Collaborative learning: Go-For-IT program

Learning Launch

Challenge

I lead technical solution engineering team of experienced telecom engineers. My team is distributed  globally. Role of my team is to act as a technology consultants and steer technical discussions to close  sales.

Telecom domain is changing rapidly, my challenge was to ensure team is up to the speed with the latest  technologies and keep their knowledge updated. This would help my team to provide right consultative  advice to sales team to successfully close the sales.

Another challenge was to deal with time zones and to deal with it effectively. I wanted to have my team  participate in its full attention and energy span while acquiring training sessions. Being globally  distributed it was economically not viable to arrange in person trainings for teams.

We tried so may various smart options like sharing documents, videos and training materials on  cloud/ftp server etc. but could not achieve desired results. Challenge shared by team they they couldn’t  get enough time to spend on the training material in busy schedule.

Application:

For our launch to the program we decided to come up with the ideas which will address challenges and  encourage the team members to learn new things. We scheduled a 1-day workshop to brainstorm and  discuss some of the ideas to over come this challenge. During workshop We identified traditional  learning models and started thinking beyond those. Some ideas came on table are, designing application  to learn on the go this app would include the specific training which we want to deliver another idea  came up was creating a cheat sheet with all important aspects of new technology area. After assessing  those ideas, those were still not fit to address our challenges.

We had to schedule second workshop to discuss more and this time we targeted to think out of the box  by using silly ideas and we learn that any idea is not silly even if it looks like.

Finally, team came up with an idea to have open book questions every week on topic we want them to  learn. This how we designed 3 stage approach for self learning:

1. Identify: New technologies to know will be identified by team members and every Friday we will

release set of questions on topic to the team every Friday,

2. Acquire: Team members should work on getting answers for those questions within specific

timeframe by leveraging all resources they could have (e.g. Google, Books, Training sessions,  speak to expert etc..) and submit their answers to program moderator

3. Present your knowledge to team: For conclusion - We asked team members to present their

understanding on topic for 15 minutes to entire team

Now its time to test the idea.

Insight:

We planned to run test program on our idea to see its viability. We also decided to run it within specific  timeframe. Since this was self study knowledge acquisition process for my team, I also wanted to ensure  that team members are getting the right knowledge and concepts. We learned very interesting  confirming facts which was adding a great value to my team.

Confirming Facts: What worked well in this approach was

1. Exploration for information: This triggered team members to search various sources and refer

details to find appropriate answers. Unknowingly everyone was getting to know something new  during this process

2. Flexibility – There was 1-week time frame to the set of 10 questions which enabled team

members not to use their personal time and find enough time to find answers

3. Increased collaboration: We intentionally did not plan to have restrictions on team members. It

is completely open book questions assessment. This encouraged them to talk to each other  about the topic and questions. Which was also indirectly increasing collaboration between  them.

4. New Perspectives: Team members went beyond the information they refereed through various

sources but also started thinking about how new learning can be applied in practice

5. Increased knowledge about the subject: We engaged subject matter expert from organization

to attend the presentations of the team. He assessed and confirmed that the candidates are  aware about the subject.

6. Increased confidence to talk on subject: Since there was a fearless 15 minutes presentation slot

provided to each, team members started feeling confident to talk about those subjects. It also  acted as dry run for us to identify improvement areas of the team members.

7. Latest knowledge up to the Speed: Process of knowledge acquisition was through all available

sources, so knowledge acquired was latest and close the current developments

Disconfirming facts: They were there but completely overruled by confirming facts

1. Information accuracy: Since team was free to explore various information sources to gather

their answers, big question was “is the source of information accurate” …

In our approach we mitigated this concern through the expert assessment during presentation.  There is good mechanism available in our approach to mitigate this concern. Hence this  disconfirmation fact could not sustain ground.

2. Timelines: Time provided to the team to gather information. We found that 1 week is sizeable

time to gather information regarding 10 questions on new topic. Given the ample availability

3. Efficiency of Team: Many fixed mindset stakeholders brought up this concern as disconfirming

fact that team members spending time in gathering information is going to bring down their  current efficiency. However, during test pilot, we did not observe any of such impact.

Approach:

Through design thinking and leveraging structured approach towards solving problem democratically  and by engaging everybody in process we collectively design and developed this new learning model for  my team. This approach was addressing most of the critical challenges and was also empowering team  members to self learn the subjects.

There was no any restrictions to anybody other than timelines and presentations sessions which  enabled team members to elevate their knowledgebase and mainly whole team bought this concept  whole heartedly.

Now we are in a cycle of enhancing this model further and defining future roadmap. I current modelling  we engaged only within our team and built this framework. We are planning to go next level where we  will be engaging various teams who can contribute towards this. These teams are product management,  Tech. Strategy, learning & development etc. Adding more cross functional teams will add onto more  wider perspectives to the program which will take it to next level.


Collaborative learning : Go - For - IT program Learning Launch Challenge I lead technical solution engineering team of experienced telecom engineers . My team is distributed globally . Role of my team is to act as a technology consultants and steer technical discussions to close sales . Telecom domain is changing rapidly , my challenge was to ensure team is up to the speed with the latest technologies and keep their knowledge updated . This would help my team to provide right consultative advice to sales team to successfully close the sales . Another challenge was to deal with time zones and to deal with it effectively . I wanted to have my team participate in its full attention and energy span while acquiring training sessions . Being globally distributed it was economically not viable to arrange in person trainings for teams . We tried so may various smart options like sharing documents , videos and training materials on cloud / ftp server etc . but could not achieve desired results . Challenge shared by team they they could n’t get enough time to spend on the training material in busy schedule . Application : For our launch to the program we decided to come up with the ideas which will address challenges and encourage the team members to learn new things . We scheduled a 1 - day workshop to brainstorm and discuss some of the ideas to over come this challenge . During workshop We identified traditional learning models and started thinking beyond those . Some ideas came on table are , designing application to learn on the go this app would include the specific training which we want to deliver another idea came up was creating a cheat sheet with all important aspects of new technology area . After assessing those ideas , those were still not fit to address our challenges . We had to schedule second workshop to discuss more and this time we targeted to think out of the box by using silly ideas and we learn that any idea is not silly even if it looks like . Finally , team came up with an idea to have open book questions every week on topic we want them to learn . This how we designed 3 stage approach for self learning : 1 . Identify : New technologies to know will be identified by team members and every Friday we will release set of questions on topic to the team every Friday , 2 . Acquire : Team members should work on getting answers for those questions within specific timeframe by leveraging all resources they could have ( e.g. Google , Books , Training sessions , speak to expert etc .. ) and submit their answers to program moderator 3 . Present your knowledge to team : For conclusion - We asked team members to present their understanding on topic for 15 minutes to entire team Now its time to test the idea . Insight : We planned to run test program on our idea to see its viability . We also decided to run it within specific timeframe . Since this was self study knowledge acquisition process for my team , I also wanted to ensure that team members are getting the right knowledge and concepts . We learned very interesting confirming facts which was adding a great value to my team . Confirming Facts : What worked well in this approach was 1 . Exploration for information : This triggered team members to search various sources and refer details to find appropriate answers . Unknowingly everyone was getting to know something new during this process 2 . Flexibility – There was 1 - week time frame to the set of 10 questions which enabled team members not to use their personal time and find enough time to find answers 3 . Increased collaboration : We intentionally did not plan to have restrictions on team members . It is completely open book questions assessment . This encouraged them to talk to each other about the topic and questions . Which was also indirectly increasing collaboration between them . 4 . New Perspectives : Team members went beyond the information they refereed through various sources but also started thinking about how new learning can be applied in practice 5 . Increased knowledge about the subject : We engaged subject matter expert from organization to attend the presentations of the team . He assessed and confirmed that the candidates are aware about the subject . 6 . Increased confidence to talk on subject : Since there was a fearless 15 minutes presentation slot provided to each , team members started feeling confident to talk about those subjects . It also acted as dry run for us to identify improvement areas of the team members . 7 . Latest knowledge up to the Speed : Process of knowledge acquisition was through all available sources , so knowledge acquired was latest and close the current developments Disconfirming facts : They were there but completely overruled by confirming facts 1 . Information accuracy : Since team was free to explore various information sources to gather their answers , big question was “ is the source of information accurate ” … In our approach we mitigated this concern through the expert assessment during presentation . There is good mechanism available in our approach to mitigate this concern . Hence this disconfirmation fact could not sustain ground . 2 . Timelines : Time provided to the team to gather information . We found that 1 week is sizeable time to gather information regarding 10 questions on new topic . Given the ample availability 3 . Efficiency of Team : Many fixed mindset stakeholders brought up this concern as disconfirming fact that team members spending time in gathering information is going to bring down their current efficiency . However , during test pilot , we did not observe any of such impact . Approach : Through design thinking and leveraging structured approach towards solving problem democratically and by engaging everybody in process we collectively design and developed this new learning model for my team . This approach was addressing most of the critical challenges and was also empowering team members to self learn the subjects . There was no any restrictions to anybody other than timelines and presentations sessions which enabled team members to elevate their knowledgebase and mainly whole team bought this concept whole heartedly . Now we are in a cycle of enhancing this model further and defining future roadmap . I current modelling we engaged only within our team and built this framework . We are planning to go next level where we will be engaging various teams who can contribute towards this . These teams are product management , Tech . Strategy , learning & development etc . Adding more cross functional teams will add onto more wider perspectives to the program which will take it to next level .