The architect of corporate learning

MANILA, Philippines - If a training program runs for several months and is conducted by a famous personality, learning is bound to happen. True or false? 

False, according to Armi Treñas, who says that without the proper structure, content and process, learning will not happen. Treñas is the founder of Learning and Performance Partners Inc. (LPPI) that helps improve the effectiveness of organizations through customized training programs that unlock the potential of employees and managers. Started in 2003, LPPI is the first and only company in the Philippines to specialize in Integrated Instructional Design solutions, with clients in Southeast Asia, China, Korea, and Africa. She was teaching Executive Education at the Asian Institute of Management when Treñas and her colleagues realized “that there needs to be a better process for offering training programs that would be closer to companies’ requirements.” 

She describes her job as an architect of corporate learning. “You can build a house using a floor plan from a bookstore that you can just copy, but will you be happy?” she asks. “An architect helps you understand what it takes to build the house: Are you building on sloping land? What’s the orientation of the sun and wind? What materials should be used considering your budget? Will you need a second floor later? How big is the family?

Do you want a family room or a bigger kitchen? Given all of these considerations, the architect will build a house that’s meant for you, that adheres to the design that you’ve agreed upon.” She points out that “on the other hand, may nagpapatayo na walang architect but the elements are not optimized.”

Reaction level vs results-based learning

Training courses have greatly evolved from what they used to be. Back then (and still today in many cases), they involved making a laundry list of things that employees felt needed to be addressed (e.g. communications, customer service, grammar, interpersonal relations, and so on). The list was presented to the manager who then gave the go-ahead to farm out the training program to providers. Once a proposal was chosen, they proceeded to run the training course, after which an evaluation form was handed out. If the participants had fun, the games were enjoyable, and the rating was high, the program was considered effective. “Somehow I felt it wasn’t right… there was something missing.” She went back to AIM to enroll in post-graduate studies that provided her an understanding of how one functional area relates to the others, and how learning and development are linked to organizational goals. Wanting to gain more knowledge, she pursued a master’s degree in instructional and performance technology in the US, and has been practicing in that field ever since.

The services that LPPI offers are customized according to the unique needs of each client. These include a type of ‘Train the Trainer’ program wherein “the company knows they have the talent internally but the problem is that the practitioners are not trainers and may not be that engaging when communicating their expertise.” Others want to develop a training course or material that is consistent across the organization and not merely dependent on the methods and preferences of the trainer at the moment. Or some companies prefer to outsource because they do not have the time and manpower to learn the program, so Treñas is called in to design the training course.

Primarily, LPPI helps organizations that recognize the value of developing their talent. Recently though, individuals (some are well-known in the field) have also started getting the services of LPPI to help tease out their own training materials. Another new trend is the entry in the field of training of retired technical experts who need help in making training modules.

The general framework used by LPPI is ADDIE or Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation, which indicates the flow of the process. “It’s applicable across different fields; however, just like in other disciplines, how you use each step would depend on the internal situation, the environment, and what they need.” This instructional model has prompted pregnant learners to tell her, “Ms. Armi, ‘pag nagkaanak ako ng babae papangalanan kong Addie!” 

Learning by doing

Change is a constant in life, more so in business. In many cases, out-of-date training programs are kept running through “sheer momentum, and when new competencies come, hindi tugma.” Some company heads also tend to think that putting a lot of planning into the training program is unwarranted but this is counter-intuitive. “They will say, ‘That’s useless, do away with that.’ But it’s like building a house: if you have a strong foundation, the house is more durable, there is less rework because of quality issues. So while there is more time spent upfront, it eases the back-end part.” According to Treñas, customizing a training program does not have to be expensive. “Maybe there’s an investment in learning the fundamentals but it goes a long way towards ensuring that the kind of learning programs that you have are of higher quality. Depending on their resources and situation, we will work with them.”

The sought-after consultant is emphatic about “learning by doing,” which explains why most of the programs she designs are in-house. “What they will work on during the program is what they will be doing as part of the work, and then it becomes near transfer. What you learned, you actually transfer to the workplace.”

The end result is observable and therefore measurable: graduates of the training course develop critical thinking and an appreciative understanding of their role within the organization, which helps generate a closer partnership between the service provider and the company. “A learning and development practitioner told me, ‘I’ve been in this job for more than eight years, this is the only time when I review a proposal from a training vendor and I know exactly what to ask.’’” One organization even adopted LPPI’s process as best practice in the region. “Instructional integrity is delivering what you promised,” Treñas believes. “If you designed it well, it will show in the performance of the learners.” To know more about the LPPI, visit www.learnperformance.com.