From the introduction to the new book, Up to Speed – Secrets of Reducing Time to Proficiency is a preview of all 20 chapters. To order the ebook click
here.
Chapter 1 – The Journey
This chapter describes the journey from the publication of the first Learning Paths book to present day. It’s a story about how things have evolved and changed.
Chapter 2 – The Business Case
The starting point for any Learning Paths initiative is a sound business case. This chapter talks about using the concept of time to proficiency as the business case.
Chapter 3 – The Value of Learning Principles
Learning Paths is rooted in three learning principles or beliefs about how people really learn. The principles are reflected throughout the book.
Chapter 4 – Starting on the Same Page
The concepts of proficiency, time to proficiency, and a Learning Path are described in this chapter. It’s designed to provide a common language that’s used throughout the book.
Chapter 5 – Relying on Experts
This chapter discusses forming a team of experts and using their knowledge and expertise to drive a Learning Paths initiative.
Chapter 6 – Do You Know It When You See It?
This chapter focuses on how to identify, describe, and measure proficiency in order to drive rapid improvement. It presents the structure of a proficiency definition including identifying proficiency milestones.
Chapter 7 – A Process Approach to Learning
If learning is a process and not an event, then everything we know about process improvement can be applied to build great Learning Paths. This chapter focuses on how to drive out time, waste, and variability.
Chapter 8 – Sequence, Sequence, Sequence
This chapter talks about the demise of pick and choose learning and replaces it with a sequence of learning activities that the experts say works the best.
Chapter 9 – Getting Technology Right
Technology changes how people do their jobs. Without changing how we train these jobs, the technology training fails. This chapter presents ideas on how to integrate technology training on a Learning Path.
Chapter 10 – When Good Isn’t Good Enough
75% isn’t an acceptable passing score for most jobs. In fact, in some jobs, there can’t be any mistakes such as landing a plane. This chapter presents ideas on how to evaluate training in a meaningful way and how to improve testing.
Chapter 11 – All Aboard
The first 30 to 90 days often determines an employee’s long-term success. Onboarding is often part of a Learning Path. This chapter presents three key ideas on how to maximize onboarding.
Chapter 12 – Making Informal Training Formal
This chapter explores the principle that training should be by design and not by accident. It provides ideas on how to transform on-the-job and experiential learning into learning by design.
Chapter 13 – Making It “Stick”
This chapter describes a strategy for successfully implementing and maintaining a Learning Paths initiative. It focuses on the key principles of effective change management.
Chapter 14 – More for Less
Most organizations look at training as a cost rather than an expense. Therefore, getting the most out of every training dollar is critical. This chapter shows a Learning Paths approach to getting more for less.
Chapter 15 – The Sales Learning Path
This chapter explores ideas on how to develop salespeople through using a Learning Path. It discusses how traditional sales training is only one piece of a much larger puzzle. It’s more than “what” salespeople need to know but “how” they are going to use it in real life situations.
Chapter 16 – The Leadership Path
The chapter is not about the qualities of a leader. It describes how to develop leaders at all levels of the organization. It applies the concepts and principles of Learning Paths to leaders.
Chapter 17 – Learning Paths in Schools
This chapter asks readers to stretch their imaginations to see how applying Learning Paths to schools could make a dramatic difference.
Chapter 18 – Getting it Together: Mergers, Acquisitions, Outsourcing, and Centralization
This chapter discusses that challenges of training across organizations as they merge, outsource and recombine.
Chapter 19 – What’s the Association
This chapter presents ideas for applying Learning Paths to associations and other membership organizations that have thousands of members, eager for training.
Chapter 20 – Final Note
This chapter wraps up the key ideas presented in this book and looks ahead to the next ten years.
“Good morning, this is John Jones, your pilot. We’ll be flying down to Miami today. The weather in Miami is 85 and sunny, and we don’t expect any turbulence in route. By the way, I’m very excited about flying today. I just graduated from flight school with a 90% score on my landing test. That’s an A in anybody’s book.”