Leadership systems that create powerful companiesLeadership systems that create powerful companies

Whole Brain Learning~ Implications for Learning &

Development Programs ~

CSTD Conference 2014

Presented by Heather Hilliard, Caliber Leadership Systems

Expert in Leadership & Behavioural Change

Creator, Striving Styles® Personality System

About the Speaker

Personality & behavioural change expert with over 20 years’ experience working with individuals, couples, teams, leaders and organizations to eliminate dysfunction and maximize potential

Principal, Caliber Leadership Systems offering an holistic, systems-based approach to leadership & organizational development and behavioural change

Creator, Striving Styles® Personality System, a neuro-psychological framework for development & behavioural change

Author, Who Are You Meant To Be? A Groundbreaking, Step-by-Step Approach to Discovering and Fulfilling Your True Potential

Objectives

Why learning and development programs often fail to change behavior

How the brain is structured and learns Role of emotions in the learning experience Importance of understanding psychological needs Implications for Learning & Development

programs How to take a whole brain approach to program

design How to embed whole brain learning into talent

management systems

Does Training Ensure Learning?

Apparently not, because……..

Money Down the Drain?

American Society for Training & Development estimates $156 billion was spent on employee learning in 2011

However… 90% of new skills are lost within a year 62% of companies still lack the workforce skills

they need to grow and succeed

Money Down the Drain?

Money Down the Drain?

Reason #1: Focus on information over experience

Content laden training is widely used with professionals and leaders

Has the least success in changing behaviour

Money Down the Drain?

Reason #2: Passive versus experiential learning

Learners sit and observe without actively participating

Engages short term memory only easily forgotten!

Money Down the Drain?

Reason #3: Training is an event, not a process

Following the training, things remain similar or the same

Without ongoing experience, context and connection to others, training fails to improve performance

What’s Your Experience?

Time to Rethink Our Approach

Create an approach with the whole person in mind, including their interpersonal, cultural and environmental context

Address their innate, psychological needs Factor emotions into the approach Embed training/development into

organizational systems Focus on literally changing the brain

over time

Must consider personality,

emotional needs & how the brain

learns

Leadership systems that create powerful companiesLeadership systems that create powerful companies

To Add

How We LearnMental functions involved in

learning Brain, emotions & behavior

How the Brain Learns

Brains are designed for experiential learning over time

motivation, experience, practice, process, mastery, pride New neural pathways are created through

repeated and frequent experiences Brains process both parts and wholes

simultaneously Learning involves both conscious

and unconscious processes Working memory is small &

tires easily

Perceiving meaning Investigating

Making connectionsAssimilation

Four Quadrants of the Brain

Defining InterpretingSorting & deciding

Assessing progressFocusing

Working Memory

Practicing & repeating

Following stepsSomatize learningParticipation

Determine valueDecide social contextGenerate emotions

Motivation RelatingExperienci

ng©SSPS Four Quadrant Model of the

Brain

Role of Emotions

Emotions are critical to successful learning and neural patterning

Drive our motivation, attention and behaviour

Enhance the experience: curiosity & exploration, increased retention

OR Shut down learning:

fight or flight response

Emotions & the Brain

Stress reduces executive function intelligence and impairs learning

Triggered by: Threat or high anxiety Jamming training into an

overloaded schedule Introducing too many new

things at the same time Our learning history

Driven by powerful innate psychological needs

Our behaviour seeks to get these needs met

Hard-wired at birth Source of all motivation and

social interaction

Importance of Needs

Importance of Needs

Importance of Needs

Predominant Need Associated Fear

To Be In Control Feeling Helpless or Powerless

To Be Knowledgeable Being Inferior

To Be Recognized Shame

To Be Perceptive Disconnection

To Be Connected Abandonment

To Be Creative Assimilation

To Be Spontaneous Loss of Freedom

To Be Secure The Unknown

When we don’t know the needs, we cannot address the associated fears that

get triggered during learning

Leadership systems that create powerful companiesLeadership systems that create powerful companies

Shift Training from an Event to a Learning

ProcessCreate Whole Brain Learning

Programs Embed in Your Systems

Create a Learning Environment

Create Whole Brain Learning Programs

A “whole person” or “whole brain” approach to learning and development considers the employee’s:

Personality (brain organization) What are their emotional needs? What is their learning style?

Social, emotional & environmental context How are learning strategies embeded? What organizational systems will be used to

promote learning as a cultural norm?

Create Whole Brain Learning Programs

Left Rational BrainAnswers: What will we

build? Decide on content

Construct program, establish modules

Benchmark & accountability

Left Emotional BrainAnswers: What will they

experience? Determine sequence & steps

Determine experiencesConnections to current

situation

Right Rational BrainAnswers: What are our

goals? Envision desired result Organizational context Generate enthusiasm

Right Emotional BrainAnswers: What will they

feel? Determine emotional needs Relational/social experiences Reward & recognition

Objective

Subjective

Create Whole Brain Learning Programs

Ensure training & development programs…Change the brain

Create Whole Brain Learning Programs

Ensure training & development programs…Provide emotional security

Create Whole Brain Learning Programs

Ensure training & development programs…Make learning personal

Leadership systems that create powerful companiesLeadership systems that create powerful companies

Create a Learning Environment

Integrate Whole Brain Learning into Your Programs

Embed Learning into Your Organization’s Systems

Integrate Whole Brain Learning

Formal and informal learning is integrated as part of organizational strategy

Applied throughout the company as part of its culture

Managers understand learning as an essential developmental tool

Managers play a key role in people development

Integrate Whole Brain Learning

Managers, program designers, facilitators as well as participants understand:1. Brain Styles 2. Emotional Drivers of Behaviour3. Learning Styles

Integrate Whole Brain Learning

Left Rational BrainLearning Function: to sort

informationNeeds & associated fears:

Will people feel in control? Will people be allowed to show

own knowledge?

Left Emotional BrainLearning Function: to relate

info to past experiences & steps involved

Needs & associated fears: Will people feel secure?

Will people get to experience?

Right Rational BrainLearning Function: to

envision the wholeNeeds & associated fears: Will people feel engaged? Will people feel embarrassed?

Right Emotional BrainLearning Function: to relate

& bond

Needs & associated fears: Will people feel connected? Will people feel overwhelmed?

Objective

Subjective Address Needs During

Learning

Integrate Whole Brain Learning

Left Rational Brain ~ Analyze & Build

Structure- Basis for selecting program

content?

- Criteria to evaluate progress against expectations?

Right Rational Brain

~ Envision & Explore- Desired outcomes?- Context for new experiences &

reinforcement of learning?

Left Emotional Brain

~ Experience & Security - Experiences needed to build

the brain?

- Participant’s fears?

Right Emotional Brain

~ Connection & Creativity

- Motivation to learn?

- Ensure participants’ needs get met? Use the

Whole Brain to Design

Leadership systems that create powerful companiesLeadership systems that create powerful companies

Create a Learning Framework for Meeting

Individual & Organizational Needs

People, Systems, Results . . .

If people represent the brain of the organization, then organizational systems represent the body

Caring and nurturing for people results in taking care of business

Having systems without engaging people (or vice versa) decreases the powerful impact they have when integrated

People, Systems, Results . . .

When people are excited and motivated because their emotional, social and learning needs are taken care of, the organization profits

Taking a whole brain, whole person approach ultimately meets the needs of the organization

Studies show that when people are thriving (needs met) they are more productive, willing to go the distance, and stay in their jobs

Embed into Organizations Systems

Selection & Onboarding Candidate assessment & interpretation Get to know your new employee’s brain Style,

needs and how they learn; match to manager’s teaching Style

Connect new employees through learning and social learning programs

Embed into Organizations Systems

Performance Management Coach managers to build tolerance to

development discussions Engagement of employees in development targets Development-driven performance management

process Build capacity for self-assessment,

feedback, asking for help

Embed into Organizations Systems

Succession Management Build ability in managers to accurately assess

talent & potential Engage employees in management of own career

path Develop ability to speak about their ambitions and

ask what they need to do to be selected for succession

Embed into Organizations Systems

Compensation Strike balance between development-based and

performance-based rewards Make rewards meaningful to the individual and

their long term growth Leverage other forms of recognition: status,

opportunities, celebration / awards

Embed into Organizations Systems

Social Networking Engage employees in building informal networks

using social networking Set expectations for communication and

collaboration in work lives Build informal communities of

information sharing

Whole Brain / Whole Organization

1. Leverage an understanding of the brain in everything you do

2. Embed learning as a process 3. Keep learning in the workplace vs. the classroom4. Engage employees in their own learning5. Align approach with desired outcomes & measure6. Allow enough time and repetition for the brain to

change

Remember...

Expectations for participation must be clear before, during and after including on the job

application of learning Process must be in place for follow up & holding

participants accountable Allow for adequate time and experiences in the

learning cycle to change the brain

Maximizing the ROI for training & development is easy when you

take a whole person, brain based approach to the design and delivery of your programs!

Our Approach

Striving Styles Personality System is a neuro-psychological framework for development, behavioural change and achieving potential

Can be integrated into any development program Audit existing programs to ensure design & delivery

reflect personality, emotions and how the brain learns Facilitate organizational change, eliminate dysfunction

and disengagement Build expertise of anyone involved in training,

development & behavioural change by becoming a Practitioner

Evolution of Jung’s Psychological Type & the MBTI®

Leadership systems that create powerful companiesLeadership systems that create powerful companies

Contact us We offer a range of services – organizational, leadership &

team development, succession, performance & rewards, cultural change & coaching

We offer a Practitioner Program for anyone interested in using the SSPS in their L&D programs.

www.CaliberLeadership.com416.406.3939

hhilliard@caliberleadership.com