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I was reminded the other day about how big a difference there can be between "teaching" and "facilitating".

• Deciding that your job is to "guide" your learners, not preach to them
• Using training materials that engage learners in small team exercises and encourage participation and thinking
• Allowing your learners to work hard enough that they will discover content and develop their own insights
• Caring more about what was learned by your students than about your "scores" at the end of the session
• Using humor -- and that doesn't mean telling jokes -- to set a playful learning tone
• Creating an environment that is comfortable and that engages the senses -- using music, visuals, colors, etc.
• Being well enough prepared to help learners make connections to their real job challenges 

In USA Today (August 31, 2009), an article in the Money section should make all of us in executive positions at our companies pay close attention. It was called "Economic Recovery Gives Frustrated Workers Job Options".

Here's an excerpt:

The boss' perception: Given the rough economy, workers are thrilled just to have a steady paycheck.

The employee's reality: Many are frustrated and secretly seeking new opportunities.

Apparently, according to a survey by Monster.com in collaboration with the Human Capital Institute, more than 8 in 10 employers feel that their workers are "happy to have a job", while only 53% of employees feel this way. In fact, 17% of workers are thinking of changing jobs in the next 12 months. And, because employers have asked employees to do more and different work, they've expanded their skills and are more marketable.

According to the HR and technology research firm IDC, not only have workers dealt with slashed benefits and pay, but they've also endured "shoddy treatment ...including a lack of communication about layoffs".

Once again, this article should be a whack on the side of the head for executives concerned about the state of the company's talent pool as the economy improves. We should be asking ourselves questions like: Do my employees know what's going on in the company? Do they understand what's happening and why? Are they clear about a vision for the future? Are they committed to the strategies currently in place to thrive -- or survive? Do they feel like valued members of the team? Do they clearly understand the company's current financial issues? Do managers throughout the company feel and act accountable--as "talent leaders" - for the retention of employees?

If the answers to any of these questions is "no" or "I don't know", it's time to act. In my opinion, two critical things should be on the radar screen of every company executive:

1. Company Communications: We need to "formalize" communication about the business in ways that get the right information in front of employees -- not just with memos or speeches, but in sessions that allow for interacting, discussing, questioning and information processing. We need to update employees regularly, keeping changing strategies and circumstances in the forefront. And,we need to level with them about the realities of the business.

2. Manager Accountability for Retention: Managers at all levels -- not just at the top -- need to be held accountable for keeping good people in the company. They need to be more involved than ever before. They need to step up their "management by walking around" activities. They need to bite the bullet and deal directly with employee emotions -- including fear and anger. They need to provide an open door for employees to walk through to talk about their issues and concerns.

That's what I think. Let me know your thoughts.

An article in CLO Magazine entitled Fostering a Passionate Workforce caught my eye today. In the article, Dan Bobinsky, author of Creating Passion Driven Teams, defines passion as when an employee has a thorough understanding of the big picture and how his/her personal activities contribute to that picture. One of the ways to accomplish this, he says, is to make sure that all training is aligned with the strategic vision of the company.