Tip #116: Employee Tip

When an organization experiences a merger or when divisions within that organization need to intermesh, both seasoned as well as new employees may require an orientation to the new situation. Not only do they need to understand the new interrelationships, they also need to understand the separate functions and services provided by the contributing organizational components.

In 1999, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation determined that three divisions had an integral relationship that needed to be made clear to new employees. As a result of the needs assessment, a two day program was created by a wonderfully creative team of representatives from each of the three divisions. Here are the learning objectives and the activities for the afternoon of the second day. The activities are underlined.

Title: Intermodal Interactions

Workshop Description: Using interactive exercises, this two day basic orientation session is designed to acquaint the participants with the three modal divisions and how they interface with each other. On the first day, the focus is on what it means to be involved in an intermodal division partnership. On the second day, the focus is on the variety of functions and services provided by the three modal divisions.

Day Two: Getting to Know the Modal Divisions

Learning Objectives: During this session, the participants will:

e. "tour" a transportation issue; and
f. identify personal linkages within the modal divisions.

Lesson Plan/ Methods:

Objective Methods

(b) 12:45 Sorting Out the Players: DTID (15 minutes)
The participants individually complete a worksheet in which they are given a list of activities and asked to check off all of the activities that would be included in infrastructure development. (5 minutes)

[Goal: Check participants' current awareness of DTID functions.]

The deputy administrator provides a brief overview of the responsibilities of DTID, to define what infrastructure development means and includes, asking if anyone would like to revise their worksheet on the basis of the overview. Debrief the responses to the worksheet, providing validation and/or correction. (10 minutes)

[Goal: Clarify the concept, mission, and functions of DTID, while acknowledging that the division name may contribute to its identity crisis.]

(d) 1:00 Playing on the DTID Team (30 minutes)
All of the teams are assigned to review the same case study regarding context sensitive design. However, each team member reviews the case study from the perspective of an assigned interest group (such as the local community, the truckers, highway engineers, environmentalists, etc.) The team members then meet for a small group discussion to attempt to create compromise standards to meet their social objective.

[Goal: Experience a typical DTID activity that reinforces key concepts.]

1:30 Break (10 minutes)

(c) 1:40 Playing on the DTID Team (20 minutes)
(d) The groups report out, for general summary discussion of the compromises involved in developing standards for context sensitive design. (15 minutes)

The deputy administrator walks the participants through the division brochure, having them highlight with yellow marker the key programs, staff names, and phone numbers. (5 minutes)

[Goal: Ensure a useful reference source.]

(e) 2:00 Touring a Transportation Issue (30 minutes)
Show a video tape of interviews with various groups who have different perspectives on what has to happen with the transportation system to meet the needs of the aging baby boomers with increasing impaired eyesight, hearing, and response times). This should include representatives from the agency as well as from the modal units- to reinforce the fact that the entire agency is involved with and affected by the work of the intermodal divisions. Therefore, the interviews should include talks with: a traffic engineer, a safety person, ITS staff, design engineer, state patrol sergeant, someone involved in driver licensing, construction, maintenance, etc.

[Goal: Provide a real-life "tour" of a transportation issue that exemplifies aspects of intermodal connections and partnering, and reflects the results of funding (DTIM), planning (DTD), and standard development (DTID) actions and decisions the participants experienced in previous exercises.]

2:30 Break (10 minutes)

(f) 2:40 Finding Intermodal Linkages (30 minutes)
The individual participants complete a worksheet in which they identify how, when, where , and how long they personally might interface with programs or offices in the other divisions, based upon where they work and what they do. (10 minutes)

Volunteers report out the nature and type of linkages that they have identified for themselves, for general discussion. (20 minutes)

[Goal: Personalize the idea that the modal divisions are connected. Also, provide closure to the "yarn exercise" metaphor introduced at the very beginning of the orientation. The participants are now able to specifically identify the "knots" as they relate to what they personally do on their jobs.]

3:10 Closing Up Shop (20 minutes)
The participants individually complete a post-test that covers the key content of the orientation program, then discuss the answers. (10 minutes)

[Note: This test will involve the same key content as the initial pre-test, however, the questions will be phrased differently or take a slightly different tact on each key concept. The process can be similar to that used for the pre-test- a thumbs up or down response, which will give the trainers an immediate visual assessment of the learning that has occurred.]

[Goal: Assess the degree to which the key content has been learned by the participants.]

Each participant reports out one new piece of information s/he received as a result of the session. The participants then complete an evaluation sheet for this session.

3:30 Adjourn.

Tip #115: Employee Orientation

When an organization experiences a merger or when divisions within that organization need to intermesh, both seasoned as well as new employees may require an orientation to the new situation. Not only do they need to understand the new interrelationships, they also need to understand the separate functions and services provided by the contributing organizational components.

In 1999, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation determined that three divisions had an integral relationship that needed to be made clear to new employees. As a result of the needs assessment, a two day program was created by a wonderfully creative team of representatives from each of the three divisions. Here are the learning objectives and the activities for the morning of the second day. The activities are underlined.

Title: Intermodal Interactions

Workshop Description: Using interactive exercises, this two day basic orientation session is designed to acquaint the participants with the three modal divisions and how they interface with each other. On the first day, the focus is on what it means to be involved in an intermodal division partnership. On the second day, the focus is on the variety of functions and services provided by the three modal divisions.

Day Two: Getting to Know the Modal Divisions

Learning Objectives: During this session, the participants will:

0. identify the three different modal divisions;

1. explain the key functions and services of each division;

2. explain how to locate necessary divisional resources;

3. participate in key division activities;

Lesson Plan/ Methods:

Total Length: 6 hours

Objective Methods

8:30 Welcome (15 minutes)
As the participants walk in, they are given new seat assignments- to create an intermodal "team" with new people. They introduce themselves to each other. Introduce the session format, schedule, objectives, and trainers.

(a) 8:45 Recognizing the Variety of Services (30 minutes)
The participants work in their new intermodal "teams" to organize clippings and pictures from a central "work basket" by division and even by bureau, referring to divisional brochures. They tack the appropriate clippings and pictures onto a felt board under the appropriate division column: DTD, DTIM, and DTID. (15 minutes)

Drawing from each "team," make a list of the activities and services provided by each division- using three different flip charts, one for each division. (15 minutes)

[Goal: Reinforce what the participants have already learned about the diversity of services provided by each modal division.]

(b) 9:15 Sorting Out the Players: DTD (20 minutes)
(c) Individual participants complete a questionnaire regarding key points about DTD. (5 minutes)

[Note: These key points would include:

• links to local government

• non-highway responsibilities

• size and geographic arrangement

• level of financial responsibility

• concept that it is not possible to build our way out of transportation problems

• responsibility to external entities

• functional responsibilities of each business area

• critical role in supporting the economy

• diversity of public served ]

The deputy administrator directs a group discussion of their findings and conclusions. (15 minutes)

[Goal: Expand the perception of DTD as doing more than highways, by increasing awareness of the scope and diversity of services provided by the four business areas.]

9:35 Break (10 minutes)

(b) 9:45 Sorting Out the Players: DTD (20 minutes)
(c) The "teams" complete a matching exercise, in which they try to match one column of duties with the correct DTD business area. Whichever team gets the most correct answers wins a jar of M& M's. (15 minutes)

[Goal: Reinforce learning about the services provided by the four DTD business areas.]

The participants then highlight with yellow marker the key programs, staff names and phone numbers on the division brochure. (5 minutes)

[Goal: Ensure a useful reference source.]

(d) 10:05 Playing on the DTD Team (25 minutes)
The teams review a case study of a regional transportation plan, in which they act as DTD district office staff faced with looking at where growth is expected and what transportation system changes are needed to meet them. Each team will consider what should go into the regional plan to make it useful, considering the different perspectives of the various locals and the need for compromise. (10 minutes)

The teams report out their findings and conclusions, for general discussion. (15 minutes)

[Goal: Experience a typical DTD activity that reinforces key concepts regarding the complexity of decision making involved in developing and maintaining a transportation system- as well as the need to be able to compromise rationally in order to achieve objectives.]

10:30 Break (10 minutes)

(b) 10:40 Sorting Out the Players: DTIM (20 minutes)
(c) The deputy administrator provides a brief overview of the responsibilities of DTIM, using balls or koosh balls of different colors and sizes among the participants to illustrate the complexity of the finance planning cycles, and the different expectations and constraints of the players involved. (10 minutes)

[Goal: Provide a visual metaphor of the difficulty of keeping all of the "balls" in the air, since each funding source has a different scope and time cycle.]

Walk the participants through the division brochure, having them highlight with yellow marker the key programs, staff names and phone numbers. (10 minutes)

[Goal: Ensure a useful reference source.]

(d) 11:00 Playing on the DTIM Team (45 minutes)
The teams are given a fact sheet regarding how the transportation fund is sliced up in the budget process. Then, within their teams, the participants assume the roles of different interest groups (such as the rural legislator, the county board chair, the director of the road builders, and the advocate for the elderly and handicapped, etc.) Their goal is to slice up the transportation fund to meet the interests of these various groups. (30 minutes) Directed discussion of their decisions and conclusions. (15 minutes)

[Goal: Reinforce the complexity of the transportation fund, including the 41 different programs covered by the fund and the dynamics involved in slicing up the fund in the budget process. Also, provide increased awareness of other perspectives.]

11:45 Lunch Break (60 minutes)

Tip #114: Employee Orientation

When an organization experiences a merger or when divisions within that organization need to intermesh, both seasoned as well as new employees may require an orientation to the new situation. Not only do they need to understand the new interrelationships, they also need to understand the separate functions and services provided by the contributing organizational components.

In 1999, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation determined that three divisions had an integral relationship that needed to be made clear to new employees. As a result of the needs assessment, a two day program was created by a wonderfully creative team of representatives from each of the three divisions. Here are the learning objectives and the activities for the afternoon of the first day. The activities are underlined.

Title: Intermodal Interactions

Workshop Description: Using interactive exercises, this two day basic orientation session is designed to acquaint the participants with the three modal divisions and how they interface with each other. On the first day, the focus is on what it means to be involved in an intermodal division partnership. On the second day, the focus is on the variety of functions and services provided by the three modal divisions.

Day One: Making the Intermodal Connections [afternoon]

Learning Objectives: During this session, the participants will:

d. locate key offices at Hill Farms;
e. participate in the transportation systems development cycle; and
f. discuss expectations and issues with the division administrators and deputies.

Lesson Plan/ Methods:

Objective Methods

(d) 12:45 Getting a Sense of Hill Farms (45 minutes)
The teams are given floor plans for all of the specific floors of the building that have relevance to the modal divisions, and a checklist of questions to answer about certain sites in the building.

[Note: The sites they are asked to locate will be tied to the reasons why they would typically contact or visit that site in the course of performing their work. Sites in each division continue the color coding introduced in the yarn exercise: green for DTID, burgundy for DTD, and yellow for DTIM. Areas of the floor plans that are not relevant to their mission will be labeled and shaded out.]

They are given 35 minutes to visit the sites, enter them on the floor plan, and answer the questions.

[Note: The questions should include: Where is the Secretary's Office? What is the room number? What is on the plaque outside the Secretary's Office? Where is the lab? What is on the window wall of the DTID Administrator's office? What route do you have to follow to find the DTD Administrator's office? etc.]

[Goal: Gain a sense of the layout of the building and locate offices that they may need to visit in the future. Also, ensure that the participants now have "maps" to assist them in locating sites if and when they need to visit Hill Farms in the future.]

The teams reconvene to report their answers and to discuss the reasons why they might need to visit that site. Reinforce the idea that the participants now not only have a sense of place, they also can attach faces to names of people at Hill Farms.

1:30 Break (10 minutes)

(e) 1:40 Following the Winding Path (50 minutes)
The transportation systems development cycle is introduced, to prepare the participants to play a board game which duplicates the decisions, issues, and consequences of this process.

As a game and job aid, the participants are also alerted to their "secret decoder ring," which provides definitions for basic terms and acronyms used by the divisions.

[Note: This "decoder ring" will be made of several layered paper discs, with a space for the term and the corresponding definition. It will contain basic terms and acronyms necessary for the game. The participants will be referred to the dot.net as an additional reference source for terms.]

[Note: The game board "path" will be the transportation systems development cycle- planning, setting priorities, developing projects, etc. (an expanded and amended version of the "Long and Winding Road," now designed to include all three divisions' responsibilities). The game pieces will be different modes of transportation (a la Monopoly). Reality cards would identify issues, or choices. The intent of this game is to give the participants a real sense of who is involved, when, and what they have to (decide to) do in different situations.}

[Goal: Provide real-life examples of the complexity of transportation system decision-making, with the diversity of services, modes, customers, and interests. Also provide instances where intermodal connections and partnering occur.]

2:30 Break (10 minutes)

(e) 2:40 Following the Winding Path (50 minutes)
Brief debriefing, to have the participants highlight key points or issues that have come to their attention as they have played the game.

The teams discuss their findings and conclusions, referring to a summary questionnaire. Key points in the cycle are emphasized, with anecdotes of real situations. (20 minutes) 3:30 Break (10 minutes)

(f) 3:40 Creating Mutual Expectations (40 minutes)
Working in four groups, the participants are asked to identify what they expect from their management, posting their ideas on flip charts. (10 minutes)

The groups report out, so that their ideas can be categorized in preparation for discussion with their administrators. (10 minutes)

The administrators and their deputies rejoin the session, to hear what the participants have identified as their expectations. (5 minutes)

The administrators then discuss what they need in return from their employees in order to fulfill the employees' expectations. (10 minutes)

General question and answer and discussion period. (5 minutes)

Goal: Establish productive dialogue between management and supervisors regarding respective goals and expectations.]

4:20 Closing Up Shop (10 minutes)
Summary statement of key content covered in the session. The participants then complete an evaluation sheet for this session.

4:30 Adjourn.

Tip #113: Employee Orientation

When an organization experiences a merger or when divisions within that organization need to intermesh, both seasoned as well as new employees may require an orientation to the new situation. Not only do they need to understand the new interrelationships, they also need to understand the separate functions and services provided by the contributing organizational components.

In 1999, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation determined that three divisions had an integral relationship that needed to be made clear to new employees. As a result of the needs assessment, a two day program was created by a wonderfully creative team of representatives from each of the three divisions. Here are the learning objectives and the activities for the morning of the first day. The activities are underlined.

Title: Intermodal Interactions

Workshop Description: Using interactive exercises, this two day basic orientation session is designed to acquaint the participants with the three modal divisions and how they interface with each other. On the first day, the focus is on what it means to be involved in an intermodal division partnership. On the second day, the focus is on the variety of functions and services provided by the three modal divisions.

Day One: Making the Intermodal Connections [morning]

Learning Objectives: During this session, the participants will:

1. define the modal divisions;

2. experience the interconnections between the three divisions;

3. review the partnering agreement;

Lesson Plan/ Methods:

Objective Methods

9:45 Pre-Workshop Session (15 minutes)
As the participants walk into the training room, they are bombarded with audio recording of various modes of transportation [cars on a highway, a bicycle bell, railway crossing, boats in a harbor, jogger, etc.] as well as visual stimuli of colored pictures of the different services and publics served by the modal divisions.

The participants are given a long piece of colored yarn (green for DTID employees, burgundy for DTD, and yellow for DTIM) and assigned to small tables (in a manner that ensures representatives from different divisions at each table). Their first "team" assignment, after introducing themselves to each other, is to list all of the transportation modes they can identify from the audio tape.

[Goal: Expand awareness of the various transportation modes.]

(a) 10:00 Welcome (25 minutes)
Introduce the workshop format, schedule, objectives, and trainers. (10 minutes)

Ask the participants to brainstorm what a "modal division" is, posting their responses on a flip chart. Validate or refine the definition, referring to" clues" from the pre-workshop exercise. (5 minutes)

Conduct a pre-test: have the participants respond with their thumbs (up for yes, down for no) to a questionnaire related to the key content areas covered throughout the orientation session. Reward with candy the participants with the correct answers, and indicate great hope and expectations for those who do not know the answers- yet. Post the results of the pre-test on a flip chart, for later reference. (10 minutes)

[Goal: Assess current knowledge, introduce key content areas, and create a "learning checklist" that can be checked off as content is covered during the session.]

(b) 10:25 Making Connections (25 minutes)
Have the participants introduce themselves: name, division, classification or work title, one key responsibility- and how it relates to one of the other modal divisions. After the first person speaks, someone from a different division should be next- indicating how his or her job interfaces (either directly or indirectly) with that of the preceding person- and tying his or her yarn to the first person's yarn. {This means that the participants will have to stand up and move together as they tie their pieces of yarn together.} Each multi-colored knot will indicate an intermodal connection. The completed yarn length should be draped in the front of the room, for later reference.

[Goal: Begin awareness of individual job interfaces within the modal divisions.]

10:50 Break (10 minutes)

(b) 11:00 Putting the Pieces Together (45 minutes)
(c) Each small table "team" works together to complete an intermodal puzzle (a framed puzzle which has the intermodal divisions' logo at the bottom, into which different functional pieces of the divisions fit- creating three intersecting circles.) (10 minutes)

[Goal: Provide a visual reference point for the organizational functional areas: sections, bureaus, and business areas.]

[Note: This "puzzle" motif can be duplicated on mouse pads, mugs, buttons, or other "take home" items that will reinforce the concept of the intermodal connections.]

The division administrators are introduced (hopefully wearing their division "colors"!!) and, in a panel, provide an overview of the modal divisions, using the puzzle and interlocking circles motif. This includes the philosophy, vision, culture, and values. (30 minutes)

[Note: As each administrator is introduced, a two minute slide show runs, depicting division staff engaged in the variety of functions and services of that division, accompanied by division "theme music." There should also be pictures of key division management. (It can be thought of an a two minute marketing or public relations piece.) The administrator then has 8 minutes to make key points. As a result, each division will have 10 minutes of time, for a total of 30 minutes.]

[Goal: Visually introduce the variety of modal services, with pictures of actual staff and activities from each division.]

Then, building on the metaphor of the knotted yarn from the previous exercise, they explain key aspects of the partnering agreement using the "knot" exercise.

They ask all of the participants to stand up and create a tight oval, with their shoulders touching. [Note: Individuals with back problems are advised not to participate.] The instructions involve having the participants reach out to grab one of the hands of two different people, who are neither directly across from them or next to them. This creates a "human knot."

The participants are then asked if they think they can untie this "human knot" without unclasping their hands. They are challenged to try- and then asked at the end (after they have been successful) what it took to untie this knot.

The qualities that they identify (flexibility, cooperation, varying leadership, different perspectives, positive attitude, etc.) can be related to the key aspects of the partnering agreement. Summarize by pointing out that the modal divisions can "untie any transportation system knot by working together." (5 minutes)

[Goal: Create a partnering experience and memory, with a resulting metaphor that can be referred to during the sessions.]

11:45 Lunch Break (60 minutes)

Tip #112: Employee Orientation

When an organization experiences a merger or when divisions within that organization need to intermesh, both seasoned as well as new employees may require an orientation to the new situation. Not only do they need to understand the new interrelationships, they also need to understand the separate functions and services provided by the contributing organizational components.

In 1999, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation determined that three divisions had an integral relationship that needed to be made clear to new employees. The initial needs assessment asked the three division administrators the following questions:

New Employee Orientation Needs Assessment Questions

1. What division activities and services do you consider most significant? Why?

2. The orientation regarding your division should accomplish what goals?

3. What key information would you like the new employees to have about your division?

4. Assuming 100% of the time, what percentage of time would you allocate to each key area?

5. Why is it important for new employees to have this information?

6. How does it affect them or the work they do?

7. What information do they already have, either due to personal or job-related reasons?

8. What services have they already experienced, either due to personal or job-related reasons?

9. Are there any metaphors that are useful in explaining the nature of specific activities and services provided?

10. What was done for the Take Your Children to Work Day?

11. Could any of those activities be used for new employees?

12. Are there other types of activities or participant exercises that you believe would engage and involve the new employees?

13. What resources or reference sheets would be useful to include in the new employees' orientation materials?

14. Is a tour a good idea? If so, why, where, how long?

15. What would you like a tour to specifically demonstrate?

16. What information would you want to be covered during the tour?

17. Can you recommend specific staff who are technically knowledgeable, as well as accessible and responsive, to serve as a resource during the orientation training design phase?

18. What role would you prefer to play in the training design and presentation stages?

19. What assistance, if any, can we provide in the design of the training or in the training of the trainers, that you would consider useful for staff, and/or useful for you, personally?

20. Additional comments, recommendations, or concerns:

Their answers resulted in an amazingly creative and interactive new employee orientation program that seasoned employees clamored to attend. The orientation program design process also generated job aids, brochures, and audiovisual materials that each division could use to better serve the public and explain their functional role to the legislature.

Tip #111: Employee Orientation

I recently received an inspiring example of what can be done to bring learning alive in an employee orientation program.

As some of you may know, I frequently facilitate the three-day Training Certificate Program for the American Society for Training and Development. As a matter of fact, in the next four weeks I'll be conducting the program in Boston, Massachusetts, Tallahassee, Florida, and Irvine, California!

Debbie Fisher attended the Training Certificate Program in Irvine last year. She is the Manager of User Support in Information Technology Services at The Citadel in Charleston, South Carolina. She has kindly agreed to allow me to share her letter with you.

Here is Debbie's success story:

"I have been employing the skills I learned during the Training Certificate Program these many months and have drastically overhauled the training seminars our cadets attend for academic orientation based upon the skills I learned with your help.

You would be so proud to see the flip-charts, wall posters, and various visual-aids I have created to supplement the computer materials we use. I thought you might find it interesting to hear a 'success story'.

The former cadet computer training class, which was mainly a lecture by an IT professional (dry, boring, and lifeless in an auditorium with low-lighting) has morphed into a fully interactive setting facilitated by the IT professional.

Instead of lecturing cadets about the policies, tasks, or computer-related accounts required, the cadets are now assigned to a group designated by color (red team, blue team, orange team, etc.) as they enter the computer lab. Each team is assigned a list of objectives. Each student uses his own computer to help the rest of the team locate the correct answers/procedures, etc. required to complete the team's objectives.

A time period is established for students to research the objectives together and when the time is up, a member from each team participates in a random drawing to determine the order of the presentations. Each team takes a turn moving to the front of the classroom to teach the other teams how to perform the skills they learned during the study/research period. We use a combination of flip-charts, wall-posters, etc. to help each team stay on-target and ensure they cover all the objectives assigned during their presentations.

The cadets laugh a lot and pay a lot more attention to their peer presenters than they would to us. We keep the momentum moving and step in to clarify if questions arise about the particular skills. The session mainly runs itself after the first team gets the session rolling."

Dave Meier, the wonderful accelerated learning guru (and also a wonderful man!) says: "Never do for learners what learners can do for themselves and for each other."

I love what Debbie has done to spice up the training and launch the cadets on their own voyage of discovery!

I would be delighted to hear any other success stories out there!