PRESENTING
ISSUE
To fulfill the company
mission of becoming a learning organization, Bob, as the Director of Training and
Development had begun by successfully championing the revamping of the organization's
Performance Appraisal system. "We defined realistic statements of the key
competencies that we felt were the cornerstones of all the organization’s human
resources," stated Bob. "Although the Company had had a very professionally
developed Performance Appraisal system in place before I arrived on the scene, it was too
detailed, and therefore, cumbersome to work with. But I still faced the dilemma that every
T&D Director faces - how to assess these competencies and create a flexible formal and
informal learning curriculum to help each person improve."
When Bob learned about
the Capability Snapshot from one of the Company’s external training suppliers, he
reacted quickly. "I immediately recognized that this instrument was exactly what I
was looking for," he proclaimed. "Not only was I able to relate how closely the
Essential Capabilities of the Capability Snapshot model were to our key competency
statements, but it’s measurement methodology presented the ideal way to get an
accurate and objective feedback."
INITIATIVES
UNDERTAKEN
Working closely with
both the trained Capability Snapshot Associate, and CSI itself, a customized questionnaire
was created, and a map developed to relate the Snapshot Capabilities with the
Company’s key competency statements. Using the Information Technology department for
the initial trial, the staff groups were segmented based on their functionality. To get
external department feedback on the IT department, staff were identified from those
departments that were the biggest users of their services.
"The external
department feedback is one of the most important aspects of the Capability Snapshot
methodology," points out Bob. "This forms the best way by which to measure and
monitor the effectiveness of any training and development initiatives we undertake within
the department. Unlike internal department evaluations which have built-in biases, the
Capability Snapshot quantifies effectiveness in a way that is meaningful and
actionable."
OUTCOME
SUMMARY
The feedback data from
the Capability Snapshot was analyzed by a cross-functional IT department task force. The
sensemaking sessions confirmed what most of the task force felt were the departments needs
for training, although there were a few surprises. "The participative approach we
used to understand the feedback, in itself, was important to the whole process,"
notes Bob. "They developed several innovative ideas to promote improvement that did
not require formal training programs. Without realizing it they were creating a learning
culture within the department. Having objectively obtained baseline measures to work from
they even set targets for their next Capability Snapshot."
By the mapping of the
Capability Snapshot results to the competencies, a profile of each functional group within
the department was created. "We now have the ability to review each group
member’s performance to both their department’s and group’s profile, and
establish individual improvement objectives;" states Bob, "achieving the
ultimate objective of our undertaking. Now we are in the position to integrate the needs
of every department in the Company with the key competencies of each individual in a
direct way- an objective invaluable for creating a learning organization."
Bob recognized the
value of the Capability Snapshot as a unique methodology for determining training needs
from a ‘macro’ organization perspective; the power of its 3600
feedback; its use in developing a learning culture; and its adaptability to the
Company’s Performance Appraisal system. "It’s a Training Directors
dream," concludes Bob.
