Making New Discoveries Next Door
Recently, I was privileged to enjoy a stroll with Free Tours by Foot (www.freetoursbyfoot.com/boston-tours). I really love walking tours, and decided to visit Harvard Square, a place I had been many times before.
I soon gained a new perspective of this historic area favored by out-of-towners. I got a good view of the Widener Library, a large brick building in the Beaux-Arts style complete with two imposing columns and a large staircase (examiner.com). Walking by Lowell House, I heard the replica of the famous Danilov bells ringing. I marveled at the intricate stained glass windows in Sanders Theater, the site of speeches by Winston Churchill and Martin Luther King Jr. (www.fas.harvard.edu/~memhall/sanders.html). And I chuckled when I spotted the Dewey, Cheetem and Howe sign, the nameplate representing the fictional law firm at the corner of Brattle and JFK streets. All of these landmarks appeared new to me, though I had walked by them countless times before.
This experience made me realize how often we pass things by without seeing them at all. It also caused me to reflect on my work life, and what one can discover by looking at situations with new eyes. While we may not expand our work horizons with a walking tour, we can stretch our minds by brainstorming with colleagues, or by participating in a professional development session or networking event. We can simply open our minds and become willing to see and do something new and different, rather than stick with the tried and true because “we’ve always done it this way.”
This willingness and effort to gain a new perspective helps us in our professional lives. As instructional designers or trainers, we could gain a new way of presenting material to learners, such as a student self-assessment, an educational game, or unique role play. We could discover a new way to make a meeting engaging. As emotional intelligence continues to contribute to success in the workplace, finding a new way to approach a challenging topic with a colleague opens the line of communication, enabling us to collaborate. Most importantly, being open to innovation gives us the freedom to find a solution to an issue, whether the challenge be in employee performance, cost overruns, or employee turnover.
Marcel Proust wrote, “The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.” Let your new eyes lead you to all your best ideas in 2014. And when you have a chance, check out Free Tours by Foot. I hope the tour inspires you, also!
Don’t Forget the Roadmap Before You Start Your Trip – the Value of the Needs Assessment
Before starting to design a learning solution, which tool can help guide your work? Just like embarking upon an unfamiliar road trip, starting a learning project requires a blueprint, a guide. To ensure you don’t get lost along the way, a map is essential (assuming this scenario takes place in the pre-GPS era). The map would provide direction for your trip, helping you to reach your destination. Without the map, you could find yourself somewhere you never intended to be and didn’t want to go.
Similarly, designing a learning solution without conducting a needs assessment can often lead a client down the wrong road and to ineffective training. While a training program without a needs assessment may appeal to the client, it could potentially fail to address business objectives. In this way, the needs assessment functions as a roadmap for the training, getting the client to their destination (the business objective) in the most efficient way possible.
To perform a needs assessment, a consultant must first learn the client’s business objectives and determine if there are gaps in reaching those objectives. To do this, she/he engages the sponsors of the proposed learning in conversation about their business needs. With this information, a consultant can begin to figure out the learning objectives needed to achieve the business goals, according to Marilyn Kobus, an organizational and learning consultant with EnVision.
Questions such as the following can kick off a strong needs assessment:
- What are your current business goals?
- What type of performance will be needed by people in your group if your business goals are to be realized?
- What do you want learners/employees to be able to do more effectively or differently?
- In what ways are your employees prepared or not prepared to perform in the manner described above?
- What has worked or not worked when you have tried to improve the performance of people in this employee group before?
The learning professional then typically seeks a deeper understanding of challenges and learning needs and conducts focus groups and/or interviews with representatives of the target audience and perhaps their managers. After this process, the learning professional recommends specific tactics and tools to achieve the learning objectives. “In every situation, it is important to keep in mind the change the client is trying to accomplish,” explained Paula Spizziri, an instructional designer and EnVision team member.
Kobus knows firsthand that what you learn – or don’t learn – in the needs assessment can impact the success of the future curriculum. While consulting to a manufacturing company, Kobus interviewed the VP of Manufacturing about training a group of line supervisors. The VP was interested in repurposing an overseas training program for supervisors in the United States. Kobus conducted two focus groups with both managers and supervisors to learn more about the supervisors’ challenges as well as their skill levels.
While preparing the needs assessment, Kobus quickly recognized that the supervisors faced distinctly different issues from their overseas counterparts. For starters, the supervisors were overwhelmed by managing too many people. Operational difficulties also impacted their productivity. The plant didn’t have an automated system to track where the “widget” was in the manufacturing process, so the supervisors frequently ran around the plant to monitor production. In addition, the American supervisors had several more years of experience than their overseas counterparts and required a different type of training. Finally, the manufacturing company had a tough time retaining the line supervisors due to these issues.
Though the VP of Manufacturing pushed for the training, Kobus instead recommended that the company consider addressing other improvements first. They did. The executives adopted new computer systems to fix the operational challenges. Per Kobus’ recommendation, management assigned fewer workers to each supervisor, and hired new supervisors, which distributed the workload more fairly.
Once these changes had been made, management could revisit their learning objectives. The original training for less experienced supervisors had incorporated modules on communication and performance management. Kobus modified the training to include advanced communications skills, time management, and tips on “managing up.” The training was a success.
If Kobus had gone ahead with training the supervisors immediately as the VP requested, she could easily have alienated her target market. “The audience was more ready to receive the training [later],” said Kobus. “By participating in the needs assessment, they really felt heard.”
With another project, Kobus was unable to complete a needs assessment; the vice president at this second company didn’t allow her to interview the employees. Per the VP’s request, she created an L&D solution anyway. After a great deal of time and money, the client had a high-quality learning solution….that didn’t meet the company’s needs and learning objectives.
The needs assessment can truly make or break the success of a project. Based on her experience, Spizziri believes an incomplete or poor needs assessment often yields extraneous curriculum content that doesn’t meet the learning objectives. Conversely, a thorough needs assessment can identify valuable content for the future solution, according to Kobus. “The time you spend upfront is really time well spent, because you can discover some things you didn’t know,” explained Kobus. “The needs assessment gives you great content for your solution, and helps ensure that the learning delivers value and is linked to business results.”
A Shoreline Ride in New York City
“A goal without a plan is just a wish.” – Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Whether creating a learning solution or completing a challenging athletic endeavor, a plan provides the necessary blueprint. Though in my work life I am very much a planner, I was recently reminded of how crucial preparation is in all aspects of life…when I completed the New York City Century Bike Tour, though a bit shakily.
Some background: I love New York City, and I really enjoy cycling. So the NYC Century Bike Tour, the proceeds of which benefit Transportation Alternatives in NYC, was a perfect fit. I was also attracted to the event because I could choose the distance I would cycle. I selected 55 miles, a challenging but entirely doable day-long ride. The plan was working out fine.
Prior to the ride, I focused on my training, logging a 50-mile ride a few weeks earlier. I made sure my bike was all tuned up and in working order. The morning of the ride, I ate a nice, big breakfast at 6:00 a.m. I set off on my bike at 7:15 a.m., eager for several hours of riding.
Initially, I enjoyed the ride. The weather was wonderful…partly sunny, in the high 70s. The crowd proved to be spirited and colorful, with some cyclists even dressed up as Superman and Wonder Woman. As we traveled through the streets of Brooklyn, I found myself impressed by the vast diversity of the neighborhoods, which included Italian, Middle Eastern, and Jewish areas.
Once we reached mile 40 or so, however, I started to feel very fatigued and a bit strange. Though we refueled with bread and peanut butter at occasional rest stops and snacked on protein bars along the way, clearly these were not enough for me.
I began to feel out of touch with what was occurring around me. This led to a dangerous situation when a car pulled out of a driveway and I didn’t see it coming, narrowly avoiding an accident. I wanted to take an unplanned break from the ride, but didn’t want to stop in an unfamiliar area.
My limited resources were seriously tested when we crossed the RFK Bridge, a maneuver that required us to carry our bikes. This was especially challenging in my exhausted state, given the fact that we needed to climb three flights of stairs in the wind. A footbridge from Randall’s Island to Manhattan led us to the final leg of our journey, and a successfully completed ride.
Once I rested a bit, I started to feel more like myself. I realized that by mile 40, I had not had enough to eat, and was probably a bit low on electrolytes. I also recognized that with all of my training preparations, I never planned lunch. The few snacks I quickly consumed were not nearly enough to sustain me through six hours of cycling.
This endeavor reminded me that as professionals in the L&D field, we always need to recheck our plan…for a design document, course pilot, or train-the-trainer workshop. What may seem like an insignificant detail – like a short job aid or new insert in the learner’s binder – can, if omitted, greatly impact the learning experience, just like my lack of fuel affected my ride. Still, I am very proud that I did finish. Like any day in the office, it was a valuable learning experience. I look forward to another challenging ride soon!
Educating Boston about Emergencies: the DelValle Institute Teams Up with EnVision
April 15, 2013. 2:49 p.m. Boylston Street in Boston.
For the citizens and guests of Boston, the events that occurred on this date will forever be memorialized. Since that day, we are only too aware of the need to prepare for and respond to emergencies, an understanding most of us didn’t have before.
The professionals at the DelValle Institute for Emergency Preparedness, however, have been planning for a long time. DelValle has been educating first responders, public healthcare workers, and healthcare agencies since 2003. For the first time this year, DelValle will offer an online course entitled Community Preparedness Basics: Ready, Safe, Healthy designed for the residents of Boston.
Community Preparedness Basics was funded by a U.S. Department of Homeland Security grant via the Metro Boston Homeland Security Region and the City of Boston Mayor’s Office of Emergency Management. Launching in September, Community Preparedness invites all citizens to Get Ready, Be Safe, Stay Healthy.
This messaging also underscores the course’s structure. In Community Preparedness Basics, the virtual instructor walks the resident through preparing an emergency plan and kit; learning about city resources that can help during an emergency; taking care of oneself and others during an event; and staying healthy physically and emotionally.
Most important, the learner begins to understand why he or she should prepare. Learners are asked what they would need to do in an emergency, bringing the course to life for them. After each citizen has learned how to ‘Get Ready, Be Safe, Stay Healthy,” he/she is also invited to “take the pledge,” a series of specific actions he or she promises to complete. Community Preparedness Basics allows the learner to choose the order of topics and takes about an hour to finish in its entirety. The course is in English and can be accessed via a home computer or at any local library.
While Community Preparedness Basics is available to anyone, DelValle’s staff clearly designed it for Bostonians. Surrounded by photos of Boston landmarks, the people depicted in the course frames are real Boston residents. “This signals to people, ‘this was built for you,’ “explains S. Atyia Martin, Director of the Office of Health Preparedness at the BPHC. “It gives people an opportunity to start a conversation about emergency preparedness.”
DelValle’s focus on online learning began in 2011. Mea Allen, Senior Program Manager for Online Learning at the Office of Public Health Preparedness, led the effort to grow online learning at DelValle. Approximately one year ago, Allen started the work on Community Preparedness Basics and hired EnVision Performance Solutions to help with the project. EnVision had helped DelValle develop a previous course, Continuity of Operations Planning Made Practical.
EnVision performed the instructional design and managed the production of Community Preparedness Basics, proving to be a valuable partner. “We hired EnVision a few years back, and we were happy to have them on board,” said Allen. “We knew we could depend on them to help us meet the deadlines while still supporting high-quality design and production.”
Community Preparedness Basics is one of several delivered by DelValle, which has also launched the following in 2013, with the help of EnVision: Emergency Operations Planning (EOP), Hazard Vulnerability Analysis (HVA) Planning, and Mass Casualty Incident (MCI) Triage. The planning courses are designed for emergency managers of healthcare institutions such as hospitals and community health centers, while first responders will benefit most from the MCI Triage course.
The events of the marathon bombing show that emergency preparation does not solely reside with traditional first responders. With the expert help of the DelValle Institute, we can all become qualified to manage the unexpected. “Preparing for disaster is each person’s responsibility, because at the end of the day, we are all first responders,” says Allen. “We need to take care of our families as best we can while help is on the way. If we’re all individually prepared, we become better prepared as a city and ultimately more resilient.”
Stay tuned – in our next Building Bridges, we will provide a link to Community Preparedness so you can experience the course yourself!
Lessons from a Cozy Igloo
Now that we are deep in the midst of a sweltering summer, it may be the perfect time to reminisce about my vacation last March to chilly Quebec, and more specifically, to a night spent in its world-famous Hôtel de Glace, or Ice Hotel. This was a unique experience, and I appreciated both the hotel’s beauty as well as the care the hotel staff showed to the tourists during my stay.
Built of ice imported from Montreal, the Hôtel de Glace accepts visitors each winter from early January until late March. Adorned with beautiful carvings of flowers and animals, the 42 frigid rooms are kept at a constant 27 degrees Fahrenheit and are lit by LED lights. In addition, the hotel boasts an outdoor spa and sauna, as well as a bar that accommodates 300 people. According to the travel website Gadling.com, Jacques Desbois founded Hôtel de Glace when he started building igloo-like structures in 2001, and the project expanded from there. The hotel continues to add rooms each year.
Though the hotel is beautiful and unique, staying there was not without its challenges. Your choice of clothing can contribute to shivering; any garment that retains humidity, like cotton, brings on the chills. There is no bathroom within the Hôtel de Glace, so when nature calls, a walk to a nearby heated building is in order. And forget about “sleeping in” and lounging about your room with a cup of coffee….the staff awakens the guests early each morning to prepare for check-out.
Despite these mini-obstacles, I was thoroughly impressed with how well the hotel’s staff made the guests feel welcome, comfortable, and appreciated. Animal skins draped over each frozen ice bench provide the rooms with a cozy look and feel. The staff rakes the snow-covered floors every morning and evening. A well-insulated fireplace in our room emitted a soft glow. While enjoying drinks at the bar, all patrons were given tools to create an original ice carving.
Most important, the staff shared essential information about staying in the ice hotel and provided crucial support. They conducted a 45-minute training session and showed us how to use a special arctic sleeping bag during the night. In addition, the Hôtel de Glace offers a tour package with the Sheraton Four Points in Quebec, and many patrons elect to book rooms in each for the same evening. That way, the staff can drive you back to the Sheraton in the middle of the night, if you’ve had your fill of ice. Although we didn’t take advantage of this, just knowing the option was available reduced a lot of the anxiety we may have otherwise felt spending an evening in such a foreign environment.
The experience showed me what a difference the staff’s care made during a challenging stay. It reminded me of the need for us, as learning professionals, to extend the same welcome and comfort to our learners when they are being stimulated and “stretched” during a training session. We need to make sure our training room can accommodate our group and that the room temperature is comfortable for people (though keeping participants comfortable should be easier in a training venue than in an ice hotel!).
In addition, I find it helpful to start a training session with an activity where the attendees can interact and get to know each other – an “ice breaker,” similar to the ice carving we did in the bar. With this addition, the attendees will feel more comfortable, which in turn makes it easier for them to both participate and learn.
Honestly, I don’t know if I will ever return to the Hôtel de Glace. I do know that the first-rate staff made an impression on me, and that we all can look to their example of excellence as a model for ourselves.
When the Project Isn’t Perfect: How to Prevent Client Misunderstandings
As an instructional designer at Big Corporation, Jessica enjoys her work and interacts successfully with many internal clients. However, she recently experienced a disagreement with Joe, Director of Quality Assurance at Big Corporation. While Jessica originally hoped to rectify the misunderstanding, it has continued. Because of this, Joe has become frustrated with the training team, and is starting to grumble about them to his colleagues.
The trouble began when, on May 28, Jessica submitted an agreed-upon deliverable, a design document for a training curriculum to help improve the accuracy of the quality control department. Joe believed the deliverable was incomplete.
To complete the design document, Jessica needed the input from several employees, including line supervisors. When Jessica and Joe first discussed the work, however, Jessica didn’t mention needing to speak with the line supervisors, figuring she could discuss the participation of these employees later.
This turned out to be a significant mistake. Jessica was unable to secure time with the employees, who were too busy to speak with her and uninformed about the project. Joe didn’t know that the substance of her design document could not be delivered without the crucial input of his team. How could such a mistake be avoided in the future?
To determine this, we relied on our own experience at EnVision as well as Peter Block’s Flawless Consulting, a valuable resource for all consultants—internal and external. There are several strategies Block advises for achieving success in consulting projects, and they should be implemented even before starting work on your project, during the contracting phase.
- Speak and behave authentically and honestly with the client from the very outset. “Authentically” is a word used by Block, though an interchangeable term would be “candidly.” Be frank about what you need to achieve the project goals, address questions and concerns, offer your opinions of your assignment, get everything on the table. “You should be able to…elicit the client’s expectations of you; clearly and simply state what you want from the client…It is always necessary to talk about control, vulnerability, your wants, and chances of success,” writes Block. The author also encourages difficult conversations with the client, as it will lead to greater trust in the relationship.
- Obtain permission to speak with employees and to access company information. It is important to give context to the client when you ask for this. Explain what you need, why it is important for the work you are doing, and what the impact will be if you don’t secure this information. It is also helpful to specify which employees will be involved, and clarify the amount of time required of them. If Jessica had been frank about the interviews she needed, Joe would have better understood her process and approach, and her work would have met Joe’s expectations.
- Define the boundaries of your work, including which responsibilities will be handled by you and which by the client or others, says Block. What is the scope of the work? This question will be answered in the contracting phase and can be repeated in the design document, which may include a list of any out-of-scope work. This document also typically contains a roles and responsibilities section, so all project team members understand what their work will entail. In the case of Jessica and Joe, they hadn’t discussed Jessica’s role interviewing employees or the employees’ involvement in the project.
- Determine together what the deliverable(s) will look like. In the contracting phase, work with the client to define deliverables such as a produced elearning course, storyboards, participant materials, job aids, and/or instructor guides. Agree on the level of detail – will the instructor guide include a word-for-word script for the instructor, or just key points? Will storyboards be prepared in PowerPoint or Word? It is crucial to include these details when contracting; it may be more difficult to change them later. In the case of Jessica and Joe, they were quick to disagree because they didn’t agree on what the design document would include.
- Agree on completion dates, reviews, and other milestones. There may be factors driving the completion dates, and Joe and Jessica must discuss these and include them in the project plan. When Jessica initially discussed the work with Joe, she failed to include employee interviews (a milestone) and review sessions in the schedule. A detailed project plan will include who the reviewers are and the time they need for their work.
While any consulting work has the potential for misunderstandings, these can be minimized by a candid conversation with the client before you begin work. Follow these steps, and you’ll be well on your way to positioning yourself for success!
To Teach, Learn: How Instructional Design Professionals Take Time for Their Own Learning
Though instructional designers create courses that facilitate learning, we also must prioritize our own education, like everyone else. So, which learning methods work best for us? How do we make time for learning when confronted with looming work deadlines? And what tips do we have for fitting in learning time?
To answer these questions, we spoke with two instructional designers, Mea Allen from the DelValle Institute for Emergency Preparedness, a program of Boston Emergency Medical Services that educates EMS employees, hospital employees, and public health workers; and Alison McIssac, an instructional designer at EnVision, about effective ways they stay informed of the newest developments in their field.
Alison finds that she learns a great deal from observing other professionals’ work and leveraging what she learns in her instructional design. She pays careful attention to video presentations, since these are such a large part of instructional design. Alison may notice a new animation technique, for example, and later incorporate that into her own work.
Both women rely on the availability and convenience of Internet resources. Mea has enrolled in webinars of interest and also favors the eLearning Guild, which offers online forums and articles that she can bookmark for future reference. Alison spends time on the LinkedIn group for Adobe Captivate, an elearning authoring software, which helps her to refine her skills.
Alison has found that e-learning or distance instruction correlates well with her schedule. In 2010, she furthered her learning with a Certificate in e-Learning Design and Development from the University of Washington. This program required both group and independent projects. “For me, it’s about fitting [learning] in where it makes sense,” says Alison.
Mea is also advancing her education, pursuing a Master’s program in Instructional Design at UMass Boston, which features both traditional and online learning. She explains that she enrolled in the program to add a theoretical background to the practical skills she already has. This program has the added advantage of allowing Mea to incorporate projects from her job into her coursework, such as her Intro to Design class at UMass.
Even with a busy work schedule, Mea underscores the value of focusing on her own education. “I make the time because we are so busy, and just started blocking out time on my calendar.”
As vital as formal learning is, it’s important to remember that we all can further our own education with choices we make each day as professionals. What steps can you take today to increase your knowledge base?
Here are some ideas to get you started:
- Learning can be informal as well as formal, and happens every day. Leverage your observations to add to your skill set.
- Utilize Internet resources to their fullest capacity. Do some research to determine the resources that will be most helpful to you. Bookmark these and review them regularly.
- If you are enrolled in an educational program, consider using a work project to fulfill an assignment. It’s a win-win!
- Fit in learning whenever you can, even if it’s only a few minutes. Every bit helps you in your career.
Do you have a tip to share? E-mail your favorite learning ideas or resources, and we’ll share it in the next edition of Building Bridges.
How is Your Organization Implementing Blended Learning?
Not all that long ago, employees received nearly all of their training in a classroom, listening to lectures delivered by an experienced manager or subject matter expert. While some companies still rely exclusively on this traditional model, most organizations have implemented blended learning. (Skillsoft, March 2010).
A blended learning environment includes multiple learning methods, such as an assignment before class, independent online learning, team projects, or job shadowing. The learning may be accomplished synchronously (same time) with or asynchronously (different time) from other learners; at the workplace or outside of it; with peers, with a mentor, or independently.
Blended learning often mixes formal instructional time with immediately applicable, on-the-job activities. Organizations may also choose to deliver training focused on actual workplace issues or scenarios, rather than prepared content (www.ispi.org, The Present and Future State of Blended Learning in Workplace, Kim/Bonk/Oh, 2008).
Because of its flexibility, blended learning thrives on employee initiative, and treats learning as an ongoing process, rather than a unique event. “Blended learning expands the traditional role of training beyond the usual scope of formal training by providing a robust set of tools that allow employees to obtain the information and instruction they independently and uniquely need, all within the daily flow of work.” (Skillsoft, August 2010)
Since 70% of workplace learning occurs through informal activities such as interaction with peers and trial and error, informal learning is an area in which blended learning may flourish (Skillsoft, August 2010). In addition, there are specific stages of the learning process where blended learning can be especially beneficial. This instructional approach can be used by learners to Prepare, Practice, and Polish.
Prepare: Students may complete an assignment before starting classroom training. This saves time in the classroom and assures that all learners begin the class with a similar foundation of knowledge. Students may prepare in a variety of ways, including reading a document ahead of time and answering questions about it. Instructional designers have also developed innovative methods for learners to “prepare,” such as a “treasure hunt” in which students seek glossary term definitions or locate information in a software program, helping them learn to navigate it.
Practice: The learners take the time to practice between class sessions or on the job. The learners may use a checklist, questions, or job aid as support. Regular practice helps assure the ongoing transfer of learning to the job.
Polish: The most effective program needs to support long-term learning, incorporated into an employee’s workday. This can be done through webinars or “brown bag” lunch meetings. It can also be accomplished via a social media forum, where employees can post questions and answer queries from other employees (with moderator support).
EnVision has leveraged blended learning to help clients meet a variety of needs. For example, EnVision recently developed a learning solution for a client’s performance management curriculum, including an online course that introduced the components of performance reviews and demonstrated the computer application steps; workshops that provided the learners an opportunity to practice delivering performance reviews; and job aids to support the employees when they prepared to conduct actual performance reviews.
Tell us about a creative blended learning solution you recently implemented at your company. How did different learning modalities augment the success of employee learning?
Every Entrepreneur Needs a Big Onion
Achieving an ambitious goal takes an exceptional focus. Becoming a doctor, or a university professor, for example, requires years of schooling, sacrifice, and commitment. When someone follows such a dream, she may relinquish other potential opportunities that are attractive. She hopes that professional and even financial success will be the reward for her choice.
Sometimes, however, letting go of a long-held ambition at the right time yields the greatest personal fulfillment. This is certainly true in the case of Seth Kamil, founder of Big Onion Walking Tours. I was fortunate enough to recently enjoy a Big Onion tour of the Lower East Side in New York City, and was interested to learn Seth’s story.
In 1991, Kamil was pursuing a PhD in history at Columbia University, planning a dissertation on 19th century Manhattan. He left the prestige of an academic career to create a walking tour company, Big Onion Walking Tours. Big Onion spotlights the little-known history of the city, offering tours such as Brooklyn Heights, Immigrant New York, and “Satan’s Seat,” or New York City during the Prohibition.
This decision was a leap of faith for Kamil, and the results have been impressive. According to UMass Amherst’s magazine, Big Onion has grown to offer 2,000 tours per year with 34 guides (Kamil is a UMass alumnus.) The company has earned accolades from New York Magazine and TripAdvisor.
Part of Big Onion’s success lies with its guides. According to its website, Big Onion hires graduate students, usually prospective PhDs, who are working on their dissertation and have teaching experience. Thus, Kamil hires very qualified guides with similar backgrounds to his.
Kamil’s experience shows the importance of taking risks as well as keeping one’s eyes open to the possibility of new experiences. What risks have you taken lately? What was the result? Which great ideas have you rejected in an effort to remain on the “straight and narrow” path? It’s never too late to change your route.
By the way, if you ever find yourself in Manhattan with some time to spare, I highly recommend a Big Onion tour!
Revitalize Your Training With a Course Audit
Suppose you want to make home improvements, but are not sure exactly where to start. You could hire a contractor and interior decorator to completely overhaul a family room or great room, with new room structure, colors, wall coverings, and furniture.
Yet, is a completely new room more than what you need? Maybe the room just requires a new coat of paint, or a comfortable easy chair, or a more streamlined layout. Similarly, your organization may not need an entirely new training curriculum – perhaps an experienced learning consultant could evaluate your course to find the new “color” that will make a difference to your company.
EnVision offers such an assessment, our proprietary 80-point Course Audit. We can analyze one of your current courses or complete curriculum – whether or not your organization has delivered it – and determine which changes will take it to the next level. Which methods could better engage your learners? How well do visual aids like slides explain the material? Will the learners take away the key points that they need to, and be able to successfully incorporate them during their work day? Does the course include too much information? Not enough? EnVision’s Course Audit can help you answer all of these questions, and more.
During a Course Audit, EnVision’s consultant assesses the course’s goals, instructional integrity, evaluation methods and more. She will also examine its logistics planning and communication with management and learners. The consultant then incorporates observations and suggestions into a customized report, which includes the course’s strengths and immediate action items for improvement. Finally, the consultant reviews the report with the client.
This product provides many benefits. Because the work can usually be completed in about 16 hours, the turnaround time is short, crucial to clients on a deadline. The price point appeals to clients who find themselves limited by budget constraints.
Most important, the 80-point Course Audit prioritizes the most critical elements necessary for improving learner engagement and course efficacy. This service works well for those clients who have a strong sense of the organization’s goals and the course’s objectives, and it can help clients who could benefit from guidance in these areas. If you think a Course Audit may improve your company’s learning program, contact EnVision.
For Whom Are You Grateful in Your Work?
A successful training program propels a company forward, engaging its employees and positively impacting its bottom line. It is the role of the learning and development (L&D) specialist or consultant to successfully design and deliver the learning material. In the process of determining a company’s training needs, creating the curriculum, and launching the course, the L&D professional may on occasion take his or her relationships with key stakeholders for granted. Expressing gratitude is a way to recognize everyone’s value in the process, while strengthening relationships for the next big project.
The L&D professional may wish to acknowledge:
His or her own manager, often an HR Director or line of business manager, who provides information and direction about the company’s goals, as well as overall buy-in for the chosen curriculum (depending on the organization).
The subject matter experts (SMEs) who are the authority on the curriculum content and provide valuable guidance for the course.
The learners who use their new knowledge to improve their performance and that of the company. Also, their written evaluations and enthusiasm may determine if you run the class again.
How can we express gratitude to those who help us develop and deliver learning throughout the organization? The simple ways are often the best – an e-mail note, a text message, a handwritten card, or even a simple “thank you” in person. People need to feel appreciated, and a little gratitude goes a long way toward establishing a strong and meaningful working relationship.
As a business owner, I am reminded this November of all the people who help me to do my job here at EnVision…our clients, whose projects challenge and engage us; the EnVision team members, each of whom contributes her or his own talents to EnVision’s success; and all the vendors, learners, and colleagues who help us along the way. Hope you had a Happy Thanksgiving!
Maximize Your Success with a Focus Group
Leading a focus group–and managing the participants–is never dull work. Recently, EnVision consultants moderated five focus groups, all part of a strategic training needs assessment for a client. The two EnVision moderators wanted to learn more about the company’s current capabilities and training needs in the areas of management, technical, and professional skills. For each group, EnVision gathered 8-12 employees.
As one session began, a focus group member (“Gloria”) started to dominate the conversation. Unfortunately, the dynamic in the focus group then changed. Other focus group members started to lose interest in the discussion. If the situation had continued down this path, the facilitators would lose valuable feedback.
How did the EnVision moderators turn things around? First, they simply thanked Gloria and did not probe her responses any further, focusing on the other group members. Yet, Gloria did not take the hint, so the moderators moved on to other tactics including using body language and, eventually, interrupting her. These approaches eventually solved the problem. What other tactics could a moderator use?
One helpful approach is to begin a focus group by establishing ground rules that encourage and allow all members to participate. One rule could be that participants will be asked to write down their thoughts if they have more to share than time allows. The moderator then would collect these thoughts at the conclusion of the focus group. When someone talks for too long, the moderator would simply redirect him to write down additional thoughts on paper.
Kathy Maloney, an EnVision consultant experienced in running focus groups, will often ask a talker, “Can you headline your thoughts for us?” This tactic prompts the talkative participant to summarize his key points.
In any attempt to redirect the loquacious participant, non-verbal cues such as eye contact are key, says Maloney. “I believe body language is very important in focus groups.” Another body language cue the moderator could use is moving toward or away from the individual.
EnVision learned something from this focus group experience. Sometimes you do need to cut a talkative person off, if his/her over-participation is limiting others from sharing their thoughts. The success of a focus group depends greatly on the moderators’ ability to balance participation. Because focus groups can be expensive to run, it is crucial that they yield a variety of opinions. “The moderator always needs to balance the contribution of one, versus the contribution of many,” explains Maloney. “What you want with a focus group is good qualitative information…you get ideas building between people that you can’t get with a paper survey.”
Tips to Redirect a Talkative Focus Group Member
- Set ground rules at the beginning of the focus group
- Use—or stop using—eye contact to disengage an overly talkative participant
- Use body language to let the loquacious speaker know he has talked enough
- Ask a focus group member to summarize her key points, as needed
- Direct a talkative individual to write down key points
- Interrupt the garrulous individual
Don’t Just Check Your Training Off
This summer, I traveled with my family to Europe, visiting Paris and the Louvre. We had the opportunity to see many artistic works at the Louvre, including Venus de Milo, Winged Victory of Samothrace, and the Mona Lisa.
Seeing both Venus de Milo and Winged Victory was wonderful. I could stand in front of each sculpture for as long as I wanted, and could take the time to appreciate the beauty of each, observing the similarities and differences between them.
Viewing the Mona Lisa, however, was a completely different story. Because of the long queue to see the famous da Vinci masterpiece, it took 20 minutes for me to arrive in front of the painting. After an insufficient moment of viewing, I was hurriedly ushered away by security guards.
Although the Mona Lisa is the most famous exhibit in the Louvre, I barely remember the moment I saw it. Because I was rushed through my viewing, I felt I was merely “checking it off the list,” rather than enjoying and relishing the experience, as I hoped to.
This incident reminded me of my work in the training world. Instructional designers can create a training program that is a masterpiece, but if the training environment is less than ideal, the training may not be successful.
There are three conditions that will help maximize the success of any training. First, an organization should provide a comfortable room for training with the necessary technology required for the class. Also, the learners typically need an opportunity to practice what they are learning, for example via role play or a quiz – whatever method will help them best apply their new knowledge.
Finally, the organization’s management must allow adequate time for the learners to process the information. Too often managers obliquely encourage employees to race through the training process in an effort to “check it off the list,” rather than taking the time to create the best possible “experience” for the learners. That experience extends well beyond the time spent in the training event, whether an instructor-led or online class.
What are you merely “checking off your list” throughout your workday? Training your employees is too essential to your organization’s bottom line to hastily “check off.” Make sure your training environment promotes and supports learning. Don’t rush the experience.
Why Take a Risk?
Risk. For some, the word alone elicits heart palpitations and visions of scary maneuvers. Why risk—why bother? It would certainly be easier to maintain the status quo in our lives, both personally and professionally. We would get some satisfaction from our lives and have nothing to lose. Yet, by playing it safe, are we really coming out ahead? That’s because the flip side of risk is a higher level of performance, more confidence, and ultimately greater success.
In addition, there is much more, well, risk to life if we don’t take risks. In his online article, “The 40-30-30 rule: Why Risk is Worth It,” Michael Schwalbe cites studies from Harvard psychologist Daniel Gilbert, who learned that people end up regretting things they don’t do much more than the things they do. Additionally, Gilbert learned that people handle failure better than they anticipate they will.
“Indeed, to improve at anything, we must at some point push ourselves outside our comfort zone. Body builders call it the ‘pain period,'” Schwalbe writes: “Only by trying something new, struggling, learning, and then trying again do we improve our performance.”
Well, sure, there are benefits to taking that leap. But don’t the dangers outweigh the advantages? Not if one is prepared, argues Bill Buxton in “Why Risk is Important.” As an experienced ice climber, Buxton ensures that he is well prepared for every climb, by considering four crucial factors: training, tools, fitness, and partners. And with a little creative imagination, one could apply those factors to any risky situation, mitigate the dangers, and reap the rewards.
I know, because I took a major risk last year.
In 2011, I decided to challenge myself and go on a gorgeening adventure, where I traveled down a gorge from top to bottom. I decided to do this because I wanted to push myself in a way I hadn’t before. The adventure started when we rappelled down a cliff onto a rock in the middle of a raging waterfall, the first of many. We shimmied on logs over waterfalls and swam across rapids. Halfway through, I wondered why I decided to do this. I was afraid of getting hurt, and I was exhausted. When I got to the 10-foot cliff, I hesitated before finally jumping off the top into the rapids. While this was one of the most exhausting and risky experiences I have ever had, I felt exhilarated at the end. I appreciated my courage and the strength I didn’t think I had. Taking this risk gave me the chance to experience not only my strength, but also the absolute beauty of the gorge, from a perspective few would get to see.
This risk reminded me of starting up my instructional design business years before. I left the security of working for an employer to rappel into the raging rapids of starting my own business. It was exhilarating, exhausting, and scary. Finally, I could choose which projects I wanted, those for which I had a passion. Yet, I couldn’t predict the next project or paycheck. Though I took the plunge, I appreciated the guides who supported me—from coaches to marketing and finance experts and instructional designers to documentation specialists. And the people who still hold the end of my rope today help my business be much more than what I alone could achieve. My success with clients has helped me “enjoy the view” along my journey.
What are you afraid of that is holding you back? What are the risks you might take that could pay off in a big way? How can risk guide you in your business decisions and in your training designs?
What’s in a Game?
Margie and Alex are each leading a classroom-based course on coaching employees. They use quotations to help the learners process the attributes and benefits of effective coaching. The course is delivered to two different groups comprised of similar learners.
In the first session Margie posts flip charts around the room. Each chart contains a quote with blanks for some of the key words. She then divides the learners into three teams, giving each team an equal number of words that belong in the blanks. Teams have two minutes to place their words in the correct blanks. Teams then earn points as follows: three points per correct placement; minus one point for an incorrect placement; two points for being the first team done.
In the next session, Alex knows about Margie’s plan but wants to save time. He hands out the quotations on a sheet of paper and asks learners to take a minute to read them. He then moves on to the next topic.
Which teaching method was more effective? What made it more effective?
Margie created a “game” to help teach her points. The way she crafted the game enables learners to process information about all the quotations. Motivated by scoring, teams had the added benefit of needing to strategize to win. Learners reported that they learned the content better than had they simply read it.
What’s in a game? Using a game as a teaching approach can help improve learning. In an article entitled “Designing Games for E-Learning: A Framework” by Purnima Valiathan and Puja Anand published by ASTD in 2008, the authors describe three factors included in most games. Those factors are scoring, strategy, and message. While a game need not include all three factors, it must include scoring, according to the authors.
• Learners score by earning points based on correct responses. They may also lose points for incorrect responses.
• Strategy enables learners to maximize their scores. For example, there might be “bonus” rounds.
• The message ensures the game relates to the learning objective.
Describe a game you’ve designed. What learning objective prompted you to create the game? Which factors were used? What was the benefit to learning?
Evaluation Enhances Blended and Online Learning
EnVision Performance Solutions and our elearning collaborator, Illumina Interactive, recently competed in the LINGOs (Learning in Non-Government Organizations) Global Giveback 2 Competition. Having developed dozens of online/elearning courses in the past few years, we jumped on this opportunity to “push the envelope” and integrate a variety of approaches.
For the competition we worked with Management Sciences for Health (MSH) in Cambridge, MA, to develop Coaching for Results, a highly interactive six-module, web-based course that introduces the value of coaching and provides learners with the ability to use MSH’s five-step coaching model. Learners have nine weeks to complete the course, which is moderated by an online instructor.
We integrated a number of evaluation approaches in the course designed to engage learners, help them learn, and provide feedback to both learners and the course instructor. As with instructional design for face-to-face instructor-led learning, we based evaluations on the learning objectives and spent some time in the planning phase to ensure evaluations were functional and relevant. Here are some of the approaches we used.
Quiz-type questions may be the most common type of evaluative components in online courses. We used them to reinforce learning as well as a level 2 evaluation of learners’ knowledge. For example, after being introduced to the differences between coaching and managing, learners are presented with a series of seven situations for which they must determine if the situation is an example of “coaching” or not. This series is not scored and feedback provides an explanation of the correct response.
Surveys can help engage learners and provide the course instructor with a before and after comparison of learners’ perceived skills and knowledge, a combination level 3 and 2 evaluation. At the beginning of the course learners respond to a series of statements that best describe how frequently they do, or are aware of, coaching-related actions and knowledge. The same statements appear at the end of the course. Statements include “I handle emotional responses and disagreements in a coaching conversation effectively” (level 3) and “I know my coaching strengths and weaknesses” (level 2).
Discussion forums can help learners process what they are learning and share their thoughts and ideas. Throughout the course, we leveraged Moodle’s discussion forum to ask a variety of level 2- and level 3-type questions.
For example, after viewing a “photo novella” vignette of a manager (who is also a doctor) coaching his employee, learners are asked, “What did the doctor do well?” In this level 2 activity, learners apply the basic knowledge they’ve learned in the course. The instructor may comment on discussions to reinforce correct responses and correct or redirect incorrect responses.
Another discussion asks, “What gets in the way? What are the challenges you face?” This provides the opportunity for learners to consider coaching in their real-life situations and begin to see how they can apply the skills they are learning to their own workplace, a level 3 evaluation activity.
Polls offer a fun and interactive way to engage learners while obtaining information about their level of skill or knowledge. Learners respond to the poll, and then see how other course participants responded.
We used a poll asking learners to identify their actual coaching opportunities by selecting from a list of “coaching cues.” This approach also helps set context for the learners, enabling them to identify ways they can readily apply what they learn throughout the course. The instructor can also use the poll information in a follow-up questionnaire after the course.
Learning partners, in which learners pair up to help each other learn, are a critical component of our course. Near the beginning of the course, we ask participants to complete a learning partner agreement and send it to the course instructor who follows up if the agreement is not sent in. Throughout the course, learners are instructed to complete a learning partner activity that includes:
- Discussing key points in the course
- Sharing ideas of how to apply what they learned to a specific work situation
- Practicing skills with each other before using them with employees
In follow-up discussion forum questions learners share key points from their learning partner experiences. The course instructor, following prompts in an instructor guide, monitors the discussions and offers guidance. Learners have the option of continuing their partnership after the course.
Those were some approaches we used, and we’d love to hear your thoughts and questions as well as your own tips for integrating evaluations into online learning. Oh, and the LINGOs competition I mentioned at the beginning? Yes, we did win! At this year’s eLearning Guild Learning Solutions Conference and Expo, EnVision Performance Solutions and Illumina Interactive were awarded first place in the corporate developer category for Coaching for Results. We continue to push the envelope to develop exciting, engaging, and effective courses.
Learner Feedback On-the-Go: Formative Level 1 Evaluation
Blank stares? Smiles? Droopy eyelids? How is your class going?
In this e-letter we’ll explore methods to better evaluate learner reaction throughout a class (formative evaluation), rather than relying solely on physical symptoms (which may not be sending the intended message) or waiting until the end to have learners complete a (summative) course evaluation.
Why collect formative data during a class?
According to Wendy Kayser Kirkpatrick, “So much is invested in reaction sheets that are only summative in nature. While this is good and important data, it’s too bad that so many professionals overlook opportunities to gather data during the course. The benefits of doing this are:
- Something may be able to be done to correct problems.
- It may open the door to conversations with more in-depth information than a [course evaluation] reaction sheet typically provides.
- It doesn’t add any time or cost to measure during the course itself.”
Here are just a few ways to collect formative feedback.
1 – Show of hands
Check in for quick, immediate feedback by asking a question requiring a show of hands. For example, “Who already knows how to …?” or “Who has performed this task on the job before coming to class?” This will help you evaluate the participants’ knowledge level and adjust accordingly.
2 – Dashboard
In a check-in sheet that looks like the dashboard of a car, learners rate items such as pace (speedometer), amount of content detail (temperature gauge), and energy level (fuel gauge or even the view out the window).
Provide learners with a pile of dashboards and, at specified moments throughout the course, ask them to indicate their personal measures for each dashboard item at that time. This provides specific data regarding a point in time and can be used to fine-tune the course. You can review the dashboards during activities or breaks for immediate feedback. You can use the following sample dashboard, available here as a pdf.
3 – Flipchart check-in
As learners begin a scheduled break, ask them to indicate their reaction to the course so far on a prepared flipchart. Be sure to determine what is most important for you to know and write those one or two questions on top of the flipchart. For example, write “This course is…” and draw a line with descriptive anchors at each end (too slow/too fast or not engaging/very engaging). Learners place an x based on their reaction to the course so far. Or, prepare an open-ended question such as, “What I like most about this course so far is…” You can provide Post It® notes to avoid crowding at the chart.
4 – Plus/delta
Just before lunch break or at the end of the day for a multiple-day course, facilitate a brief “plus/delta” session:
- At the top of one flipchart write a plus sign (+) or the question “What is going well?” Ask participants, “What do you like about how the training is going so far?” and “What should we keep doing?”
- At the top of a second flipchart write a delta sign (?) or the question “What would you like to see done differently?”
- For each set of questions, elicit responses about content, level of detail, pace, and engagement and chart the responses.
Try implementing one or more of these mid-course evaluation techniques the next time you are training. Adjust the course to your audience in each class to maximize learning for the class as a whole. Keep in mind these techniques augment, and don’t replace, regular check-ins you do throughout a class such as “visiting” groups during activities or asking what questions learners have as you cover each topic.
We’d love to hear from you! Let us know what you’ve tried and the outcomes.
10 Tips for Subject Matter Experts Who Deliver Training
Are you, or is someone you know, a subject matter expert who delivers training?
As companies continue to streamline their expenses, they are calling upon subject matter experts more and more to prepare and deliver training. If that describes you, read on for useful tips before, during, and after the training event.
Before the Class
There are a number of things you can do before a class to ensure the attendees (actually, I prefer to call them “learners” as a constant reminder of their role in the classroom) are engaged and to help them transfer learning to their jobs.
1. Help managers help you
Consider this question: What do the learners need from managers in order to successfully apply on their jobs what they learn in your classroom?
Certainly learners need managers to free up their schedules for the time they participate in training. It is also helpful for managers to know the course objectives and key points so they can ask learners specific questions about the class. When managers have access to a course overview – perhaps via a short webinar – they are more likely to be able to support the training and help transfer learning to the job. Add even more value by recommending ways for managers to remove obstacles to learners’ job performance. For example, if you are teaching about a new process and the computer system supporting that process isn’t fully functional, what suggestions do you have to work around the issue?
2. Talk with the audience
You know what they say about assumptions. So, don’t assume you know your audience until you’ve spent some time with them. Speak with a sample of the audience ahead of time to help you ensure the training is relevant.
- Do learners have the level of experience you anticipated?
- What is getting in the way of applying what they will learn in class to their jobs?
- How do they like to learn (e.g., through activities, pictures, discussions, case studies)?
3. A picture is worth, well, at least a 100 words
It’s true. A well-done diagram, flowchart, or other graphic can rapidly convey what might require many, perhaps hundreds of, words. In fact, some learners absorb the information much more effectively when you present it graphically. Need help? Check your version of PowerPoint to see what tools are available for creating flowcharts and other graphics. Or maybe someone on your team enjoys creating diagrams and would be happy to assist you.
4. PowerPoint slides ? your notes
If you use PowerPoint, use slides to illustrate your main points with appropriate graphics. You know your stuff, so list key points as succinct phrases rather than complete sentences. They will be all you need to prompt you to cover salient information. If you need more details, use the notes section of PowerPoint. When you print out the Notes Pages, you have an instant instructor guide.
5. Prepare, prepare, prepare
Subject matter experts, just as highly experienced trainers, need to prepare to deliver training. It’s not only about the content, but also about facilitating and anticipating.
- What questions will you ask learners to get them involved and thinking about the content?
- What activities will you facilitate, and what are the instructions?
- What materials and equipment do you need?
- How will the room be set up?
- What questions do you anticipate the learners will ask you?
Doing a dry run, with a small audience, will help ensure you’ve thought of everything.
During the Class
6. Don’t take a stand
Moving around the room helps you engage learners as well as manage your adrenaline. Think about where you’ll be moving, where learners can see and hear you best, and how you’ll integrate your location in the room with visuals. Avoid pacing back and forth and, please, avoid the spotlight. In other words, don’t stand in front of the projector!
7. Don’t tell all
You are the subject matter expert and, by definition, you likely know a lot more about the topic than those in your class. That said, learners would be overwhelmed to hear everything you can tell them. So, stick to your plan and focus on what your audience needs to know to achieve the course objectives.
8. Engage learners
There are many ways to engage learners, which you would plan during preparation. Here are a few:
- Explain the purpose and goal of the course.
- Tell compelling stories that illustrate your point.
- Include (and don’t cut) an activity for each major learning point.
- Create activities that require learners to do something physical, such as move around the room or chart their findings.
- Provide clear instructions for activities.
- Ask questions to get learners to state the key learning points.
9. DO NOT READ
If you’ve prepared thoroughly, you won’t need to read detailed notes. Simply refer to key points you might have made in your PowerPoint notes to keep you on track.
After the Class
10. Your job continues
Once the class is done, you aren’t. Here are some post-class activities to plan for:
- Follow up on outstanding questions or actions you committed to.
- Check in with learners via e-mail or set up a “group” via company intranet or other appropriate type of social media to keep open communication and support ongoing learning.
- Continue to support learners’ managers to help ensure the learning will “stick” and your efforts will have an impact.
If you will be training in the near future, use the 10 tips to guide you. Consider scheduling time right now to give yourself adequate time to prepare and follow up.
Does Your Training Support the Business Needs?
Imagine this: Your department manager, division VP, or training director asks you to develop training on effective communications. What do you do? Jump to action and create the course? Or ask questions to identify the business drivers, operational gaps, and performance gaps to ensure the course you create delivers results to the business?
I ask these questions because I frequently conduct course audits for my clients and see a common trend in the audits: The stated learning objectives do not clearly align with business needs. So, how can you go about developing training that supports business needs? In this e-letter you will read about a 4-step checklist to help ensure alignment. But first, a picture to help you see where the steps fit in:
Customer-employee link
Ideally, customer and shareholder desires and expectations will drive organizational goals, which in turn will inform department and employee goals and outcomes. Moving from the inner circle outward, the work performed by employees ideally support department goals, which support organizational goals and meet customer and shareholder desires and expectations. Thus, any interventions (such as training, a new system implementation, or an updated work process) should ultimately support the outer circle.
Often, requests for development of training programs originate from somewhere in the inner circles. As instructional designers, curriculum developers, and organizational development practitioners, it is our responsibility to ensure alignment of training with business needs. Use this checklist to help ensure alignment.
Sam: An SME Story
For the past two months you’ve been working with Sam, your Quality Assurance expert. He’s provided you content you need for a course you’re developing although it’s been challenging to get his time and commitment. Now you are in the final review phase and must have Sam’s input. You’ve sent two e-mails and received no reply.
Does this sound familiar? You could ask, “What should I do next?” But, I’d rather focus on, “What should I do next time?” and look at the process more holistically.
Instructional designers often need to work with experts in a particular content area. These are our subject matter experts (SMEs). We need SMEs when we are asked to develop a course in a field in which we may not have expertise. For example, when developing a course on managing risk, budgeting, or delivering performance reviews, we need to obtain job-specific content from someone in the Risk Management, Finance, or Human Resources groups.
One of the challenges of identifying and working with SMEs who will meet the needs of your project is their “expert” status–they are very good at what they do and so are often called upon from other parts of the business to participate on task forces, project teams, and other special assignments. And, of course, they also need to perform their “regular” jobs. Where does that leave you when competing priorities pull the SME away from your training project?
In this post we provide a checklist: What to look for in an SME and, at least as important, how you can prepare and support your SME. Check out our SME Checklist.
At project close, be sure to thank your SME and show appreciation for the work your SME performed. Based on the SME’s personal style, you may choose a private thank you (such as a personal note) or a more public acknowledgement (an article in a corporate newsletter highlighting your SME’s role or a note to the SME’s divisional director, for example).
The next time you engage a subject matter expert try sharing this checklist, or parts of it as appropriate to your situation, with your SME.