An Intro to Change Management

“It is not the strongest species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the ones who are most responsive to change” - Charles Darwin

Because Change Happens
Organizations need to take on a major restructuring about every three years in order to remain competitive, and smaller changes occur continuously. Major changes in organizations are generally a result of an outside force, such as large cuts in funding, having the need for an increase of productivity to meet the demands of customers, or to address new markets and clients as a business expands. However, the most relentless of changes in our environment that effect businesses and individuals is the speed with which technology advances. If an organization doesn't change with the growth of technology, they will not be able to remain competitive, and will soon fail.

Causes of Change
Typical causes of changes within organizations include:

• growth, particularly into a global market
• strategic changes in an effort to become more competitive
• pressure from competing companies
• government regulations
• technological advances
• pressure from customers/client

Managing Change
So how does one manage change in an ever-changing environment? Managers must understand the workplace psychology in order to maximize employee performances under the pressure of constant change. They must have the ability to introduce the unavoidable changes and manage them in order to ensure that the objectives of the organization are met despite the changes, and be able to keep their employees commitment throughout the changes as well as afterward.

Having a Plan is Good
Managing change requires well thought out planning and sensitivity to the people who will be affected by the changes. If you forge ahead with a change without informing the people in the organization who will be affected by them, the change will be resisted. Without the commitment and involvement of the people affected by change, there will inevitably be problems, just as forcing change on people will normally result in problems. By informing people of the changes to come, and involving them in the process, you will lighten your own burden by spreading out the work involved in implementing the change, and helps the people involved develop a feeling of ownership and interest in the change.

Having an Achievable Realistic Measurable Plan is Better
In order for change to be effective within an organization, it must be something that is achievable and realistic, as well as measurable. To manage change in an organization, you must be able to answer the goals for the change, and how you will be able to determine if the change has been achieved successfully.

Our environment is constantly changing with no indications of letting up any time soon. As Charles Darwin said, “It is not the strongest species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the ones who are most responsive to change”. Responding to change and making it a positive rather than a negative action will allow change to work for your organization.

Change can be stressful to all employees. An in-house course on managing change can help to relieve stress, overcome objections and reduce fears associated with organizational change. If you are planning a course and need some exercises & games relating to change management get in touch with me and I will be happy to email you what I have. Also, check out back issues of my monthly newsletter for free tools, tips and cartoons on change.

ID Theft is the Fastest Growing Crime in the USA!

I was shocked when I heard that statistic. Now more than ever before, it is critical to provide all consumers with proper tools and training to avoid becoming a victim.

Did you know that would-be thieves use the same techniques over and over because they continue to work? We must get the word out to consumers so they stop the thief before he succeeds in getting what he wants: the consumer's good name and credit!

If you're planning an ID Theft Training session, I have the custom training cartoons to set yourself apart. From spyway, to phishing, and from fake websites to the agencies that help fight it, this Identity Theft Training Cartoon Collection is ideal. See what's included here:

When you are preparing a training program on ID Theft, consider including the following important topics:
Here are some of the more common ways identity scammers try to get you:
Spyware: Adding hidden software programs to your downloads to track your typing in hopes of getting a user ID and password combination.
Phishing: Pretending to be a well-known company or government agency to get at your private data. For example, you may get an official-looking email from the IRS telling you it's urgent to go to the site and enter your details to avoid penalties.
Your Own Trash: In many states, sifting through your trash is legal. Shred everything you don't want flashed on the 6:00 news.
Fake Websites: The website looks great and has prices that can't be beat. Anyone can create a site these days. Be careful! If the deal sounds too good to be true or the website is some off-shore location, don't buy! Also, watch the address in the browser bar carefully. If you are trying toget to www.irs.gov, type it in yourself to make sure that's where you get. www.irs.com is not the same thing!
Stealing Your Mail: Illegal in all 50 states but that doesn't stop the theives. Make sure to use a locking mailbox or get a PO Box if security matters to you.

Identity theives steal far more than your good name and credit. Studies show it can take a year or more and hundreds of dollars of your hard-earned money to get you back to where you were before the theft. Police reports, phone calls after phone calls, fights with credit reporting agencies all take a lot of your time, too. Be careful and cautious when giving out any personal information and invest in a shredder and use it! Prevention is much easier than fixing the mess you'll be in if an identity thief strikes.

If you plan to offer an ID Theft Training Course, take a look at my ID Theft Cartoon pack. It's filled with topic specific cartoons to add impact and pizazz to your message! You'll find this cartoon pack along with many others here on my website at www.WorkplaceToons.com.

Family Fued for Trainers

It is always easier to learn something if you are having fun while you learn. For Trainers, Teachers, and Presenters, games can lighten up any learning environment and help you to reach and engage the group. If participants are having fun, they will learn more. Family Feud is really fun and can be altered to fit both the type of group you are teaching and the topic you want them to learn all about.

Family Fued!
Just like the popular TV show, but for a group session. You come up with ten questions that relate to the topic you will be discussing. Write down several possible answers to each question. Give each of those answers a number of points so that all the answers together total 100 points. This replaces the need to find a group of people to survey.

Divide your group into two teams. Have each team send one person forward. If you don't have a buzzer or bell have them tug your sleeve as soon as they have an answer so you will know who is first. Ask your first question. If one of them tugs your sleeve they get to go first and try to answer your question. If they give an answer that is on your list the associated points go up on the board. That team also gets to decide whether they will give the other team the chance to guess the rest of the answers or they will take it first.

Whichever team goes first you go down the line and ask the next person to guess at one of the other answers for that question. If they get it wrong it’s one strike. If they get it right the points associated with their answer get added to the board. Three strikes and that team is out and the other team gets one try at stealing all the points by giving just one right answer. They can discuss it among themselves.

The first team to gather 300 points wins the game. This game teaches them to work together in decision-making like choosing each different person they will send forward to grab the points. Which answer they can agree on is also decided on through teamwork. This game is so fun! It does require a bit of prep work but it will be totally worth it when they're finished. They will have a few laughs and learn along the way!

Adult Learning Theories

There are many theories on why adults learn in a different way than children or young adults. If you have some time and want to learn more after reading this article, Google Andragogy, Accelerated Learning and Experimental Learning. You’ll get great insight into how adult learners learn. For now, here’s a brief overview on each to get you started.

Andragogy
Andragogy is a theory studied by Malcolm Knowles. The theory is based around the notion that adults do not learn in the same manner as children because they are more self-directed and they need to feel a sense of accountability for the decisions they make and the actions they take in a learning environment. Therefore, an adult learning program must be designed to allow for this.

The theory of andragogy says that adults will not learn a new concept well if they do not know why they are learning it in the first place. If they feel that they don’t need to know the information being taught, or if they feel like they are being forced into learning something that is of no interest to them, they will have trouble retaining the information.

In terms of organizational training, the theory of andragogy can be utilized by designing a program that incorporates task-oriented activities and role playing as opposed to having adults memorize countless facts or rules. Adults will benefit from working together in groups and trying to resolve a problem or situation rather than learning via studying and taking standardized tests.

Accelerated Learning
Accelerated Learning is a theory of adult learning studied by Colin Rose and Brian Tracy. The theory of accelerated learning says that in order to learn, a person has to involve his/her whole brain and body and that working with others to get something accomplished aids in the learning process. Also, a person learns from doing, not watching.

Studying the theory of accelerated learning started about 15 years ago when researchers began having the technology to study how the human brain works. The accelerated learning theory is based on what the research found.

It is known that when people use a learning method that is right for them, they’re able to learn new concepts more quickly and more efficiently. This theory studies and helps determine a specific person’s best learning method and then takes it one step farther by assisting that person in utilizing their brain power to its fullest potential.

Adults respond to the accelerated learning style because it allows them to obtain and retain new information that will help them advance their personal and professional lives. It also teaches the adult how to learn new things in a rapid manner.

This style of learning can benefit everyone from children to adults. Even in a professional environment, accelerated learning works because it promotes the idea of teaching people how to learn in a more efficient way.

Experimental Learning
Adult learners do best when they learn new things that are somehow related to their own lives and things in which they have some sort of vested interest. And, they do best when they can participate in a learning situation in some sort of interactive way. In other words, an adult learner does not absorb or benefit as well from a one-way lecture in which the learner sits in an audience and is lectured by the teacher for minutes or hours on end.

The experimental learning cycle has four stages, all of which hold the same level of importance. They are: experience, process, generalization, and application.

Experience: Experience can include studying anything from something that actually occurred to something that is fictional and role played. It can be a real-life situation that is simulated for learning purposes or it can be any sort of activity designed for the purpose of learning.

Process: In this stage, the participants evaluate what happened during the prior phase and they openly talk about how the phase progressed from beginning to end. They talk about what went right and what went wrong and how the situation could have produced a better outcome.
Generalization: During this phase, the group decides what they learned from the experience and process phases and they try to determine what can be learned from how the situation progressed and its end result.

Application: After wading through the previous three phases, the group comes to a conclusion as to how they would approach a similar situation if it were actually occurring in real life. The learners determine the best ways to deal with potential problems and how to effectively deal with other participants in the situation.

Adults have a great ability to learn and can do so in a productive way if they focus on a learning method appropriate for them. Adults do well in learning environments which foster multimedia elements, a hands-on approach, group discussions, and the ability to use brain power to its fullest potential.

Perspectives on Adult Learners

A mature adult generally does not learn new concepts in the same manner as a child or even a young adult. Mature adults have many life-learned experiences that place them in a different category from younger learners, primarily because they are older, have more experience with real-life situations and complexities, and have different needs and desires to learn.

Adult learners tend to seek out situations where they can gain knowledge and learn new things that are directly related to their personal or professional lives. As an adult, it is not mandatory to attend school on a daily, structured basis. Adults can choose to attend higher-education classes or seminars to enhance and develop their knowledge in a particular area of interest. An adult does not generally enroll in courses that teach a wide variety of subjects, but rather courses that touch on specific life issues or new approaches to problem solving.

Adults are motivated to learn when they self-enroll themselves in courses or training programs because they don’t feel as if they are obligated under some sort of rule or law to participate. Adults are more apt to be self-directed and want to learn, as opposed to feeling like they are obligated to learn.

Before enrolling in school, a course, a seminar, or a training session, adults may not realize that their learning experience will be different from what they experienced as children or young adults in school. As adults, they will most likely take a more active role in planning which courses to take, how successful they will be in the class, and deciding which subject areas are relevant to their own personal or professional lives.

When you take into consideration what motivates an adult to learn, you become a better trainer! Next week, I will touch on some theories that spell out the why's and how's to prepare learning that is interesting, relevant and will benefit the learner in their personal and/or profesisonal life.