Perspectives
Best Place to Learn: What Does it Take to Win?
by Mike Schellen
OK, so perhaps it wouldn't be best if I were to prescribe step-by-step as to how an organization might win the Dallas Area Best Place to Learn. The truth of the matter is, the standards of our industry change every year, and to a large extent, the standards for the Best Place to Learn change right along with them.
One of the ways we're able to compare the learning organizations of companies of different sizes, different industries, and different sectors, is to avoid prescribing guidelines which are so rigid that the award only goes to the huge corporation with millions of dollars to spend on not only learning, but the ability to market that learning as well. One of the great things about the award is that it can go to large corporations or Mom and Pop companies; additionally, it can be awarded in the public sector or the private sector.
I have the good fortune of being the Chairperson of the 2007 Best Place to Learn committee. As such, I have the inside scoop on just what it takes to be the Best Place to Learn, at least for this year. Now that the decisions have been made and the winner has been decided, I'm going to slide the curtain back a bit and let you know in general terms some of the things the committee considered. By the way, the committee was an extraordinary group of individuals who taught me a great deal all throughout the process. I was honored (and humbled) to work with them.
One of the things we considered was whether or not there was evidence that learning has value in the organization. We asked companies about the different types of learning opportunities they offer and what metrics were in place to show the effectiveness of and/or return on investment for those opportunities. Again, we felt that this type of evaluation didn't discriminate against any organization regardless of size, industry, or sector.
Another consideration was a demonstrated indication of top-level support. Does the organization have a CLO or other type of executive strongly supporting the learning organization? (In the public sector, it could be a high-ranking official.) To what extent are they involved, and how is there involvement evidenced?
Another significant area the committee felt was an indicator of a strong learning program was evidence of learning innovation. We would ask organizations what made their learning strategy unique. Were they doing something different from their competitors, perhaps something on the leading edge of learning as a whole?
But when all is said and done, perhaps the single largest factor was what impact the learning effort had on the business. Again, metrics are very important here. How does learning affect the bottom line? How is the learning evaluated? How does the organization measure and ensure interest, retention, application, and overall effectiveness?
As a side note, an organization ought to be able to clearly articulate why they feel they are the Best Place to Learn. Again, a critical component is the ability to differentiate your learning organization from all of the others out there.
So, who won the Dallas Area Best Place to Learn in 2007? Sorry, but you'll have to wait until the December 4th monthly meeting for Dallas ASTD to find that out. Even the finalists won't know how they fared until it has been announced during that meeting. We'll invite the finalists (and their guests) to the December meeting and watch the drama unfold as the finalists are announced. By the way, if you've never been to the December meeting, it is a very special meeting - and one that you don't want to miss. We're having it during the first week of December this year to coincide with National Learning Week. We hope you'll come out and be a part of the excitement!
Once the winner is announced on December 4th, that organization will lead the February meeting with details of what made their organization the Best Place to Learn. You won't want to miss that meeting either.
About the Author: Mike Schellen is a Site Learning Leader for the Xerox Capital Services division of GE. He has served in various training and training leadership positions for the last 17 years. He is currently the Vice-President of Communications for the Dallas Chapter of ASTD, and is the editor of Perspectives.