THE IMPORTANCE OF STRONG MANAGEMENT

Brech identifies the role of management as encompassing four main elements:

1. Planning – determining the broad lines for carrying out operations, preparing methods by which they are carried out and setting standards of performance.
2. Control – checking actual performance against standards to ensure satisfactory progress and performance, and recording as a guide to possible future operations.
3. Coordination – balancing and maintaining the team by ensuring a suitable division of work and seeing that tasks are performed in harmony.
4. Motivation – or inspiring morale. Getting members of the team to work effectively, to give loyalty to the group and to the task, to carry out their tasks properly, and to play an effective part in the activities of the organization.

Brech’s four main elements are a satisfactory starting point to understand the role of management; however, the success of management relies upon the accuracy in which the above four elements are executed. Drucker emphasizes this point when he defines the differences between effectiveness and efficiency. ‘Effectiveness is the foundation of success – efficiency is concerned with doing things right. Effectiveness is doing the right things.’ A good manager can plan, lead, coordinate and control work efficiently but a great manager will understand the effectiveness of the work that is being done and how that effectiveness influences the customer’s perception of the service.

The quality of management within an organization significantly influences the culture of the organization. Schein maintained that the major factors influencing an organization’s culture are:

• what leaders pay attention to, measure and control on a regular basis;
• how leaders react to critical incidents and organizational crises;
• observed criteria by which leaders allocate scarce resources;
• deliberate role modelling, teaching and coaching by leaders;
• observed criteria by which leaders allocate rewards and status;
• observed criteria by which leaders, recruit, select, promote, etc.

What is the one noun which links all of Schein’s findings together? The answer is ‘leader’.

Of course by the term ‘leaders’ in call centres we are referring to managers, those who have significant influence over the work of trainers, agents, planners and recruitment. Some theorists argue that leadership and management are two completely different roles. Kotter for example argues, ‘Management is about coping with complexity. . . Leadership, by contrast, is about coping with change.’ However, in a call centre leadership and management are intertwined; they should not be separated. Call centre managers have to have a vision about how they feel the call centre should work to meet the organizational objectives and they have to deal with the complexity of making those visions a reality. In this chapter we are not going to separate the roles of leadership and management as they are both equally important.

Schein identifies that the conscious and unconscious behaviours of managers determine the organization’s culture. Therefore, the greatest influencing factor in any organization is the behaviour of its managers. This works on all levels. Of course senior managers and directors have the greatest influence but team leaders and functional managers such as those running call centres exert significant influence on the culture, productivity and wellbeing of the call centre.

The importance of management and its relationship to development was reinforced further in a study by International Survey Research, which reported that levels of employee commitment in the UK are significantly lower than in most of the world’s major economies. This lack of commitment is resulting in a lack of competitive advantage for the UK in relation to other global giants. The study conducted by ISR stated that the four most important factors in determining the commitment levels of a workforce are closely linked to the quality of support and ability to do their role. The four key factors are:

1. employees’ assessment of the quality of their company’s leadership;
2. employees’ evaluation of the development opportunities their organization provides;
3. employees’ judgement as to whether they are sufficiently empowered and trained to carry out their work effectively;
4. employees’ ratings of the people management skills of their immediate supervisor.

If we examine the above findings we see two of the main factors are related to leadership and management skills (1 and 4) and the remaining two are linked to training and development (2 and 3). If we link all four factors together we come to the assumption that instilling learning within the organization, in particular management development, is pivotal in the productivity and success of the individual companies and the wider economy.

For call centres this is fundamental. It is common knowledge that the majority of call centres believe their staff commitment levels are too low, resulting in high turnover. The objective of the traditional call centre production model is to maximize volume and minimize costs, and high turnover is acceptable, even encouraged. The work organization is designed to minimize skill requirements, discretion and job cycle time, thus ensuring turnover of staff is not critical to the overall objective. However, in the modern call centre, this mass production model is obsolete. The integrity, discretion and knowledge required to do the role results in the time taken for a new agent to become proficient as anywhere between six and 26 weeks. A modern call centre cannot operate efficiently and effectively with high sickness absence rates and high turnover as a result of low staff commitment. If organizations are to compete on quality and customer loyalty as well as price, the investment in management practices that maximize the skills and abilities of the work force must become a priority.

Call Center Management is not simple

A whole industry has been established around the idea of simplifying management. To read some of the literature produced by motivation coaches and solutions providers we can assume management is easy and if managers do not find it easy they are doing something wrong. Those involved in management development must first of all understand the complexities of management in order to define what exactly the development needs are. Perhaps the most realistic definitions of management are those that admit that it’s a complex and messy job:

Managerial work across all levels. . . is characterized by pace, brevity, variety and fragmentation. . . It is hectic and fragmented, requiring the ability to shi continuously from relationship to relationship, from topic to topic, from problem to problem. 

Management relates to all activities of the organization and is undertaken at all levels of the organization. Management is not a separate, discrete function. It cannot be departmentalized or scrutinized. An organization cannot have a department of management in the same way it can have a department for other functions, such as production, marketing, accounting, or personnel. 

So the first conclusions we can make about management is that it is far from simplistic, it can cover everything and it effects everyone and to a greater or lesser degree we all need to be able to manage. What we also know is that in call centres there are managers. These are the people who have a greater responsibility for coordinating the work of others as well as their own. They are the ones responsible for the workforce planning, performance measurement, motivating employees and ensuring agents have the information to actually resolve customer queries.

The International Customer Management Institute (ICMI), a US-based call centre consultancy service, defines call centre management as, ‘the art of having the right number of properly skilled people and supporting resources in place at the right times to handle an accurately forecasted workload, at service level and with quality’. This definition of call centre management is weighted towards the responsibilities of workforce planning; what can be described as the management of the tangible aspects of the organization, ensuring the department is running efficiently. However, as we know this is only one aspect of management; it fails to recognize that management in practice involves coping with contradictory demands, pressures and politics. The call centre is a great example of contradictory demands and call centre managers have to manage the constant tension between the sometimes opposing goals of service efficiency and customer service effectiveness.

The majority of a call centre manager’s work is not spent on workforce planning; in fact a significant proportion of this type of work is undertaken by specialists with the assistance of automated so ware planning tools. The majority of a manager’s time is spent on ensuring the intangible assets of the call centre, such as, knowledge, capabilities, group dynamics and culture are effectively being utilized to improve the effectiveness of the service to the customer. The ICMI definition of call centre management fails to recognize motivation.

Management Development in Call Centres

WHAT IS MANAGEMENT?

Prior to defining the management development practices in call centres it is important to first of all define what exactly is meant by the term ‘management’ and place it in a call centre context. The starting point of any training and development project is identifying the training and development need. For example, the training and development need in an induction course would be for employees to be sufficiently trained in the organization’s systems, products and culture to effectively answer customer queries. In management development this may be slightly more difficult to define and it may involve the identification and development of individuals with the potential to manage departments or functions in the future. In addition, it may be the development of individuals who can supervise people to undertake predefined work processes, and also be the strategic development of individuals who are already in existing management positions.

Those involved in the design of management development should start by asking the following question: ‘What exactly is meant by management within our organization?’ A clear understanding of what is expected from managers within a call centre will allow trainers and educators to assess the management development requirements of the department/organization/individual, plan and design how the need will be met, deliver the required training and then measure the success of it against the previously defined objectives.

‘Management’ and ‘manager’ are generic terms that are interpreted differently from call centre to call centre. In some organizations a team leader responsible for the activities of a collective of call centre agents may be called a manager. In other organizations the term ‘manager’ is specific to the strategic hierarchy at the very top of the organization.

The 1995 edition of The Concise Oxford Dictionary defines management as the ‘professional administration of business concerns’. In essence, the ‘occupational group that organizes and coordinates, and makes decisions about what work is done, how it is done (and) by whom’. In call centres the term ‘manager’ is usually applied to those who oversee the administration and, in large centres, the administration of certain functions such as training, HR and planning will be overseen by functional specialist managers. These management specialists will report directly to an individual who oversees all call centre operations. They may not have the title manager but they will be responsible for the management of the centre. Figure 1 gives a basic overview of a typical call centre departmental structure.

 
Figure 1: A typical call centre organizational chart

---

REFLECTION

Call centres have a reputation for having a flat structure with mini-mal promotional and career progression opportunities. However, Figure 1 identifies that there are at least seven call centre roles with management responsibilities. It is worth identifying within your own organizational structure how many actual individuals have a degree of management responsibility. This will help you understand the importance and scope of management within your own centre.

---

Peter Drucker (1974) and Charles Handy (1993), two of the most widely acknowledged theorists within the area of management, argue that management cannot be defined and a empts to do so are meaningless. This is largely based upon the idea that management, by nature, is something that permeates throughout organizations to all levels of employment. A number of authors argue that management encompasses so much of an organization that all employees, to a greater or lesser degree, must have the ability to manage. Torrington et al  argue that, ‘Management is not just a job done by people called ”managers”, it is an aspect done by all those who have to cope with the problems and opportunities of organization.’ The repercussions of this for training and development is that in essence everyone has to have an ability to manage, whether it be individuals managing their own workload or their personal development plan, relationships with colleagues or large multi-site call centre operations.

The BBC has an approach to management development that reinforces the idea that management skills are not just required for those with the word ‘manager’ in their job title. A management development information pack from the BBC includes the paragraph:

Fourth and most important, management training is available not simply for line managers, but for anyone with a management component in their job. In practice this means most of us. We all have to manage our time, our priorities, the resources we use, our colleagues and our boss.

We are all managers to a greater or lesser extent as we all have some degree of control over our life and a process within the business in which we are employed. The interdependent nature of the modern working environment means we all call on resources and employees to get the work done. Management therefore is a phenomenon that is pivotal to the complexities of modern day life.

Furthermore, despite the organizational re-engineering, restructuring, mergers and outsourcing, practices that dominated the global business climate in the last decade, the number of managers is actually increasing. A report by the Chartered Management Institute identified that the numbers of managers had substantially increased during previous decades and this was expected to continue

TIPS FOR THE TRAINER | System skills training

• The trainer needs to sit through training as a participant first!
• If it is a new system, use a pilot or test group before training groups of employees.
• The trainer needs to be able to complete the work as an agent.
• You need to have train the trainer and facilitation techniques.
• You need to have very good IT skills.
• You should co-tutor for all sessions at least once, but not all in the same programme.
• The trainer needs to be assessed by an experienced trainer/training manager.
• Conduct an ongoing review of evaluation sheets after each programme.

Trainer tips: don’ts

• Don’t ‘chalk and talk’: they don’t want to be bored, and return to ‘school’.
• Don’t treat participants like children: they are adult learners and you need to use learning methods suited to adult learners.
• Don’t conduct training in isolated sections: integrate the training into other core skills training: customer service, problem solving, etc.
• Don’t share computers: participants should work independently.
• Don’t train on a different version of the live system: to maximize learning, participants must be trained on exactly the same version as the live system.
• Never use ‘live data’: when training, use data that are constructed or ‘dead’ and which is not confidential.

Trainer tips: dos

• Training approach needs to be interactive.
• Trainer first needs to sit through training as a participant.
• Both content and methods should be fun and entertaining.
• Follow the profile of so -skills training.
• Best completed in small ‘bite-size chunks’.
• Allow plenty of time during the sessions to practise skills.
• Conduct a practical test after each key learning stage.
• Build in the time for the participants to understand and reflect on what they have learnt.
• Test the skills learnt as you progress through the programme content.
• Build skills one piece at a time.
• Make available an online or hard copy resource for quick reference post-training.
• Use a ratio of one trainer to eight to 12 participants if possible.
• Devote the largest proportion of time to system skills training.
• It helps if the participants understand the metrics they will be assessed against, so use these when testing skills development during the sessions.
• Maintain one pace during the sessions. Keep the group working together.

THE TRAINING CYCLE | System skills training

In order to adopt a systematic approach to your training it is helpful to use the key stages of the training cycle, and if you follow the cycle in the design and delivery of your training programme, you will create a more effective learning environment.

1. Assessing the participant’s training needs

When dealing with system skills training this is a quite straightforward stage, particularly during induction. Most organizations use customized systems, so a set of very specific learning requirements exist that are the same for all course participants. System skills training o en takes place when a modification to the system occurs or a new product is introduced and this training is essentially the same for all employees.

Once the employee is fully operational on the system, individual training requirements are normally identified through analysis of the metrics used by that department or section. This analysis indicates if training is required to raise the employee’s level of performance. When this occurs, any system skills training should be tailored to that individual’s particular learning requirement, rather than reusing the original system skills training programme. The individual may require refresher training on just one aspect of the system, or may have not understood one element of the system when trained during induction.

Unfortunately, system skills training is o en used to address deficiencies in an employee’s metrics and fails to address the individual’s actual training needs. It is important, therefore, that you have a discussion with both the individual employee and with the team leader to more closely identify the individual’s specific training needs. Remember, not all performance gaps are the result of a lack of knowledge regarding the system.

2. Designing training

During this stage you are already clear about the training needs of the participants and should use these as the basis for your training objectives for the programme. You need to now consider the techniques that you should use during the training. A key consideration at this stage is the availability of a ‘training version’ of the organization’s system. A training version will allow the trainees to practise in a safe learning environment that is as realistic as possible, while still protecting the organization’s main system and data from any errors or ‘mishaps’ that may occur with trainees practising on a live system and using live data. The choice of training techniques will depend on the training needs of the participants. Due to the nature of system skills training, the key techniques should be a combination of computer-based training, instruction and group discussion.

Each technique has advantages and disadvantages and you need to consider these when you are deciding on which techniques to include. The activities most o en used in system skills training are as follows.

Instruction

You will need to instruct and facilitate the training sessions. However, in using this approach you should remember that a lack of interaction with the participants during the instruction and input stages may result in misunderstanding occurring. Success in using this method relies on a number of key issues including:

• Providing the opportunity for participants to ask questions after each input stage. This will allow clarity to be sought where necessary.
• The length of the input will o en determine the participant’s ability to concentrate. The longer the input, the more likely the participant is to lose concentration. Bite-size learning (Black, 2004) is one way to achieve this by delivering both instruction and practical exercises in small sections.
• You need to sound enthusiastic when delivering instruction if you are to maintain the learner’s interest.
• Speak clearly and vary the tone of your voice throughout each instruction section.

Technology-based training

The majority of your training sessions will involve the participant working on computer-based training systems to simulate the real working environment. You should consider the following:

• Technology-based training needs to be horizontally and vertically integrated into other core components of the training such as customer service training and problem solving skills training. Combine the so -skills training elements (such as customer service and telephone skills) with the system skills training. This will allow you to fully train the employee by simulating real working situations.
• The technology-based training needs to be in sync with the natural customer process. For example, if a new customer is calling to enquire about car insurance, he or she will need to be asked basic questions on name, address, age, car make and model, etc. Importantly, the operating system will need to work in the same way and allow the trainee to enter the data in a logical customer process, as opposed to requiring information such as ‘How did you hear about us?, and ‘Who is your current insurance provider?’ These questions can be asked at a later stage, once the information required for the call is obtained.
• Break the job down into the core skills to build system skills training. For example, using a financial services context, there is no point in teaching a new employee how to process driver and/or car changes to an existing car insurance policy if the trainee does not know the basics of how to provide a new car insurance quote. In this example it is best to show the trainees how to respond to an initial request; how to provide an insurance quote; how to process payment for immediate cover following the quote; how to make amendments to an existing policy; and numerous other logical steps up to and including terminating insurance cover.
• Teach participants the logical steps involved in a call, then practise these steps using the phone and the system, during training. The point here is that the trainees will need to be allowed time to practise the technique of talking with customers, while at the same time operating the system. It is likely that the customer will ask questions or make requests that are not typical/logical during the course of a normal call. The trainees will need sufficient experience and knowledge, therefore, to handle these instances. In certain call centre environments there may also be a requirement to inform the customers about mandatory information, eg if your customers apply for a loan or a credit card, the agents will have to inform the customer about mandatory statements that are required from the Financial Regulator. This must also be practised during the training sessions and its position in the call determined.
• Never use live data for your training sessions. This may be both inappropriate and unethical.
• This training needs to be practice-based, using real examples. For instance, if you are putting up an insurance quote on the system, it would be best to provide the trainees with some basic details that will be required from real customers such as name, address, age, car make and model, etc and get the trainees to enter the data and provide you with the initial insurance quote. Where possible, and at key stages, the trainees should be required to practise what has been learnt.

Group discussion

By building in time for short group discussion sessions (5 to 10 minutes) after each section has been covered, participants can learn from each other. It is important that you structure each of these sessions to ensure that the discussion does not diverge too far from the topic being talked about. These sessions can be particularly useful when held after instruction sections and after practical assessments. You can also gather information from the discussion that can assist you in adapting information you might include in future training sessions, to ensure clarity of instruction and to maximize learning. Building on the previous example you could consider asking the trainees, what is the price of their insurance quote? Where the trainees have different quotes, explore why. It is also possible to explore with the trainees the importance of getting the information right and accurate, as it will impact on the insurance quote provided.

Role plays

These are particularly important learning mechanisms for developing interpersonal skills. Employees can role play with each other, one acting as the customer and the other acting as the employee.

It is useful to record these role plays and allow the participants the opportunity to listen back to their own call and then make suggestions on how they could have improved the call. You can also provide participants with the opportunity to re-enact the same call after their first attempt has been played back to them. This then consolidates the learning from their first attempt.

Video/DVD

Using videos and DVDs can be helpful in showing examples of good and poor practice to a number of people at the same time. Using short discussion sessions after showing an example will also allow you to gauge the level of understanding in the group. There is a tendency to more easily recall what not to do, so those videos/DVDs that emphasize this aspect are particularly useful.

E-learning

This is a general term used to refer to computer-enhanced learning. It has many obvious advantages for conducting system skills training. Additional advantages include increased retention and application to the job, and consistent delivery of content is possible. According to Colvin-Clarke and Mayer (2003) e-learning should promote psychological engagement between the learner and the lesson content, in ways that help learners to select, integrate and retrieve new knowledge.

A path that can be used to achieve this learning process is the use of practice exercises. Wilcock (2002) believes that one of the strengths of e-learning is its ability to provide instantaneous feedback to learners by means of online tests and quizzes. These exercises are o en referred to as ‘interactions’ in computer learning environments. Based on empirical evidence, Colvin-Clarke and Mayer (2003) recommend four principles for effective practice in e-learning:

Practice Principle 1: interactions should mirror the thinking process and environment of the job. E-learning designers should create transfer-appropriate interactions. These are activities that require learners to respond in similar ways during training as they will on the job. Therefore problem solving skills should be learnt within the context of realistic problem solving situations. For example, a hotel switchboard operator may be asked how to deal with a call from a hotel guest, saying that she has just dropped her ring down the plughole!

Practice Principle 2:critical tasks require more practice. For critical tasks, for example safety consequences, it is vital that the participants are exposed to many different practice elements prior to working with live data. An example here is that for some aspects of financial services, ie obtaining a loan, the call centre agent will be required to read a number of mandatory sentences to the customer. It is important that the agents do this and it is important that the agents practise these statements and the answers to any potential questions they may get asked during the training sessions.

Practice Principle 3: make sure that the practice exercises are specific to the instruction material being covered. There needs to be a match to assist with the transfer of learning.

Practice Principle 4: train learners to self-question by showing examples followed by practice that requires learners to self-question the instructional materials.

It is vital that your system skills training builds knowledge and skills that are needed on the job. This means you must integrate system skills training with other core activities such as so -skills training, eg customer service and reward mechanisms, so that individuals are rewarded for the right performance each time. This point cannot be over-stressed. In call centre environments it is possible to train employees in many different skills, referred to as multi-skilling. This is an important beneficial aspect of training for the employee, as multi-skilling means that you will encourage career progression and achieve retention, an area acknowledged as being problematic for call centres.

During system skills training, multi-skilling is crucial, as agents have to learn how to use the system while at the same time listening to what the customer is saying and how he or she is saying it. They also o en need to ask questions and guide the conversation, all at the same time. This is an exceptionally difficult skill to master, particularly when the line manager may also be measuring the average call duration and telling the individual to reduce the amount of time spent talking to customers. System skills training therefore needs to incorporate the development of multi-skilling, in the classroom environment. While this skill can be one that is a by-product of experience, if it is not initially included in the training programme, it will be more difficult to develop once live.

An additional aspect for inclusion here is the impact of customers buying online. Customers who buy goods and services online on a regular basis are more likely when they place a call with a contact centre to require a greater degree of knowledge and experience from the agents. Calls of this nature may require ‘second level support’ and this increases the amount of system skills training that agents require in order to solve the customer’s problems. The integration of so -skills training, such as problem solving skills, is vital in this type of situation.

3. Evaluating training

Many organizations fail to evaluate training interventions due to the difficulties involved. Evaluation of a training programme is, however, a necessity to gauge the success of the programme. This data collection and evaluation process must be planned as part of the design and development segment of lesson preparation. Otherwise, it is possible to miss an opportunity to collect data needed for the evaluation process.

The most o en used type of evaluation is what is referred to as ‘first level evaluation’. This takes place at the end of the training and focuses on the reaction level. The basic questions that it seeks to answer are: ‘Were the participants pleased with the programme? How did they feel about such things as lesson or course material, the instructors, the facilities used for the class, the methodology, etc?’ Think of reaction level evaluation as measuring your ‘customer satisfaction’. Remember though, that a positive reaction to a lesson does not ensure that a person has learnt anything, but a negative reaction to a lesson almost certainly reduces the chance for learning. There are a number of reasons why measuring reactions is important. First, it provides you with valuable feedback on the training session. Second, it provides quantitative information about the training that can be used for management review. Finally, it provides information on the session that can be used to establish standards for later classes.

In addition, a more complex type of evaluation needs to take place. Evaluation at the learning level is viewed as problematic by many trainers, but it provides vital information for the trainer and is therefore worth the effort. Learning is o en referred to as the extent to which participants change attitudes, improve knowledge, and/or increase skill as a result of a ending a training programme. To effectively evaluate the learning that has taken place, the training must have a specific objective against which evaluation can be undertaken. For example, in a sales environment it will be quite easy to measure the ability of the new agents to achieve targets. In more product and customer service areas, measures such as quality, mystery callers, errors, recalls, etc can all be used to evaluate the training.

It should be possible to obtain data from the system in relation to errors, call length, etc, which are all useful indicators and if tracked over a period of months and weeks should show a gradual improvement in a new call centre agent’s ability. Methods such as mystery callers will be able to determine the agents overall ability to handle the conversation and manage the interaction with the customer. In fact many contact centres record all calls, and these could also be used for evaluation purposes. In addition, it is also possible on most systems for the team leader to listen in on calls and provide feedback and coaching to the agent at a later time in the day.

One of the key ways in which evaluation can be conducted for those individuals who have been targeted for training by their team leader, as a result of quality or quantity metric deficiencies, is to evaluate job performance both before and after the training. Through this comparison any change can be observed and the change attributed to training.

Key points in the design and delivery process

• Delivery needs to be interactive and use participative mechanisms.
• Ensure you have clear objectives for the programme at the start.
• Design needs to follow the logical customer process.
• Ensure employees can use the phone system and give information at the same time.
• Provide information in small chunks with appropriate time allocated, eg if it takes five minutes for a customer to give the information, there is no point in allowing them to take 10 minutes to input the information during training.
• Provide an accompanying manual for both trainer and participant
• – this could be paperless and online.
• Systems training needs to be integrated with telephone skills, customer service skills, and problem solving skills training.
• If using a manual or online tutorial, it will need to have screen shots to illustrate.
• Make sure you are informed of any system changes as they will need to be incorporated in future training sessions.
• Ensure any legal requirements/considerations are included.
• Inform participants of the details of refresher training.
• Begin refresher training with a test to see where any gaps in knowledge or skills exist: your call centre stats or customer feedback should tell you where gaps are.
• Regarding how much detail to go into, work back from what is the objective of the training.
• Employees can role play with each other, one being the customer the other the employee – record these and let the participants listen back to their own call.

We have included below some tips that we hope you will find useful in the design and delivery of system skills training.

APPLYING LEARNING THEORY TO DATA PROTECTION

The financial services industry is governed by the Financial Services Authority (FSA) Data Protection (DP) Policy. Organizations have to demonstrate at all times the strict application of controls and high standards in regulation with the Data Protection Act. As an organization we have to promote high standards within the company of dealing with personal information, whether it is customer or employee information. The importance of DP ensures that compliance training is of paramount importance during the induction of new recruits, refresher training and management awareness.

As an organization we were faced with the problem of delivering DP legislative compliance training that employees retain and managers reinforce through their language, actions and behaviours. Historically, within our organization legislative compliance training, whether it is health and safety or data protection is notoriously difficult to deliver. It results in difficulties for the trainer in ensuring the training delivery contains the right mix between a general awareness of the principles and the employees understanding the fundamental importance of legislative compliance from both a customers’ and an organization viewpoint. As trainers you often feel you are delivering the sessions to ensure compliance as opposed to ensuring staff understand and value the overall importance of the message.

The DP training was completed using a DVD and, although effective and informative, as an organization we had reservations about relying solely on one training method. This reliance did not allow the trainers to apply alternative learning methods, or check full understanding of the subject matter, nor did it allow initial and continuous assessment to verify competence. The training video was historically delivered at the end of induction training and it was evident that the learning style adopted conflicted with the rest of induction, which was interactive and varied in style and delivery.

The decision was made to fully apply the principles of training and development to DP compliance training. The objective of this was to enhance the employee’s knowledge of DP but also reduce significantly the organization’s potential risk of an employee’s failure to comply with Financial Services Authority DP Policy. Without the knowledge of how DP governs employees’ roles at Debt Free Direct there could be cause for customer complaint. This can affect the company’s reputation and even result in the possibility of court action.

The training team embarked on a group problem solving exercise to design a training course that utilized learning theory to increase the effectiveness of the training and the retention of DP knowledge by the call centre staff. The outcome of the problem solving exercise is detailed below.

Training methods introduced

The first decision was to introduce different training methods to increase the delegates’ ability to retain information. It was decided to include group activities, lectures and individual activities to reinforce the effectiveness of the training. This would be delivered across varied and productive training methods:

• learning maps;
• an activity;
• a mini-lecture;
• imagery.

Understanding the chosen training methods

Learning maps

A stakeholder approach from three different viewpoints (customer, employee and organization) was utilized in the learning maps exercise. The learning maps give the delegates the ability to understand the concept of DP and how it can affect them, customers and the organization. This also gives them the ability to take the learning maps away with them and reflect on these at a later stage, aiding several learning styles. This will ensure that a greater percentage of individuals can benefit from this method of training.

The delegate will be given three sentences:

1. How does data protection affect me?
2. How does data protection affect the customer?
3. How does data protection affect the organization?

To this they must create learning maps in pairs about their thoughts on DP within the workplace. This can be based on past experience from previous DP training they may have had at other companies and from their general understanding after watching the DVD. They can draw or write their thoughts on the mind map.

Activity

An activity was introduced to ensure reflection on the key messages of the DVD. The objective of this was to introduce the information they have learnt in a fun and interactive environment. This also enabled the delegates to test their knowledge and understanding of DP and relate this information to their daily roles within the company as well as help them understand the importance of DP. It also enabled the trainer to gain an understanding of the delegates’ knowledge of DP and give the opportunity to rectify any areas that may have been wrongly interpreted by the delegates.

The delegates are split into two groups:

1. Using the data protection module and their knowledge previously gained the delegates write 15 questions (with answers) to ask the opposing group.
2. Group 1 will then ask Group 2 their first question
3. If Group 1 get the question wrong they must remove a piece from the Jenga tower; if they answer correctly, Group 2 then have to remove a piece from the Jenga tower.

Note: each group must have one spokesperson that can answer and ask the questions.

They have 30 seconds to answer the question; otherwise they must remove a piece of Jenga. The team that wins are the ones that do not knock the Jenga tower over.

The trainer will play the role of the referee, ensuring that only 30 seconds is given for the team to answer the question and the rules of Jenga are followed. The referee’s say is final.

Mini-lecture

This is used to reiterate the set learning points that these individuals have gained and learnt during their training session. This section was completed as a summary, ensuring the delegates understand the main objectives. The trainer will also be able to confirm any information that they may still be a little unsure about.

There are certain main points that must be covered in the mini-lecture to ensure that all the main objectives and aspects of DP have been covered during the training. These must be reiterated to the group by the trainer and reference can be made to the DP module that they will be given. Within the module, there will be space for the delegates to make additional notes to aid them with future reference and understanding.

The main aspects that must be covered by the trainer during the mini-lecture are:

• What is the Data Protection Act all about?
• Ensure all delegates understand the terminology used in DP.
• What is a Data Subject?
• What are their rights?
• Why should Debt Free Direct (DFD) comply?
• What happens if DFD doesn’t comply?
• How does this affect you?
• DFD’s DP protection policy.
• The eight principles of DP and how they affect you as employees.

Imagery

This is used to aid the delegates by constantly refreshing their memory of the eight main principles of DP. It was proposed to include further imagery in the training by adding peripherals to the room and to shared work areas.

It is difficult to remember all eight principles of the Data Protection Act and how they affect employees at DFD. To aid their retention of this knowledge peripherals will be placed around the room. These will consist of the mind maps they created to remind them of their initial thoughts of Data Protection and laminated peripherals will also be visible and used when learning the eight principles of the Data Protection Act, using characters to relate to the eight principles will do this.

As we all know, Snow White plus the seven dwarves equals eight characters. Each character will represent one of the principles. The posters will be placed around the room. They will each have a picture of the character, one of the principles, and how that principle affects the individual at work, eg:

• Dopey – Principle 4.
• Personal Data Must Be Accurate.
• What does that mean at DFD?
• You must ensure all data are accurate when first recorded.
• You must make sure that if an inaccuracy comes to light it is corrected at once.
• You must update the information when necessary.

Ongoing evaluation has identified that with the added training methods appealing to all four learning styles the retention and understanding of DP increased dramatically.

A further decision was made to roll out the same course to team leaders to ensure a full refreshment of team leader knowledge of DP.

---

 
Figure 1: DP mind map

PRINCIPLES OF ADULT LEARNING

The people you will be training will be adults and will probably be from a variety of different backgrounds. This is an important point to make, as appropriate activities can be designed only when there is a clear understanding of the different approaches to learning adopted by adults.Adult learning is special in a number of ways. For example:

• Adult learners bring a great deal of experience to the learning environment. This is an area that you can build on. Most participants will already have some experience of working in an organization, which they can draw from. Adults relate new knowledge and information to previously learnt information and experiences. Focus therefore on the strengths learners bring to the classroom, not just any gaps in their knowledge. Provide opportunities for dialogue within the group. Participants can be resources both for you and to each other.
• Adults expect to have a high degree of influence over what they are to learn and how they learn. They also have a need to know why they should learn something. The adult has to consider it important to acquire the new skill, knowledge or attitude. Adults have a need to be self-directing. Engage the participants in a process of mutual enquiry. Avoid merely transmitting knowledge or expecting total agreement. Don’t ‘spoon-feed’ the participants.
• Adult learners expect to have a high degree of influence on how learning will be evaluated. Adults also need to be able to see applications for new learning. It is therefore necessary to use methods that relate the learning experience to its application.
• Adults expect their responses to be acted upon when asked for feedback on the progress of the programme.
• Adults have pride. Remember that self-esteem and ego are at risk in a training environment that is not perceived as safe or supportive. People will not ask questions or participate in learning if they are afraid of being ‘put down’ or ridiculed. Allow people to admit confusion, ignorance and different opinions. Treat all questions and comments with respect. Avoid saying ‘I just covered that,’ when someone asks a repetitive question. Remember, the only foolish question is the unasked question.

As your participants will be adults, you need to take account of the issues noted above if your training is to achieve its intended outcomes.

---

DID YOU KNOW?

It is o en claimed that the average rate of retention when learning new material is:

10 per cent of what is read.

20 per cent of what is heard.

30 per cent of what is seen.

50 per cent of what is seen and heard.

70 per cent of what the participant says.

90 per cent of what the participant says and does

---

The last of the key principles dealt with in this chapter relates to the cycle in which training should take place. This is referred to as the ‘training cycle’.

LEARNING STYLES

When you try to learn something new, you will no doubt have realized that you prefer to learn in one or two particular ways. You may prefer to learn by listening to someone talk to you about the information, or you may prefer to read about a concept in order to learn it, or you may need to see a demonstration of the concept. Learning style theory proposes that different people learn in different ways and by understanding this concept, you can improve the learning intervention. ‘Learning styles’ is a term used to describe the attitudes and behaviours that determine an individual’s preferred way of learning. Because people learn in a variety of ways, your awareness of the four learning styles will assist you in understanding the learning needs of your participants. This information will enable you to create programmes that are effective learning sessions for all your participants, rather than just some of them.

Building on Kolb’s work on the learning cycle, identified four learning styles referred to as:

1. Activist
2. Reflector
3. Theorist
4. Pragmatist

Their work complements that of Kolb, as can be seen in Figure 1, where each of the learning styles can be matched with the stages in the learning cycle. Each of these is now explained below.

 
Figure 1: Learning styles

1. Activists

Activists take a ‘trial and error’ approach. They involve themselves fully and without bias in new learning experiences. They are open-minded, not sceptical. They tend to act first and consider the consequences afterwards. They enjoy the learning experience itself. They thrive on the challenge of new experiences. When dealing with activists remember that they learn best when:

• involved in new experiences, problems and opportunities;
• working with others in business games, team tasks, role playing;
• being thrown in the deep end with a difficult task;
• chairing meetings, leading discussions.

Activists learn less when:

• listening to lectures or long explanations;
• reading, writing or thinking on their own;
• absorbing and understanding data;
• following precise instruction to the le er.

2. Reflectors

Reflectors take a ‘wait and see’ approach. They like to contemplate about experiences and observe them from many different perspectives. They spend a great deal of time and effort reflecting. They like to collect data and think about them carefully before coming to any conclusions. They enjoy observing others and will listen to their views before offering their own. When dealing with reflectors remember that they learn best when:

• observing individuals or groups at work;
• they have the opportunity to review what has happened and think about what they have learnt;
• producing analyses and reports, doing tasks without tight deadlines.

Reflectors learn less when:

• acting as leader or role playing in front of others;
• doing things with no time to prepare;
• being thrown in at the deep end;
• being rushed or worried by deadlines.

3. Theorists

Theorists take an ‘I want to understand this first’ approach. They adapt and integrate observations into complex but logically sound theories. They think problems through in a vertical, step-by-step, logical way. They are good at making connections and abstracting ideas from experience. They tend to be perfectionists who like to fit things into a rational scheme. They tend to be detached and analytical rather than subjective or emotive in their thinking. When dealing with theorists remember that they learn best when:

• they are put in complex situations where they have to use their skills and knowledge;
• they are in structured situations with clear purpose;
• they are offered interesting ideas or concepts even though they are not immediately relevant;
• they have the chance to question and probe ideas behind things.

Theorists learn less when:

• they have to participate in situations that emphasize emotion and feelings;
• the activity is unstructured or briefing is poor;
• they have to do things without knowing the principles or concepts involved;
• they feel they’re out of tune with the other participants, eg with people of very different learning styles.

4. Pragmatists

Pragmatists take an ‘I want to try this out’ approach. They are keen to try out ideas, theories and techniques to see if they work in practice. They positively search out new ideas and take the first opportunity to experiment with applications. They tend to be impatient with ruminating and open-ended discussions and enjoy the planning stage. They tend to be impatient with lengthy discussions and are practical and down to earth. When dealing with pragmatists remember that they learn best when:

• there is an obvious link between the topic and job;
• they have the chance to try out techniques with feedback, eg role-playing;
• they are shown techniques with obvious advantages, eg saving time;
• they are shown a model they can copy, eg a film or a respected boss.

Pragmatists learn less when:

• there is no obvious or immediate benefit that they can recognize;
• there is no practice or guidelines on how to do it;
• there is no apparent pay back to the learning, eg shorter meetings;
• the event or learning is ‘all theory’.

Honey and Mumford devised a questionnaire to assess an individual’s learning style, referred to as the ‘learning styles questionnaire’. Where possible and practical, allowing participants the opportunity to complete this questionnaire prior to beginning training will generate information that will enhance your ability to deliver effective training.

The third key principle relates to the age of the participants. This factor is important, as the employees you are training are adult learners; adults learn differently than children, implying a number of key factors which need to be considered when designing and delivering training programmes.