In today’s business world, making training ‘stick’ is
extremely important. How many times have
we encountered organizations that, despite having the best intentions, fail to
ensure that training of new behaviors is adequately reinforced and monitored to
bring about an acceptable return on investment?
In today’s segment, we look at how one of
Canada’s most iconic companies takes on the challenge of making training stick
– how to enable training to lead to improved performance in their organization.
Jeff
Adams, Managing Director of Continuous Improvement, at Canadian Pacific (CP)
recently answered questions about his company’s approach to ensuring that CP
Lean Blackbelts properly utilize their new skills to execute continuous
improvement in the workplace*.
LEAN SENSEI: What do you expect from a Lean Blackbelt once
they have completed their training?
JA: When
we send someone through the Lean Sensei Blackbelt program, our intention is that the individual become a practitioner and
coach in CP – that is their full-time role. This role is a significant investment, both in
time and resources. And the cornerstone
of that role as coach and facilitator is the Lean Sensei Blackbelt
program.
LEAN SENSEI: What
lean behaviours do you expect to see?
JA: We need
to see those lean principles into action. When the individual comes back to CP,
it’s a different environment; it’s their regular, working environment. Going to a training program is what we call an
antecedent. So, you’ve gone to a
training program, you now understand the content, and we wouldn’t have sent you
if you weren’t highly motivated to utilize and execute that content. Simply going
to a training program, however, doesn’t guarantee that you will go on to use
what you’ve learned and practice it properly and fully. Training does not guarantee any change in behavior.
Training, like a traffic sign or job instruction, is what we call an
“antecedent” in that it precedes the
desired behavior. If you look at the
impact of antecedents on behavior, just because someone knows what to do, just
because they are motivated to do it, does not necessarily mean that they will
end up executing the behavior.
It’s been well proven that antecedents – in this case, training – only has
about a 20% influence on whether they execute the behavior or not. What actually determines behavior and
repeating behavior are the consequences
from performing that behavior – consequences influence 80% of behavior.
LEAN SENSEI: Can you tell us about CP’s approach to
ensuring that a Lean Blackbelt actually continues to demonstrate the desired
behaviors for continuous improvement after their training?
JA: Many of
us have been through programs, and have been sent for training in different
companies and in different roles. People
are often sent for training but come back to an environment that doesn’t support
that new content.
At CP we are very focused on reinforcing that new content and
reinforcing those behaviors. My
Directors and I developed a behaviour and results assessment that we use to
evaluate a Blackbelt’s performance and on-the-job compliance. We are looking for demonstrated, sustained
performance in these new behaviours and concepts back at CP.
When they demonstrate the behavior properly, we give them positive
reinforcement by pin-pointing exactly what that behaviour was and why it’s
important. When they don’t, we provide constructive
feedback by identifying the undesired behaviour with the person, pin-pointing
the desired behaviour, how to meet the requirement, to get into a routine and internalize
a sustained habit.
A different way to describe it would be that LSI certifies the person
has fully met the knowledge and skill requirements, then we at CP certify the
person who is actually performing at that level back in their full-time
role. While LSI does a terrific job in
Lean Blackbelt hands-on training, LSI can’t be present back at the day-to-day
job to ensure those skills are utilized and continue to build – that’s my role.
LEAN SENSEI: What
happens once someone has consistently demonstrated the behaviours enough to be
considered “certified” as a CP Lean Blackbelt?
JA: First I
must mention that it takes about six months for someone to successfully demonstrate
that they have internalized and sustained the behaviours. That does include executing and facilitating lean
philosophy and tools, but it also includes specific behavioral psychology and communications
training and with follow-up performance assessments as well.
At that point, we plan an event to recognize that accomplishment with
their peers and senior management, and award them with two very important items.
The first item is a lovely professionally-framed certificate naming the
person, describing the accomplishment and it’s meaning to the company. Each certificate is personally signed by the President of Canadian Pacific Railway. So there is a very definite message from top management
about the importance of that accomplishment and the role as a CP Lean
Blackbelt.
The second item we give them is a game figurine, unique to that
individual. It’s professionally mounted
inside a display case with their name and “CP Lean Blackbelt” engraved, and is accompanied
by a description of that figurine’s name and personal attributes (with
translation from Japanese provided by LSI).
Jeff first discovered the figurines on a Lean
Sensei Lean Benchmarking Japan trip at the famous “Tokyu Hands” department
store. As Jeff describes it:
JA: I
wanted something that would reinforce the experience of the Blackbelt training through
Lean Sensei and, in particular, the experience of Japan. I consider the shop floor level visit of Japan
to be the single most important module in all of the training – it has a
profound impact on the Blackbelt’s outlook and attitude. So, for that reason, I wanted something that
was representative of that experience.
What is unique about the figurines is the dozens of characters and that
they are not available in North America. By selecting a figurine with a certain
character, we could somehow connect the character to the individual receiving
that particular figurine. And while the
figurines have low tangible value, they have high emotional value – because you
can’t get them in here and you can only
earn one in this way.
LEAN SENSEI: Are you
the one who decides which character is matched with a certain Lean Blackbelt?
JA: No,
it’s not up to me – a small team of us sits down to determine which game character
reminds us of the CP Lean Blackbelt candidate.
And the choice must be unique for that person – no two people are
awarded the same figurine.
The chosen character is then sent to CP’s promotional products provider
who makes a base and an acrylic cover, mounts the figurine inside along with an
engraved plate with the person’s name and title of “CP Lean Blackbelt”.
Then we plan a celebration to present both the framed certificate (signed
by the President) and the special character.
LEAN SENSEI: How
does CP go about celebrating the full certification of a CP Lean Blackbelt, and
how important is that celebration?
JA: The
celebration is extremely important and means a great deal to the
individual. Each person can see the
President has personally signed their certificate – that’s a clear statement of
the value and respect of their work to the company. Each person also knows their peers have
selected their figurine – a clear statement of camaraderie with and respect of
their team mates.
The purpose of a celebration is to share the story of that person’s
accomplishment with their peer group and leaders who have all been through the
same challenge. Then we recognize that
accomplishment permanently through the certificate itself and the game figurine. Since we usually have our entire team
together two or three times a year for business purposes, we use those times as
opportunities to celebrate these accomplishments.
Jeff Adams’ department was one of the very first
at CP to take on this rigorous approach to making training stick.
LEAN SENSEI: How has
the response been to this approach back at CP, in the wider organization?
JA: It’s
being adopted in other ways across the organization when it comes to training –
or perhaps a better way to say it would be that it’s being adopted in what
happens after training. Training is only about 20% of the influence on
successfully driving the behavior. The
consequences are 80% : If the behaviours are supported and sustained and if they are reinforced, then people have
begun to form new habits.
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