PROVOCATEUR QUESTIONS,
by John Burton, Regan Carey, Mike Moore, and Don Stepich

In formulating these questions, we took the role of a DAI manager outside of the training department (perhaps Valerie Purcell as VP of Human Resources) hearing Jason's recommendations for the first time at the team meeting Cynthia Berry has scheduled.

Common Question for All Teams

"Can we slow this down a little, Jason? You've only been here for what, a month and you've talked with a few people. And based on that, you're making an assortment of recommendations that resemble reconstructive surgery on our company. I don't think the boss will be all that impressed and, frankly, it seems like overkill to me, too. We're looking to add an EPSS, not restructure the company. What elements of your proposal can be implemented, realistically, within the existing corporate structure and timelines to get the EPSS going and support its operation?"

Response to Common Question

Electronic Performance Support System (EPSS) As the training team concluded, the best place to start is with a knowledge management system in the form of an Electronic Performance Support System (EPSS). With the tight production schedules and limited time between projects here at DAI, it makes sense to deliver the bulk of the training and information resources through the EPSS. In the short-term, we can build on the existing Intranet, tapping into the resident expertise of DAIís programmers to design and maintain a system that meets employeesí immediate support and training needs. Over time, we can expand and improve the system, adding features that will really make a difference in the work lives of our employees.

An EPSS will also improve DAIís bottom line over time. There is a growing body of evidence that suggests investing in knowledge management can results in huge financial rewards. In the book "Intellectual Capital", Thomas Stewart (1997) explains that the knowledge management feature of an EPSS will structure and package employee competencies with the help of technology. This assures that employee knowledge stays with the company and can be shared and accessed at any time. In this way, employee expertise becomes "structural capital," an important company asset. We have many talented and knowledgeable employees here at DAI, and we should capitalize on their talents. The knowledge management feature of the EPSS is a practical, efficient and low cost way to do this.

Mentoring Program
Just as the EPSS builds on DAI's existing resources, both human and technological, the mentoring program also takes advantage of in-house resources in the form of human expertise, at no additional cost to the company. This program can be developed and implemented in a very short period of time, and the benefits will be immediate. Communication between pipeline employees will increase; teamwork and collaboration will result in improved performance, as employees work together, sharing skills and knowledge to meet common goals. Best of all, the needs assessment revealed that working together is a preferred method of learning among pipeline employees. When management shows its support for this approach by implementing the mentoring program, employees will surely embrace this change.

Change Management
"Change will not be successful in an organization without a managed transition that helps people go through the process" (W. Bridges). Implementing new technology and new work processes affects a variety of employees and can have a profound impact on the entire work force. We would be fooling ourselves to think that our short term solutions can be implemented without addressing this ripple-effect. A well-designed transition strategy, not a complete corporate restructuring, is the key to success. It may look and at times, feel, like reconstructive surgery, but we are dealing with operational effectiveness not strategic changes to our core competencies. In fact, most of the things we are already doing (standup training, job aids, feedback, vendor support) will continue just as they always have, but now they will be part of a more cohesive package.

Most important of all, we need to continuously educate employees and management so that everyone is in step with the changes as they occur. The transition team will guide the process. "Rocketboy" presents a great opportunity to implement our short-term solutions. With production just starting on "Rocketboy," we could set up mentoring relationships and the nascent EPSS, then assess the benefits when production concludes.

I believe that the timeline I proposed is realistic:

Week 1: Select transition and software teams

Week 2: Implement mutual mentoring system

Weeks 2-3: Select software for EPSS

Months 2-5: Design, Development, and Testing of EPSS

Months 4-6: Implementation

Months 5-9: Evaluation

Month 9: Present findings

1. Until a new organizational structure emerges, several departments will have to coordinate their implementation of performance support engineering. To ensure this coordination, sponsorship of projects must occur at a much higher level in the organization. Without this high-level support, project schedules will be delayed until all the groups involved negotiate a common point of view.

2. If the level of sponsorship is too low, it compromises the system design. The final design tends to resemble a traditional form of performance intervention, such as on-line documentation or stand-alone CBT, that is bolted onto a software application. This can negate the benefits of an integrated approach and produce a system with limited impact.

3. If extensive cross-disciplinary training and re-training is needed by project team members such as performance technologists, instructional designers, systems developers, documentation designers, and support staff, it may require considerable time, extending project schedules and delaying implementation.

SDSU Specific Question:

Jason, you seem to think that we're pretty messed up. If I may quote you, we are confused, our motivation is based on fear, our current training team is incompetent, and, overall, we have shot ourselves in the foot. For right now let's set aside the impression that kind of language leaves, especially when it comes from someone who is new to the company. But, how do you think your proposed initiatives will change all that?

Response to Specific Question:

Electronic Performance Support System (EPSS)

Critical components of the EPSS include

• best practices
  
• lessons learned
  
• customized tutorials
  
• in-house yellow pages
  
• reference materials
  
• standards
  
• guidelines
  
• production and training schedules
  
• customer and competitor data

The training team and employees from all divisions will contribute to the EPSS.

The needs assessment identified some barriers to DAIís goals; the EPSS and the mutual mentoring system can help overcome them in the following ways:

Confusion
During my interviews with DAI employees, it became clear that some confusion is rooted in a lack of clarity about procedures and processes, performance standards, where to go to find answers quickly, and a lack of effective communication.

Procedures and Processes
There appears to be a lack of standardized procedures, processes and timelines for specific tasks as well as entire projects. This is a major cause of employee confusion. I suggest that we develop pipeline processes which include limits on retakes and changes, and guidelines for approving major revisions. This information would be available through the EPSS.

Performance Standards and Job Responsibilities
One barrier to optimal job performance is employeesí uncertainties about performance standards and job responsibilities. A major reason some shots require 40 takes is that the animators are simply unsure what their managers expect them to produce. Some are not even sure what their responsibilities are. I suggest we clearly communicate performance standards for everyone and establish known, consistent criteria for employee evaluations. They must be clear on their individual responsibilities as well as those of the rest of the pipeline staff. This information will enable employees make relevant contributions to the EPSS and help them identify career paths inside DAI.

Where to go for information
A user-friendly EPSS coupled with an effective mentoring program will guide employees to help and information as they need it, without interrupting work flow. This will clear up the confusion and insecurity that currently arises as employees perform job tasks without timely performance support. The mentoring system will also help employees develop necessary knowledge and skills. The ready access to these resources will improve pipeline efficiency, boost performance, and conserve humanpower.

Communication
An major barrier to optimal performance is poor communication between pipeline employees. By improving communication and encouraging collaboration within the pipeline and between management and the pipeline, the EPSS and mentoring program should help to reduce confusion.

Motivation
Employee motivation is currently low because animators are often dismissed at the end of projects, and lacking clear performance standards, they are unsure how to keep their jobs. The proposed changes will help employees, particularly the techies, feel more secure by providing them clear job expectations and opportunities to gain the skills and knowledge necessary to meet those expectations.

Experience has taught me that there are several ways to boost motivation among DAIís employees. To better understand the relationship between motivation and job performance, letís look at two models of motivation.

1. Value x Confidence = Motivation (Rossett, 1997).In other words, motivated employees value the work they do, and have confidence in their ability to do it. When one factor in the equation is low, motivation suffers. Here at DAI, some employees I spoke with value their work but lack confidence in their ability to perform certain tasks. For example, Karl is insecure about his ability to use animation software, while Kenny worries that he canít make his cels look real.

2. Kellerís ARCS Model (Gordon, 1997). ARCS = attention, relevance, confidence, and satisfaction. "Trainees will be motivated to expend necessary cognitive resources for learning, only if the instructional content has some relevance to their work or lives" (p. 147).

Another part of the motivation equation is value; the mentoring program will help pipeline employees understand DAIís animation process from start to finish. Techies and artists will learn together how artistry and technology interact to create DAIís trademark animated movies. This will assure that pipeline employees value the whole animation process. Most importantly, the old-school animation artists and techies will come to value and respect each other for their unique contributions. Initially, we can structure the mentoring program so that each member of a team spends as much time learning as she does teaching. Hence, each pair will spend about the same amount of time reviewing animation techniques as they spend going over software skills. This will ensure that the value of both ends and parties are appreciated. Maybe we could plan some type of social function or field trip for the animators.

Training Team
DAIís training team is very competent. However, they know that their current efforts have not been enough to make DAI profitable. In the proposed system, the training department will be able to focus its efforts on just in time training. This will be accomplished through the on-line EPSS, the teaming of old and new employees, and the individualized counseling that the employees will get from the training department. The EPSS can also help the training team in the following ways:

• Employee contributions to the EPSS will help inform the training team about their knowledge and skills. This will in turn help the training team ascertain what the employees need to know, and help them meet the employee's needs.

• The peer tutorials will also communicate the pipeline employee needs to the training team. The training team can learn from these and tweak them with their instructional expertise.

• The training team needs to become an effective liaison between the vendors and employees. Rather than having the vendors work directly with employees, the training team can extract necessary information from the vendors and customize it for the employees on the EPSS.

On a more personal note, I can share with the training team resources Iíve used in my career, including current EPSS and needs assessment literature. Together, we can assess the employees' learning styles and accommodate them as we design the EPSS and develop future training. Because I am new in the company and working with employees who share a common background, I may be able to offer a new, fresh perspective to the group.

I am confident that implementing these programs will produce near-term results, reduce confusion in the pipeline, improve motivation, and help the training team. My proposals are based on past experience and supported by solid theoretical foundations. To address the long-term goals of our company, I suggest we explore even more profound changes. If you will give me an opportunity to explain what I have come up with so far, perhaps you can be persuaded to champion some of these ideas.