The Future of Workplace Learning: Recent Episodes
Johnny Hamilton
Explore and discover the designs, technologies, and people who are driving workplace learning into the future. Join a Chief Learning Officer, Learning Manager, and Designer as we investigate how AI, Adaptive technologies, VR/AR/XR, and more intersect with business, innovation, design, and change management.
Using Qstream, we were able to refine the learning design of our compliance course based on real-time user data. This was more than a new feature, it was a paradigm shift in learning design. In this episode, discover what we found and how it changed our design.
In this micro-podcast, learn about the role of a technical lead in a Merger and Acquisition.
Transcript
I’m Johnny Hamilton and my role in mergers and acquisitions is to review the technical infrastructure. There are three practices that I make sure to keep top of mind.
The first is to involve the IT leaders of both companies early on in the process. As the lead of technology, I need to make sure my team evaluates the target’s digital capabilities, applications, company data, and infrastructure. Only then can we estimate the value of the M&A, the effort needed to integrate their systems with ours, and the achievable synergies.
The second best practice is to pay attention to people. Most IT departments, including ours, are already running at full capacity. So we need to ensure that there are enough personnel and resources from our target organization and us to handle the post-merger integration as swiftly as possible. This plan must also include a good change management plan. Our newly acquired workforce will need to learn our policies, processes, and tools while still maintaining and accessing their tribal knowledge of what made their company great in the first place.
The last best practice is to conduct a thorough IT due diligence. Without fully reviewing the target’s IT systems, numerous problems can arise after the deal. There can be upset clients, frustrated employees, and negative impacts on the bottom line. The primary objective of the due diligence process is to avoid disruption in the business
As I lead my IT team through this process, we need to fully address a lot of questions. For example:
- Who will manage employee onboarding into our systems- with things like accounts and access?
- Who will manage the preparation, testing, and migration of all of the target’s systems and tools into our own?
- What’s the budget for doing this work?
When considering all of these factors, IT due diligence is becoming as crucial as financial due diligence. The level of work required to successfully lead a team through an M&A is substantial but well worth it- as it will make the business stronger in the end.
When people use new tools with old mindsets, they get all of the limitations of their old mindsets with none of the benefits of the new tools.
I've been intrigued by Adaptive learning for a while, but I've always been a skeptic with many questions. In this episode, we explore Adaptive learning in the workplace with Craig Joiner, Senior Vice President of Brand Experience at Fulcrum Labs.
Highlights
- Part of my journey from a skeptic to a fan of Adaptive learning
- The value of time and flexibility in workplace learning
- How can you coach and scale at the same time
- The how and why of adaptive learning's efficiency
- Behavior and performance mapping
- The fear of losing instructional design credibility with workplace peers and the power of Lebron James' confidence
- Wanting to use your preferred content development tools
Resources
- Price Waterhouse Coopers: 21st CEO Survey
- Edelman Trust Index survey