Christopher Vanisi

Actively listen to truly understand the person you're conversing with. We've probably noticed when we truly actively listen to understand someone, we can remember their words and emotions. Acting like we're actively listening to understand can have a lot of parroting, or repeating what the person said in an effort to prove that we were listening. But do we remember what they said the next day, week, or month? When I started to sit in silence, focusing on the emotions of the person I was conversing with as I strived to actively listen to what they were saying and why, simply to understand everything they wanted to share, those are conversations that I still remember. Those are the conversations that we grew from.

With the amount of ideas that want to be shared, including everyone's perspective can be the challenge. I love starting each day with a thought-provoking question and giving the spotlight to my team of leaders, employees, and learners to respond. Giving the option of responding via chat or vocally helps everyone participate comfortably at first, but it always results in everyone taking the mic and sharing their ideas on the topic of the day. One of the initial questions I like to ask is, "What is the most effective learning style for you? Share an example." Whether I'm wearing an Ops hat or L&D hat, their responses allow me to approach their growth effectively and efficiently. It opens the conversation to all things growth and development.

I like the insight provided to the left. I'll add an invitation to think ahead when you think of ROI. Blockbuster was thinking of ROI in the moment rather than the long term of what Netflix would become, or could become. Focus on today but think about the impacts that today's choices will have on tomorrow's outcomes, too. More companies are investing into L&D today than ever before because of the effective and efficient impacts L&D makes from onboarding to upskilling. Some still think that a new employee can learn as they go because it will "save" money. The data I've seen confirms that an effective L&D team will save you money and time. Strategically think ahead when you think of ROI with your upskilling decisions.

I've learned that measuring impact requires insight on the customers of the company as well as the internal teams involved. Knowing the impact on your customers ensures you're aware if you're achieving your end goal or not. Knowing the impact on your teams that are involved ensures you're aware that how you're achieving your goals involves a team that is ready, willing, and able. If you lose sight on your customers, you'll waste time and money. If you lose sight on your teams, you'll experience attrition or a waste in cost and efficacy of process and procedure. CSAT and similar surveys help with insight on customers. Internal surveys, QA scores, 1:1's, WFM data help with internal insight. Measure to confirm you're doing it right.

Adult Learning principles encompass growth in the most effective and efficient ways. Finding ways to effectively illustrate why the upskilling is needed in a way that your team member needs will be more effective than incentivizing with them with material things. "Johnny, I truly appreciate the growth that you've helped our company achieve. It's those types of actions and achievements that have allowed us to scale our business. In order for us to keep growing, we've noticed that all of us are needing to upskill our process with a new focus on upselling. I know it's a new focus for us. What do you think we can do as a team to help us be ready for that new skill? What support do you need from me? Can you help me hype the team up?"

A quick way to identify skill gaps in an organization that has a QA department, team, or person, is to use that QA data that you already have. Another quick way is partnering with effective People Leaders as they should have good insight on what skill gaps their team members have and the solutions they've been working on. Their insight is also valuable data that can help you gain insight on the skill gaps they've identified as well as the solutions that are working or haven't worked. That insight can help you be more efficient in your design and implementation as you can bypass ideas that have already been tried.