Creating a Strategy for Change Before and During an LMS Implementation

1. Creating a Strategy for Change Before and During an LMS Implementation By Sandra A. Sallum &Sheila Grangeiro

2. Session Goals • Know where you are going • Develop strategies to lower resistance to change • Identify stakeholders and their role in the change process

3. Approximately 12,000 full-time faculty and staff • 15,600 Graduate and undergraduate students • Three main campuses and several satellite operations throughout the South Florida area

4. Change as a consistent companion • Change will be part of any process • Prepare for it • See change as an opportunity • Communication is your best tool • Identify audiences early • Have an education as well as a communication plan for different audiences • Keep audiences informed and active in the process • Look for opportunities to educate others on best practices

5. Creating a Change Management Plan • Know where you are going • Without a vision, there’s no change management • Be clear on your ultimate goal • Break down your vision and strategy into phases • Have a change management plan for each phase by audience • Always communicate why change is necessary (Whenever possible, use research to support change) • Stress opportunity and rewards • WIIFM • Settle any fears about job security • Listen and incorporate feedback

6. Working Together to Effect Organizational Change • “Partners-in-Change” • Make your stakeholders part of your team • The “leadership team” • Lead the process, always be the one in front • Start the process/set direction/provide resources • Communicate the vision and keep the process moving forward!!!!

7. How Did We Do It? • 2004: Request for department to take over a system for training record keeping and online access 24/7 • Opportunity to change Professional Development at UM by: • Implementing a long-range learning strategy • Using researched best practices to change the way training was designed and delivered • Decentralizing training and allowing for Designers and Trainers to own their own pieces

8. Vision & Goal • Use research-based best practices to develop learning-centric professional development experiences that can be measured and transferred to the job • Tie professional development with performance evaluations that would be supported by a system of rewards and recognitions that recognized those working on their own professional development and skill gaps • Allow for the learner and their manager to have control of their learning

9. Long Term Goal for the System • Provide enterprise-wide learner centric environment • Assist and track compliance training, career enhancement, development plans and competency development • Report on competency and skill gaps to promote Succession planning • Provide knowledge and collaboration center 365/24/7 • Track coaching component (follow-up and ILT) and evaluation of learning • Individualize learning to user groups

10. Change Management Strategy • Identify a champion for change • Re-align existing resources • Increase course offerings and traffic through the system • Set standards and model innovative behavior • Get lateral buy-in as well as buy-in from leadership • Partner with designers and SMEs

11. Create Excitement and Show Proof • Keep the champion informed • Communicate increasing traffic and online offerings available • Collect data on system usage, participants’ feedback and managers’ comments • Brand the system early • Promote standards and best practices

12. First Steps • Establish an infrastructure for the learning strategy • Ensure you have a change management plan • Identify stakeholders and get them involved early • Educate practitioners on best practices for learning and professional development • Professional Development Council • Implement blended learning and expose organization to online learning • 2004 – 0 WBL • 2007 – 306 WBL

13. Work with Stakeholders • Work at their level, but set the pace • Create standards; raise the bar and expectations • Provide guidelines and training on: • Adult learning principles and tools • New technologies and Instructional Design • Moving stakeholders from lecture based presentations to training • Ensuring that training offered by stakeholders is based on adult learning principles • Using WBL to impart knowledge and focus ILT time to practice skills and appropriate behavior • Lead the way

14. Important Actions • Align available resources • Use available tools • In the beginning, go for quantity • Use what platform you have and show why you need something better • Collect user feedback and data • Show benefits to organization and to the bottom line • Use data to create list of system and business requirements

15. Example of Data: Course Completions

16. When Selecting an LMS • Select a system based on the business requirements validated by stakeholders • System should: • promote your learning strategy • have room for growth (functionality) • be scalable • Never make a decision based on content • You can always buy it from somewhere else • Make sure the company is viable and can be a good business partner • You will be in it together for the long haul

17. Selection of an LMS • Have stakeholders preview final two systems • Partner with vendor to showcase functionality that will be important to stakeholders • Collect feedback for stakeholders to make final decision • Ensure that you can live with either option • Report back on overall consensus • Use stakeholders as ambassadors for change

18. Remember! • It is not about a system, it is about the vision and learning strategy • Secure top-down commitment • Create change “vision/values” • Plan for long term success! • Organize self-directed work teams • Develop your change allies • Be patient! • Take the time to identify and celebrate little victories