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Performance consulting is an approach to helping companies optimize the performance of their employees and the organization as a whole. It emphasizes achieving clearly identified business goals.

To produce business results, performance consultants conduct analysis, design training interventions, monitor intervention success, and make data-informed revisions to the interventions as needed.

Business executives and senior management often engage performance consultants when they recognize that their employees are not performing to the desired standards or meeting the required metrics. Here are a few examples of human performance issues that performance consultants can help resolve:

Cashiers for a nationwide grocery chain are ringing people up too slowly, resulting in customers leaving the store before buying anything because the lines are too long.

A highly qualified sales team is consistently failing to meet its sales goals because they don't fully understand the products that they're trying to sell.

Patients are leaving bad feedback on exit surveys for a city hospital because the nursing staff treat them poorly during their stay.

It's also important to note that some instructional designers refer to themselves as performance consultants, and some performance consultants refer to themselves as instructional designers. The title is not as important as the approach itself.

So, for the purposes of this article, we will refer to anyone who uses the performance improvement consulting approach as a performance consultant.

Let's take a closer look at what performance consultants do to help improve employee performance.

Identify the business goal

The first order of business for a performance consultant is to speak with the client and stakeholders to determine the business goal that they would like to achieve. The goal should be specific, measurable, and attainable. This four-part goal includes:

The business metric that the organization is hoping to influence

The percent by which the organization expects to increase or decrease the business metric

The date by which the organization expects to achieve the goal

The specific group that must behave differently to help achieve the goal, as well as what they must do to contribute to the goal.

Let's consider the business goal for the cashier example that we introduced above. Remember: the cashiers are checking people out too slowly, and this results in lower sales.

Time-per-transaction will decrease 20% by Q4 as cashiers adhere to the proper checkout protocols.

Determining this goal upfront is extremely important because it's what all future efforts will be tied to. The performance consultant can likely derive the first, metrics-oriented part of the goal by speaking to the client and other key leadership personnel at the client's company.

However, to identify the second part of the business goal that focuses on the job group and what they must do differently, the consultant may interview a curated selection of employees who are in the targeted group.

This approach ensures that the proceeding efforts are tied to achieving a clear business goal. Setting a goal like this also makes it easier to define the value that the performance consultant's efforts will bring to the business.
Learn more about how to identify the business goal for performance improvement.
Analyze the performance problem

With the business goal in place, the consultant begins interviewing, surveying, and observing employees to determine why they aren't doing what they should be to support the business goal.

Performance consultants do not assume that training will resolve the performance problem or bring the business closer to the goal.

Even when training is part of the solution, it's rarely the only solution. Let's consider non-training problems that a performance consultant may uncover during analysis:

The point-of-sale software that the cashiers are using cannot keep up with how quickly they are trying to scan the products.

The marketing team funnels leads to the sales team, but the leads do not match the sales team's desired target audience (although this may indicate a reason to provide training for the marketing staff).

The nurses are assigned to care for more patients than they could possibly attend to in a single night.

For non-training problems like this, performance consultants recommend solutions that the business can implement without designing or delivering any training. Building off the examples above, a performance consultant may recommend upgrading the point-of-sale software, developing a better lead generation strategy, or hiring additional nursing staff.

However, if the performance consultant determines that the problem is caused by a lack of knowledge or skill, then it may be in their wheelhouse to design (or manage a team to design) the solutions.

Learn more about what a needs assessment is and how to conduct one.

Design and deliver the intervention(s)

After identifying a knowledge or skill gap as part of the performance issue, the performance consultant produces performance support and practice activities to address the issue.

Practice activities allow employees to practice using the knowledge and skills that they will need to use on-the-job, and the formats for these activitiesinclude in-person workshops, self-paced eLearning, virtual webinars, and more (this depends on results from the analysis).

Depending on the size of the project and the performance consultant's skill set, the consultant may outsource training development tasks to a team. Regardless, the consultant ensures that the interventions are aimed at modifying behavior and improving on-the-job performance.

Once the performance consultant has prototyped, developed, and refined the training solutions, they work with business stakeholders to deliver the training to the employees. Performance consultants may also help facilitate internal negotiations surrounding the proposed non-training interventions.

Monitor learning, performance, and goal progress

Monitoring learning, performance, and organizational data brings us into the domain of evaluation. During evaluation, the performance consultant collects and analyzes data to determine the effectiveness of the interventions.

Again, depending on the consultant's skill set and the size of the project, the consultant may outsource data analysis to a data scientist or statistician. There are two key types of data that performance consultants analyze:

Learning data

Learning data tells us how employees interact with the training. The performance consultant analyzes data from surveys, interviews, learning record stores (LRS), and learning management systems (LMS) to answer the following questions:

Is the training functional? Are employees able to use it without unnecessary friction?

Are employees enjoying the training? Is it as relevant to their jobs as we predicted?

Do the learning resources (job aids, on-demand content, etc.) help the employees perform better on the practice activities?

Are the employees performing better on the practice activities over time?

For those familiar with the Kirkpatrick model of evaluation, learning data falls within the first two levels of evaluation. It primarily tells us how employees are reacting to the training and whether or not they are learning new knowledge and skills.

Performance data

Performance data tells us how the employees are performing on the job. In addition to surveys and interviews, performance consultants view data from company sales systems, internal software, and customer feedback to determine if employee behavior is changing as desired.

The performance consultant also monitors organizational data or communicates with stakeholders who have access to such data. As the targeted job group begins behaving or performing as desired due to the intervention(s), then the organization should make progress towards the pre-identified business goal.

Revise the intervention(s) as needed

The data shows where the intervention is succeeding and where there is room for it to improve. After analyzing the data and drawing valid conclusions, the performance consultant presents their findings to the client and proposes adjustments to the intervention.

This creates a feedback loop to ensure that the intervention improves employee performance as efficiently as possible. Once the organization achieves the business goal and the intervention is optimized, the performance consultant may continue monitoring in case further optimization is needed, or they may continue to serve the organization on an advisory basis.

Conclusion

In conclusion, performance consultants work with organizations to solve issues pertaining to human performance. They solve these issues by drawing on their skills in analysis, training design, project management, communication, and evaluation.

While some performance consultants specialize, organizations may prefer to work directly with a single performance consultant who can oversee the performance improvement process from start to finish.

If you'd like to further discuss the performance consultant's role and how one can benefit your organization, feel free to contact me for a prompt response.

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Performance consulting is an approach to helping companies optimize the performance of their employees and the organization as a whole. It emphasizes achieving clearly identified business goals. To produce business results, performance consultants conduct analysis, design training interventions, monitor intervention success, and make data-informed revisions to the interventions as needed.

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This question changed my life. I used to consider myself a wonderful trainer. And why not? My sessions are always engaging and the feedback that I receive is ever encouraging. I have over 10 relevant certifications and I always tried to improve my content and delivery style based on benchmarks and best practices. I religiously used the Learning cycle to structure all my sessions and ensured that my learners practiced and performed what they were supposed to learn. Man! Wasn't I proud of my modus operandi?

But one question shook my convictions, nevertheless. The question in point was posed by at an event. Let me borrow it from him. Choose any 2 from the following solutions, which have helped you effectively to learn, remember and apply to performance challenges in your own life -

1) eLearning

2) Virtual Learning

3) Coaching and mentoring

4) On the Job training

5) Instructor led classroom

6) Trial and error in the workflow

I am sure you answered with either 3, 4 or 6, right? And those are the answers that Bob got from us as well. Almost no one said 1, 2 or 5. And nearly 100% of our efforts in L&D are built around designing class room or eLearning experiences. And these were our the least preferred modes of learning, remembering and applying. Phew!

This got me very interested in the ' 5 moments of learning need ', proposed by Bob & Conrad Gottfredson . According to this model, there are particular moments, or situations, when a learner requires certain information in order to perform assigned tasks more efficiently and effectively.

1. Learning for the first time and 2. Learning more

Receiving instruction about a particular subject, skill or responsibility for the first time is the primary 'Moment of Need'.

1 and 2 are situations we are very familiar with. Both new hires and existing members of staff have this need. After employees have received instructions and applied the learning, there is a good chance they will want to acquire further knowledge and develop their learning. Regardless of whether this is from a personal growth perspective or to carry out tasks and duties more efficiently, this is part two of the 'Moments of Need'. Traditionally we have been quite good at designing to meet these needs.

3. Applying what you've learned

From my experience as a trainer and coach, I have realized that the greatest challenge lies in fulfilling need number 3.

Suppose you delivered a wonderful Leadership training course in which you have taught the attendees the steps in delegating effectively. During the course, you presented your content, got them to practice and even conducted role play exercises. You are a 100 percent sure that they have absorbed the lessons. So far so good.

But the most important aspect to remember of any training is that the skills that are imparted are never needed right at that point in time.

Trainees may need to use these skills at the workplace maybe after a few days or weeks, and at that point, they have no resources to support them other than an abandoned king-sized binder. This is the Moment of truth for a learner.

He or she would barely remember the training and have no way of getting support. Long story short, at the moment they need to apply what they learnt, the training and the trainer failed them.

4. When things go wrong (Problem Solving)

When trainees are unsure of the solution to a problem, they should know where to find the information they need.

Consequently, Need 4 is when problems arise, or things break or don't work the way they were intended. Your trainees must be confident in their knowledge in order to solve unanticipated problems.

Following on from the same 'delegating effectively' scenario from above,the trained Manager tries to delegate work and the employee refuses to take it up. He/she complains that the Manager is overloading her with work and is very unfair when it comes to work distribution. What should the Manager do? We draw a blank here. Our entire focus was on the classroom and we didn't consider challenging situations that could arise at the point of application.

5. When things change

The final 'Moment of Need' occurs when employees must change or adapt the way they carry out the tasks. A policy, product, system of process change could trigger this need.

While this might sound straightforward, it does throw up some challenges as individuals have to effectively unlearn an existing notion and then learn a new one, which could be dissimilar. This is another need that we simply fail to satisfy.

This helped me: Performance Support Tools.

Nowadays, if someone asks me to design a training to bridge a knowledge or skill gap, the first question I ask is "Where would the person be applying it?"

Once I get the answer to that, I will design a simple performance support tool that will help the learner apply what he has learnt at the point of application. It could be a checklist or a video or a job aide.I will also list the most common issues that could arise while applying the learning along with the strategies to handle them.

Having taken care of every individual's preparedness for the real-world challenges that will follow, I don't try to tackle the 5th moment of need preemptively, as I have no way to anticipate the nature of change.

And what do I do in my classroom sessions? I base my training and activities on these Performance support tools and help the trainees use them to carry out their tasks. By incorporating the issues and questions that arise from these activities, I enrich and develop my Performance support tools continuously.

How have these changes improved the effectiveness of what I do? Well, in a recent survey that was conducted on a full organizational scale, 89% of Managers strongly agreed that trainees are applying what they had learned, as well as influencing business results positively. And this correlated with the relevant KPIs as well. Isn't that cool- a simple question that transformed me from a class-room tiger to a Capability Enabler.

I exhort you to learn more about the 5 moments and to embrace that model at work.
Dr. Sangeeth Ibrahim is a trainer and coach who expresses his purpose as #MissionInspire1Million. He is also a best-selling author and TEDx Speaker.

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5 Moments of Learning Need: Learning and Development Expert Blog

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This question changed my life. I used to consider myself a wonderful trainer. And why not? My sessions are always engaging and the feedback that I receive is ever encouraging. I have over 10 relevant certifications and I always tried to improve my content and delivery style based on benchmarks and best practices.

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A New Paradigm For Corporate Training: Learning In The Flow of Work – JOSH BERSIN

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A New Paradigm For Corporate Training: Learning In The Flow of Work – JOSH BERSIN

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A New Paradigm For Corporate Training: Learning In The Flow of Work

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The corporate training market is over $200 billion around the world[1] and it's going through a revolution. While we often think of training as programs or courses, a new paradigm has arrived, one I call "Learning in the Flow of Work." Let me explain.

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Learning In The Flow Of Work: Arriving Now – JOSH BERSIN

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Learning In The Flow Of Work: Arriving Now – JOSH BERSIN

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Several months ago I started writing about Learning in The Flow Of Work, an idea based on many trends in the workforce today. (video details below.) Well, I want to give you an update: a lot of progress is happening.

On the technology side, almost every learning vendor is now adding tools to support this paradigm. Filtered is providing learning recommendations via chat. Braidio is delivering workstreams to curate learning. LinkedIn now has live recommendations of learning as you read. Udemy has announced a plugin for Workplace by Facebook. And almost every learning provider is looking at integrations for Salesforce, Office365, and Slack.

Where is all this going? Let me give you an example using a series of announcements just made this week.
Replacing the Learning Portal: EdCast announced deep integration with Office 365, Salesforce, ServiceNow, and Slack.
EdCast is one of the hot companies in the fast-growing category of Learning Experience Platforms. As I discussed in a prior article, the company's platform integrates, recommends, and curates all types of information (training, documents, digital assets, people), then recommends and arranges them into learning paths.

Let me show you what they've done. Imagine you have a product like EdCast which has indexed and categorized all the learning programs in your LMS. And you then connect it to LinkedIn Learning, SkillSoft, Harvard Manage Mentor, and all your other content providers. Has EdCast just become your new learning portal?

Well yes, you could set it up that way, and that's the traditional approach most companies take. Now the LXP has become the front-end to learning, and it's much more engaging with its iTunes-like interface. But it's still a learning destination, and you have to have time to go use it. And people don't have a lot of time.

As I wrote about in the article " Heavy Learners Are Happier Than Their Peers " , the new research I just completed with LinkedIn shows that people don't spend much time "learning" at work (only 7% spend more than a few hours a week), and they're quite overwhelmed with emails and messages. So it's actually hard to make time to go to the "learning portal," no matter how great it is.

What about a different approach? What if the learning appeared in your "systems of productivity" like Office 365, Salesforce, ServiceNow, or Slack? Thanks to the AI and machine learning interface in EdCast (or another LXP), the content you need is now automatically "recommended" and "displayed" right as you work, based on the text you type or conversations you have.

Suppose you're building a PowerPoint presentation about student loans? You can look up a small micro-learning course on the market as you build the slides. Or suppose you're chatting with your manager in Slack about the best way to run a meeting? A micro-learning video on leadership could appear. Or let's say you're in your company's HR portal and you're a case in ServiceNow to get your PC battery fixed? A video on how to upgrade it could appear.

Sounds like magic, doesn't it.

Well, now it's possible. Take a look at what these vendors have done:
Learning Integrated with Office365 (EdCast)

Learning Integrated with Slack (EdCast)

Learning Integrated With Salesforce (EdCast)

Learning Integrated with Microsoft Teams (Filtered)

This Is Just The Beginning
There is a lot more to come. Microsoft and LinkedIn are working on integrations like this to bring LinkedIn Learning content right into the Office experience. SkillSoft has a plugin for Chrome that displays learning content while you type into the browser.

And Microsoft is coming on strong. While I was in Europe recently several of the CLOs I met with told me they are standardizing on Office 365 and Microsoft Teams. Guess what. Every one of them is trying to figure out how to make Microsoft Teams into an integrated learning experience.

I'm not saying that learning management systems, learning portals, and online academies are going away. Not at all. But the writing is on the wall: many of these platform vendors have to learn to integrate, display, and intelligently recommend their content in these real "systems of productivity." Because that's where we spend our time.

And this means also displaying and recommending content in the performance management system, compensation and benefits system, and just about every other employee-facing system we use.

The real key will be intelligently recommending the right content to each user in a personalized way. Should the system locate content that matches text? Should the system know your role and tenure? Should it recommend content based on your personal activity history? These are the things companies like EdCast, Filtered, and others are working on - making learning ever-more relevant in the flow of work.
What Algorithms To Use: How Do We Make Content Relevant?
A key part of this new market is making content most relevant for each user. This is tricker than it may seem.

I had a long talk with the engineering lead for Facebook's ad serving technology and he told me there are thousands of rules that decide what ad you see at various points in time within Facebook. Google has similar algorithms in the recommendation engine for YouTube and its search ads. Is this essentially the same problem?

Absolutely not. Remember, as I discussed in the last article on the topic, learning is not a problem of enticing you to consume more (advertising clearly is). Rather it's a problem of getting you to consume less! We want the learning and support materials to be so perfectly targeted that we immediately look at them, learn, and go back to work.

And there are other issues to consider. I recently met with 50+ L&D execs in life sciences and pharmaceuticals and some of them are very concerned about non-validated or unverified content being distributed to sales or clinicians. Will you want to check and test all the content that's delivered? I know some organizations will.

It's going to take some nifty AI, lots of data, and innovative thinking to find ways to do this well. But I see it coming soon. Vendors like EdCast, LinkedIn, SkillSoft, Axonify, Instructure, SAP, Cornerstone, and many others are working hard at this, and I think it will be here sooner than you think.
Stay Tuned
Next month I'll be launching the research report HR Technology Market 2019 with more information on this technology more. Register here for more information and stay tuned.

As always I would love to hear your comments, examples, and experiences with Learning in the Flow of Work.

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Learning In The Flow Of Work: Arriving Now - JOSH BERSIN

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Corporate learning is more important than ever.. but people dont have enough time. The answer? Learning in the flow of work - learn all about how to apply micro-learning and learning in the flow of work in this article and video.

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Performance Support Tools: From Quick Reference Guides To Mobile Apps

If you were asked what you ate for dinner 3 weeks ago, would you remember? On average, we forget 80% of what has happened, including what we've learned, in the past 30 days.

Now, let's apply this concept to the workplace. A recent study suggests that 19.8% of the business time-the equivalent of one day per working week-is wasted by employees searching for information to do their job effectively. Regardless of how experienced an employee is with regard to a particular topic, employees are bound to need refreshers.

At our core, we're learners. Learners who seek growth and development, but don't always have the correct tools to do so. Research demonstrates that a significant portion of information learned is quickly forgotten, especially when participating in formal training programs.

But, what is Performance Support?

"A tool or resource, ranging from print to technology-supported, which provides just the right amount of task guidance, support, and productivity benefits to the user, precisely at the moment of need." - Marc Rosenberg

Ranging from written (post-it notes, quick reference notes, etc.) to electronic (apps, learning portals, etc.), Performance Support Tools have one goal: to increase performance and productivity.

We know that learning programs are most effective when they extend beyond a single training event. With shortening attention spans, we rely on grab-and-go information more than ever, in our daily lives and in our workplaces. By combining learning opportunities in class or online with the implementation of a Performance Support System, we can improve on-the-job performance with quick and accessible resources at the moment of need.

So, how do we differentiate between the types of Performance Support Tools and which works best in any given situation?

10 Types Of Performance Support Tools

1. Quick Reference Guides

Compiling post-it notes on your desk is a hassle and quite frankly, makes your job more frustrating when it comes to accessing all the information you need at a moment's notice. A QRG is a piece of reference content that quickly gives the learner the information they need to keep working at the moment. For example, in a medical facility, consider how many medical codes the billing department is tasked with understanding. A QRG providing a list of common codes would allow its users to process bills more quickly and accurately.

2. Infographics

Information processed visually has been shown to transmit messages faster and improve overall comprehension. Infographics do just that. They provide a visual representation of useful content to assist the learning process. Infographics can include charts and graphs, visual step-by-step instructions, diagrams, and more.

3. Process Maps

Process maps allow employees to discover how a task fits into the context of the procedure as a whole. Without the big-picture view, it can be difficult to understand why specific steps are required. Process maps provide both upstream and downstream views for a complete picture. The help teams collaborate and eliminate job "silo-ing".

4. eLearning

By making eLearning modules available for review outside the context of the initial training requirements and without the stresses of being tested, learners can browse training as a refresher. New employees can be referred to training to provide insight into their new jobs. And experienced employees can access these modules as a means of professional growth.

5. Mobile Apps

Mobile apps are especially useful for employees who don't have immediate access to a computer or paper resource.

For example, Dashe & Thomson worked with a company to develop pest elimination training for service specialists in the field. In that role, the specialists need a lot of knowledge about past behaviors and elimination strategies to recommend best practices for the homeowner. Implementing a mobile app replaced the service specialists' need to refer to a textbook in their vehicles, offering an immediate, on-site, mobile solution.

6. eBooks/Interactive PDFs

Chances are, you aren't using your PDFs to their fullest potential. Once a document has been converted to PDF format, interactive features such as buttons, videos, attached files of supporting information, and more can be added. With these capabilities, you're able to take complex information and convert it into a document the learner can navigate themselves to find the information they need. Learner engagement and learning retention both improve when a learner has control over their own process.

7. How-To-Videos

Much of what we learn involves watching someone else accomplish a task first. How many times have you referenced a YouTube how-to-video for something like how to change a tire on a car? How-to-videos can be a perfect launching pad to understand the steps involved in performing a complex task.

Similarly, this concept can be applied to the workplace. How-to-videos can be extremely useful for learning new software or efficient practices. Take a look at this how-to-video explaining how to create a pivot table in Excel.

8. FAQs

FAQs are useful when a company is initiating a change, such as a new website upgrade or software launch. With change comes questions, and FAQs can provide answers to common concerns that employees may have, leading up to, and including implementation.

9. Checklists

Checklists are most effective when trying to accomplish complex tasks, to ensure each step is completed and all key points are addressed. They can also be helpful when many employees need to perform the same tasks in the same order, or the same way.

10. Learning Portals

A learning portal is a centralized repository of all learning content the learner needs to access on the job. Portals contain job aids, QRGs, FAQs, eLearning modules, and more, and represent a single source of truth. Learning portals require ongoing maintenance since employees use this tool as a reliable source of updated data.

Work Smarter, Not Harder

In the "information age", we need to work smarter and faster. In a need-to-know situation, employees prefer to find and absorb the required information quickly and efficiently-making Performance Support Tools an ideal option to deliver content.

When used in conjunction with traditional training methods, Performance Support Tools can effectively leverage the power of application and retention.
References:
Nalkar, S. (2017, February). How Performance Support Systems Accelerate User Performance

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10 Types Of Performance Support Tools From Quick Reference Guides To Mobile Apps - eLearning Industry

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Wondering what some major types of Performance Support Tools are, from quick reference guides to mobile apps? Check here the 10most important types of Performance Support Tools form quick reference guides to mobile apps that you can use for your own benefit today.

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Are Performance Support Tools Different From Training? What Performance Support Tools Are

In simple terms, Performance Support Tools or PSTs are job aids designed to provide learners with on-the-job support just when they need it.

Some of their typical characteristics are:

They are meant to provide support and guidance to employees when at work.

They address a specific challenge.

They can be easily accessed by employees and are usually embedded directly into their workflow.

Performance Support is not a new concept. It started surfacing nearly three decades ago. As Gloria Gery, a key proponent of Performance Support, points out,

" Performance Support focuses on work itself while training focuses on the learning required to do the work. Integrating resources in the workplace is inevitable, and the need is urgent. Filtering resources so people get the tools and resources they need while actively working is the goal. Work process and roles are the primary filters. The mechanisms vary: Portals, performance-centered workflow interfaces, enterprise applications, integration projects, etc, but what's important is that performer be able to name that tune in one note, to perform in exemplary fashion."

While the concept is over thirty years old, it is finding its spot under the sun now. With increased focus on ROI by Learning and Development teams and businesses seeking clear and demonstrable gains, the usage of PSTs is finally gaining momentum.

How Are Performance Support Tools Different From Training?

PSTs complement formal training. While the knowledge gain to acquire this skill would happen through formal training, PSTs are provided to learners as just-in-time aids to facilitate application of the acquired skill. They are highly definitive in nature typically designed to address a specific challenge or problem.

Let me showcase how this would work practically:

Typical approach.
Assume that an employee needs to do a task that he is not fully familiar with (for instance, his tasks need to be done now with an application released recently). He is likely to ask a colleague or his manager or he may review online help of the software tool. Or, he may go back to the supporting training material. You can imagine the time involved in this path.

PST based approach.
On the other hand, the required information can be converted to a short microlearning nugget of a few minutes run length (as a ready reckoner that addresses typical user queries). In this approach, the user now has the access to the information exactly when he needs it (within his work-flow, on his smartphone) and in a format that enables him to get an immediate resolution of his query.

The word you would associate with training is " instruct" whereas the word you would associate with Performance Support is " perform". When it comes to training, it's just learning that's happening and work takes a break (or is postponed) whereas with Performance Support, it's learn and work at the same time.

We can also look at how Performance Support Tools are different from training in the following ways:

Learners take a training to learn a new concept or skill or obtain more knowledge about that concept or skill whereas Performance Support has more to do with application of that concept or skill and problem-solving.

Learners usually require training when there is an indentified gap of skills or knowledge that needs to be bridged or when something needs to be explained about a concept in detail. When it comes to Performance Support, learners need it on-the-job to make troubleshooting a snap and fix problems instantly.

Learners will be taking a fixed time off to take a formal training whereas with Performance Support, it's more about getting access to the job aid whenever they need it while at work and there is no fixed time as such to go through a PST.

The goal of a formal training is to help learners acquire knowledge and new skills whereas PSTs are meant to help learners complete their tasks at hand.

With training, the learning is structured whereas learning happens incidentally with PSTs.

Do PSTs Replace Formal Training?

As we have noted, PSTs are different from training. However, it is important to note that PSTs are not a replacement for formal training. They complement formal training and can be used to make formal trainings more interesting and meaningful by helping learners not just acquire knowledge but apply it on the job.

Speaking about knowledge acquisition and its application, it is a known fact that there is a significant gap between the two and business gains come about when there is a substantial impact created by the latter. It is here that PSTs serve as a boon for Learning and Development professionals in terms of helping learners apply the learning on the job and demonstrating a positive impact on the business.

Why Should You Use PSTs?

For learners, especially of the current generation, learning and working simultaneously is a key aspect. In addition, they like learning and working informally.

PSTs are a great tool to boost employee performance as they:

Help learners learn and perform tasks independently, without them having to seek external help.

Help avoid wastage of time in terms of senior employees guiding lesser experienced employees.

Equip employees to complete their tasks in a shorter time and with the desired quality even if they don't get access to formal training.

Simplify tasks for employees and help them understand complex tasks easily.

Familiarize learners to new systems or updates in their workflow/process.

Can PSTs Impact The Bottomline?

As I had highlighted earlier, PSTs are easily available and usually embedded directly into the learners' workflow helping organizations provide the required task support and step up the productivity quotient of their employees. They are typically designed to address a specific challenge.

On account of this, some of the gains that PSTs provide are:

Increase in productivity.

Increase in quality.

Decrease in errors.

Improved turn-around time for a task.

Better service (on account of quicker resolution).

All of these have a direct impact on your bottom-line.

How Can PSTs Be Used?

PSTs can be used in various ways. Specifically:

They serve the purpose of informal learning really well.

You can use them to complement formal training and bring about greater application of that learning on the job.

You can use them to offer instant learning by making them available in learners' work-flow, ensuring that they get access to them just when they need.

They are multi-device compatible and can be offered in mLearning or mobile learning formats helping learners access them on the device of their choice.

They gel well with the concept of microlearning and when done so, the impact can be higher.

They also have ample scope for integration of other innovative approaches such as gamification, social learning, story-based learning (storytorials), scenario-based learning, guided exploration, and so on.

What Are The Formats That Can Be Used To Design PSTs?

Today, you are spoilt for choice in the range of formats that you can use to create PSTs. I am listing 10 PST options based on the microlearning technique and feature several high impact, rich media formats:

Interactive parallax based scrolling.

Mobile apps.

Complex branching scenarios.

Videos.

Interactive videos.

Whiteboard animation.

Kinetic text based animation.

Infographics.

Interactive PDFs

eBooks and flipbooks.

Examples

I have picked 3 examples from this listing:

Example 1: Interactive Parallax Based Scrolling

Mandate: To reinforce the key aspects of Data Security (to drive the required behavior).

This solution is a short information nugget on Data Security, a crucial part of the Compliance mandate of various organizations.

This nugget is part of a larger suite of courses on Compliance that we have developed. The nugget is in a responsive web-based training format. It is best viewed in a desktop or laptop but can also be viewed on tablets and smartphones.

The information provided is a prequel to a comprehensive module on Data Security and provides preliminary information about the subject.

The learner needs to basically take a "scrolling" journey. A fictional character of "Data Dave" is introduced to the learner at the beginning who takes the learner through three offices with varying levels of data security and provides tips and best practices to protect data along the way. The engaging visuals and conversational language coupled with interactivities at various stages make the complete journey engaging.

Example 2: Mobile App

Mandate: To reinforce time management essentials (to drive usage at work).

Mobile being a preferred medium of new-age learners in terms of hassle-free and quick learning, we developed this Android app on "Time Management".

Designed for the typical swipe and tap navigation, the app eases the learners into the basics of time management with a few tips in short phrases. It then presents before the learners a gamified quiz to engage them and let them enjoy a "game-like" learning experience.

The element of obtaining a high score and completing the quiz/task within the prescribed time limit gets the learners to actively participate and give them a sense of achievement upon successfully completing the quiz, effectively serving the purpose of "sticky learning" and bringing about the required application of knowledge at work.
Also Read:
Example 3: Infographics

Mandate: Summarising the essence of our journey as a custom content development company as 6 takeaways.

This infographic captures the essence of our journey as a custom content development company in the form of 6 takeaways. The content for this was originally written in the form of an article when we completed development of 6000 hours of eLearning content development, providing in-depth insights on the key takeaways of our journey.

While people do enjoy reading articles, there are those who do not have enough time to go through the complete content. This infographic is ideal for such people and others who would want to get the gist of what they want to know in a jiffy. The crisp messaging and easy-on-the-eye design helps learners learn what they want to in a relatively shorter time. It's not just "just-in-time" but "just what's needed" as well.

I hope this article provides the required insights on how Performance Support is different from training and the role it plays in engaging employees. More specifically, the featured examples should help you identify how you can potentially use PSTs in your organization. If you have any queries on how to integrate PSTs in your training delivery, do contact me at apandey@eidesign.net.

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How Are Performance Support Tools Different From Training? 3 PST Examples Featuring Microlearning - eLearning Industry

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In simple terms, Performance Support Tools or PSTs are job aids designed to provide learners with on-the-job support just when they need it. Some of their typical characteristics are: They are meant to provide support and guidance to employees when at work. They address a specific challenge.

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Performance Support Is Actually More Than Just Training

Imagine going for training on how to use a piece of new machinery that your company has decided to invest in. 2 months later, the first shipment comes in. You try your hand at it... and you don't remember how to operate it. Well, according to research, chances are, you would already have forgotten 70% of the content within 48 hours of your training. So what do you do?

You end up googling, asking your colleagues, people at the support desk, etc. Even though these forms of informal learning eventually lead to a solution, but they are not consistent and amount to a huge waste of resources coupled with low time-to-productivity.

Training and Performance Support - Is there any Difference?

There are many L&D departments that focus on Instructional Design and measurement of learning. They provide workers with training services that focus a lot on learning skills. However, training alone is not enough for you to do your work well. You need Performance Support to complement training, and this is the part where the focus is on the application of a skill, where this kind of support allows workers to improve their skill efficiency. To better illustrate this, there is a summary of the differences between training and Performance Support below.

Purpose
Learning new skills or expand upon a previous skill

Applying a skill, solving problems, or changing performance practices

When it is needed
When one has to learn a new skill or brush up on a skill, usually as a result of a new job scope

When one is at his job and needs to apply a skill, and refers to materials to help him

Availability for a worker
A fixed amount of time is taken off work - usually, each session is an hour long,for workers to be trained/ Time needed: 1 hour or more

At the point of need, only a short amount of time is available for him/her to refer to materials as he/she needs to focus on getting his/her work done/ Time available: Less than 10 minutes

Goal
Gain skill and knowledge

Finish work tasks

We Already Make Use Of Performance Support Everyday
To better illustrate Performance Support in an everyday life example, when we usually need to learn something on the fly- how to open a bottle of wine or how to dice carrots - we tend to search for information either on our mobile phones or electronic devices. Such information is usually presented to us in small chunks of written information (eg. in the wiki how - short, succinct, Step-By-Step guides with some photos) or a short video (usually a direct and to-the-point demonstration of how to do something in less than 2 minutes).
Apply This In Your Company And See The Difference
We use these resources to help us every day because they are convenient and they require little time as they are easily digestible and effective. What we need, we get- available right at our fingertips. Now, that is definitely a leaf that companies can take from what we are already doing in our everyday lives unknowingly. Imagine that you were able to get access to videos of how to operate, troubleshoot and change parts of that new piece of machinery in your company. That would make things so much more efficient!

I recently read an article about how the oil and gas industry is making use of mobile learning in Qatar as a means of Performance Support. Workers who are often on the field need to get access to some technical terms in English that are specific to the industry. They make use of an app which provides them with Just-In-Time information whenever they need it. All 30 of the employees at Qatar Petroleum gave good feedback about how it allowed them to improve their communication skills. These are the kind of benefits that Performance Support can give to workers.

3 Important Features Of Performance Support Tools

With that, here are 3 important features that Performance Support Tools need to have in order for them to be effective: Convenient, User-Friendly, and Relevant.

Convenient
How easy is it to luge around these resources? Do your workers have to carry a stack of papers around to refer to them when they are off-site? If they do, chances are, you will not get very favorable responses from your workers. "Electronic Performance Support Systems" (EPSSs), usually available on mobile devices, are known to be really convenient with amazing take-up rates for the sole reason that workers already have their own personal mobile device, to begin with.

User-Friendly
If your workers are going to have to navigate through tons of information before finding the one that best suits his needs, chances are, they are not going to use them very often. With that, easy search functions and organization of these resources are crucial to Just-In-Time Learning.

Relevant
Workers do not want to refer to information that has already been outdated for 2 years or read 2 whole pages of resources only to find what they need in the 2nd last paragraph. The need for resources to be updated and to-the-point is extremely crucial in Performance Support. EPSSs are particularly useful for easy version control where resources could be quickly updated and disseminated to workers without the need to send another email attachment.

With that, I hope you are able to see how Performance Support differs very much from training, and how this also affects the way companies should go about picking the right tools for support. And since Performance Support relates directly to how well a worker is able to perform his job there and then, it is really crucial that corporations see it as an integral part of their Learning and Development strategy. What other features do you think are important for Performance Support tools To have in order to be effective? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

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Performance Support: More Than Just Training - eLearning Industry

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Imagine going for training on how to use a piece of new machinery that your company has decided to invest in. 2 months later, the first shipment comes in. You try your hand at it... and you don't remember how to operate it.

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In my earlier article Performance Support Tools: Top 5 Things Your Boss Wants to Know, I had provided a background on what Performance Support Tools are and how they can add significant value to an organization's learning strategy.

I quote from this article to provide the background:
When do learners seek learning?
Dr. Conrad Gottfredson and Bob Mosher's Five Distinct Moments of Need © very succinctly captures when exactly learners seek learning. According to them, learners seek support in these Five Moments of Need:

When they are learning an aspect for the first time (New).

When they want to deep-dive and learn more (More).

When they want to apply or remember something (Apply).

When they need to solve a problem or fix something that has gone wrong (Solve).

When something changes (Change).

While formal training does address the first two learning needs, the use of Performance Support Tools is particularly relevant in meeting the subsequent three needs.

You can refer to my article Improving ROI in eLearning where I have highlighted how an effective Performance Support intervention can increase the application of learning. This has a direct impact on improving ROI in eLearning.

What are Performance Support Tools and where exactly do they fit in an organization's learning strategy?

Performance Support Tools (PSTs) provide employees with on the job tools that make their work a lot easier. Unlike training, these tools are available to support and guide employees as they actually do their jobs. These tools are very easy to find, often directly embedded into the learners' workflow (Learning Hub), and offer active guidance.

These solutions enable organizations to provide the right amount of task guidance, support, and productivity benefits to learners precisely at the moment of need.

Let me showcase 5 innovative examples that will provide the required insight on how you could boost your workforce performance with Performance Support Tools (PSTs).

Example 1: Interactive PDF.

This format can be effectively used to convert lengthy information into a visually appealing, quick and easy to navigate format. The PDFs can be accessed from all devices (desktops, laptops, tablets, and smartphones). Additionally, you can integrate audio/video elements into the same document.

This example shows how a mammoth 86-slide deck was transformed into an engaging and learner friendly format. Instead of linear walk through, learners have control on how they want to navigate and they can drill down to the required point in 4 clicks. Additionally, they have access to videos, if they want further information.

You can also refer to my earlier article Performance Support: Featuring Interactive PDF as a Learning Aid To Supplement eLearning where this case study was presented in detail.

Example 2: eBook (HTML5 compatible).

This format provides identical features as the Interactive PDF but provides extensions of SCORM packaging. Due to this, organizations get the added advantage of being able to track the learners' usage, which is not possible with interactive PDF.

You can also download this eBook and enjoy reading about Creative Learning Design Strategies that you can use.

Example 3: Kinetic text/animations.

Sometimes simplicity speaks for itself. This approach uses animation of text to convey the message. This example showcases the use of Kinetic text to reinforce usage of the prescribed work flow for Instructional Designers. The use of typography, animation, and simple sound effects or voice over can create an immersive experience.

You can also view this demo on our website ( www.eidesign.net).

Example 4: Whiteboard animations.

This is one of my favorite approaches and the example featured here showcases its effectiveness in complementing a compliance course (on conflict management). Simple illustrations (that use real life scenarios) and concise audio drives the message very effectively.

You can also look at the course on the same subject from our online suite of courses on Generic Compliance.

Example 5: Videos.

This example features a video designed through Adobe After Effects on another compliance course on Whistleblowing. As a supplement to the main eLearning course, it recaps the whistleblowing concept and uses a scenario to reinforce when learner action is necessary.

To summarize, I quote again from my article Performance Support Tools: Top 5 Things Your Boss Wants to Know:

The real solution lies in creating "Learning as a continuum". A good way to do this is to identify the areas for formal training and use Performance Support Tools intervention to reinforce it shortly after the formal session. You can then create a "learning path" that has interventions like this during the year. A combination of reinforcement as well as new assets that push application of knowledge on the job will help you create a high degree of knowledge recall, retention, and application.

I hope this article was useful in understanding how to boost your workforce performance with Performance Support Tools (PSTs). At EI Design we have a very rich repository of engaging and innovative assets that you can use to enhance the performance of your team. Do contact me for further details.

Read more:

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5 Innovative Examples To Boost Your Workforce Performance With Performance Support Tools (PSTs) - eLearning Industry

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In my earlier article Performance Support Tools: Top 5 Things Your Boss Wants to Know, I had provided a background on what Performance Support Tools are and how they can add significant value to an organization's learning strategy. I quote from this article to provide the background: When do learners seek learning?

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Dave's Ensampler – Examples, instances, and models for improving results at work • collected by Dave Ferguson

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Dave's Ensampler – Examples, instances, and models for improving results at work • collected by Dave Ferguson

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Tom Haak: Learning Within the Flow of Work

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Marc My Words: The Fall and Rise of Performance Support | Learning Solutions Magazine

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Marc My Words: The Fall and Rise of Performance Support | Learning Solutions Magazine

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" We are confronted with insurmountable opportunities. " - Pogo

Then

In 1989, I was working with consultant Gloria Gery and a great team of learning technologists at AT&T to figure out our next step in electronic training. The next generation of what we then called computer-based training (CBT) felt incremental; we were looking for something bigger. We debated, tested ideas, and ran scenarios. And then it hit us - electronic performance support systems (EPSS) - or, simply, "performance support."

We already had a project on the table: create a CBT course on test design and development for instructional designers and SMEs. What if we put the instructional component on the back burner, and, instead, turned the product into a "tool" (today, we'd likely call it an "app") that not only trained, but provided a comprehensive knowledge base on the topic, along with an "advisor" that helped users make the right decisions about test development and delivery. Thus, the Training Test Consultant was born.

The project was both a success and a disappointment. It demonstrated a breakthrough paradigm shift in the training world, and Gloria went on to help define performance support globally. Everywhere we went it really looked like this new field was taking off big time.

But enthusiasm didn't fully translate to real traction - a disappointment. In spite of what we thought was an obvious no-brainer, and some very prominent successes, performance support was never championed or totally embraced by enough organizations to truly reach a tipping point. More traditional and accepted training solutions held sway. And even though C-level executives "got it," they never seemed to get it enough to compel the existing training culture and infrastructure to profoundly change. Mostly we dabbled, but corporate universities and emerging Web-based training (eLearning) were the hot items. Performance support was interesting, but not urgent. Until now.

Now

Fast forward to today. Business and technological forces are compelling major changes in how learning and performance is perceived and practiced, as well as how work itself gets done. We now know that:

not all performance improvement can be achieved through training; in fact, most performance gains are not training-related; and

the workplace, not the classroom, is where most performance improvement (as well as most learning) takes place.

This turns everything around.

Work is learning; learning is work

The line between work and learning is quickly disappearing - which is a good thing. We want improved performance to be a function of better work processes, tools, and resources. We now focus on mobility, to assure that workers have the support they need anytime and anywhere. We recognize the social nature of work, and use social media to share content and connect people with expertise, be it in the form of explicit content in an online resource, or peers and experts at the other end of a communications network. We understand more clearly than ever that we cannot regiment motivation to improve - to figure out how to do something, or learn how to do it better. Workers increasingly pursue knowledge and skills in their own way, at their own pace, informally. And finally, we now have the technology to create software (apps) that takes the complex and makes it simple, the lengthy and makes it brief, the disjointed and makes it systematic, and makes undiscovered insights available to all.

Making the case

Today, the argument for performance support is stronger than ever. The changing nature of learning and work, new advances in technology, and new economic realities make a much more compelling case for this new framework. Performance support isn't just a new job aid or app. It's not just a sophisticated computer program that helps us do our jobs better, nor is it just an enhanced automated work process, and it's not simply a knowledge management system that has all the answers at the click of a mouse. It's all of these, and more, bundled together to accelerate improved worker productivity, accomplishment, and satisfaction, in the most cost-effective way possible.

Training and eLearning are not going away, that's for sure. But performance support changes how we use and value them, especially as we increasingly consider our new and growing mission to support workers directly in the workplace and directly in the context of their work. In fact, it may now be easier to "sell" a performance support solution than a training solution. How's that for a paradigm shift?

Performance support is all around us, from the apps on our phone to the GPS in our car; from a demo on YouTube to that little card we all carry in our wallet that tells us how to retrieve messages from our answering machine. Performance support is a growing part of life and work. It's time to make it a central part of our workplace learning strategy. No, better yet, it's time to make it a central part of our business strategy.

Learn more
The Performance Support Symposium 2012, a new event produced by Learning Solutions Magazine, offers you an exceptional opportunity to discover how organizations can leverage investments in training and eLearning by offering employees performance support tools so they can continue to learn while they work. You are invited to join other senior learning professionals in Boston for this deep exploration of strategies, technologies, and best practices for performance support. The time for performance support is now.

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Marc My Words: The Fall and Rise of Performance Support

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"We are confronted with insurmountable opportunities." - Pogo Then In 1989, I was working with consultant Gloria Gery and a great team of learning technologists at AT&T to figure out our next step in electronic training. The next generation of what we then called computer-based training (CBT) felt incremental; we were looking for something bigger.

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Are You Meeting All Five Moments of Learning Need?

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Are You Meeting All Five Moments of Learning Need?

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In our first article in the Performance Support series we suggested that our industry has been a bit lost in the context of taking learners on the journey to sustained, successful on-the-job performance.

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In our first article in the Performance Support series we suggested that our industry has been a bit lost in the context of taking learners on the journey to sustained, successful on-the-job performance. (Figure 1)

Figure 1: Faster time to competency through embedded performance support
Many organizations still struggle to break free from a traditional formal "learning event" paradigm that focuses only on the train stage in the graphic above. Consider this, though: Isn't it our core mission to develop learning solutions that ensure people can perform effectively when they are called upon to act? (See the Transfer and Sustain stages in the graphic above.)

Think about how your organization is approaching training today. Are your sights squarely on the moment of apply, when people are in the workflow performing the work of the organization?

In the past we might have been able to ignore this vital moment and still somehow stumble into successful on-the-job performance. The nature of the world today simply won't let us do that. It demands that we turn our attention to the workflow and deliver the support employees need to not only be competent at their work, but to also sustain that competency in an ever-changing environment.

Yogi Berra, Yankee baseball legend and sometimes philosopher, once said, "You've got to be careful if you don't know where you're going 'cause you might not get there!" Although his statement is a bit challenging to sort out, it actually describes this fundamental problem we have been writing about. Our profession has been myopically focused on learning solutions that take people out of their workflow to learn. The minute someone takes an eLearning module they stop doing their work, even though they may still be sitting at their workstation. The same holds true with a live Web class or regular classroom instruction. Some organizations claim a blended learning approach that consists only of blending eLearning modules with classroom instruction, perhaps with some on-the-job coaching mixed in. All of this involves work stoppage and is still removed from those moments when learners are actually doing the work of the organization. In the figure above, they still face the challenge of transferring what they have learned to optimal performance in their own work environment and then to flourishing in their work through collaboration, adaptation, and innovation.

ELearning, instructor-led training, and on-the-job coaching are certainly important avenues for formal learning, but if all your organization is doing is developing and delivering learning solutions through one or a blend of these delivery modalities, then your approach is short-sighted. There is a high probability that many of your learners will falter in their performance when it really counts-when they are performing on the job. And those who achieve on-the-job competency will have most likely required more time than needed to get there.

Our work must have as its primary focus the objective of optimum on-the-job competency, at every changing moment. The only way to get there is by first understanding the full journey learners need to make and then by taking the necessary steps to provide the support needed along the way.

Ask yourself this question: To what degree is my organization addressing the entire journey performers make from the beginning stages of learning through the full range of challenges that can occur at the moment of apply, when learners are called upon to actually perform?

To answer this question accurately, you must understand the five fundamental moments that comprise the full spectrum of performance support needs. These "Five Moments of Need" provide an overarching framework for helping learners become and remain competent in their individual and collective work.

Here they are:

When people are learning how to do something for the first time (New);

When people are expanding the breadth and depth of what they have learned (More);

When they need to act upon what they have learned, which includes planning what they will do, remembering what they may have forgotten, or adapting their performance to a unique situation (Apply);

When problems arise, or things break or don't work the way they were intended (Solve); and,

When people need to learn a new way of doing something, which requires them to change skills that are deeply ingrained in their performance practices (Change).

The people we are charged to train and support deserve intuitive, tailored aid that is orchestrated in a way to ensure the most effective personal and collective performance during all five of these moments of need.

What Is the Role of Performance Support at the Moment of Apply?

This is the sweet spot of performance support. There is much that can and needs to occur here. And today we can do more than we have been able to do in the past. When people are at this moment, when they need to actually perform on the job, they need instant access to tools that will intuitively help them do just that-perform. This help must be immediate and tailored to the role and situation of the performer. The aid needs to allow the performer to dive as deep as necessary, depending upon his or her need to plan, remember, adapt, or reference information required for successful performance.

What Are the Roles of New and More at the Moment of Apply?

Although the first two moments of need (learn new and learn more) are initially satisfied by the development and delivery of formal learning solutions, these two can also occur at the moment of apply. It is highly probable that, in today's work environment, a performer may need to learn something for the first time, or learn more right at the moment of apply-when there simply isn't time to step away from the workflow and take a traditional course. Performers need to learn in real-time, while on the job, at the moment of apply.

What Is the Role of Performance Support at the Moment of Solve?

One of the realities of life is that things don't always work the way they're supposed to; life doesn't always happen according to a script. And sometimes, in our rapid pursuit of doing what we need to do, we make the wrong turn and experience those unique learning moments called road blocks or even failure. In the New Normal, it isn't enough to know how to do something correctly; it is also vital to be able to diagnose and solve problems that happen along the way. The situations we call "problems" can be caused by unforeseen circumstances, other people, and ourselves. Regardless of the source, these moments of solve require diagnostic skills coupled with performance support.

The traditional organizational bandage for solving problems that arise in the workflow are help desks and sometimes intentionally created support networks, both backed by capable trouble shooters. When life was copasetic, with only a few twists or turns along the way, this was a sufficient solution. But today this model alone won't solve the solving challenge. The New Normal has shifted the definition of competence from simply applying knowledge and skills to continually acquiring and adapting knowledge and skills. Competence is now a matter of individual learning agility and the moments of solve are prime contributors to the agility challenge.

Learners, today, must be comfortable in their ability to solve unanticipated challenges. They must have confidence in the very act of not knowing. They must be disposed to face challenges beyond their current knowledge and skills. This confidence at these critical moments will come from:

A performance support infrastructure that has anticipated their needs at the moment of solve;

The training learners have received to engage such tools in solving problems;

The on-the-job successes they have along the way; and,

Organizational acceptance of failed attempts that may happen in the process.

In addition, social media technologies provide a remarkable opportunity for instantaneous access to the collective wisdom within, and beyond, the organizations we serve. Immediate collaboration at the moment of solve combined with access to the information individuals need to resolve the core challenges that come their way are the scalable resources needed to meet the demands of the New Normal-a work environment in a state of constant flux.

What Is the Role of Performance Support At the Moment of Change?

This moment of need has been the least attended to, and yet is the most challenging. And since we don't attend to it very well, it is often the most costly to organizations. Once skills have become ingrained into the work practices of people and organizations, replacing those out-of-date practices with new ways of performing is a significant learning challenge. This need cannot be adequately met by only putting performers into formal learning solutions devoted to teaching the new ways of doing things. In addition, these performers absolutely need job aids that will guide them through the new way each time they are called upon by their job to perform. This challenge is ultimately resolved on the job over time.

Change impacts how we address the moment of apply. Change is a fundamental reality in today's work environment, often unpredictable, absolutely unrelenting, and, more often than not, terribly unforgiving. Alvin Toffler, writer and futurist, has observed that change, today, is "non-linear and can go backwards, forwards, and sideways." He further describes how we must respond to this dynamic change environment in his book Rethinking the Future:

"The illiterate of the 21 st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn."

The fundamental difference between how we support performers at the moment of change and how we support them at the moment of apply lies in the unique requirements change makes of performers to unlearn and then relearn a new way. Our profession, for the most part, hasn't provided the support it can and should when performers face this performance twist. Here are a couple of recommendations.

Take on the Challenge of Deep Rooted Change
Years ago, after completing work for a client, a participant in the project offered to provide a ride to the airport to allow continued discussion. After a long drive, seeing no planes in the air anywhere, the question arose, "How long before we arrive at the airport?" As the driver hit his brakes he turned and said, "I'm almost home."

Has something like this ever happened to you-where you have acted in an automated way? The cognitive principle at play in such circumstances is automaticity. Things that we do, over and over, tend to become automated in our skill set-to the point that we can do them without conscious thought. And when this has occurred within a workforce, and the workforce is then called upon to change that automated performance, that's when organizations face one of the most significant performer support challenges possible.

Software companies have paid dearly in their failure to provide meaningful solutions to this moment of change where skills have become deep-rooted. For example, it is not uncommon to see software vendors force-feed newly released software upgrades through their market channels. There is often very little pull from the marketplace. Why? Because with all their hyped capabilities, the software too often lacks the performance support infrastructure necessary to help people unlearn their automated skills and relearn how to perform the same tasks within the new software, as well as use the many new features offered in the new version. If these vendors would provide this type of support, the uptake by their existing customer-base would not only be dramatically faster (thereby accelerating revenues) but the good will generated within that customer-base would suppress competing market forces.

When organizations face any major change initiative, there is high probability that there are deep-rooted skills that require overriding. This can best be done with a robust performance support solution that supports performers in their workflow, at the moment of apply, when they are called upon to unlearn and relearn. Too few change initiatives adequately make this crucial investment.

This challenge of deep-rooted change has been around for a long time. We now have the knowledge and wherewithal to address it directly. We simply need to understand the realities of deep-rooted change and step up to it, ahead of it, before it's upon us.

Gloria Gery pioneered the initial ideas and practices of performance support. Unfortunately, they were never fully realized. The movement waned after a short period of adulation because of technological challenges that, by the way, no longer exist.

It is time for organizations to broaden their view to meet all five learning needs described above.

It simply isn't acceptable to throw learners over the classroom and/or eLearning wall into the workflow and then hope that what we did during the online or class event will magically transfer to successful job performance. It doesn't. We know full well that learning doesn't stick unless you put in place provisions that support performance in the workflow, that the success that does occur isn't all that could occur if we attended to the principles and practices of performance support. And the good news is that doing this doesn't require more effort than what most are doing now. It does, however, require a mind-set shift. It also necessitates that we redirect current efforts to bring about this alignment.

This article isn't a proposal to overthrow formal learning, or to diminish the vital role that trainers play. But we are advocating that we move much of what we do as far into the natural workflow of the organization as possible; we need to avoid, when we can, pulling people from their work for large periods of time to learn. There has never been a time when we have had greater capacity to do this than now. The journey, for any organization, begins by broadening the scope of our work to include the Five Moments of Learning Need. We have three more articles in this series to help you know more on how to actually make this journey. Stay tuned.

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Are You Meeting All Five Moments of Learning Need?

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In our first article in the Performance Support series we suggested that our industry has been a bit lost in the context of taking learners on the journey to sustained, successful on-the-job performance. (Figure 1) Figure 1: Faster time to competency through embedded performance support

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"Disruption makes things new again, and what might have been possible...suddenly is." -Denis Pombriant

In this episode Bob Mosher and Conrad Gottfredson discuss the possible opportunities out there for us as a learning industry as we currently work through this new normal we are confronted with.

Hear how workflow learning can not only address the current threats and challenges we face with serving the remote workforce, but how it can also bring about opportunities for great change.
For a deeper dive with actionable outcomes, join us at The 5 Moments of Need Summit or in the upcoming workshop, Convert Classroom Training to Virtual Learning.
Host, Bob Mosher, speaks with Mary Ruth Bell and Diana Gallant, of Volvo Trucks around what drove them to move their instructional design to The 5 Moments of Need methodology.

In this episode Mary Ruth shares the 'aha moment' that caused her to shift her thinking, and in turn shift the thinking of her learners and the larger organization to improve overall performance. Diana shares one aspect of the methodology that she has grabbed on to - making the invisible visible.

Listen, or download now, to hear the entire performance-first journey Volvo has been undertaking.
Please excuse the audio quality; this was recorded remotely with a few network challenges throughout.
Chris Blocher, principal learning content developer for Autodesk, chats with Bob Mosher on how he and his organization are transforming their learning to meet each of The 5 Moments of Need to increase workforce performance.

Listen to hear Autodesk's business drivers for the change, how the team gained buy-in, where they are in their current journey, and a few lessons that have been learned along the way.
For a deeper dive with actionable outcomes, join us at The 5 Moments of Need Summit in the mountains of Sundance, Utah. Register today.
In today's workplace environment we are all "needing" to go virtual. But who really knows how to do this? We know it's more than just dumping face-to-face programs into the virtual world. It is about creating meaningfully learning that impacts performance, and is sustainable.

Listen as Bob Mosher and Conrad Gottfredson discuss the unique opportunity we have currently been given to do things radically different--deliver virtual learning, in the workflow, that impacts performance.

In this episode Sue Reber, APPLY's director of practice, sits down with Bill Hickey, a 5 Moments Designer and learning practitioner with Axalta, to discuss what led him to search out "something more" than traditional training and how his team has now shifted from conventional instructional design to The 5 Moments of Need design.
For a deeper dive with actionable outcomes, join us this May at The 5 Moments of Need Summit in the mountains of Sundance, Utah. Register today.
Who better to talk "where we've been" and "where we're headed" than with Elliott Masie, learning leader, author, and speaker with 50 years of experience.

Listen as Bob Mosher and Elliott discuss how learning is changing and what suggestions Elliott gave to two different airlines.
For a deeper dive with actionable outcomes, join us this May where we will reimagine, with other global organizations, what organizational learning can and should be. Register to join us in Sundance, Utah at The 5 Moments of Need Summit.
Bob Mosher and Conrad Gottfredson discuss the learning theories that have shaped where we are today-empowering the flow of work.

To continue the conversation. To reimagine, with other teams, what organizational learning can and should be. To, together, rethink the mission and role of learning. Register to join us in Sundance, Utah this May at The 5 Moments of Need Summit.

For more 5 Moments of Need resources visit our website, join the conversation, and subscribe to this podcast so as not to miss a single episode.

Listen as Bob Mosher and Katie Coates discuss McKinsey's 5 Moments of Need solutions, the business drivers for this shift, their journey thus far, and the lessons that have been learned (and continue to be learned) along the way.

For more 5 Moments of Need resources visit our website, join the conversation, and subscribe to this podcast so as not to miss a single episode.

Patrick Dunlap, tts' Senior Vice President, chats with co-host Bob Mosher around performance support and how the tt performance suite fits into both the broader learning technology landscape and The 5 Moments of Need methodology.

Patrick adds to the conversation with business issues they help clients solve, best practices, and common performance support technology pitfalls to avoid.

For more 5 Moments of Need resources visit our website, join the conversation, and subscribe to this podcast so as not to miss a single episode.

Co-host, Bob Mosher, talks with Lee Rodrigues of Sunrun, and a 5 Moments of Need Designer, on why he is choosing to move his organization's learning into the workflow with The 5 Moments of Need methodology.

Also discussed, the challenges surrounding this shift, the effect it's had on Sunrun's performance thus far, and Lee's biggest takeaways to-date.

For more resources visit our website, join in on the conversation, or subscribe to this podcast so as not to miss a single episode.

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Performance Matters | A 5 Moments of Need Podcast Series

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Learn more, and design for, The 5 Moments of Learning Need with your co-hosts Bob Mosher and Dr. Conrad Gottfredson. This series will help you to better understand the theory and best practices behind this powerful methodology. Episodes will be released bi...

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Bob Mosher - CEO/Chief Learning Evangelist - APPLY Synergies | LinkedIn

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View Bob Mosher's profile on LinkedIn, the world's largest professional community. Bob has 7 jobs listed on their profile. See the complete profile on LinkedIn and discover Bob's connections and jobs at similar companies.

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We launched this website in the fall of last year to collect all of our blogs, media, definitions, and resources around the 5 MoN. The "Value" page had a WHOLE host of resources that might help here...

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APPLY Synergies - 5 Moments of Need Workflow Learning Provider

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As pioneers of the 5 Moments of Need and strategic consulting for workflow learning, we have emerged as the preferred choice for organizations looking to move from training to performance.

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Here's our "Performance Matters" podcast aligned to the 5 Moments of Need and Workflow Learning.  Hope this helps! would love any and all feedback.

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In this episode Sue Reber, APPLY's director of practice, sits down with Bill Hickey, a 5 Moments Designer and learning practitioner with Axalta, to discuss what led him to search out "something more" than traditional training and how his team has now shifted from conventional instructional design to The 5 Moments of Need design.
For more 5 Moments of Need resources visit our website, join the conversation, and subscribe to this podcast so as not to miss a single episode. For a deeper dive with actionable outcomes, join us this May at The 5 Moments of Need Summit in the mountains of Sundance, Utah. Register today.
Who better to talk "where we've been" and "where we're headed" than with Elliott Masie, learning leader, author, and speaker with 50 years of experience.

Listen as Bob Mosher and Elliott discuss how learning is changing and what suggestions Elliott gave to two different airlines.
For more 5 Moments of Need resources visit our website, join the conversation, and subscribe to this podcast so as not to miss a single episode. For a deeper dive with actionable outcomes, join us this May where we will reimagine, with other global organizations, what organizational learning can and should be. Register to join us in Sundance, Utah at The 5 Moments of Need Summit.
Bob Mosher and Conrad Gottfredson discuss the learning theories that have shaped where we are today-empowering the flow of work.

To continue the conversation. To reimagine, with other teams, what organizational learning can and should be. To, together, rethink the mission and role of learning. Register to join us in Sundance, Utah this May at The 5 Moments of Need Summit.

Listen as Bob Mosher and Katie Coates discuss McKinsey's 5 Moments of Need solutions, the business drivers for this shift, their journey thus far, and the lessons that have been learned (and continue to be learned) along the way.

Patrick Dunlap, tts' Senior Vice President, chats with co-host Bob Mosher around performance support and how the tt performance suite fits into both the broader learning technology landscape and The 5 Moments of Need methodology.

Patrick adds to the conversation with business issues they help clients solve, best practices, and common performance support technology pitfalls to avoid.

Co-host, Bob Mosher, talks with Lee Rodrigues of Sunrun, and a 5 Moments of Need Designer, on why he is choosing to move his organization's learning into the workflow with The 5 Moments of Need methodology.

Also discussed, the challenges surrounding this shift, the effect it's had on Sunrun's performance thus far, and Lee's biggest takeaways to-date.

What do we do with our data? How do we link what we do to business results? How do we address the issue of value and impact, as other industries do so well? These are the questions Kent Barnett, CEO of Perfomitiv, is exploring with his grassroots group--The Talent Development Optimization Council and what he and co-host, Conrad Gottfredson, discuss in this Performance Matters episode.

It's the first Performance Matters episode of its kind. Co-host, Bob Mosher, speaks with Sue Reber, one of the world's top 5 Moments of Need designers, on: the 5 Moments methodology, how it differs from other approaches, and the how and why around shifting mindsets to performance-first.

Listen, or download now, for Sue's advice on how to successfully design for each of the 5 moments.

For more resources visit our website, join in on the conversation, or subscribe to this Performance Matters podcast so as not to miss a single episode.

You asked; we answered.

In this episode Dr. Conrad Gottfredson answers your burning questions around instructional design at the speed of change. Below is just a taste of what you wanted to know.

What is The 5 Moments of Need process?

How does The 5 Moments and workflow learning relate?

What is the difference adaptive and personalized learning?

How do you transition from designing formal to informal learning?

When should adaptive learning be explored over more traditional learning models?

Have a question that wasn't answered? Email us!

Our first Measurement Matters episode is hosted by Conrad Gottfredson who talks through how to connect the dots between training and the workflow.

{Spoiler Alert: it requires a mind shift!}

Listen, or download now, for more on this critical performance piece--measurement.

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Performance Matters | A 5 Moments of Need Podcast Series

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Learn more, and design for, The 5 Moments of Learning Need with your co-hosts Bob Mosher and Dr. Conrad Gottfredson. This series will help you to better understand the theory and best practices behind this powerful methodology. Episodes will be released bi...

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How to Use Padlet in the Classroom: A Fantastic Teaching Tool

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How to Use Padlet in the Classroom: A Fantastic Teaching Tool

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Useful Tools for Teachers

Padlet is a versatile, easy to use tool for every teacher's toolkit. Let's learn the basics. At the bottom of this post, I have a Padlet that is temporarily open for you to post and share your favorite edtech tools.

Richard Byrne, author of Free Technology for Teachers, spent some time teaching the teachers at my school about Padlet. I've got some notes in this article that he mentioned in the workshop to give him due credit. Richard has a fantastic blog, and I highly recommend it.

www.padlet.com
What you can share on Padlet:

You can:

Type

Record Your Voice

Add a Hyperlink

Add a Photo

Add a Document

The flexibility of this tool means you could have one class Padlet for the year and share resources and links throughout the year. (Particularly if you set it up in "flow" style as shown below.)

Editing

As with many tools the gear icon (as shown in the graphic below) is where you go to edit your background and change your settings.

Organizing

Richard Byrne taught me something new today. You can change it to be more like a Twitter or have a flow. I like this view much better than having people write all over the board.

Security and Control

There are lots of features you can customize. For example, you can make it public, private, password protected and even moderate everything.

Remember, as the teacher, you can see a little trash can and delete items that need to be removed. You can also turn off writing and set it just to view when you're not in the classroom. If you're worried about "naughty students" - you just need to dig deeper.

How you can give the students the link to the Padlet:

If you click the share button, you can share via email, Tweet, and it even creates a QR code. But the best way is to copy the long address and then paste the link into bit.ly and customize the link. (See my blog post on link shortening.)

SANDBOX: The BIG Tip for the First Time You Use Any Software

As Richard shared, he has a common experience with tools that I do. The first time you share it, have a sandbox Padlet. Sandboxing software means that you play with the software before you get down to "business."

Kids get a bit excited and sometimes silly. When they are done and get it out of their system, delete the Padlet and go onto the real activity. Glad to see another teacher seeks kids get excited. Both Richard and I recommend this as best practice in the workshops we give.

How can I use Padlet in the Classroom?

For younger classes, use it as a portfolio to share with parents. Snap pictures of student work and share them.

Richard Byrne says you can use it almost as a blog.

Have a class Padlet and put the links to everything else in it. Set the student web browsers to start with that page. If you set it to flow, the work is already at the top. Students will know quickly what they are doing that day.

Have kids sort pictures on Padlet to classify them (and use the Interactive White Board (IWB)).

Use it as a class backchannel and have discussions on it.

Have students work a problem, and snap a picture of how they worked it.

Dig Deeper...More Resources

Tips for minimizing teacher stress

Discover 10 stress-busting secrets for healthy teachers. What simple routines will help you handle the stress?

Simple advice for coping with stress at work.

Learn tips to help you deal with difficult colleagues and students (even those who "hate" you -- yes it is possible!)

I love students! Best teacher blog winner * Mom * Speaker * author * HOST 10-Minute Teacher Show * @Mashable Top Teacher on Twitter * top #edtech Twitterer

Categories: Assessment, Free Resources, Tech Tips, Tools

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are "affiliate links." This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

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How to Use Padlet: A Fantastic Tool for Teaching

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Padlet is a versatile, easy to use tool for every teacher's toolkit. Let's learn the basics. At the bottom of this post, I have a Padlet that is temporarily open for you to post and share your favorite edtech tools. www.padlet.com What you can share on Padlet: Editing Organizing Security and Control How you can [...]

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There is some debate about the best definition. Posting some of the best ones as comments below.

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How Are Performance Support Tools Different From Training? 3 PST Examples Featuring Microlearning - eLearning Industry

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Are Performance Support Tools Different From Training? What Performance Support Tools Are

In simple terms, Performance Support Tools or PSTs are job aids designed to provide learners with on-the-job support just when they need it.

Some of their typical characteristics are:

They are meant to provide support and guidance to employees when at work.

They address a specific challenge.

They can be easily accessed by employees and are usually embedded directly into their workflow.

Performance Support is not a new concept. It started surfacing nearly three decades ago. As Gloria Gery, a key proponent of Performance Support, points out,

" Performance Support focuses on work itself while training focuses on the learning required to do the work. Integrating resources in the workplace is inevitable, and the need is urgent. Filtering resources so people get the tools and resources they need while actively working is the goal. Work process and roles are the primary filters. The mechanisms vary: Portals, performance-centered workflow interfaces, enterprise applications, integration projects, etc, but what's important is that performer be able to name that tune in one note, to perform in exemplary fashion."

While the concept is over thirty years old, it is finding its spot under the sun now. With increased focus on ROI by Learning and Development teams and businesses seeking clear and demonstrable gains, the usage of PSTs is finally gaining momentum.

How Are Performance Support Tools Different From Training?

PSTs complement formal training. While the knowledge gain to acquire this skill would happen through formal training, PSTs are provided to learners as just-in-time aids to facilitate application of the acquired skill. They are highly definitive in nature typically designed to address a specific challenge or problem.

Let me showcase how this would work practically:

Typical approach.
Assume that an employee needs to do a task that he is not fully familiar with (for instance, his tasks need to be done now with an application released recently). He is likely to ask a colleague or his manager or he may review online help of the software tool. Or, he may go back to the supporting training material. You can imagine the time involved in this path.

PST based approach.
On the other hand, the required information can be converted to a short microlearning nugget of a few minutes run length (as a ready reckoner that addresses typical user queries). In this approach, the user now has the access to the information exactly when he needs it (within his work-flow, on his smartphone) and in a format that enables him to get an immediate resolution of his query.

The word you would associate with training is " instruct" whereas the word you would associate with Performance Support is " perform". When it comes to training, it's just learning that's happening and work takes a break (or is postponed) whereas with Performance Support, it's learn and work at the same time.

We can also look at how Performance Support Tools are different from training in the following ways:

Learners take a training to learn a new concept or skill or obtain more knowledge about that concept or skill whereas Performance Support has more to do with application of that concept or skill and problem-solving.

Learners usually require training when there is an indentified gap of skills or knowledge that needs to be bridged or when something needs to be explained about a concept in detail. When it comes to Performance Support, learners need it on-the-job to make troubleshooting a snap and fix problems instantly.

Learners will be taking a fixed time off to take a formal training whereas with Performance Support, it's more about getting access to the job aid whenever they need it while at work and there is no fixed time as such to go through a PST.

The goal of a formal training is to help learners acquire knowledge and new skills whereas PSTs are meant to help learners complete their tasks at hand.

With training, the learning is structured whereas learning happens incidentally with PSTs.

Do PSTs Replace Formal Training?

As we have noted, PSTs are different from training. However, it is important to note that PSTs are not a replacement for formal training. They complement formal training and can be used to make formal trainings more interesting and meaningful by helping learners not just acquire knowledge but apply it on the job.

Speaking about knowledge acquisition and its application, it is a known fact that there is a significant gap between the two and business gains come about when there is a substantial impact created by the latter. It is here that PSTs serve as a boon for Learning and Development professionals in terms of helping learners apply the learning on the job and demonstrating a positive impact on the business.

Why Should You Use PSTs?

For learners, especially of the current generation, learning and working simultaneously is a key aspect. In addition, they like learning and working informally.

PSTs are a great tool to boost employee performance as they:

Help learners learn and perform tasks independently, without them having to seek external help.

Help avoid wastage of time in terms of senior employees guiding lesser experienced employees.

Equip employees to complete their tasks in a shorter time and with the desired quality even if they don't get access to formal training.

Simplify tasks for employees and help them understand complex tasks easily.

Familiarize learners to new systems or updates in their workflow/process.

Can PSTs Impact The Bottomline?

As I had highlighted earlier, PSTs are easily available and usually embedded directly into the learners' workflow helping organizations provide the required task support and step up the productivity quotient of their employees. They are typically designed to address a specific challenge.

On account of this, some of the gains that PSTs provide are:

Increase in productivity.

Increase in quality.

Decrease in errors.

Improved turn-around time for a task.

Better service (on account of quicker resolution).

All of these have a direct impact on your bottom-line.

How Can PSTs Be Used?

PSTs can be used in various ways. Specifically:

They serve the purpose of informal learning really well.

You can use them to complement formal training and bring about greater application of that learning on the job.

You can use them to offer instant learning by making them available in learners' work-flow, ensuring that they get access to them just when they need.

They are multi-device compatible and can be offered in mLearning or mobile learning formats helping learners access them on the device of their choice.

They gel well with the concept of microlearning and when done so, the impact can be higher.

They also have ample scope for integration of other innovative approaches such as gamification, social learning, story-based learning (storytorials), scenario-based learning, guided exploration, and so on.

What Are The Formats That Can Be Used To Design PSTs?

Today, you are spoilt for choice in the range of formats that you can use to create PSTs. I am listing 10 PST options based on the microlearning technique and feature several high impact, rich media formats:

Interactive parallax based scrolling.

Mobile apps.

Complex branching scenarios.

Videos.

Interactive videos.

Whiteboard animation.

Kinetic text based animation.

Infographics.

Interactive PDFs

eBooks and flipbooks.

Examples

I have picked 3 examples from this listing:

Example 1: Interactive Parallax Based Scrolling

Mandate: To reinforce the key aspects of Data Security (to drive the required behavior).

This solution is a short information nugget on Data Security, a crucial part of the Compliance mandate of various organizations.

This nugget is part of a larger suite of courses on Compliance that we have developed. The nugget is in a responsive web-based training format. It is best viewed in a desktop or laptop but can also be viewed on tablets and smartphones.

The information provided is a prequel to a comprehensive module on Data Security and provides preliminary information about the subject.

The learner needs to basically take a "scrolling" journey. A fictional character of "Data Dave" is introduced to the learner at the beginning who takes the learner through three offices with varying levels of data security and provides tips and best practices to protect data along the way. The engaging visuals and conversational language coupled with interactivities at various stages make the complete journey engaging.

Example 2: Mobile App

Mandate: To reinforce time management essentials (to drive usage at work).

Mobile being a preferred medium of new-age learners in terms of hassle-free and quick learning, we developed this Android app on "Time Management".

Designed for the typical swipe and tap navigation, the app eases the learners into the basics of time management with a few tips in short phrases. It then presents before the learners a gamified quiz to engage them and let them enjoy a "game-like" learning experience.

The element of obtaining a high score and completing the quiz/task within the prescribed time limit gets the learners to actively participate and give them a sense of achievement upon successfully completing the quiz, effectively serving the purpose of "sticky learning" and bringing about the required application of knowledge at work.
Also Read:
Example 3: Infographics

Mandate: Summarising the essence of our journey as a custom content development company as 6 takeaways.

This infographic captures the essence of our journey as a custom content development company in the form of 6 takeaways. The content for this was originally written in the form of an article when we completed development of 6000 hours of eLearning content development, providing in-depth insights on the key takeaways of our journey.

While people do enjoy reading articles, there are those who do not have enough time to go through the complete content. This infographic is ideal for such people and others who would want to get the gist of what they want to know in a jiffy. The crisp messaging and easy-on-the-eye design helps learners learn what they want to in a relatively shorter time. It's not just "just-in-time" but "just what's needed" as well.

I hope this article provides the required insights on how Performance Support is different from training and the role it plays in engaging employees. More specifically, the featured examples should help you identify how you can potentially use PSTs in your organization. If you have any queries on how to integrate PSTs in your training delivery, do contact me at apandey@eidesign.net.

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How Are Performance Support Tools Different From Training? 3 PST Examples Featuring Microlearning - eLearning Industry

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In simple terms, Performance Support Tools or PSTs are job aids designed to provide learners with on-the-job support just when they need it. Some of their typical characteristics are: They are meant to provide support and guidance to employees when at work. They address a specific challenge.

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On-the-job learning and performance support

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This five-minute, mobile friendly resource is a great example of on-the-job performance support - just enough and just in time. Discover what we think makes it a success.

Supporting the modern learner on the job

If you were struggling to recall the details of a particular product you were thinking about buying, what would you do? Chances are, you'd whip out your phone and look it up. It's second nature to just "Google it."

But what if you're a salesperson who needs more specific information about the products you're selling? You still need to be able to look it up quickly in-between customers, but Google won't suffice.
This is where digital performance support resources can save the day.
Our "On-the-job sales support" demo shows how a short and snappy online resource can provide just the right amount of specialist information in a simple, easy-to-access way. It could be used as a quick refresher or as part of a suite of microlearning on different products. And, it only took a couple of hours to create from the initial idea through styling, content writing, authoring and release.

On-the-job learning in action

Why we like it

Provides the necessary content - no more, no less - in less than 5 minutes.

Enables learners to "dip in and out" to access what they need quickly.

Utilizes headings, imagery and bold keywords to show content at a glance.

Optimizes brilliantly for tablet and mobile; perfect for an in-store environment.

Want to create something similar to support your staff on the job?

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This five-minute, mobile friendly resource is a great example of on-the-job performance support - just enough and just in time. Discover what we think makes it a success. If you were struggling to recall the details of a particular product you were thinking about buying, what would you do?

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Different formats of performance support tools 

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Different formats of performance support tools 

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Different formats of Performance Support Tools (PSTs)

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What Is Performance Support And Why Should You Use Performance Support Tools? - eLearning Industry

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According to the 70:20:10 model for Learning and Development, we learn:

70% from on the job experiences (experiential learning).

20% from interactions with others (social learning).

10% from formal (structured learning).

As we note from this model, organizations need to focus more on the informal and social learning aspects to effectively achieve their learning mandates.

Let's first understand what exactly Performance Support Tools (PSTs) are and why you should invest on them.

What Are Performance Support Tools (PSTs) And How Can They Be Used?

Performance Support Tools or PSTs are learning aids meant to help employees with on-the-job support at the precise moment of their need. They are designed to support and guide employees when at work.

They are easily available and usually embedded directly into the learners' workflow helping organizations provide the required task support and up the productivity quotient of their employees.

Specifically:

They are a great fit for informal learning.

They can be also be used to support formal training to improve the stickiness of learning and its eventual application on the job.

PSTs accelerate learning as they are part of the learner's work-flow and are available precisely at the time of their need. They are designed to be easy to assimilate and easy to apply.

You can integrate microlearning-based strategies to create them and see the application levels zoom.

Couple them with platforms for social learning and you will see the impact of your training multiply.

Why Does It Make Business Sense For Organizations To Invest On Performance Support Tools?

If I were to ask you what you had for breakfast today, your reply would be an instantaneous one. It isn't quite going to be the case if I ask what you had for dinner a month ago. We're creatures who keep forgetting things!

As a matter of fact, we forget 80% of what we learned in 30 days as shown in this diagram featuring the "Forgetting Curve" by Herman Ebbinghaus, a German Psychologist.

Formal learning, as you may be aware, takes place for a few days in a year. Now view this from the prism of the Forgetting Curve and you're bound to have second thoughts about your investments on using only formal training to make the kind of impact you'd like on your learner performance.

So What's The Way Forward?

A great way to address this challenge is to have a blend of both formal and informal training and offer a solution that treats "Learning as a continuum".

Here's what you can do:

Ascertain the portions from your formal training program that you want your learners to remember, check, refer or apply, and use Performance Support Tools (PSTs) to reinforce those messages.

Design your PST nuggets to be stand-alone assets aligned to specific learning outcomes.

Weave your training nuggets into a "learning path" and keep the knowledge thread relevant and in appropriate order over the course of your identified training period.

Combine the power of reinforcement with new assets for higher recall, retention, and application of the knowledge gained on-the-job.

The result? You'll be able to see a dip in your formal training costs and an increase in learner productivity and performance.

How Do Performance Support Tools Help Learners?

Performance Support Tools (PSTs) are informal in nature and much to the learners' liking, they help them learn and work simultaneously. Performance Support Tools (PSTs) are a learners' delight as they:

Help them perform their tasks without having to seek external help.

Cut down on time that would otherwise have been wasted by experienced employees helping the lesser experienced employees.

Help new employees complete their tasks in quick time and with the desired quality, especially when formal training is not available.

Can be used to help new employees understand complex tasks and processes in a simplified way.

Are a great way to learn about new systems, upgrades, or when something is being introduced afresh in the workflow/process.

What Are The Possible Ways To Offer Performance Support Tools?

There is no dearth of options when it comes to offering Performance Support Solutions. At EI Design, we offer Performance Support Tools in various formats, including:

1. Mobile Apps.

Mobile Apps and just-in-time information go hand in hand. They are an ideal way to offer Performance Support at the time of learners' need - anytime, anywhere.

2. Videos And Interactive Videos.

If you had to unpack and start operating your brand new camera and you're not sure how to go about it, what would you choose - leafing through the manual or a three-minute YouTube video? Most modern day learners opt for the latter. All the more reason for you to leverage on videos and interactive videos to offer Performance Support when your learners are stuck and need help!

3. Decision Making Scenarios.

Learners keep encountering complex situations at work. You can make their life easier through short branching scenarios helping them practice their way out of tough situations and take decisions in a risk-free environment to bring about application of learning on-the-job.

4. Whiteboard Animations.

Animations and illustrations help you say things you would otherwise find difficult to convey. Their innate ability to incite the lighter side in your learners goes a long way in conveying important messages and long-term retention of that information.

5. Kinetic Text/Animations.

True, a picture speaks more than a thousand words. But you don't need a thousand words every time to say what you want to say. Sometimes, just a few words do the job - especially when they're set in motion and animated. If text is all you've got and the concept you want to convey is not that easy to visualize, Kinetic Text/Animation is what you should be looking at. You can club it with background music or a voice over and the impact will be there for you to see.

6. Interactive PDFs.

Got information locked in lengthy documents? You can convert them into interactive PDFs, provide a user-friendly navigation, and add some visual appeal to please the eye. They're a great format to help learners go through factual and knowledge-based information quickly and easily. Using this format, you can offer your learners tips, fact sheets, checklists, practical forms, participant guides, processes, and procedure documents.

7. eBooks.

You can convert your documents into HTML5 compatible eBooks and make them multi-device compatible. They can also be converted as SCORM packages. You can package key information in your eBooks in the form of key takeaways from a training program, participant guides, processes, and procedure documents.

8. Expert Videos, Webinars/Recorded Webinars.

Experts carry that aura around them, don't they? Irrespective of whether it's a classroom tutor, eLearning guide, or workplace mentor, learners treat them with respect and value their insights. You can offer Performance Support to your learners in the form of expert videos and videos of webinar recordings. You can also track your learners' performance through assessments with SCORM packaging.

9. Webcast/Podcasts.

These are short episodes of audio or video that learners can download on their device and watch/listen to when traveling, waiting for an appointment, or any other occasion to kill time. They find a lot of takers as they are brief and entertaining. You can use these formats to offer Performance Support at the time of learners' need as they can be watched/listened to on-the-go.

You can also take a look at this video on the different formats that you can use to offer Performance Support:

What More Is Possible?

As we saw, the organizational learning strategy needs to focus on ways and means to enhance on-the-job learning. Performance Support Tools (PSTs) help you achieve this mandate.

PSTs can be aligned easily to your other key learning strategies like:

mLearning or mobile learning (by making PSTs in mobile-friendly formats).

Designing learning for the millennial generation (innovative formats of PSTs can be aligned to the way Millennials learn).

Gamification.

Micro portals.

I hope this article provides you with the required insights on Performance Support Tools (PSTs) and why you should use them. Do contact me if you need any specific support to integrate Performance Support in your learning strategy.

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What Is Performance Support And Why Should You Use Performance Support Tools? - eLearning Industry

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According to the 70:20:10 model for Learning and Development, we learn: 70% from on the job experiences (experiential learning). 20% from interactions with others (social learning). 10% from formal (structured learning). As we note from this model, organizations need to focus more on the informal and social learning aspects to effectively achieve their learning mandates.

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Everyday Examples of Performance Support

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Performance support is highly-relevant content, information and processes that employees can reference on the job at the moment of need, without disrupting their normal procedures. It's a critical component for any learning and development team, and, if done well, it can extend the efficacy of your initial training and onboarding courses. But as more and more companies adopt this L&D component, they're borrowing ideas from instances in their everyday lives, proving that performances support certainly isn't just for the workplace.

To help you draw inspiration for your own training program-and to demonstrate just how much we all rely on performance support-we've collected five examples of performance support that we've used outside of work. Some of these are simple, some are more specific, but they all prove how having a small amount of the right information in hand can sometimes make a big difference.

1. Reminders

After forgetting something one too many times, it's common practice to stick a big Post-it note where we won't miss it or schedule a reminder on our phone. These reminders act as somewhat of a checklist, allowing us to mentally tick the box that we have our keys or phone. Most importantly, they make sure that we're successful throughout the day-exactly like performance support.

2. Navigation Systems

When driving in a new place, odds are, you'll turn to a navigation system for help. Of course, you already know how to drive and obey standard traffic laws, but you might not know the roads well enough to get to your destination efficiently-that's where navigation systems step in. With just-in-time knowledge, navigation systems save you untold time and frustration.

3. Recipes

For those of us who aren't professional chefs, we usually rely on recipes to whip up a successful meal. Recipes are not only easy to read, but they often come with helpful tips, too, answering questions that may arise during the process. Successful performance support should do the same thing-tackle small problems as they happen, so that users can solve them as quickly as possible.

4. Mobile Apps

One of my favorite apps is SkyView, which allows users to point their smartphones at the sky to identify constellations, planets and stars. There are countless other apps, too, that act as a reference tool, providing the information you need at the moment you need it. For users, this saves an invaluable amount of time that they would have spent scrolling through Google results or thumbing through a manual.

5. YouTube

The short, demonstration videos found on YouTube are a great example of performance support. Whether it's seeing how to tie a bow tie or poach an egg, learners are often more successful the first time around when they can see how to perform a task. Not only that, but the rise of mobile devices have made short videos more widely available, wherever and whenever you need them.

The bottom line:

Instances of performances support happen everyday and, while the term itself might best left for the workplace, it's important to evaluate when and why these examples are important in your daily routine. You can take those same principles (and some of the same tactics) and apply them to your own performances support program.
To learn more about Inkling can provide mobile performance support, contact our sales team for a free demo.

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Everyday Examples of Performance Support

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Performance support is highly-relevant content, information and processes that employees can reference on the job at the moment of need, without disrupting their normal procedures. It's a critical component for any learning and development team, and, if done well, it can extend the efficacy of your initial training and onboarding courses.

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12 Types of Work-Based Performance Support Tools You Can Use Today | Float

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Companies are discovering how mobile and other new technologies can equip and support employees in new and creative ways and, ideally, improve the bottom line. In fact, a recent Gartner study stated the increased need is creating an insatiable demand for development capability as they said: "Demand for mobile enterprise apps will outstrip development capacity five to one."

What is causing this demand? The tremendous versatility and a capability of performance support tools using mobile and other devices such as watches and glasses. And the integration with presents even greater potential. Delivering information at the time of a need for employees during their workflow can be powerful and effective when using human-centered design and sound development skills.

There is a wide range of performance support tools and in the recent Float whitepaper, " The Rise of Work-based Performance Support Systems in the Digital Age ." It showed this diversity in a list developed by George R. Maughan. In his article, Electronic Performance Support Systems and Technological Literacy , he describes a dozen tools that can be implemented as effective performance support. This list, although published well before the technological tidal wave happening today, still provides a strong foundation for the different ways effective performance support can take place in today's enterprise.

Let's look at some of these performances support tools and see how they can be delivered in mobile and hands-free approaches.

1. Cue Cards

This style can be effective. They typically use it as reinforcement training and can include flash card frameworks. Picture a sales representative that opens a flash card mobile application between sales calls and then tests themselves on key content they have learned in previous formal training. Game elements such as points, badges, and a leaderboard can be added to this application to increase engagement.

2. Explanations or Demonstrations

Some companies have created their own video libraries to share with employees. These videos are typically short and are not high in production value. The content is king and users can learn the information they need targeted bursts. In a collaborative approach, it can encourage employees to create their own videos and upload them to the library.

3. Coaches or Guides

Smart glasses can provide a new perspective on highly skilled tasks. For instance, surgeons are using smart glasses to train interns different techniques by allowing them to see the procedures from the surgeon's eyes. Instead of a student standing across from the surgeon and watching the procedure upside down, they can watch on a monitor, even remotely.

4. Searchable Reference

It can complicate the process of onboarding a new employee and be frequently confusing. Companies are having success combining their onboarding information in one easily searchable application so new hires can navigate their way to a good first day on the job. HR documents, training modules, important contacts, checklists, and maps of company locations all can be included in a helpful application that makes a strong first impression on a new employee.

5. Checklist

This can be the first go to the application as there are many off-the-shelf products for consumers and the enterprise that provide mobile checklist applications. Checklists are a long-time performance support standard so the content most likely already exists. Safety inspectors, repair technicians, and even surgeons are using mobile checklists to enhance their work skills. See products like Wunderlist and for easily available applications that can be tailored for the enterprise.

6. Process Map

They can develop decisions trees for mobile applications so that users can solve problems with several touches towards a solution. For instance, if an HVAC technician was repairing a furnace, the application could ask him a series of questions about the circumstance before him to drill down to the most applicable solution.

7. Tips

Tips are ideal for mobile as they can be short and concise and appear on screens as small as a smart watch. Pertinent performance support tips can appear on device screens and smart glass field of vision to provide real-time tips even in augmented reality contexts. A building inspector could move around a location and receive information on her smart glasses from beacons placed around the facility.

8. Assessments

Training has long used assessments to measure worker performance, and mobile is no exception. But, the variety of device affordances can provide new approaches to assessments by utilizing voice recognition or the camera to aid in the testing. No longer does testing have to be a long series of multiple choice questions. Ask a question and then have the user answer verbally. Or take a picture of the right response.

As you can see from some of the descriptions above, performance support is entering a new and vibrant age. Mobile devices and wearables are creating whole new delivery methods and learning possibilities to the worker on the move. What creative ways are you seeing mobile being used in the workplace? Share your ideas and examples in the comments below.

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12 Types of Work-Based Performance Support Tools You Can Use Today | Float

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Companies are discovering how mobile and other new technologies can equip and support employees in new and creative ways and, ideally, improve the bottom line. In fact, a recent Gartner study stated the increased need is creating an insatiable demand for development capability as they said: "Demand for mobile enterprise apps will outstrip development capacity five to one."

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How To Get Started With Performance Support

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When you buy a piece of furniture that needs to be assembled, you follow the enclosed instructions to put it together. It makes more sense to follow the instructions step-by-step than to memorize them because there is no need to retain the information. The assistance you get from the manual is similar to performance support in the workplace.

Performance support, a form of task assistance, fills a gap at work that usually arises in the context of performing a task, such as when providing help desk support or making a decision about which patients are the highest priority in the emergency room. ( See a formal definition contributed by reader, Joe Kirby, below in the Comments.) Performance support might also be helpful prior to performing a task. For example, when a sales representative reviews key points she wants to present before making a routine sales call.

Performance support may come in the form of printed job aids or online tools and apps. How can you tell when performance support is the most effective solution or when formal learning interventions would be best?

Analysis Overview

A request for solving a workplace performance solution typically arises from issues, such as:

Employees are having difficulties solving certain types of problems

Workers are making too many errors

Staff are being asked to remember more information than is possible to retain

Customers are complaining about poor service

There has been a change in enterprise-wide procedures, products, software or relevant regulations

By delving into the issue, collaborating with key stakeholders, workforce members, and Subject Matter Experts, you can identify the causes of the issue. In some cases, a problem can not be solved with a training or performance support solution. For example, if an organization has many inefficient procedures, these issues must be addressed outside of training or support.

The analysis starts with the question, "What is the ideal performance and why is this ideal?" and compares this with, "What is the current performance and why does this occur?" You need to find out the best way to close the gap between the ideal and the current situation.

To best understand where problems occur, you can conduct a task analysis to deconstruct the tasks involved in the workflow where there are issues. This will help you discover whether one or more support interventions will solve the problem. A task analysis breaks down complex tasks into simpler steps. It also captures the knowledge needed to perform the steps.

Rapid Task Analysis

In their book, Innovative Performance Support, authors Gottfredson and Mosher write about conducting a rapid task analysis (RTA). This has the purpose of quickly identifying and sequencing higher level tasks rather than focusing on the details at first. It provides an overview for selecting the best type of performance support or training strategies and identifies where they are needed.

The RTA has three objectives:

1. Identify the job-specific tasks. The goal of deconstructing the job tasks is to understand what is involved and where to provide support. Using this rapid approach, you don't identify all of the steps of each task at this stage. This lets you get a quick overview perspective of things. You can then identify the detailed steps of each task later in the process.

2. Identify related concepts. Capture the higher-level concepts associated with each task. These describe what the task is, where the task fits in to the overall flow and its importance to the organization. Identifying the associated concepts provides the context of how tasks fit into the big picture.

3. Organize the tasks and concepts into meaningful business processes. In this phase, you group the tasks and concepts into logical units or processes.

After identifying the tasks and concepts, map them to the different job roles where they are performed. (Gottfredson & Mosher, 2010).

When to Use Performance Support

You may use performance support as one part of the learning landscape when your needs analysis shows that employees may benefit from consistent timely support in the workflow. It makes sense to provide support rather than training, when you know or suspect that an external memory aid is will close the performance gap.

Here are some examples of when performance support is most likely the best solution:

When accuracy is critical and errors are risky. Example: Assembling military equipment.

When a work task is performed infrequently, making it difficult to remember. Example: Filling out yearly employee forms.

When a work task is error prone, so that mistakes are made too often. Example: Performing routine medical procedures in a hospital.

When there are multiple decision points or many steps. Example: Determining the best type of insurance for a particular need.

When procedures or tasks are changing. Example: When two companies merge, there may be a temporary way of performing tasks that could benefit from support.

When workers have a low level of literacy. Example: Using visuals to show how to perform tasks can improve performance for people with low literacy, such as those who speak another language.

When training is not available for performing complex tasks. Example: Newly promoted managers need to determine project life cycle estimates but training is not immediately available.

When there are budget constraints, even though training may be a better alternative. Example: Creating a document that lists how to perform the most used features in a software application rather than providing more expensive online tutorials.

Don't underestimate performance support. There are many situations where it can replace formal training and work as a primary intervention (see Lanese and Nguyen, 2012). It encourages self-directed learning at work and enables people to perform more effectively.
What kind of results are you seeing with performance support? Share in the Comments below. References:

Gottfredson, C. & Mosher, B. Innovative Performance Support: Strategies and Practices for Learning in the Workflow. Columbus: McGraw-Hill, 2010.

Lanese, L. & Frank Nguyen, F. "The Journey from Formal Learning to Performance Support." Performance Improvement, vol. 51, no. 5, May/June 2012

Willmore, J. Job Aids Basics. Alexandria: ATD Publishing, 2018.

Get the latest articles, resources and freebies once a month plus my free eBook, Writing for Instructional Design.

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How To Get Started With Performance Support

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When you buy a piece of furniture that needs to be assembled, you follow the enclosed instructions to put it together. It makes more sense to follow the instructions step-by-step than to memorize them because there is no need to retain the information.

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10 Types Of Performance Support Tools From Quick Reference Guides To Mobile Apps - eLearning Industry

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Performance Support Tools: From Quick Reference Guides To Mobile Apps

If you were asked what you ate for dinner 3 weeks ago, would you remember? On average, we forget 80% of what has happened, including what we've learned, in the past 30 days.

Now, let's apply this concept to the workplace. A recent study suggests that 19.8% of the business time-the equivalent of one day per working week-is wasted by employees searching for information to do their job effectively. Regardless of how experienced an employee is with regard to a particular topic, employees are bound to need refreshers.

At our core, we're learners. Learners who seek growth and development, but don't always have the correct tools to do so. Research demonstrates that a significant portion of information learned is quickly forgotten, especially when participating in formal training programs.

But, what is Performance Support?

"A tool or resource, ranging from print to technology-supported, which provides just the right amount of task guidance, support, and productivity benefits to the user, precisely at the moment of need." - Marc Rosenberg

Ranging from written (post-it notes, quick reference notes, etc.) to electronic (apps, learning portals, etc.), Performance Support Tools have one goal: to increase performance and productivity.

We know that learning programs are most effective when they extend beyond a single training event. With shortening attention spans, we rely on grab-and-go information more than ever, in our daily lives and in our workplaces. By combining learning opportunities in class or online with the implementation of a Performance Support System, we can improve on-the-job performance with quick and accessible resources at the moment of need.

So, how do we differentiate between the types of Performance Support Tools and which works best in any given situation?

10 Types Of Performance Support Tools

1. Quick Reference Guides

Compiling post-it notes on your desk is a hassle and quite frankly, makes your job more frustrating when it comes to accessing all the information you need at a moment's notice. A QRG is a piece of reference content that quickly gives the learner the information they need to keep working at the moment. For example, in a medical facility, consider how many medical codes the billing department is tasked with understanding. A QRG providing a list of common codes would allow its users to process bills more quickly and accurately.

2. Infographics

Information processed visually has been shown to transmit messages faster and improve overall comprehension. Infographics do just that. They provide a visual representation of useful content to assist the learning process. Infographics can include charts and graphs, visual step-by-step instructions, diagrams, and more.

3. Process Maps

Process maps allow employees to discover how a task fits into the context of the procedure as a whole. Without the big-picture view, it can be difficult to understand why specific steps are required. Process maps provide both upstream and downstream views for a complete picture. The help teams collaborate and eliminate job "silo-ing".

4. eLearning

By making eLearning modules available for review outside the context of the initial training requirements and without the stresses of being tested, learners can browse training as a refresher. New employees can be referred to training to provide insight into their new jobs. And experienced employees can access these modules as a means of professional growth.

5. Mobile Apps

Mobile apps are especially useful for employees who don't have immediate access to a computer or paper resource.

For example, Dashe & Thomson worked with a company to develop pest elimination training for service specialists in the field. In that role, the specialists need a lot of knowledge about past behaviors and elimination strategies to recommend best practices for the homeowner. Implementing a mobile app replaced the service specialists' need to refer to a textbook in their vehicles, offering an immediate, on-site, mobile solution.

6. eBooks/Interactive PDFs

Chances are, you aren't using your PDFs to their fullest potential. Once a document has been converted to PDF format, interactive features such as buttons, videos, attached files of supporting information, and more can be added. With these capabilities, you're able to take complex information and convert it into a document the learner can navigate themselves to find the information they need. Learner engagement and learning retention both improve when a learner has control over their own process.

7. How-To-Videos

Much of what we learn involves watching someone else accomplish a task first. How many times have you referenced a YouTube how-to-video for something like how to change a tire on a car? How-to-videos can be a perfect launching pad to understand the steps involved in performing a complex task.

Similarly, this concept can be applied to the workplace. How-to-videos can be extremely useful for learning new software or efficient practices. Take a look at this how-to-video explaining how to create a pivot table in Excel.

8. FAQs

FAQs are useful when a company is initiating a change, such as a new website upgrade or software launch. With change comes questions, and FAQs can provide answers to common concerns that employees may have, leading up to, and including implementation.

9. Checklists

Checklists are most effective when trying to accomplish complex tasks, to ensure each step is completed and all key points are addressed. They can also be helpful when many employees need to perform the same tasks in the same order, or the same way.

10. Learning Portals

A learning portal is a centralized repository of all learning content the learner needs to access on the job. Portals contain job aids, QRGs, FAQs, eLearning modules, and more, and represent a single source of truth. Learning portals require ongoing maintenance since employees use this tool as a reliable source of updated data.

Work Smarter, Not Harder

In the "information age", we need to work smarter and faster. In a need-to-know situation, employees prefer to find and absorb the required information quickly and efficiently-making Performance Support Tools an ideal option to deliver content.

When used in conjunction with traditional training methods, Performance Support Tools can effectively leverage the power of application and retention.
References:
Nalkar, S. (2017, February). How Performance Support Systems Accelerate User Performance

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10 Types Of Performance Support Tools From Quick Reference Guides To Mobile Apps - eLearning Industry

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Wondering what some major types of Performance Support Tools are, from quick reference guides to mobile apps? Check here the 10most important types of Performance Support Tools form quick reference guides to mobile apps that you can use for your own benefit today.

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Merle doesn't like to use stand alone tools. Prefers cases and simulations that intrusive performance support tools.

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Looking for solutions that bring results 

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Looking for solutions that bring results 

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Andrea works in business development

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Nadya uses for new managers

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Kai uses for teacher training

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Judith uses to record pronunciations for ESL students

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Meaghan uses

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Jessie uses for sharing resources for self guided learning for her students.

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Hal quote: "Best example of performance support is a recipe."

Buckminster Fuller quote: "If you want to get a person to think and act differently, you don't try to teach him to think or act differently. You give him a tool, the use of which requires him to think and act differently."

Hal quote: "Smart phones have produced millions of apps. The use of them dramatically changed how people manage their lives. Much of Performance Support is not just bits of knowledge at the moment of need. It is providing tools that result in different or more effective actions. Tools turn knowledge into action without the users having to learn how to do that transformation themselves. They incorporate the best thinking and are aimed a producing the most productive work as quickly as possible--the key goal of Performance Support."

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Prepared by Sharon Smith, Panviva

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Innovative Performance Support: Strategies and Practices for Learning in the Workflow

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Innovative Performance Support: Strategies and Practices for Learning in the Workflow

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Conrad Gottfredson and Bob Mosher

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Innovative Performance Support: Strategies and Practices for Learning in the Workflow

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Real Learning Happens as You Work! Implement performance support to increase and accelerate employee performance. "It is a book that will become dog-eared from use as it is both a narrative and a reference. Valuable now, and over time; it is worth every cent of the $30 cover price.

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The PS Community currently hosts over 160 blogs contributed from across the community on issues from effectively designing PS to gaining buy-in from the learners, the L&D team, and the enterprise at large. We also have blogs from recognized industry experts such as Dr. Conrad Gottfredson, Dr. Allison Rossett, Dr. Frank Nguyen, and Dr. Marc Rosenberg, jsut to name a few.

The power of our blogs is that they are written by industry leaders and practitioners to offer the perfect balance of theory, vision, and applciation.

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Sample Blog Posts | performersupport.com

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The PS Community currently hosts over 160 blogs contributed from across the community on issues from effectively designing PS to gaining buy-in from the learners, the L&D team, and the enterprise at large. We also have blogs from recognized industry experts such as Dr. Conrad Gottfredson, Dr. Allison Rossett, Dr. Frank Nguyen, and Dr. Marc Rosenberg, jsut to name a few.

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A cool flow chart to help you determine if this is really a training issue.

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How to create a training goal in 2 quick steps - Training design - Cathy Moore

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How to create a training goal in 2 quick steps - Training design - Cathy Moore

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Good template for using business to measure learning outcomes.

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A measurable business goal is a great way to focus your training and show how your work helps your organization - that's why it's the first step in action mapping.

Unfortunately, most clients don't have a clear goal, so here's a quick formula that can help you connect what they want with what's good for the organization.

1. Choose your numbers

Identify a measure that the organization is already using that your project could help improve. Once you have that, decide how much you'll improve it and by when.

Some examples:

"We need sales training" - Sales will increase 5% by Q3

"We need diversity training" - Employee retention will increase 8% by 2015

"We need training on conflict management" - Grievances will decrease by 10% in two years

Obviously, the best measure will depend on the organization and its current strategies.

2. Identify in general terms what people will do

Your goal from step 1 could be enough, but it can help to add a second layer and mention in general terms what your audience will do differently.

Some examples:

"We need sales training" - Sales will increase 5% by Q3 as all sales people use the 5-step Customer Courtship Model

"We need diversity training" - Employee retention will increase 8% by 2015 as all employees better manage diversity

"We need training on conflict management" - Grievances will decrease by 10% in two years as team leaders better manage conflict on their teams

By making goals like this, we're not promising that our project alone will be responsible for the change in numbers. However, we're making clear that our project is directly tied to an important measure that affects the performance of the organization and we're serious about designing a solution that works.

When you involve the client and subject matter expert in setting this goal, you also start to turn their attention away from knowledge and toward changes in behavior. This can help loosen their obsession with information and save your audience from another ineffective information dump. It also makes it easier to suggest more agile solutions than training.

Learn more

Design training that matters

My book Map It helps you turn training requests into projects that make a real difference. With humor and lots of examples, Map It walks you through action mapping, a visual approach to needs analysis and training design used by organizations around the world.

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Want to help people change what they do, not just what they know? Give them realistic practice with scenarios. Learn how in my four-week scenario design online course. You'll have hands-on practice, lively online sessions, and my personal feedback.

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How to create a training goal in 2 quick steps - Training design - Cathy Moore

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A measurable business goal is a great way to focus your training and show how your work helps your organization - that's why it's the first step in action mapping. Unfortunately, most clients don't have a clear goal, so here's a quick formula that can help you connect what they want with what's good for the organization.

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Why you want to focus on actions, not learning objectives - Training design - Cathy Moore

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Why you want to focus on actions, not learning objectives - Training design - Cathy Moore

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Categorized in: Tagged as: Instructional design client management needs analysis what-do

By Cathy Moore

Pop quiz!

1. What do these people need to do?

A. Put out the fire

B. Describe the techniques used to extinguish a fire

2. What does this woman need to do to stay in business?

A. Sell flowers

B. Explain the principles of the flower-selling process

3. This young man wants you to give him money. Which objective are you more likely to fund?

A. Build a home for a displaced family in Sudan

B. Describe how to build a home for a displaced family in Sudan

Learning objectives are wimpy

A typical learning objective focuses on what each person supposedly needs to know, ignoring whether this knowledge will actually lead to useful action.

Instead, to create elearning that changes real-world behavior, we have to first identify what people need to do, and only then decide if there's anything that they need to know.

Identify the action, then the knowledge

Many people start their design by writing learning objectives. Instead, it's helpful to first choose a business goal for your project and then identify each "action" needed to reach that goal. (See action mapping for lots more on this.)

What's an action?

An action:

Takes place in the real world, not inside someone's head

Takes place on the job, not during a training event

Justifies a paycheck

"Put out the fire" is an action, because it takes place in the real world and helps us achieve our goal of a fire-free environment. We don't hire firefighters because we want them to "describe techniques used to put out a fire."

Follow the money

A lot of us have been told that an objective like "define pathogen" is good because it can be measured. But are you willing to pay someone to "define pathogen " for you? Or would you rather have them "kill pathogens on imported fruit," such as the apple you're about to eat?

Actions lead to lively activities

A course ruled by conventional learning objectives like "define pathogen " will have simple fact checks and Jeopardy games. A course dedicated to supporting real-world behaviors like "kill pathogens on imported fruit" will be more likely to have realistic simulations, such as an activity that requires learners to assess a crate of apples for possible pathogens and take the appropriate actions.

Yes, we have to make sure that our learners know what a pathogen is. But action-based materials will go far beyond that learning objective and help learners practice the behaviors that will make a real difference in the world.

To identify what learners need to know, we first have to identify what they need to do. Only then can we determine if the problem really is a lack of knowledge. And by designing our material around real-world actions rather than just knowledge, we'll create lean, lively materials.

Photos © iStockPhoto

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Why you want to focus on actions, not learning objectives - Training design - Cathy Moore

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Categorized in: Tagged as: Instructional design client management needs analysis what-do By Cathy Moore Pop quiz! 1. What do these people need to do? A. Put out the fire B. Describe the techniques used to extinguish a fire 2. What does this woman need to do to stay in business?

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Blended Learning to Address the Five Moments of Need Infographic - e-Learning Infographics

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Blended Learning to Address the Five Moments of Need Infographic - e-Learning Infographics

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The Five Moments of Need Model is a practical and useful approach that can be used to fill in the 'learning' gaps by analyzing the typical role of employees. Instead of focusing only on what the organization wants in terms of learning, it focuses on the specific needs of employees as they go about their work and addresses those needs by providing the requisite training. It is this very shift in perspective that makes it such an insightful and pragmatic model for delivering training.

The Five Moments of Need

Introduced by Bob Mosher & Conrad Gottfredson, the 5 moments of need are:

Learning for the first time (New)

Learning More (More)

Applying what you've learned (Apply)

When things go wrong (Problem Solving)

When things change (Change)

Using Blended Learning to Address the Five Moments of Need

The Blended Learning to Address the Five Moments of Need Infographic show how a blended learning strategy can effectively provide learning solutions to employees as and when these 5 needs arise.

Learning for the first time (New) - GOAL: Teaching something new

Instructor-led classroom sessions bring an immediacy to the table, making them highly effective in driving core concepts into the learners' minds

Webinars can accomplish the same purpose when ILT isn't possible

Learning More (More) - GOAL: To expand the already existing knowledge

E-learning modules with second level interactivity such as videos, animations and clickable graphics

Scenario based learning and gamification to help employees explore concepts further

Applying what you've learned (Apply) - GOAL: To assist them at work when they apply the learnt concepts

Bite-sized resources such as 'How to' videos and modules, FAQs, product summaries, etc.

Intuitive mobile and tablet learning design that limits the number of pages to be clicked through to provide fast and reliable performance support

When things go wrong (Problem Solving) - GOAL: To provide immediate answers/solutions to problems that employees face at work

Blogs and videos, each of which focuses on solving one particular problem at a time

Social interactive features in the LMS to facilitate live chats, threaded discussions and sharing of experiences among employees who encountered similar problems

When things change (Change) - GOAL: To minimize or eliminate the resistance to change by providing the necessary learning

Peer-to-peer information sharing, meetings and email newsletters to set expectations

A mix of instructor led, online & mobile learning courses depending on the scale & potential impact of the change

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Blended Learning to Address the Five Moments of Need Infographic - e-Learning Infographics

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The Five Moments of Need Model is a practical and useful approach that can be used to fill in the 'learning' gaps by analyzing the typical role of employees. Instead of focusing only on what the organization wants in terms of learning, it focuses on the specific needs of employees as they go about their work and addresses those needs by providing the requisite training.

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L&D Manifesto - people unite! - Cathy Moore

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L&D Manifesto - people unite! - Cathy Moore

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We, the downtrodden and ignored learning and development professionals of the world, hereby shake off the shackles of convention and obedience and proclaim the arrival of a new order, a new age of enlightenment in which we valiantly defend truth, honor, and our learners by... well, by not being such pushovers.

We refuse to pretend that training is always the answer. When a client says, "We need training," we don't say, "Sure! Would you like fries with that?" Instead, we start asking questions.

We require clients to set a measurable goal. We help each client identify exactly how the organization's performance is suffering and how our project will measurably, observably, provably improve that performance, because we're here to make a difference, not to put 97,000 PowerPoint slides online.

We rejoice in the power of needs assessment. Oh needs assessment, you faithful but tragically neglected guardian of time, money, and learners' souls, we welcome you back into our profession and with eager minds ask you for each and every project, "What do people need to do?" and "Why aren't they doing it?"

We advocate for the rights of the humble job aid, email, and PDF. If the problem is caused by a simple lack of information, we show the client how a nimble solution placed in the workflow can avoid the expense and tragedy of a 107-slide presentation pointlessly read aloud by a talking avatar whose lips really move.

We design activities, not information. When instruction is part of the solution, we don't preach or present to learners. Instead, we let them practice what they need to do and draw conclusions from that experience like the grownups they are, and for that reason we rock scenarios.

We stand firm in our belief that learners have brains and should be allowed to use them. We fiercely protect our learners' time, minds, and souls from clients' whims, information dumps, patronizing narration, " learning styles," office politics, " motivational" training, SMEs' favorite details, locked navigation, " awareness," feeble multiple-choice questions, " knowledge transfer," " knowledge checks," academic learning objectives, flying bullet points, and alien abductions.

We are legion! Here are just a few of our noble warriors, in no order whatsoever.

There are countless more brave warriors helping us rise up from oppression and cry, " Doormats? Never again!" Please let us know about your favorites in the comments.

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Learning & development people unite! - Training design - Cathy Moore

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We, the downtrodden and ignored learning and development professionals of the world, hereby shake off the shackles of convention and obedience and proclaim the arrival of a new order, a new age of enlightenment in which we valiantly defend truth, honor, and our learners by... well, by not being such pushovers.

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Tool: Performance Design Canvas + Video Overview - :: arun pradhan ::

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Tool: Performance Design Canvas + Video Overview - :: arun pradhan ::

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A double sided A3 performance design tool to support performance gap analysis and then an evidence-based solution design leveraging behavioural economics inspired nudges, habits and development strategies.
Breaking news - I'll be running a free webinar on how to use this tool on Nov 8th (AUS time). Book for the free webinar here.
And, if you want to take it to the next level, consider booking me in for an in-house workshop and/or registering your interest for a public workshop in your area or virtually - coming later in 2020. View the workshop page of this website to view testimonials for the Design for Performance workshop I offer that demonstrates how to use this tool and shift the conversation from content to performance.

Of course, don't forget to download the canvas below 😀

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Tool: Performance Design Canvas - :: arun pradhan ::

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A double sided A3 performance design tool to support performance gap analysis and then an evidence-based solution design leveraging behavioural economics inspired nudges, habits and development strategies. Breaking news - I'll be running a free webinar on how to use this tool on Nov 8th (AUS time). Book for the free webinar here.

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Arun's Blog: words & pictures from a curious geek

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Arun's Blog: words & pictures from a curious geek

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Excellent blog by "a curious geek who empowers people to learn, innovate and perform."

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I don't normally share my fiction recommendations here (I save it for @goodreads )... but seriously, go read Project Hail Mary by @andyweirauthor. Freaking brilliant. Avoid reviews & spoilers (I regret seeing the cover before I started it) - just read it 🙂

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If learning was water... the infographic.

Feel free to copy and use this cartoon for non-profit purposes under the Creative Commons Licence. I do request that if you use it you:

Let me know

Where possible, include an active link back to this site: arunpradhan.com

If we ever meet in person, buy me a drink (I accept a banana smoothie or red wine, depending on the time of day )

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Infographic: if Learning was Water - :: arun pradhan ::

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If learning was water... the infographic. Feel free to copy and use this cartoon for non-profit purposes under the Creative Commons Licence.

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'Dear Training'...A Breakup Letter from L&D Professionals

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'Dear Training'...A Breakup Letter from L&D Professionals

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We're sorry, but it's over.

It's not you, it's us. We've changed, but we'll always value what we had together.

Do you remember how we first met? That summer day when we gently crafted our first elearning module? Or how we stood, full of trepidation, as we prepared to deliver that face to face workshop? We were so young.

There were times when something seemed amiss, but you always knew how to reassure us. You were so confident, with your Flashy smile and concise learning objectives. You promised so much. We were going to change the world together, one course at a time...

Listen, there's no easy way to say this. We've met someone else. Let's just call them 'P'.

P doesn't make empty promises, they just deliver. You can't believe what a relief that is after decades of being with you.

And don't get us started on how rigid and formal you are in comparison. It's like you have two gears: 'on' and 'off'. The worst part is when you're 'off' you expect us to wait, frozen in time.

P isn't like that. For a start, P fits in with our work and life rather than insisting we spend dedicated time away from the rest of the world. P is always there, encouraging us in ways we never even considered.

Sure we can't control everything, but we're not trying to anymore. P doesn't care how long we spend together, or about ticking meaningless check boxes... P just cares about making a difference.

So yes, this is the end of our... what did we have exactly? A long term affair? A marriage of convenience? Whatever it was, it's over.

Please don't be angry, and don't go posting those embarrassing photos of us... you know the ones when we were dressed up and did those role plays? You don't want to burn any bridges. Besides, we still want to be friends. There's a place for you in our life, only a much smaller place than before.

How much smaller? If you had to push us for a number, we'd say you can have somewhere around 10%... that's all you ever needed anyway!

We'd better go, P's calling.

P's full name? You really want to know who stole our hearts? Well, we probably owe you that much.

It's Performance . We know, probably French or something.

Goodbye Training. We'd say 'thanks for the memories' but frankly, even they tend to fade away when once you're out of sight.
Broken Hearted L&D Professionals
P.S. We're keeping the dog.

This article was first published on 15th September 2015 on linkedin here.

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'Dear Training'...A Breakup Letter from L&D Professionals - :: arun pradhan ::

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We're sorry, but it's over. It's not you, it's us. We've changed, but we'll always value what we had together. Do you remember how we first met? That summer day when we gently crafted our first elearning module? Or how we stood, full of trepidation, as we prepared to deliver that face to face workshop?

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Modern Workplace Learning Magazine : The magazine for the modern Learning & Development professional

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Modern Workplace Learning Magazine : The magazine for the modern Learning & Development professional

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Modern Workplace Learning Magazine : The Magazine for the Modern Learning & Development Professional

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The Magazine for the Modern Learning & Development Professional

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Free Learning Decisions Podcasts from Elliott Masie

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Join the Performance Support Community | 5 Moments of Need

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Join the Performance Support Community | 5 Moments of Need

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Skip Navigation Website Accessibility

Be a part of this member-driven, global community of practice where professionals implementing performance support share information, experiences, challenges, and successes. The Community advances evidence-based practices and influences technology evolution through conversation, collaboration, education, information sharing, and research. All content and contributions come from the community for the community.

Are you already a certified 5 Moments of Need Designer? Join this private cohort of like-minded professionals to share your projects, challenges, and inspire one another to push the envelope even further!

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Join the Performance Support Community | 5 Moments of Need

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Skip Navigation Website Accessibility Be a part of this member-driven, global community of practice where professionals implementing performance support share information, experiences, challenges, and successes. The Community advances evidence-based practices and influences technology evolution through conversation, collaboration, education, information sharing, and research. All content and contributions come from the community for the community.

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Map It: The hands-on guide to strategic training design by Cathy Moore

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Map It: The hands-on guide to strategic training design by Cathy Moore

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Amazon determines the discounted price. The retail price of the book is $57 US. Amazon will discount this price at their own discretion, which is out of my control. Different sites might show different prices, and these are all subject to change.
How can I get the paper version if I live in...

Australia, Asia: The book is available from Book Depository. I don't know if it will be available from Amazon's India, Japan, or China sites and unfortunately have no control over this.

Latin America: The paper version of the book might become available through Amazon Brazil or Mexico (currently only the Kindle version is listed). You might also try Book Depository.

Everywhere else: If no Amazon site will ship the book to your country, check the countries that Book Depository ships to. The paper book is available through that site at this link.

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Map It: The action mapping book - Training design - Cathy Moore

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No more information dumps! Map It helps you turn training requests into projects that make a real difference. You'll learn how to: Help the client identify what's really causing the performance problem. Determine the role (if any!) of training. Create realistic activities that help people practice what they need to...

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Understanding Learning: The Affective Context Model

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Understanding Learning: The Affective Context Model

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Understanding Learning: The Affective Context Model

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I thought I would try using video to explain the Affective Context Model and what it means for learning. It lasts just under 10 minutes. Apo...

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Mobile Learning and The Affective Context Model – Classroom Aid

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Mobile Learning and The Affective Context Model – Classroom Aid

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by Işıl Boy, Işıl Boy's Blog : Mobile Learning & The Affective Context Model (licensed under CC BY-NC-ND)

Mockus et al. (2011: 5) defines mLearning as " knowledge on the move ", and it is claimed that mobile learning, in addition to motivating learners, helps them to learn anywhere anytime since learning is now available to the learners' in their own environments and is not restricted to (physical) classroom settings.
So, what is the relation between mobile learning and the 'Affect ive Context Model'?
If people can learn things when they need to, then it is likely to be more effective. In this context, Jones (2010) discusses the 'Affective Context Model, and describes learning as a process by which people attach importance to information. He states that people learn the things that matter to them. According to the 'Affective Context Model', there is a crucial difference between 'pull type' of learning (informal learning) and 'push type' of learning (formal learning). The 'Affective Context Model' is sustained by the learner in the pull type of learning whereas learners are indifferent to the information in the push type of learning.

Rosenberg (2010) also underlines the importance of informal learning and considers it as a cause factor for mLearning. With the help of mLearning, we are learning anytime/anywhere, which becomes a form of informal learning process, so pull type of learning is easily achieved. Nowadays, even when we are not searching for information, it is supplied to us via mobile phones. For instance, we can learn a lot of useful information if we use Twitter and follow educators who share great resources or websites.

Mobile learning provides intrinsic motivation, which comes from within an individual, since it makes learning more fun and meaningful. As we do not usually buy our mobile phones or tablet devices for our studies, we may nevertheless, consider them as fun tools to use. According to the study carried by Mockus et al. (2011), mLearning motivated students to learn, and most of the students stated that they found it beneficial, fun, and meaningful.

Siemens (2004) claims that informal learning has gained momentum; that people learn through personal learning networks, or when they are busy with some other tasks. He further states that learning and work-related tasks are interwoven, not separate; and the tools we use change the way we think since technology has a power over us to change the way we learn and process information. He also notes that knowing where to find the information is now more important than the knowledge itself.

Please watch the video below if you want to learn more about the 'Affective Context Model'.
References:
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-jIWHfFsjI]

Jones, N (2010). Towards a Working Theory of Learning: The Affective Context Model. Available at: http://www.aconventional.com/2010/05/towards-working-theory-of-learning.html

Mockus, L., Dawson, H., Edel-Malizia, S., Shaffer, D., An, J., & Swaggerty, A. (2011). The Impact of Mobile Access on Motivation: Distance. Education Student Perceptions. Retrieved April 29, 2012 from: http://learningdesign.psu.edu/research/MLRTWhitePaper.pdf

Rosenberg, M. J. (2010). Marc my words: Thinking about mobile learning in the age of iPad. Learning Solutions Magazine. Retrieved April 28, 2012 from http://www.learningsolutionsmag.com/articles/477/marc-my-words-thinking-about-mobile-learning-in-the-age-of-ipad

Siemens, G. (2004). Connectivism: A learning theory for the digital age. International Journal of Instructional Technology & Distance Learning, Retrieved May 14, 2012 from http://www.itdl.org/Journal/Jan_05/article01.htm

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Mobile Learning and The Affective Context Model

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by Işıl Boy, Işıl Boy's Blog : Mobile Learning & The Affective Context Model (licensed under CC BY-NC-ND) Mockus et al. (2011: 5) defines mLearning as " knowledge on the move ", and it is claimed that mobile learning, in addition to motivating learners, helps them to learn anywhere anytime since learning is now available to the learners' in their own environments and is not restricted to (physical) classroom settings.

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Modern Workplace Learning 2020 is written by Jane Hart and is continuously updated.
Read the first section for FREE to find out what Modern Workplace Learning is all about.
Purchase access to read the full online resource and download the PDF

Note this is one of a series of 3 complementary resources produced by Jane Hart. Other two are:
Every Professional's Guide to Modern Learning is intended to help individuals
take charge of their own continuous self-improvement and self-development.
Grow And Develop your Team: A Guide for Modern Managers is intended to help
managers have a more active role in the development of their people.

Modern Workplace Learning is a trading name of Tesserae Ltd

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Contents - Modern Workplace Learning 2020

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Modern Workplace Learning 2020 is written by Jane Hart and is continuously updated. Read the first section for FREE to find out what Modern Workplace Learning is all about. Purchase access to read the full online resource and download the PDF Introduction Understand Modern Workplace Learning.

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Years ago I stumbled on Wallwisher, a virtual post-it note board. I liked the concept, but the backgrounds were garish and hard to look at for long. Months ago, I received notification via email that Wallwisher had undergone a transformation and was now Padlet.

In the middle of finals, I was procrastinating and decided to explore Padlet. I am thrilled I did! I created my first "wall" in seconds and love the new backgrounds, easy sharing and ability to upload images. I decided to use it for a professional development training. I asked participants to post a little bio at the start of the training. It was a hit!

I also used it to engage my participants in a fun icebreaker. I chose the map background and asked participants to post a note on the location they would like to travel to most.

When asked what tool from the workshop they were most excited to use, many educators referenced Padlet. Their enthusiasm is the reason I decided to write this blog to share Padlet with other teachers.
Here's how it works.
Step 2: Click "Build a wall."

Step 3: Modify and share your wall.
Ideas for using Padlet with Students

Class introductions - Ask students to post a brief bio, quirky fact about themselves, and/or favorite hobby to introduce themselves to the class.

Icebreakers - Post an icebreaker question on a wall and invite students to get to know one another and build community.

Inquiry - Before starting a unit of study, drive inquiry and ask students to post questions they have about the topic.

Previous knowledge - Ask students to brainstorm everything they know about a topic before they begin studying it.

Predictions - Allow students to predict how a book will end, what the outcome of a science lab/experiment will be, or what the impact of an event in history on other countries will be. These are fun to revisit once a book is finished or a lab is completed.

Context clues - Post a picture of a person, culturally significant scene or moment from history and ask students to explore and discuss context clues.

Finish the story - Post a story line and ask students to continue the story with words and images.

Vocabulary development - Post words on the board and ask students to collaboratively add definitions, synonyms and pictures to help all students better understand the vocabulary.

Label - Post a picture of a cell, piece of art work, or map and ask students to label the parts with names and information.

Exit ticket - Find out what students learned and what they are still confused about.

Share your ideas for using Padlet with students!

This entry was posted in Learning. Bookmark the permalink.

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Padlet: Create a Virtual Wall & Engage Your Students

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Years ago I stumbled on Wallwisher, a virtual post-it note board. I liked the concept, but the backgrounds were garish and hard to look at for long. Months ago, I received notification via email that Wallwisher had undergone a transformation

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How People Learn: Designing Education and Training that Works to Improve Performance: Nick Shackleton-Jones, Dr Roger Schank

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How People Learn: Designing Education and Training that Works to Improve Performance: Nick Shackleton-Jones, Dr Roger Schank

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How People Learn: Designing Education and Training that Works to Improve Performance

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Shared via Kindle. Description: What if we have been wrong about learning? Learning may have more in common with marketing than we thought. Looking at marketing and learning's common root, How People Learn shows L&D professionals a new way of thinking about...

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The 5 Moments of Need - Performance Support and Instructional Design

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The 5 Moments of Need - Performance Support and Instructional Design

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APPLY Synergies - 5 Moments of Need Workflow Learning Provider

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As pioneers of the 5 Moments of Need and strategic consulting for workflow learning, we have emerged as the preferred choice for organizations looking to move from training to performance.