded with one person) • Do a training or development program for a work unit (one of your supporters?) • Coach a staff person, manager • Problem-solve a process • Contribute to in-house publication: how you can contribute, resources available to people, FYI articles and useful information • Facilitate a meeting • Make a new learning opportunity available to staff: tutorial, offsite class, video

29. MY EXPERIENCE • Asked key SME for librarians to do training in TC; asked key group to do as well on any topic of interest • Sent out request for staff to share expertise by conducting a class • Did great teambuilding day for a manager who is influential • Created/conducted several new classes in TC: performance evaluations, NEO, discussion roundtables, time management • Saw supervisors with staff problems – offered and helped fix • Found videos, tutorials

30. Build on Success (in the Mind Meld mode, go for more!) • Follow up on any opportunities that result • Continue making people connections • Keep your program in the limelight • Start working on bigger goals

31. MY EXPERIENCE • Reinforced new presenters: praise, help, how valuable to staff and library mission • Heard about new SmartyPants service: proactively asked and responded to needed training; saw new skills needed as well as synchronicity from earlier efforts to connect with staff • Led to BRAINCELLS series for librarians • Led to Beyond Today series for senior librarians • Led to Take the Lead series for Lead Clerks • Led to new service styles training for all staff

32. Level One: Reaction • Increase in class number and attendance • 1999=54 classes 2001=100 classes • 2000=200 attendees 2004=1140 attendees • Increase in positive comments • Staff asking for more classes, giving suggestions

33. Level Two: Learning • More staff wanting to do classes • Attendees asking for more information on a topic • SmartyPants pre-and post-testing results • BRAINCELLS self-assessment ratings on learning achieved • Supervisors value classes

34. Level Three: Behavior Executives/managers/supervisors • ask for training • use me as resource • Verify performance improvement in staff • Are willing to participate in training

35. Level Four: Results • CEO supports, is engaged • Library Commission supports; They Like! • Cost-effective use of presenters and attendee time • Quality: consistent, more frequent and timely information to the “Right Butts in the Right Seats” • Have two on-going Training Committees

36. Personal Level One: Reaction Satisfaction in my job… • goals identified and aimed for • co-worker relationships • accomplishments

37. Personal Level Two: Learning • More knowledgeable about needs of organization • Increased project management/ /strategic planning/training skills • Increased awareness of training/learning challenges

38. Personal Level Three: Behavior • More collaborative, team focused • More proactive, focused on goals • More seeking outside experiences/input/connections

39. Personal Level Four:Results ROI to career and self: • Experience • Skills • Contacts • Community contribution

40. “If you are going to take Vienna… …then Take Vienna.” Napoleon I “

41. Discussion questions: • What others ideas do you have for creating a learning culture? • What successes? Challenges? Failures? • Why did they happen? • What other resources are out there to help?