June 5, 2024
860: How Learning Management Systems Transform Company Culture w/ Petra Mayer
Unlock the full potential of your workforce with the wisdom of Petra Mayer, an expert in learning and development, who joins us to shed light on the game-changing benefits of Learning Management Systems (LMS). You'll gain insights that transcend traditional training, as Petra shares a treasure trove of strategies to enhance team engagement and foster a culture ripe for growth. From her roots in the hospitality sector to the inception of her consultancy, Petra's story is a testament to the power of educational evolution in shaping company culture and solidifying remote work bonds.
This episode is bursting with actionable advice on nurturing a workplace that brims with ongoing education and personal development opportunities. Delve into the heart of what makes employees stick around and thrive - a path that not only promises professional advancement but resonates on a personal level. Tackling the nuances of remote team inclusivity and the imperative of keeping training content fresh, we unveil the importance of development initiatives in attracting the workforce of the future, particularly the younger generations who seek purpose and progression.
Finally, Petra offers a unique lens on the integration of AI in training, particularly in the aviation sector, to streamline services and scale new heights in efficiency. We traverse the challenging terrain of merging diverse corporate cultures, and the pivotal role human connections play in this complex dance. Entrepreneurs, take note as we distill the essence of aligning business strategies with the human touch, ensuring that the client experience remains at the heart of your vision. Join us and be empowered to weave these insights into the fabric of your business, fostering an environment where learning is the cornerstone of success.
ABOUT PETRA
Petra Mayer is the founder and lead consultant at Petra Mayer & Associates Consulting based in British Columbia, Canada. She builds on her 30+ years experience of working in corporations of all sizes in 4 countries on 3 continents to help her clients create engaging training programs for their team members, clients and distribution partners on systems that work for them. Petra prides herself in building partnerships with the organizations she serves and the associates she brings on board. Petra holds a business diploma from Munich Hochschule, an MBA from Lancaster University and a Certifact as Professional Coach from Simon Fraser University.
LINKS & RESOURCES
00:00 - Effective Employee Learning Management Strategies
11:55 - Learning Management Systems and Feedback Loops
18:35 - Building a Culture of Ongoing Education
26:02 - Understanding Business Engagement and Culture
35:27 - Guest Contributions Keep Us Ad-Free
WEBVTT
00:00:00.140 --> 00:00:01.143
Hey, what is up?
00:00:01.143 --> 00:00:04.631
Welcome to this episode of the Wantrepreneur to Entrepreneur podcast.
00:00:04.631 --> 00:00:10.471
As always, I'm your host, Brian Lofermento, and today we are joined by an incredible guest.
00:00:10.471 --> 00:00:12.180
Her name is Petra Mayer.
00:00:12.180 --> 00:00:24.907
Petra does incredible work when it comes to the context of learning within our businesses, within our employees, within our clients, wherever it is in our business that we need to implement learning management systems.
00:00:24.907 --> 00:00:41.021
Petra has some really powerful insights and strategies for us to more effectively deploy this in our businesses, because business is all about effective communication and translating our message to the people who we want to be able to understand it, decipher it and take action from it.
00:00:41.021 --> 00:00:42.603
So let me tell you about Petra.
00:00:42.704 --> 00:00:49.527
Petra is the founder and lead consultant at Petra Mayer and Associates Consulting, based in British Columbia, Canada.
00:00:49.527 --> 00:01:05.884
She builds on her 30 plus years of experience of working in corporations of all sizes in four countries on three continents to help her clients create engaging training programs for their team members, clients and distribution partners on systems that work for them.
00:01:05.884 --> 00:01:07.632
That's what we're all looking for in business.
00:01:07.632 --> 00:01:13.932
Petra prides herself in building partnerships with the organization she serves and the associates she brings on board.
00:01:13.932 --> 00:01:22.951
Now Petra has quite the extensive background as far as certifications, academic background, not even going to try to pronounce her German school's name in Munich.
00:01:22.951 --> 00:01:30.269
She has her MBA from Lancaster University and she is a certified professional coach from the Simon Fraser University.
00:01:30.269 --> 00:01:35.870
Petra brings a wealth of knowledge in business, in teams, in learning, so I'm not going to say anything else.
00:01:35.870 --> 00:01:38.784
Let's dive straight into my interview with Petra Mayer.
00:01:38.784 --> 00:01:45.554
All right, Petra, I am so excited that you're here today.
00:01:45.554 --> 00:01:46.495
Welcome to the show.
00:01:47.500 --> 00:01:49.587
Well, thank you so much for having me, Brian.
00:01:49.587 --> 00:01:50.990
It's a pleasure to be here.
00:01:51.519 --> 00:01:51.900
Heck yeah.
00:01:51.900 --> 00:02:03.286
Likewise, we are so excited for today's session because this is a topic that I think most business owners they think they can figure it out and they try to figure it out, to varying degrees of effectiveness.
00:02:03.286 --> 00:02:10.175
But before we get there, I want to know who Petra is, how you've amassed all this incredible experience that you now pass on to people.
00:02:10.175 --> 00:02:11.580
So take us beyond the bio.
00:02:11.580 --> 00:02:12.663
Who is Petra?
00:02:13.524 --> 00:02:15.227
Oh dear, that's a big question.
00:02:15.227 --> 00:02:18.372
Well, who is Petra?
00:02:18.372 --> 00:02:34.489
Petra, I would say, is a professional who really has a varied journey, a bit of a zigzag around the block and around the globe, with working mostly in tourism hospitality in my early years.
00:02:34.489 --> 00:02:38.194
That took me to the States.
00:02:38.194 --> 00:02:39.262
I worked in Florida.
00:02:39.262 --> 00:02:44.484
I'm originally from Germany, but I worked in Florida at a hotel and then I went back to Germany.
00:02:44.484 --> 00:03:03.371
I went to Australia to work for a tour operator, and also a second time and worked for Lufthansa there, came back to Germany, ended up working for that tour operator a bit longer and then switched over to work for British Airways, which ultimately brought me all the way here to Canada when I worked for the One World Alliance.
00:03:03.371 --> 00:03:13.854
And then 2011, I took the big jump and I opened my own business, and it's been an exciting journey ever since.
00:03:14.560 --> 00:03:27.013
Yes, I love that overview, petra, because I really love these types of entrepreneurial journeys that so many entrepreneurs have, where you've bounced around geographic locations, you've bounced around industries, big business working with small business.
00:03:27.013 --> 00:03:37.290
I think that gives you such a powerful perspective so you can take what works from each of these, which I love the fact that it yielded a learning and development consultancy, petra.
00:03:37.290 --> 00:03:39.659
Not everybody knows what those words mean together.
00:03:39.659 --> 00:03:42.527
What the heck does a learning and development consultancy do?
00:03:42.548 --> 00:03:46.338
What the heck does a learning and development consultancy do?
00:03:46.338 --> 00:03:59.947
Yeah, we help our clients in anything that needs to happen around learning programs, for it sometimes is their employees, sometimes it's clients and sometimes it's distribution systems, so they're partners in distribution.
00:03:59.947 --> 00:04:03.622
So most people are aware that you are.
00:04:03.622 --> 00:04:10.168
If you're a larger organization, midsize to larger organization and you bring on new staff members, you do onboarding.
00:04:10.168 --> 00:04:14.292
Well, that's a learning program, any onboarding programs.
00:04:14.292 --> 00:04:25.841
Sometimes it's done in person, but often these days, particularly with dispersed organizations, it's done virtually, done virtually.
00:04:25.860 --> 00:04:27.706
And I, ever since I started my own business, that's really what I wanted to do.
00:04:27.706 --> 00:04:31.220
I wanted to work in my own home, I wanted to have my dog by my side, and so I wanted to be virtual.
00:04:31.220 --> 00:04:33.363
And this is something unusual.
00:04:33.363 --> 00:04:38.112
At that time, 2011, that was not really that common.
00:04:38.112 --> 00:04:40.983
Of course, after COVID, it's much more common.
00:04:40.983 --> 00:04:45.593
So a lot of organizations need to find ways to train their staff.
00:04:45.593 --> 00:04:49.295
But I also work with organizations who are training organizations.
00:04:49.295 --> 00:04:53.708
That's their product, their service that they sell, so they need to train their clients.
00:04:53.708 --> 00:05:08.766
And then, lastly, if you're, for example, a software company and you're selling a software package and you need a distribution channel to really understand that package, or you need your clients to really know how to work with that software, then you need to train them on that too.
00:05:08.766 --> 00:05:10.992
So there's different scenarios, of course.
00:05:11.600 --> 00:05:12.242
Yeah, I love that.
00:05:12.242 --> 00:05:19.050
Those are the examples that you chose for us, petra, because I always make the argument that hiring is the hardest thing to get right as a business owner.
00:05:19.050 --> 00:05:33.088
It's also, of course, the key driver to growth and it's something that we focus on so much here on the show and listeners have heard we've had culture experts, for example, because when you bring people on board, you want to create a culture, and it's so hard to do it in this remote era.
00:05:33.088 --> 00:05:34.591
Petra, you're an OG in this space.
00:05:34.591 --> 00:05:36.024
You referenced 2011.
00:05:36.024 --> 00:05:37.048
It's hard.
00:05:37.088 --> 00:05:51.564
I mean, I've been in business since 2008 with a remote team, ever since then, and you're right, it's become a little bit more mainstream these days, but it's still hard to get that right, and I would actually argue that training is the first place your culture has the chance to show up after hiring.
00:05:51.564 --> 00:05:52.867
So talk to us about that.
00:05:52.867 --> 00:05:54.471
What even looks like?
00:05:54.471 --> 00:05:57.569
Because we've all seen online courses like Udemy.
00:05:57.569 --> 00:06:00.581
We've probably all experienced some form of online content consumption.
00:06:00.581 --> 00:06:10.750
But to transfer what we know in our brains to new employees, to implement the building blocks of culture and job competence, how do we even begin that journey?
00:06:11.732 --> 00:06:17.050
Yeah, that's a really good question, and you know it really starts with a good plan.
00:06:17.050 --> 00:06:18.901
Everything starts with a good plan, doesn't it?
00:06:18.901 --> 00:06:21.528
So we need to make a really good plan.
00:06:21.528 --> 00:06:37.913
What is it that we want our learners to understand about the organization, about how we do business around here, who we are and how we interact with clients, how we interact with other colleagues, how we interact within our hierarchical structure?
00:06:37.913 --> 00:06:40.690
So all that needs to come across in the system.
00:06:40.690 --> 00:06:44.504
And then there's, of course, compliance training that also needs to be completed.
00:06:44.985 --> 00:06:53.127
So most organizations have some training that, through regulatory obligations, they need to deliver, let's say, operational health and safety.
00:06:54.110 --> 00:07:04.629
That's a typical one that we see, but it might also be a privacy training, accessibility training, dei training all those kind of different trainings that organizations deliver.
00:07:05.129 --> 00:07:11.357
Now, from an organizational perspective, you want to do this as efficiently as possible, but you also want to be effective in it.
00:07:11.879 --> 00:07:40.622
As a learner, you want to get the training, get the tick box behind it, but if it can be pleased, delivered in an engaging way, then I'll stay more in tuned with the training and I will be able to also implement what I'm supposed to learn, the behaviors I'm supposed to display, and so that's really key in training delivery and these days, when we have a dispersed team, we want to do this virtually.
00:07:41.184 --> 00:07:46.822
We want to do it effectively, meaning ideally there is not individual one on one training.
00:07:46.822 --> 00:07:50.055
We want to do it in groups or we want to do it as a virtual training.
00:07:50.055 --> 00:08:06.089
And still we want to look at what are the different ways to create that engagement in our training delivery so that the learner actually takes something away from it, because we can sit in front of a video and at the end of it it has totally bypassed us.
00:08:06.089 --> 00:08:13.553
You know we just get enough to click on these questions, but really not much is sticking in there.
00:08:13.553 --> 00:08:22.014
So we really need to develop training programs that are engaging and get our employees excited about being with us, especially at the beginning of their journey.
00:08:22.880 --> 00:08:26.610
Yeah, I love that overview, Petra, especially because it gives me so many launch points.
00:08:26.610 --> 00:08:28.548
I want to go so deep into all of these with you.
00:08:28.548 --> 00:08:30.807
We're going to try to do it in an efficient manner here today.
00:08:30.807 --> 00:08:34.746
Petra, you're German, you're the master of efficiency, so we're going to do our best to get there.
00:08:34.746 --> 00:08:36.567
But it really speaks to.
00:08:36.567 --> 00:08:41.647
I think the first and foremost topic that stands out to me is that concept of different learning styles.
00:08:41.647 --> 00:08:44.751
I mean, for me, I'm visual, even with regards to languages.
00:08:44.751 --> 00:08:50.648
If you say something to me in German, I have no idea what you're saying, but if I can see it written out, then I can start to actually consume it.
00:08:50.648 --> 00:08:54.645
And you talk about I mean, you and I have both kind of called out the traditional here.
00:08:54.645 --> 00:08:55.408
Watch this video.
00:08:55.408 --> 00:08:57.047
It's not the most engaging style.
00:08:57.047 --> 00:09:01.567
Talk to us about some of those different form factors that learning can be delivered in.
00:09:01.567 --> 00:09:03.991
Are we talking about extensive handbooks?
00:09:03.991 --> 00:09:06.001
Are we talking about videos?
00:09:06.001 --> 00:09:11.176
What does it actually look like in factor it kind of is all of the above.
00:09:11.777 --> 00:09:12.720
I personally agree.
00:09:12.720 --> 00:09:19.583
There's a lot of debate around learning styles and there's some people who say that doesn't even exist and what.
00:09:19.583 --> 00:09:20.527
I believe it doesn't exist in isolation.
00:09:20.527 --> 00:09:21.308
So you mentioned your visual.
00:09:21.308 --> 00:09:23.094
You want to see things in front of you, you want to see the words written down.
00:09:23.094 --> 00:09:23.434
It helps you to.
00:09:23.434 --> 00:09:24.378
I believe it doesn't exist in isolation.
00:09:24.378 --> 00:09:25.220
So you mentioned your visual.
00:09:25.220 --> 00:09:28.205
You wanna see things in front of you, you wanna see the words written down.
00:09:28.205 --> 00:09:32.924
It helps you to consume the content and I believe that that is true.
00:09:32.924 --> 00:09:40.789
It's the combination of visual, auditory learning, but predominantly really is engaging with the content.
00:09:41.460 --> 00:09:42.464
We need to do something with it.
00:09:42.464 --> 00:09:43.745
We cannot just be an observer.
00:09:43.745 --> 00:09:44.610
We need to actually engage in the content.
00:09:44.610 --> 00:09:45.255
We need to do something with it.
00:09:45.255 --> 00:09:45.860
We cannot just be an observer.
00:09:45.860 --> 00:09:47.947
We need to actually engage in the content.
00:09:47.947 --> 00:09:52.865
That means we need to have some interactive exercises, not only quiz questions.
00:09:52.865 --> 00:09:59.009
We might wanna have discussion forums around it, ideally even in-person discussions, a forum.
00:09:59.009 --> 00:09:59.842
We can do that.
00:10:00.259 --> 00:10:20.586
We can do training that is considered hyper-training, where we learn some of the facts through maybe observing a video, reading some content and writing some exercises or answering some questions, but then go into a discussion group and have conversations with our colleagues, with our team members, about it.
00:10:20.586 --> 00:10:27.020
And while we're in the era of AI, you know this is just going to change so much from here on forward.
00:10:27.020 --> 00:10:39.751
What we can do in interactive exercises, virtual reality, ai, q&a, having a conversation with a computer that acts like a human being, you know, the sky's the limit.
00:10:39.751 --> 00:10:53.505
Ai will be an exciting new and achievable and approachable tool that even smaller organizations will be able to use in their training content delivery, and that's really exciting for me.
00:10:53.505 --> 00:10:56.529
I think it's a fabulous time to work in this field.
00:10:57.039 --> 00:11:17.187
Yeah, petra, I love that you brought that up, because that's something that I always love talking to entrepreneurs about within their respective industries is we can't ignore AI and within the context of our conversation here today, I'm going to broaden it to just technology as a whole, because I know that's part of your special and unique and powerful approach is technology enables all of these things.
00:11:17.187 --> 00:11:19.514
We're talking about Hearing you, petra.
00:11:19.514 --> 00:11:36.927
You're publicly, I feel like you're enhancing me or enticing me to up my own game with my own teams, because you're right, we can build in these levels of engagement that previously may have been more difficult, and technology actually makes it more accessible to small businesses such as myself, and I think that's a really important point.
00:11:36.927 --> 00:11:53.792
Talk to us more about those tech solutions, because AI is one, and I'd love to hear more about how we can implement that in our workflows and in our teams and in our learning, but also some of those tech platforms, because a lot of listeners here today, a lot of business owners, probably have no idea what LMS systems even are.
00:11:55.514 --> 00:11:55.754
Yeah.
00:11:55.754 --> 00:12:01.525
So if you want to deliver a virtual training, it has to have a home, it has to live somewhere.
00:12:01.525 --> 00:12:04.947
You cannot just go to a computer and there it is.
00:12:04.947 --> 00:12:19.410
It has to be sitting in a platform or a system, a web system, web-based system where the learners can access it, but also your administrators can actually create the training in the first place.
00:12:19.410 --> 00:12:22.625
So we tend to call that a learning management system.
00:12:22.625 --> 00:12:27.234
So a learning management system is the platform where your training program are housed.
00:12:27.234 --> 00:12:33.693
That can be training programs that are just text-based, video-based audio combination.
00:12:33.693 --> 00:12:45.279
Then there's a whole area of interactive training that is built on a language called SCORM or a format called SCORM, which makes it more interactive, but we won't go too technical here.
00:12:45.279 --> 00:12:53.940
But the platform is where those training programs can be delivered to the learners, and these platforms can manage that and automate some of that delivery.
00:12:53.940 --> 00:13:10.510
So, for example, if you need to do an annual training in operational health and safety, that the system knows when you've last done it and sends you a reminder that you're due again, and the manager can also see that all team members have taken their training up to speed.
00:13:10.510 --> 00:13:13.466
So that's a simple way.
00:13:15.504 --> 00:13:31.071
Now, with AI coming into these systems now there is so many more opportunities when the learning management system vendor has opportunities to utilize AI, either in your course creation and simplify those processes, or in.
00:13:31.071 --> 00:13:33.918
You know the Netflix of learning.
00:13:33.918 --> 00:13:43.825
So if you're going into Netflix and you see the videos that are based on what you've seen before, well, that personalized learning content can happen on a learning management system.
00:13:43.825 --> 00:13:54.216
That, depending on what training you've taken before it, will give you some suggestions of what might be the next area to build yourself, professionally or personally.
00:13:54.216 --> 00:14:12.591
Employees these days have really great expectations of what their employer offers to them when it comes to personal and professional development, and you mentioned earlier that it's so important to get the right staff and hiring is so important.
00:14:12.591 --> 00:14:33.807
Retaining your staff is almost more important, and learning and development can be one of those tools that you use in keeping your staff with you so that they are loyal to your organization, stay with you, stay engaged, stay interested in the topic of your business, and you don't have to spend the money on replacing them.
00:14:34.794 --> 00:14:40.248
Yeah, petra, really powerful strategies and insights there for every single one of our listeners.
00:14:40.248 --> 00:14:46.528
Listeners go back and listen to Petra's answer there, because I think it's so revealing about her attitude towards Petra.
00:14:46.528 --> 00:14:52.008
I'm going to publicly call out feedback loops and so many of your answers, even in our short time here together so far.
00:14:52.008 --> 00:14:57.683
It seems like that's at the core of how you view effective learning programs.
00:14:57.683 --> 00:15:02.359
Is having a feedback, feedback loop of is this employee, is this team member?
00:15:02.359 --> 00:15:03.601
Are they actually getting it?
00:15:03.601 --> 00:15:04.625
Are they understanding it?
00:15:04.625 --> 00:15:06.378
How can I capture that information?
00:15:06.378 --> 00:15:09.787
So talk to us a little bit more about those feedback loops, whether it's.
00:15:09.787 --> 00:15:18.481
I know that when we do talk about technology, we have a tendency to talk about more automated solutions, but, of course, on the human level, how do we make sure that this stuff is actually working?
00:15:20.585 --> 00:15:33.881
I think that is such a key question, what you're saying there, brian, because if you are working in a learning and development uh department of a larger organization, you know you get the task you've got to create this training program.
00:15:33.881 --> 00:15:35.206
So what's your job?
00:15:35.206 --> 00:15:38.639
Your job is to understand what's the content I've got to bring across.
00:15:38.639 --> 00:15:39.480
Who are the learners?
00:15:39.480 --> 00:15:41.124
How do I best bring this across?
00:15:41.124 --> 00:15:42.385
What does a learner need to do?
00:15:42.385 --> 00:15:44.789
Eventually, the course is live.
00:15:44.789 --> 00:15:48.236
You say tick box, what's my next project?
00:15:48.236 --> 00:15:52.106
And you're not necessarily even that close to those learners.
00:15:52.106 --> 00:16:07.000
You may typically you might not even know them, and that's a danger, because that means that the learning and development consultant or the learning and development staff member just goes to complete their job of creating training programs.
00:16:07.000 --> 00:16:24.480
But what we really, what really our job is, is to either build knowledge and competence or to change behaviors, and we need to know what those behaviors are and how they change in order to see if our training was effective.
00:16:24.480 --> 00:16:38.322
If we ignore that piece, if we don't have that feedback loop in some shape or form, then really we're just people that are, we're just manufacturing, and you know it's just a new, modern way of manufacturing.
00:16:39.244 --> 00:16:45.791
In my work I really want to understand what the learner experiences and how.
00:16:45.791 --> 00:16:48.019
What is it that we're trying to achieve here?
00:16:48.019 --> 00:16:49.846
We're trying to achieve a behavior change.
00:16:49.846 --> 00:16:53.495
Well then, we somehow need to have conversations with the learner.
00:16:53.495 --> 00:16:57.717
We need to be able to observe those learners behaviors.
00:16:57.738 --> 00:17:00.099
We need to be able to observe those learners' behaviors in not a creepy way.
00:17:00.099 --> 00:17:06.401
We want to observe them in okay so, their conversations in the call center with their clients.
00:17:06.401 --> 00:17:18.886
How were they before they did the training and how do they change their behaviors on the phone in how they're treating those clients, and has that gotten us towards that behavior that we want to see?
00:17:18.886 --> 00:17:35.294
So we need to have a clear idea of where people are when they start and we need to have a clear idea and observation of where they got to after the training, and not only immediately after training, six months later, a year later, because we're just human beings.
00:17:35.294 --> 00:17:48.367
We follow our habits and we might fall back into not so good habits if we don't stay with it, if we don't continuously work on our capabilities and our abilities to interact with other human beings.
00:17:49.134 --> 00:18:03.478
Yeah, petra, I'm so glad that we went there here in our conversation today because I think this stuff speaks to not only effective learning techniques and strategies, but, most importantly, how to make us all better leaders and how to lead our teams in the direction that we're all working towards together.
00:18:03.478 --> 00:18:14.662
And part of that I want to come back here because you brought it up and it is a huge topic it feels like the entire other side of the coin, and maybe the most important side of the coin, which is that employee retention and, obviously, ongoing education.
00:18:14.662 --> 00:18:17.227
You actually said in your answer a few minutes ago.
00:18:17.227 --> 00:18:22.001
You said that one of the things that we can provide to our team members is education.
00:18:22.001 --> 00:18:23.506
That is also a benefit.
00:18:23.546 --> 00:18:28.223
We don't all just work our jobs for 40 years or however long, because we want to get a paycheck.
00:18:28.223 --> 00:18:30.458
We also want that career growth.
00:18:30.458 --> 00:18:33.048
We want that personal development group growth.
00:18:33.048 --> 00:18:35.196
So talk to us about ongoing education.
00:18:35.196 --> 00:18:37.819
Is this something it sounds like we should probably have embedded just into our culture on an ongoing basis, not just for employee onboarding?
00:18:37.819 --> 00:18:38.320
Talk to us about ongoing education.
00:18:38.320 --> 00:18:42.509
Is this something it sounds like we should probably have embedded just into our culture on an ongoing basis, not just for employee onboarding.
00:18:42.509 --> 00:18:43.431
Talk to us about that.
00:18:44.192 --> 00:18:44.974
Yeah, absolutely.
00:18:44.974 --> 00:18:52.300
You know, whatever, whenever it was, maybe 20 years ago, people would go where they would have a ping pong table.
00:18:52.300 --> 00:18:59.804
You know that was the in thing and you needed to have snacks in the in the cafeteria, but that that satisfaction only lasts that long.
00:18:59.804 --> 00:19:17.984
But if employees really feel like they have opportunities within the organization opportunities not only to go up a ladder but also to develop as a human being I think, particularly for the younger generations these days, that is key.
00:19:17.984 --> 00:19:19.737
That's what they're looking for.
00:19:19.737 --> 00:19:23.230
They are not looking to be a number in an organization.
00:19:23.230 --> 00:19:31.558
They want to be an individual that is recognized, an individual that has opportunities, an individual that can grow and that can feel good about themselves.
00:19:31.558 --> 00:19:58.257
If we can do that, if we can help them to feel good about themselves in how they're delivering the day-to-day work, but also how they develop as a human being, I think we really are on a better way to retaining these staff members, for them to become ambassadors of the organization, not only to clients but also to other potential team members that they bring in.
00:19:58.257 --> 00:20:13.105
So there is a huge part of us as human beings wanting to be part of a bigger thing, and the organization that I work with can be that, and that's even harder to do if you have dispersed teams.
00:20:13.707 --> 00:20:16.528
Now, some people, like me, love to work from home.
00:20:16.528 --> 00:20:18.769
I wouldn't want to have it a different way.
00:20:18.769 --> 00:20:21.131
Some people really struggle with that.
00:20:21.131 --> 00:20:23.413
Some people would like to have a bit of a mix.
00:20:23.413 --> 00:20:26.355
So how do we approach that?
00:20:26.355 --> 00:20:35.126
And then, once we have those structures in place, how do we keep engaging with the staff members that we don't see as often versus the staff members that are always in front of us, members that are always in front of us?
00:20:35.126 --> 00:20:47.180
We have to be careful about that to create that fairness, that balance, and to ensure that the person that I don't see is still feeling engaged and feeling like they matter.
00:20:47.200 --> 00:20:48.462
Yeah, really incredible insights.
00:20:48.462 --> 00:20:56.959
Again, I just feel like I'm going to sound like a broken record saying that this is how we become better leaders, because our people really are the driving forces of our business.
00:20:56.959 --> 00:21:13.903
And, petra, the entirety of your work focuses on investing deeply into our people, not just today, but on an ongoing basis, and with that in mind I'm gonna publicly call myself out here, but I'm sure you deal with this with every single client that you've worked with is that building these things is one thing, but maintaining them and updating them is another.
00:21:13.903 --> 00:21:19.217
For example, here behind the scenes at our podcast, we have a lot of SOPs.
00:21:19.217 --> 00:21:24.900
We obviously have been recording 850 plus episodes over the course of so many years and we've got a lot of tools that we use.
00:21:24.940 --> 00:21:26.509
We've got a lot of team members around the world.
00:21:26.509 --> 00:21:30.767
We've got a lot of processes that we do before recording, during recording, after recording.
00:21:30.767 --> 00:21:36.586
But, petra, gosh, do they get out of date as the tools change, as the software is changed, as our processes?
00:21:36.586 --> 00:21:37.309
Processes change?
00:21:37.309 --> 00:21:50.487
Talk to us about that refinement and continuing improvement as things change over time, so that it's not just something we build and then it just stays there and gets outdated that is, yes, that is a challenge.
00:21:51.048 --> 00:22:02.277
So I I tell you a little bit about a present client I have and we've been working with them over two, three years now, and it started with one project.
00:22:02.277 --> 00:22:04.121
Now we're doing something a bit different.
00:22:04.121 --> 00:22:05.284
We used to work.
00:22:05.284 --> 00:22:10.705
They got a new learning management system and when you bring in a new system, you need to train people on it.
00:22:10.705 --> 00:22:11.978
So we did that.
00:22:11.978 --> 00:22:16.069
That was our first project with them for their new LMS.
00:22:16.069 --> 00:22:18.398
But now we're developing compliance training.
00:22:18.420 --> 00:22:19.775
You know the training, but now we're developing compliance training.
00:22:19.775 --> 00:22:27.761
You know the training operational health and safety, privacy training, dei training and those need to be looked at at least once a year.
00:22:27.761 --> 00:22:39.786
So we're actually with this client now in the process of coming up with these structures, with these processes that we will do once a year to go through all the training, review what's the content?
00:22:39.786 --> 00:22:57.623
Do we need to make changes, engage the subject matter experts, review the content, update them in time for the relaunch it's a school, so for when the instructors and everybody comes back on board so that the training is always ready to go when we're starting a new school year.
00:22:57.623 --> 00:23:03.122
So, and that can include opportunities that a system provides us.
00:23:03.122 --> 00:23:19.806
So if we have a system that is also continuous developing and gives us new opportunities of doing something new that we weren't able to do before, then now is the time for us to review that and see how can we make that training more interesting.
00:23:20.795 --> 00:23:24.134
And the one that I'm particularly thinking of is the security training.
00:23:24.134 --> 00:23:42.097
So security meaning more the how do you interact with the tools and the computer systems, the technology, in a way that keeps you personally safe but also keeps the organization safe, keeps you personally safe but also keeps the organization safe?
00:23:42.097 --> 00:23:49.400
And this is a tricky one, because there are so many things that one should do about our interaction with technology that makes our browsing behavior safer.
00:23:49.400 --> 00:23:51.565
Let's just think about password safety.
00:23:51.565 --> 00:23:54.958
Okay, so how do we manage our passwords?
00:23:54.958 --> 00:24:00.127
How do we update them Not reuse passwords when do we store them?
00:24:00.127 --> 00:24:03.304
Who has access to what we store, all that kind of thing.
00:24:03.846 --> 00:24:06.414
Now, yes, I can learn that in a training program.
00:24:06.414 --> 00:24:16.366
I can read about it, I can see a video and I can think like, yeah, good thoughts, but it's about what I do that really matters, not that I've taken the training.
00:24:16.366 --> 00:24:21.378
So how can we now get that person who's watched the video and says, oh yeah, password.
00:24:21.378 --> 00:24:33.647
Maybe I should get that password manager to actually do it and work through these hard processes for them to get password safety increased.
00:24:33.647 --> 00:24:34.775
And that's the challenge.
00:24:34.775 --> 00:24:38.698
That's what we're dealing with for this particular training program.
00:24:38.698 --> 00:24:48.324
We're going to look at those opportunities of how can we get staff members to actually act on that additional knowledge that they get when they take that course.
00:00:00.140 --> 00:00:01.143
00:00:01.143 --> 00:00:04.631
00:00:04.631 --> 00:00:10.471
00:00:10.471 --> 00:00:12.180
00:00:12.180 --> 00:00:24.907
00:00:24.907 --> 00:00:41.021
00:00:41.021 --> 00:00:42.603
00:00:42.704 --> 00:00:49.527
00:00:49.527 --> 00:01:05.884
00:01:05.884 --> 00:01:07.632
00:01:07.632 --> 00:01:13.932
00:01:13.932 --> 00:01:22.951
00:01:22.951 --> 00:01:30.269
00:01:30.269 --> 00:01:35.870
00:01:35.870 --> 00:01:38.784
00:01:38.784 --> 00:01:45.554
00:01:45.554 --> 00:01:46.495
00:01:47.500 --> 00:01:49.587
00:01:49.587 --> 00:01:50.990
00:01:51.519 --> 00:01:51.900
00:01:51.900 --> 00:02:03.286
00:02:03.286 --> 00:02:10.175
00:02:10.175 --> 00:02:11.580
00:02:11.580 --> 00:02:12.663
00:02:13.524 --> 00:02:15.227
00:02:15.227 --> 00:02:18.372
00:02:18.372 --> 00:02:34.489
00:02:34.489 --> 00:02:38.194
00:02:38.194 --> 00:02:39.262
00:02:39.262 --> 00:02:44.484
00:02:44.484 --> 00:03:03.371
00:03:03.371 --> 00:03:13.854
00:03:14.560 --> 00:03:27.013
00:03:27.013 --> 00:03:37.290
00:03:37.290 --> 00:03:39.659
00:03:39.659 --> 00:03:42.527
00:03:42.548 --> 00:03:46.338
00:03:46.338 --> 00:03:59.947
00:03:59.947 --> 00:04:03.622
00:04:03.622 --> 00:04:10.168
00:04:10.168 --> 00:04:14.292
00:04:14.292 --> 00:04:25.841
00:04:25.860 --> 00:04:27.706
00:04:27.706 --> 00:04:31.220
00:04:31.220 --> 00:04:33.363
00:04:33.363 --> 00:04:38.112
00:04:38.112 --> 00:04:40.983
00:04:40.983 --> 00:04:45.593
00:04:45.593 --> 00:04:49.295
00:04:49.295 --> 00:04:53.708
00:04:53.708 --> 00:05:08.766
00:05:08.766 --> 00:05:10.992
00:05:11.600 --> 00:05:12.242
00:05:12.242 --> 00:05:19.050
00:05:19.050 --> 00:05:33.088
00:05:33.088 --> 00:05:34.591
00:05:34.591 --> 00:05:36.024
00:05:36.024 --> 00:05:37.048
00:05:37.088 --> 00:05:51.564
00:05:51.564 --> 00:05:52.867
00:05:52.867 --> 00:05:54.471
00:05:54.471 --> 00:05:57.569
00:05:57.569 --> 00:06:00.581
00:06:00.581 --> 00:06:10.750
00:06:11.732 --> 00:06:17.050
00:06:17.050 --> 00:06:18.901
00:06:18.901 --> 00:06:21.528
00:06:21.528 --> 00:06:37.913
00:06:37.913 --> 00:06:40.690
00:06:40.690 --> 00:06:44.504
00:06:44.985 --> 00:06:53.127
00:06:54.110 --> 00:07:04.629
00:07:05.129 --> 00:07:11.357
00:07:11.879 --> 00:07:40.622
00:07:41.184 --> 00:07:46.822
00:07:46.822 --> 00:07:50.055
00:07:50.055 --> 00:08:06.089
00:08:06.089 --> 00:08:13.553
00:08:13.553 --> 00:08:22.014
00:08:22.880 --> 00:08:26.610
00:08:26.610 --> 00:08:28.548
00:08:28.548 --> 00:08:30.807
00:08:30.807 --> 00:08:34.746
00:08:34.746 --> 00:08:36.567
00:08:36.567 --> 00:08:41.647
00:08:41.647 --> 00:08:44.751
00:08:44.751 --> 00:08:50.648
00:08:50.648 --> 00:08:54.645
00:08:54.645 --> 00:08:55.408
00:08:55.408 --> 00:08:57.047
00:08:57.047 --> 00:09:01.567
00:09:01.567 --> 00:09:03.991
00:09:03.991 --> 00:09:06.001
00:09:06.001 --> 00:09:11.176
00:09:11.777 --> 00:09:12.720
00:09:12.720 --> 00:09:19.583
00:09:19.583 --> 00:09:20.527
00:09:20.527 --> 00:09:21.308
00:09:21.308 --> 00:09:23.094
00:09:23.094 --> 00:09:23.434
00:09:23.434 --> 00:09:24.378
00:09:24.378 --> 00:09:25.220
00:09:25.220 --> 00:09:28.205
00:09:28.205 --> 00:09:32.924
00:09:32.924 --> 00:09:40.789
00:09:41.460 --> 00:09:42.464
00:09:42.464 --> 00:09:43.745
00:09:43.745 --> 00:09:44.610
00:09:44.610 --> 00:09:45.255
00:09:45.255 --> 00:09:45.860
00:09:45.860 --> 00:09:47.947
00:09:47.947 --> 00:09:52.865
00:09:52.865 --> 00:09:59.009
00:09:59.009 --> 00:09:59.842
00:10:00.259 --> 00:10:20.586
00:10:20.586 --> 00:10:27.020
00:10:27.020 --> 00:10:39.751
00:10:39.751 --> 00:10:53.505
00:10:53.505 --> 00:10:56.529
00:10:57.039 --> 00:11:17.187
00:11:17.187 --> 00:11:19.514
00:11:19.514 --> 00:11:36.927
00:11:36.927 --> 00:11:53.792
00:11:55.514 --> 00:11:55.754
00:11:55.754 --> 00:12:01.525
00:12:01.525 --> 00:12:04.947
00:12:04.947 --> 00:12:19.410
00:12:19.410 --> 00:12:22.625
00:12:22.625 --> 00:12:27.234
00:12:27.234 --> 00:12:33.693
00:12:33.693 --> 00:12:45.279
00:12:45.279 --> 00:12:53.940
00:12:53.940 --> 00:13:10.510
00:13:10.510 --> 00:13:13.466
00:13:15.504 --> 00:13:31.071
00:13:31.071 --> 00:13:33.918
00:13:33.918 --> 00:13:43.825
00:13:43.825 --> 00:13:54.216
00:13:54.216 --> 00:14:12.591
00:14:12.591 --> 00:14:33.807
00:14:34.794 --> 00:14:40.248
00:14:40.248 --> 00:14:46.528
00:14:46.528 --> 00:14:52.008
00:14:52.008 --> 00:14:57.683
00:14:57.683 --> 00:15:02.359
00:15:02.359 --> 00:15:03.601
00:15:03.601 --> 00:15:04.625
00:15:04.625 --> 00:15:06.378
00:15:06.378 --> 00:15:09.787
00:15:09.787 --> 00:15:18.481
00:15:20.585 --> 00:15:33.881
00:15:33.881 --> 00:15:35.206
00:15:35.206 --> 00:15:38.639
00:15:38.639 --> 00:15:39.480
00:15:39.480 --> 00:15:41.124
00:15:41.124 --> 00:15:42.385
00:15:42.385 --> 00:15:44.789
00:15:44.789 --> 00:15:48.236
00:15:48.236 --> 00:15:52.106
00:15:52.106 --> 00:16:07.000
00:16:07.000 --> 00:16:24.480
00:16:24.480 --> 00:16:38.322
00:16:39.244 --> 00:16:45.791
00:16:45.791 --> 00:16:48.019
00:16:48.019 --> 00:16:49.846
00:16:49.846 --> 00:16:53.495
00:16:53.495 --> 00:16:57.717
00:16:57.738 --> 00:17:00.099
00:17:00.099 --> 00:17:06.401
00:17:06.401 --> 00:17:18.886
00:17:18.886 --> 00:17:35.294
00:17:35.294 --> 00:17:48.367
00:17:49.134 --> 00:18:03.478
00:18:03.478 --> 00:18:14.662
00:18:14.662 --> 00:18:17.227
00:18:17.227 --> 00:18:22.001
00:18:22.001 --> 00:18:23.506
00:18:23.546 --> 00:18:28.223
00:18:28.223 --> 00:18:30.458
00:18:30.458 --> 00:18:33.048
00:18:33.048 --> 00:18:35.196
00:18:35.196 --> 00:18:37.819
00:18:37.819 --> 00:18:38.320
00:18:38.320 --> 00:18:42.509
00:18:42.509 --> 00:18:43.431
00:18:44.192 --> 00:18:44.974
00:18:44.974 --> 00:18:52.300
00:18:52.300 --> 00:18:59.804
00:18:59.804 --> 00:19:17.984
00:19:17.984 --> 00:19:19.737
00:19:19.737 --> 00:19:23.230
00:19:23.230 --> 00:19:31.558
00:19:31.558 --> 00:19:58.257
00:19:58.257 --> 00:20:13.105
00:20:13.707 --> 00:20:16.528
00:20:16.528 --> 00:20:18.769
00:20:18.769 --> 00:20:21.131
00:20:21.131 --> 00:20:23.413
00:20:23.413 --> 00:20:26.355
00:20:26.355 --> 00:20:35.126
00:20:35.126 --> 00:20:47.180
00:20:47.200 --> 00:20:48.462
00:20:48.462 --> 00:20:56.959
00:20:56.959 --> 00:21:13.903
00:21:13.903 --> 00:21:19.217
00:21:19.217 --> 00:21:24.900
00:21:24.940 --> 00:21:26.509
00:21:26.509 --> 00:21:30.767
00:21:30.767 --> 00:21:36.586
00:21:36.586 --> 00:21:37.309
00:21:37.309 --> 00:21:50.487
00:21:51.048 --> 00:22:02.277
00:22:02.277 --> 00:22:04.121
00:22:04.121 --> 00:22:05.284
00:22:05.284 --> 00:22:10.705
00:22:10.705 --> 00:22:11.978
00:22:11.978 --> 00:22:16.069
00:22:16.069 --> 00:22:18.398
00:22:18.420 --> 00:22:19.775
00:22:19.775 --> 00:22:27.761
00:22:27.761 --> 00:22:39.786
00:22:39.786 --> 00:22:57.623
00:22:57.623 --> 00:23:03.122
00:23:03.122 --> 00:23:19.806
00:23:20.795 --> 00:23:24.134
00:23:24.134 --> 00:23:42.097
00:23:42.097 --> 00:23:49.400
00:23:49.400 --> 00:23:51.565
00:23:51.565 --> 00:23:54.958
00:23:54.958 --> 00:24:00.127
00:24:00.127 --> 00:24:03.304
00:24:03.846 --> 00:24:06.414
00:24:06.414 --> 00:24:16.366
00:24:16.366 --> 00:24:21.378
00:24:21.378 --> 00:24:33.647
00:24:33.647 --> 00:24:34.775
00:24:34.775 --> 00:24:38.698
00:24:38.698 --> 00:24:48.324