JD Dillon

Chief Learning Architect

Founder + Principal
 An ecosystem mindset acknowledges that people learn + develop in a
variety of ways using a multitude of tools and tactics.

Crescendo
Every workplace function + decision is connected.
 The working world is evolving …
… but our ability to support it hasn’t kept pace.

67% 44% 88% 69%

changes in work employees work find time and expect development
require employees primarily using competing priorities to be more important
to increasingly mobile devices are barriers to to employees in
learn faster providing support the future

Transforming Talent Management for the Modern Workforce

Fosway Group 2017
 A place-and-time approach to learning cannot keep pace.

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 Employees clearly notice the difference between …
Learning at HOME Learning at WORK
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 This adds to the
frustration experienced
every day at work.

Pixabay
But before we evolve our
learning principles we have
to shift our learning mindset.
 a critical part of the workflow

takes advantage of the full ecosystem

applies data to guide and accelerate

decision-making

provides a personal experience at scale

drives clear business impact

Modern Learning
fosters ongoing organizational agility
Organization Mindset
L&D must shift its focus from building to connecting.

CONTENT EXPERIENCE
 The ecosystem must support ALL employees, regardless of role.

Pexels Axonify
 ü PURPOSE
break the course mentality

align familiar L&D tactics to create a rapid, consistent, scalable

problem-solving approach that fits in the modern workplace

help you make smarter decisions when solving performance problems

provide a consistent support experience that provides every

employee with the opportunity to do their best work every day
4 Steps to a
SMARTER
LEARNING
ECOSYSTEM

iStock
1| Map Your
Learning Ecosystem
LOW Performance Support

Reinforcement
PRIORITY

Shared Knowledge

Coaching

Pull Training Most organizations have built their support

strategy on a weak foundation of formal training.
Push Training
HIGH

AVAILABILITY
Our goal should be to provide a consistent support experience for
every employee that fits into the reality of the workplace.
 Push Training
The Modern Learning
Ecosystem Framework TM

Pull Training
New and existing tactics can be restructured in a way
that better fits the realities of the workplace and
PRIORITY

Coaching how people learn and solve problems today.

Reinforcement

Performance Support

Shared Knowledge

AVAILABILITY
 2|
Identify Your
Push Training

Pull Training Tactics

PRIORITY

Coaching

Reinforcement

Performance Support

Shared Knowledge

AVAILABILITY
 Shared Knowledge
Enable access to share
information as the foundation
of all workplace learning.
ü Intranet
ü Social platform
ü Company website
ü Wiki
ü SharePoint
ü Job aids
ü User-generated content

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 Performance Support
Provide simple + reliable ways
for people to get help in the
time of need.
ü Social platform

ü Chat tool

ü Coach

ü Question/Answer forum

ü Electronic performance support tool

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 Reinforcement
Reinforce need-to-know
information continuously to ensure
retention and application.
ü Microlearning platform

ü Training bursts

ü Quizzes

ü Huddle notes

ü Subscription learning

ü Email Newsletter

ü Practice activities
Time
 There is a considerable difference between the volume of …
NICE to know NEED to know
… information, especially as an employee evolves in their role.

Pixabay
 Coaching
Enable managers to close
performance gaps with
meaningful, targeted,
personalized coaching +
feedback.
ü Coaching tools

ü Huddle notes

ü Practice activities

ü Actionable reporting

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 Pull Training
Provide additional
structure when needed.
ü Online courses

ü Content catalogs

ü Video portals

ü MOOCs

ü Voluntary classroom sessions

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 Push Training
Push required training
only when necessary.
ü Classroom sessions

ü Online courses

ü Compliance training

ü Assessments

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 Push Training
The Modern Learning
Ecosystem Framework TM

Pull Training
PRIORITY

Coaching

Reinforcement
NEED
Performance Support
NICE

Shared Knowledge

AVAILABILITY
 continuous learning experience
Coaching

Reinforcement Analytics Business

Events
results
Online
content Knowledge
growth
Experience Shared
experience
Messaging Motivation Practice

Community of knowledge

This framework fundamentally changes the learning experience from place-and-time to continuous.
3| Apply Your
Framework

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 Onboarding Customer Service

Systems Corporate Culture

A modern ecosystem
& Values

is built to support Loss Prevention

any/all workplace
Safety

topics + use cases. $

Sales Standards of Practice

Quality Assurance Coaching &

Leadership
 CONTEXT
when and where does the person need help?

CRITICALITY
how problematic is failure for this topic?

COMPLEXITY
how challenging is this topic to master?

TIMELINESS
how quickly is an intervention required?

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 ?
PRIORITY

Apply only the right layers + tactics to solve

problems based on framework considerations.

Performance Support

Shared Knowledge

AVAILABILITY
 ?
Push Training

Adds layers/tactics to solve more challenging problems.

PRIORITY

Coaching

Reinforcement

Performance Support

Shared Knowledge

AVAILABILITY
This framework works best for well-defined
performance challenges with measurable outcomes.

Solution Know Do
Results
 For example …

An apparel retailer wants to decrease

it’s store shrink rate, including
employee and customer theft.
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 Retail Associates

Solution Policies + Identify + Report

Common Potential theft
Indicators Reduced Shrink

Context | Criticality | Complexity | Timeliness

 Structured

RESULT
60% reduction in shrink within 6 months

Reinforcement Burst reinforcement

Performance Support Contact options
Unstructured Shared Knowledge Policy available
Availability to Employee
4| Get Started
What steps can you take to bring these ideas to life within your organization?
Design
How do you identify the right solution to a performance
challenge before applying the MLE Framework?

Influence
How do you get people to start thinking differently about
workplace learning so they are ready to accept and
support a new approach?

Skill
What skills will your team need to execute a modern
workplace learning strategy?
 Agree on a clear,
measurable
Determine the right-fit Define the knowledge Define the observable business result
solution based on the required to execute behavior required to
MLE Framework the expected behavior achieve the result

Solution Know Do
Result

DESIGN + MEASUREMENT
L&D must develop a reimagined skillset to execute a modern learning strategy, including:
• Business awareness | understand and apply the priorities and language of the business

• Employee context | work within the everyday realities of the employee audience
• Writing | develop a range of written materials across MLE tactics
• Learning science | focus on how people actually learn by applying learning science basics
• Influence | help key stakeholders rethink the organization’s approach to and value of workplace learning
• Collaboration | work with partners to solve problems and avoid attempts to “own” workplace learning
• Experience design | shape and iterate the overall learning and support experience for the employee
• Enablement | empower and upskill partners to solve problems within your learning ecosystem
• Agility | develop a strategy that allows you to rapidly and proactively respond to any organizational need
 Identify key influencers across your organization
and identify what they care about so you can speak their language.

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 Do NOT try to begin a workplace
Push Training learning transformation by talking
about workplace learning strategy.
Pull Training
PRIORITY

Coaching

Reinforcement
NEED
Performance Support
NICE

Shared Knowledge

AVAILABILITY
 Apply a YES, and … approach when necessary to introduce new ideas alongside the familiar.

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Remember that frontline
managers are the most important
people in workplace learning.
Start with L&D

Find champions who already “think differently”

Explore frontline employee motivations

Make the shift from extrinsic to intrinsic motivators

Measure and report on the early impact of your

new solutions

Make your champions the heroes

Leverage the voice of the employee

Start small – think BIG

1| Map Your Learning Ecosystem
2| Identify Your Tactics
4 Steps to a
3| Apply Your Framework SMARTER
4| Get Started! LEARNING
ECOSYSTEM
 A modern learning
ecosystem requires
content + technology …

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 … but it’s about the
experience we provide
for our people.

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(Title)
(Company Name)
(Date)

JD’s International List of Super Smart

Workplace Learning People
 NAME ORGANIZATION TOPIC WEBSITE TWITTER
Julie Dirksen Usable Learning Learning Science + Behavior usablelearning.com @usablelearning

Jane Hart Centre for Modern Workplace Learning Modern Workplace Learning modernworkplacelearning.com @C4LPT

Charles Jennings 70:20:10 Institute 70:20:10 702010institute.com @charlesjennings

Dani Johnson RedThread Research Industry Analyst redthreadresearch.com @danij2

Karl Kapp Bloomsburg University Gamification karlkapp.com @kkapp

David Kelly eLearning Guild Curation, Technology davidkelly.me @LnDDave

Donald Taylor Learning and Performance Institute Strategy, Technology donaldhtaylor.co.uk @DonaldHTaylor

David Green Independent People analytics davidrgreen.com @david_green_uk

Connie Malamed The eLearning Coach Design theelearningcoach.com @elearningcoach

Cathy Moore Independent Action Mapping blog.cathy-moore.com @CatMoore

Bob Mosher Apply Synergies 5 Moments of Need applysynergies.com @bmosh

Arun Pradhan Independent Learning Ecosystems arunpradhan.com @arunzpradhan

Clark Quinn Quinnovation Learning Ecosystems quinnovation.com @Quinnovator

Patti Shank Independent Learning Science pattishank.com @pattishank

Mike Taylor Mindset Digital Resources + Tools mike-taylor.org @tmiket

Will Thalheimer Work-Learning Research Learning Science worklearning.com/ @WillWorkLearn

Megan Torrance TorranceLearning xAPI, Data, Design torrancelearning.com @MMTorrance

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 @JD_Dillon

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JD Dillon
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