Degreed LENS Lite Takeaways

WHAT WE LEARNT AT LENS LITE

Published October 7, 2020 at 3:40 PM

One: “HR should think like the business and always be connected with the strategy.”

Racquel Andrade, Head of Attraction and Development at Itaú

With a strategy focused on solving real client needs through digital transformation, Itaú bank needed to reskill their team and attract qualified new professionals. Before achieving the kind of client-centricity they desired, the team at Itaú had a few challenges to overcome:

  • They had no living record of the skills their team had
  • They weren’t developing new skills in an agile way
  • Their Learning Management System (LMS) was outdated

Racquel highlighted the value of data that comes from Learning and Development (L&D) activities when an organisation needs to pivot. L&D data can highlight gaps, strengths, and opportunities that when leveraged, can help the achievement of strategy.

Two: “Technology alone will not achieve learning transformation.”

Amanda Nolen, Co-Founder and Analyst at NilesNolen

“Just because you’ve set up a new platform, that doesn’t mean that people are going to use it or use it in the way you intended.” If you’re trying to align your organisation around learning technology, start by focusing on three things:

  • Identify the business problems you’re trying to solve
  • Consider how people are already learning today
  • Buy technology to address problems and fills gaps

Having this insight can lead you down a path of using learning technology to transform learning culture.

Three: “We didn't just want our people to do the things that would get them through today.”

Sarah Gretczko, Senior Vice President, Chief Learning & Insights Officer at Mastercard

If you’re not constantly evolving your skills strategy, your learning and development culture may never address the changing demands of business. To future-fit your employees’ skills and your organisation’s adaptability, Sarah recommends:

  • Creating and maintaining a list of in-demand skills needed to meet your business goals
  • Taking inventory of the available skills within your organisation
  • Comparing the demand against available skills in your organisation and make a plan to move forward

Putting skills first creates agility in your organisation which supports your ability to iterate – fail fast to win. Keep your skills strategy flexible so that your organisation is always ready to pivot.

Four: “Train leaders to do a better job giving and receiving feedback.”

Simon Sinek, Optimist and Best Selling Author

In his closing keynote, Simon Sinek highlighted how important it is to put people at the centre, create an infinite mindset in our organisations, and the role of leaders in achieving this. He used the concept of having a finite versus an infinite mindset in an organisation. The former leads to doing what’s always been done because it historically resulted in a “win” with the latter allowing organisations to flex, adapt, lead and “stay in the game” longer.

His advice for Talent, Learning and HR leaders on how to embrace new work models and challenge the status quo?

  • HR needs to reflect on its purpose in the future world of work. They are the voice of the people who don’t have a seat at the table, not just a mechanism to carry out instructions from senior leadership
  • Leaders should be trained to lead. Their learning should be ongoing and as robust as that of a new joiner in any organisation. The skills leaders need to create an infinite mindset in an organisation are not “soft” skills – they are human skills:
    • listening, empathy, giving and receiving feedback, dealing effectively with confrontations, and having difficult conversations
  • Balance incentive structures, so people are rewarded not just for their performance but also how they achieved that performance. When you value numbers over people – you’re sending a particular message to your organisation and binding yourself to a finite mindset.

Five: “Know your crystal balls from your rubber balls.”

Cynt Marshal, CEO, Dallas Mavericks

Cynt’s opening keynote energised and inspired from start to finish. She took us on a journey and shared insights on everything from leading with heart, diversity and inclusion, and balancing what is important to you. These are some stand out knowledge bombs that resonated with our team:

  • Diversity is being invited to the party. Inclusion is being asked (sic and taught) to dance
  • Lead with inspiration, respect, authenticity and integrity
  • It takes a few different perspectives to identify all the ways to get something done
  • Be very clear about what your rubber balls and crystal balls are in life. Rubber balls represent something that if dropped, can bounce back to you or someone else. Crystal balls once dropped are either irreparable or will never be what they once were. We all juggle countless balls every day from doctor’s appointments to family milestones and important meetings. We’re likely to drop at least one. Make sure the one you drop isn’t crystal.
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YOUR LEARNING ECOSYSTEM. CONNECTED.

Speak to a Ceed Digital Learning Partner about how Degreed helps Talent, Learning and HR functions stay connected to strategy, shape learning culture, and builds the skills people need for the future.

Kershia Naidoo

Kershia Naidoo

Senior Learning Technologist

Published October 7, 2020 at 3:40 PM

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