Linda M. Farley» People Development

What I Learned About Training from Using a Chain Saw

Linda Farley — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 03:13:15 +0000

Have you ever stared down a big hunk of tree trunk with a chain saw in your hand?

And I don’t mean just to cut it up for firewood.

I had a new chainsaw. I had tree limbs that had fallen during a storm. I was stressed.

At first I was going to cut up the limbs so I could drag them out to the curb to be picked up by the brush recycle truck. I donned my safety glasses, closed toed shoes and sweat band around my head. I got into position, with the chainsaw poised to strike.

Did I mention that I had never operated a chain saw?

It was at that somewhat fearful moment that I realized there was an opportunity here. I began to see something in the wood. I remembered a woman that I met in Baton Rouge, selling cypress roots that were made into Santas. They were exquisite. I asked her how she found such perfect Santas in the roots. She said, “Oh, you just look at them and you can just see which ones look like Santa.”

I had been a doubter then. Now, with a deadly weapon in my hand, I could see something. An eye, a whimsical nose, a twist of character that called out to be released. And so I carved. Not with the broad blade, but with the tip. Coaxing and chunking out chips until a form appeared. I became Michelangelo discovering the “David” in a hunk of marble.

OK, maybe not.

But I was able to see the natural message of a twisted, broken branch that could be made beautiful, only in a different way. From wasted, fallen, storm-ravaged refuse to a new creature before my very eyes. The new creature that emerged was only a glimmer of what it had been before.

Exactly what I had experienced as a trainer: People blossoming. Beginning to learn, succeed and be motivated. Beginning to recognize some character deep within that they allowed to be released, developed and appreciated.

Have you experienced this? Challenge yourself to see those characters hidden in every learner. Help them release a new potential.

Just don’t use a chainsaw.

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© Linda M. Farley www.LMFarley.com LMF@onr.com
Follow Me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/LindaFarley

Trainers – Got Balls??

Linda Farley — Mon, 23 May 2011 06:08:10 +0000

BALLS……

….Strike people in the face.
…..Embarrass people who can’t catch the ball – even if it’s a BIG BALL.
…..Make someone almost poke themselves in the eye with a pen trying to catch the ball.
…..Explode coffee on the tables, handouts and clothing. Hot coffee! Burns. I just paid $5 for it at
StarBucks.
…..Force dry cleaning bills to be paid.
…..Bring the attention to the throwing, not the learning.

Did I sign up to be a Nerf Ball player? Or a Wacky Ball with tentacles player? I thought it was a class on improving leadership. Sometimes I don’t pay real good attention; maybe it was training for a softball team.

Now I lay me down to sleep
I pray the Lord my soul to keep
And before I wake for a brand new day
Please take all the trainer’s balls away

And your thoughts?

© 2011 Linda M. Farley

Signs That An Organization Values Training

Linda Farley — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 03:10:00 +0000

We spend a lot of money on training. In some organizations, it is just an activity.
In others, it is a valuable investment that is a component of continuous improvement.

What are some indicators that an organization values training? Look for these signs from Leaders – Executives, Managers and Supervisors:

• Leaders don’t focus on their IPhone or Blackberry during classes. They handle urgent issues with a respect to learning and immediately refocus on the session.

• Leaders redirect employees when they exhibit behavior that is contrary to how they were trained.

• Leaders reflect language and terms used in training. By using these, their teams assimilate the language of training into their day to day operations.

• Leaders willingly schedule employees for training and follow up with employees to ensure that learning occurred and is applied correctly on the job.

• Leaders collaborate with training on performance issues to determine areas that training can impact.

• Leaders speak in positive terms about training. No “us” vs. “them” attitude exists between operations and training.

• Leaders provide feedback to the training department about training that is not effective.

• Leaders work with the training department to ensure that policies and procedures are supported in training, rather than simply create unique policies and procedures that are not reflected in training.

• Leaders include the training department in planning projects, products and changes in which training may be needed or impacted.

Evaluate your organization for how they value training. If it doesn’t measure up, I challenge you to print this article and use it as a discussion piece for your next organizational meeting.

Discover why your organization does not value training and move your impact to a whole new level.

© 2011 Linda M. Farley LMF@onr.com

What I learned on Thursday

Linda Farley — Sat, 30 Oct 2010 04:32:17 +0000

I love Thursdays. It’s a great day for learning because you’ve slid over the Wednesday Humpday and you are not yet into the Thank Goodness It’s Friday mode.

This Thursday I attended the San Antonio ASTD Conference. (ASTD=American Society for Training and Development)

Here’s what I learned:

• Debriefing activities is essential. Bring out the very best learning from asking the right questions. One great question is, “Who has energy around this?” This can bring out who has issues around a situation or simply who wants to discuss it. (from Laura Vaccaro, Director of Learning, Education and Development for Valero Energy Corporation)

• Orientation for new hires can be (should be!) more than a huge info dump. Set the tone for accountability early on by guiding new hires to intra-company website that provides information about benefits, culture, career path, training, etc. Teach them to use the site to get info, rather than trying to feed them too much info on their first few days. Get creative with intra-company websites. (from Kris Webb, Learning Delivery Specialist – Deloitte Services, LP)

• For the first time in history, we have four generations in the workplace. We CAN get along. Traditionalists and Gen Y have many similar traits-pair them up for mentoring and for great productivity. Gen Y’s brains really have morfed into being able to effectively multi-task. Use their abilities. Boomers need to get over their bias on appearance, unless it really matters. Gen X and Y want to be individuals – maybe huge intelligence and creativity are behind those piercings, tattoos and neon Mohawks (duh!) (Debbie Christian, Development Advisor, USAA)

• Get the executive team buy-in for leadership training by having them “pilot” the training and provide feedback. Once they have put their “stamp of approval” on it, they begin to champion the concepts. When the execs lead the way the rest of the leadership will follow. Magic happens. Isn’t that what training professionals do, make magic happen? (Cindy Stynchula, President, Stynchula and Associates)

• The term “trainer” is passé. Learning and Development Professionals do more than training. They impact the entire organization and its results. They act as consultants for effectiveness and productivity. They bring value. They make people better. Are you a trainer or Learning and Development Professional? (Tony Bowie, Employee Development Manager at Southwest Research Institute)

What did you learn on Thursday?

© 2010 Linda M. Farley LMF@onr.com

Lack of Feedback Can Kill

Linda Farley — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 21:10:06 +0000

Tragedies touch me deeply. Yet, in processing them, come perspectives that I never expected. I respectfully submit to you the following article. May we learn much from the mistakes that led up to the sacrifice of so many.

How often have you seen the following sequence of events in your organization: a low performing employee continues on, year after year, with his/her lack of performance being ignored, moved from position to position – maybe even getting a promotion?

Maybe supervisors and managers have been trained on performance development–however, are they actually putting this training into practice?

Are they competently giving performance feedback?

Are they following up on performance progress?

Are they appropriately implementing consequences?

What is the process for addressing performance issues in your organization? What is the impact when this process is not trained, implemented and monitored in your organization? At the least it can adversely affect organizational performance. It may implode your company.

It could even be tragic.

Consider the Pentagon findings regarding the November slayings in Fort Hood, Texas, as reported by the Chicago Tribune:

“…shooting suspect Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan repeatedly earned favorable performance ratings in spite of mounting concerns about his views and behavior.”

“Among other issues, investigators have examined how it was that Hasan received repeated positive performance reviews that allowed his career to advance despite concerns about inappropriate behavior….”

“… the findings are expected to explore why concerns about Hasan’s performance at Walter Reed Army Medical Center were not passed on to his supervisors at his next assignment, at Texas’ Fort Hood.”

“Hasan’s performance at Walter Reed, as described by officials and those who knew him, should have raised red flags and prevented his promotion and transfer…. For instance, Hasan’s superiors faulted his light caseload and said he shirked professional responsibilities.”

“The investigation is also supposed to point to ways to overhaul the military performance evaluation system.”

The LA Times reports:

“In the Army, few performance reviews contain negative comments. However, at senior levels and in competitive fields, an evaluation that is less than effusive in its praise can derail an officer’s promotion. In less competitive fields and at junior levels, the Army has promoted the vast majority of its officers. And because of a shortage of mental health personnel, few such experts are blocked from promotion.”

“The culture that encourages mainly positive reviews has undercut the usefulness of the system for evaluating officers’ strengths and weaknesses, according to some military officials who requested anonymity when discussing the case.”

Consider how our employees often progress through performance development, compared to the progression of this Army officer.

Frequent Employee Progression Hasan’s Progression

Employee’s performance is low.

“Records from his medical school days at a Maryland university also indicated Hasan received average and failing grades and at one point had been placed on academic probation.” ~CBC News

Employee’s low performance is ignored.

“Despite concerns about Hasan’s behaviour, supervisors gave him positive reviews in his officer evaluation reports.” ~CBC News

Employee gets a new position or promotion.

“Hasan was promoted to captain in 2003.” ~CBC News

Employee continues low performance.

“The review revealed that Hasan’s supervisors during his psychiatry internship and residency at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., from 2003 to 2007, voiced concerns about him in memos, meeting notes and counseling sessions.

He graduated from Walter Reed in 2007.

Upon graduation, Hasan received a favourable reference letter from Moran, despite the director’s earlier concerns.” ~CBC News.

Employee is passed from department to department, supervisor to supervisor where low performance pattern continues.

“Hasan completed a two-year fellowship at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Md., before arriving at Fort Hood in July 2009.

He was promoted to major in 2009.” ~CBC News

After a while, the low performance is passively accepted because the employee has worked there so long. Additionally, we don’t need to lose another person and have to hire and train a new one.

“Some have speculated that Hasan was able to rise through the ranks, despite his superiors’ hesitations, because the U.S. army is contending with shortages of both psychiatrists and majors in the medical corps.” ~CBC News

People talk about the low performer, resent him/her, but learn to live with the situation.

“Hasan’s performance at Walter Reed, as described by officials and those who knew him, should have raised red flags and prevented his promotion and transfer….” ~LA Times

Low performance begins to permeate the culture. Soon, people know that nothing will be done, that the organization needs them too much to challenge their results.

“The culture that encourages mainly positive reviews has undercut the usefulness of the system for evaluating officers’ strengths and weaknesses. ~LA Times

Of course, this is not a mere story about performance. It is about an individual who was motivated to far greater destruction than we can comprehend. However, it does raise the question that if appropriate development and consequences had been implemented, would the “red flags” have been noticed? Would this person have had the easy access to our loved ones to carry out such an atrocity?

As business professionals, we are responsible to develop people, to get people in the right positions and, also, to get them out of positions which would be detrimental to the organization or to others. We are responsible for creating an effective development process, training the process and holding people accountable to implement the process…even when implementing appropriate consequences is tough.

Could something as simple as implementation of a true performance development process have prevented this tragedy?

Do you need to look at how your organization’s performance development process is being implemented? What “red flags” are you missing?

Complete news stories at

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-tc-nw-fort-hood-0111-0112jan12,0,4710456.story

http://articles.latimes.com/2010/jan/12/nation/la-na-fort-hood12-2010jan12

http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2010/01/11/fort-hood-shooting.html

© Linda M. Farley www.LMFarley.com LMF@onr.com

Follow Me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/LindaFarley