Leadership Training

“Sometimes you just have to take the leap, and build your wings on the way down.”

- Kobi Yamada, author

Today we’re speaking with Eric Dingler, who recently joined Deloitte Service LLP (“Deloitte Services”) as the Director of Learning and Talent Development for the United States for Deloitte Consulting. Prior to that, he held the role of Senior Director, People & Organization Effectiveness at the Gap.

• Please tell us about your educational background and what influences and/or people led you down the Learning and Development career path.

I received my undergraduate degree from the University of Stockton in accounting, and went to work for Arthur Andersen in 1987 to pursue my CPA. But I really wasn’t certain that accounting was going to be my long term calling. So after I earned my CPA 18 months later, when Arthur Andersen’s consulting division was split off to become its own strategic business unit, I saw that as an opportunity to get in on the ground floor of a new enterprise. I knew that I enjoyed project-based work, being creative, and thinking strategically, so becoming a founding member of this new initiative was a very exciting career move. It also meant that I didn’t have to worry about payroll, cash flow or growing equity (even though it was a very entrepreneurial role) thanks to it being under the Arthur Andersen umbrella.

The business was very successful, but after a few years our group was still struggling with the issue of how to differentiate ourselves as consultants. We realized that although many clients were happy with us once we completed a project (so long as we left them with a three pound binder of data and results), six months to twelve months later they were dissatisfied because nothing had really changed. So the question our leadership team was asking ourselves was, “how do you actually get sustainable change?” We realized that creating that tangible result, a new organizational habit so to speak, was the most valuable thing we could do for an organization.

Then in 1991, our practice contracted with Peter Senge’s organization out of MIT at the time, author of The Fifth Discipline that focuses on the concept of the learning organization. Arthur Andersen had managers from around the world to work with Peter’s concepts for two years, and I was one of them. That experience really opened my eyes and showed me the way to achieving that sustainable change we had been looking for. Ultimately, I learned that creating new capabilities at the individual level leads to new capabilities at the organizational level.

So I began my pursuit of a career in Organizational Learning and Development in earnest, which led me to a new role with Coca Cola as a learning coach where I focused on how to build learning capabilities in executive teams. I then moved to Bristol-Myers Squibb where I led Global Organizational Development. And that brought me to the Gap as the Senior Director of People and Organization Effectiveness. Each of those roles has allowed me to approach the question that drives me (how to obtain sustainable change?) from a different lens. I viewed each of those positions as both an opportunity to add incredible value to the company, as well as a time for me build my own intellectual net worth.

• You recently left the GAP after four years as the Senior Director of People & Organizational Effectiveness. What is one of the accomplishments you had with this role that you are most proud of?

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“Throughout the centuries there were men who took first steps down new roads armed with nothing but their own vision.”

- Ayn Rand (1905 – 1982), novelist, philosopher, playwright and screenwriter

Founded by Professional Actors and Fortune 500 Executives, Pinnacle Performance trains globally, using it’s time-tested Performance-Based Training Method™ to teach business professionals the essential communication skills needed to succeed at every level of the corporate world.

The Southwest office of Pinnacle Performance is hosting a 1-day Presentation and Communication Skills workshop on Wednesday, August 27th from 9am to 5pm in Phoenix, AZ.

Utilizing heavy video analysis and a fast-paced, “building block” approach, this Pinnacle Performance workshop will provide each participant with a unique, personalized training experience that focuses on analyzing and improving the delivery of each learner’s individual communication.

Please visit http://pinper.com to learn more about our company, and to read multiple client references, such as this one from Larry Frazier, the Director of Training Practices at Oracle:

“Our training with Pinnacle has paid huge dividends. The instructors we sent to Pinnacle training increased their quality delivery score by 10% and now have the highest quality delivery scores at Oracle.”

This interactive, fast faced, energetic, and FUN workshop is a fantastic opportunity to sample Pinnacle Performance’s truly innovative training! Find out why companies like Oracle, Walgreen’s, Kodak, Capgemini, Allstate, Digitas and Health Net have sent thousands of their employees through this acclaimed program.

To reserve a space for this workshop, please email bmcneany@pinper.com. Space is limited, so RSVP today!

Pinnacle Performance, Workshop, Phoenix, Presentation Skills, Communications Skills, Training, Public Speaking

- “I think it’s the duty of the comedian to find out where the line is drawn and cross it deliberately.”

- “Just when I discovered the meaning of life, they changed it.”

- “My advice: Just keep movin’ straight ahead. Every now and then you find yourself in a different place.”

George Carlin (1937 - 2008)

R.I.P. George

This past week, Neilson Business Media hosted their 2nd annual Training Leadership Summit in San Diego, and I attended on behalf of 451 Press. This four day event (adeptly hosted by Training Magazine Group publisher Joyceann Cooney-Carippa), was filled with insightful presentations, interactive workshops, and provided a unique networking opportunity for all of the attendees.

Here are some of the moments as captured by yours truly. Based on some of my conversations with keynote presenters, we should have additional profiles and follow-up discussions posted on the site within the next couple of weeks.

The summit was held at the beautiful Rancho Bernardo Inn, a golf resort and spa located just north of downtown San Diego. Unfortunately, I was not allowed to golf on the grounds; the staff felt that my handicap of 50 could be a danger to some of the participants.

Jim Ehinger (left) and Joshua Campbell enjoy lunch at the Aragon Lawn courtyard. Jim and Joshua both serve as Training Consultants for Cornerstone Information Systems, a technology company that produces applications for the travel industry.

Amy Shoemaker is the Director of Talent Development for the accounting firm Kennedy and Coe. Patrick Barrett works for United Rentals, and is the Director of Training and Development. They both agreed that (1) the summit was a great opportunity to learn from other learning and development professionals, and (2) the chocolate raspberry souffle was one of the best desserts they’d ever had!

I devoured mine in 8.5 seconds. Chocolate stimulates the mind, right?

During the summit, Training Magazine honored 40 organizational development professionals under the age of 40 with their first annual Top Young Trainer Awards. Bill Gauthier, the Director of Training Technology at CCA Global Partners, was one of the recipients.

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Critical to the success of any good leader (or writer, for that matter) is the ability to stay organized. In order to practice what I preach, I’ve finally gotten around to tidying things up a bit here at Leadership Training Skills!

On the right side of the site, you will now find multiple categories to help you find the article or blog posting that you may be interested in. It’s fairly straight forward, but since I’m so proud that I finally got around to doing this only 14 months after launching site, let’s go through them together!

- Announcements: This is simply for website announcements, such as my past (and ongoing request) for interview candidates, and this post regarding new categories. Hopefully I’ll have some promotions and contests here in the near future.

- Business Topics with Links: Any posting that pertains to a business topic such as Cold Calls or Networking and also provides a link to at least one other website or resource can be found here. Honestly, I could use a different name for this one (you know - one that doesn’t stink?). Any ideas? Let me know!

- Interviews: All of the interviews that I’ve held with CEO’s, top Human Resources personnel and Learning Officers are listed here in chronological order. Without question, this has been the most fun part of writing this blog, and I’m looking forward to profiling many more leaders to come! Do you know someone that would be a good candidate for a Leadership Training interview? Let me know!

- Original Articles: This is my original take on topics like Customer Service and Bad Employees. The latter article happens to be my personal favorite (for now)…

- Quote of the Day: Self explanatory, and the easiest posts for me to write!

- Reading to Lead: Here you’ll find my version of the Book of the Month Club, with suggested business reading material such as Let My People Go Surfing.

- Workshops, Conferences, Expos: This is a category I hope to expand on quite a bit in the near future. There are so many great business events to attend and network at, and I’m going to highlight (and attend) as many as possible! Since I live in Los Angeles, there will no doubt be a tendency for me to concentrate on events held in the Southwest region of the U.S.. However, if you have an event or organization that you’d like to promote, please let me know!

So hope this helps when you’re surfing around LTS. If you have any suggestions, comments, or just want to say hello, let me know either in the comments section, or by email. Thanks for reading!

Jay Scherotter is the Director of Learning Resources and Organizational Effectiveness for the Scottsdale Insurance Company, a subsidiary of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. This property/casualty insurer specializes in excess and surplus insurance lines (E&S) — insurance coverage for higher-risk individuals and businesses. Scottsdale Insurance was founded in 1982, and currently employs over 1,400 associates and in 2007 recorded annual sales of more than $2 billion in premium.

Jay will be a featured presenter at the upcoming Training Leadership Summit in San Diego on May 5th. The topic of his seminar will be “Implementing a Knowledge Continuity Management Process”.

• “Can you please give us an overview of you professional background?”

I’ve been in the Human Resources and Learning and Development field for over 26 years now, with 8 of those years spent as the Director of Learning Resources and Organizational Effectiveness for the Scottsdale Insurance Company. Prior to my time here (and oddly enough), I directed the training function for an international private fire and ambulance company. Before that, I provided learning and development consulting services for commercial and consumer banks. I have also served as the director of the Quality University for American Express.

The origins of all this began with my time as a trained social worker. But early on I became very attracted to the human development opportunities that a corporate environment provided.

• “What brought you to your current role as Director Learning Resources and Organizational Effectiveness for the Scottsdale Insurance Company?”

For me, it was a combination of wanting to stay in this area and also have a position that serves a meaningful purpose and is also very satisfying from a personal perspective.

We have over 1,400 associates that work on one campus, so from a learning and development standpoint, it’s a dream scenario! Also, insurance is really about creating and assembling people lives, and I really feel that makes this a very noble business. Finally, Scottsdale Insurance has always been ranked very highly as a top organization to work for, both by the community and by publications such as Training Magazine. It’s probably why our retention rate is currently at 93%.

The anchor to all of this really comes down to our culture, which is expressed in the integrity of our intent. It’s all about doing what we say we are going to do.

• “Is there a specific person or mentor from your past who was instrumental in leading you down your current career path? What was it about this person that resonated with you?”

Here’s a story that just recently was able to weave together on it’s own. Back when I was in graduate school in 1978, I took a class in Organizational Development that was taught by Jack Dauber. Somehow I was magnetized by Jack, as well as by the content of the class. We had conversations after class where I asked him more and more about this OD field that seemed very different and unique to me.

Fast forward now to this past May, when I went to a ceremony at this school where my friend was given an honorary doctorate. I hadn’t been back there since ’78, but the moment I walked back through the halls I realized that it smelled just the same as it did nearly 30 years ago! On one of the walls there was a picture of Jack Dower. When I asked someone how he was doing, I learned that he had passed away about 7 years ago. In that moment, it really hit me just how influential Jack had been to me, and how he had led me down the career path that I had chosen.

After my visit, I wrote a letter to the Dean of the College to let him know just how much Jack’s class had meant to me. I wrote that the experience had led me to take on a career that I had devoted my life to, and I asked the Dean if there was anything I could do to honor Jack’s memory. Here replied and told me that there was: I could teach his class at the university. And that’s exactly what I’m going to do for a week this summer.

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“We cannot be what we want to be by remaining what we are.”

– Max DePree, author of Leadership is an Art

(painting: Landscape with Merchants by Claude Lorrain)

Next month from May 4th to 7th, the Rancho Bernardo Inn in sunny San Diego will play host to Training magazine’s 2008 Training Leadership Summit. This event (which builds on the success of last year’s inaugural Summit), will provide senior level learning executives from around the globe an opportunity to connect, spend time away from the interruptions of the office, and focus on some of the major issues and challenges they are faced with in the professional learning industry today.

Some of the highlights from this year’s agenda:

- Leadership Excellence, Disney Style

On Wednesday, May 7th from 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m., join the Disney Institute and discover how by providing a compelling vision and setting goals, as well as encouraging involvement and accountability, you can create magic too! The Disney approach embraces an open leadership style—originating from Walt Disney’s own innovative methods and unique vision that have played a major role in Disney’s success story throughout Disney Destinations worldwide.

- Using Blended Learning, Web 2.0, Virtual Worlds and Social Collaboration

Join Virginia Crockett, the Senior Director of Learning Technology at Qualcomm on Monday, May 5th from 11:15 a.m. - 12:15 p.m., to learn how her organization engages learners, promotes discussion and idea sharing, and gathers collective intelligence using Web 2.0 technologies. Plus, hear how they are testing virtual worlds for experiential learning, and how technology has improved employee onboarding for domestic and global employees.

- Implementing a Knowledge Continuity Management Process

Scottsdale Insurance quickly developed its knowledge management process by using an “extreme project” model. Explore how this process has led to quicker proficiency of those assuming new jobs and quicker transfer of both tacit and explicit knowledge with Jay Scherotter, the Director Learning Resources and Organizational Effectiveness, on Monday, May 5th from 11:15 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. (Jay will also be featured in a upcoming interview here on Leadership Training Skills)

The Summit will also feature several receptions, networking luncheons, and a Young Trainer Awards ceremony. All to be held on-site at the gorgeous Rancho Bernardo Inn, San Diego’s Legendary Golf Resort and Spa.

If you are interested in attending, visit the Training Leadership Summit website for additional information. This writer will be attending, and I hope to see some of my readers there!

“The West has always been the epicenter of possibility. One of the ways we forge against mortality is to head west. It’s to do with catching the sun before it slips behind the horizon. We all keep moving toward the sun, wishing to get the last ray of hope before it sets.”

- Daniel-Day Lewis, Academy Award, BAFTA, Screen Actors Guild and Golden Globe award-winning actor

Who says that nice guys (or gals) finish last? Certainly not Linda Kaplan Thaler and Robin Koval, co-authors of The Power of Nice: How to Conquer the Business World With Kindness.

In their national bestseller, the two chief executives of the Kaplan Thaler Group illustrate the surprising power of nice with an array of real-life examples from the business areas as well as from their personal lives. They also include examples of what can be lost when people are NOT nice; for instance:

“A friend recently told us the story of three consulting companies vying for a very large contract. One was summarily dropped, even though the firm did a terrific presentation. Why? they wondered. It turned out that when the prospective client arrived at the airport, an executive from one of the consulting firms neglected to help with her bags. She was miffed at his rudeness and lack of manners, and decided that she didn’t want to do business with them.

Here their team had worked day and night to give the client a knockout presentation, and the entire account was lost over a suitcase.”

I found their book full of great stories and lessons learned, and felt it was a great continuation of the principles taught by Dale Carnegie in “How to Win Friends & Influence People” over 70 years ago. I especially enjoyed the chapter titled “Shut Up and Listen“. Here, not only do they show just how important listening is in business today, but they also share a great story regarding how they ended up winning a huge campaign with Foxwoods just by listening and keeping things simple.

So I highly recommend adding “The Power of Nice” to your book list as well! Ironically enough, the reason I ended up with it was because a Boston University alumnus, Jack Schecter, gave it out as a gift at a College of Communication event held in Los Angeles. The power of nice indeed!

Pinnacle Performance, a communication and presentation skills training firm staffed by professional actors and former corporate executives, was recently featured in the Chicago Sun-Times business section. The article focuses on Pinnacle’s extensive work in India, where the company has trained over 1,000 project managers and team leaders for organizations such as Capgemini, a global leader in consulting, technology, and local professional services.

Aarti Gupta, Capgemini’s global head of learning and culture, had this to say about Pinnacle’s offerings:

“Pinnacle teaches participants how to handle oneself in a social environment, and that is very beneficial to our Indian colleagues as they continue to cultivate relationships.”

Pinnacle’s unique curriculum is delivered by professional actors who utilize heavy video analysis to teach time tested performance techniques in body language, vocal quality, breath, movement and delivering material with intention to help communicate or present with a more confident, truthful and engaging presence.

“All the building blocks of truthful and engaging acting; those are the same sort of building blocks we need in our everyday lives in order to communicate effectively,” notes Pinnacle CEO and co-founder David Lewis.

Click here for the entire article in the Chicago Sun-Times.

For additional information about Pinnacle Performance, visit their website at www.pinper.com.

Karie Willyerd is the Chief Learning Officer at Sun Microsystems, and is responsible for product and technical training, executive learning, business, management and professional skill development, and sales and service learning for Sun around the globe. Sun Microsystems provides network computing infrastructure solutions that include computer systems, software, storage, and services. Its core brands include the Java technology platform, the Solaris operating system, StorageTek and the UltraSPARC processor.

Karie holds a Masters in Instructional & Performance Technology from Boise State University and a Doctorate in Management from Case Western Reserve University. She is a former board member of ASTD and serves on several local non-profit boards near her home in Redwood Shores, California.

• You’ve had quite a distinguished learning career, starting as an instructional designer at an engineering training consulting firm in the nuclear industry, and serving recently as Vice President and Chief Talent Officer for Solectron. What was it about the culture and environment at SUN Mircosystems that made you decide it was a good fit for you?

I completed my education as an adult, and one of the degree programs I enrolled in was a doctoral program at Case Western Reserve University. Because it was a program in executive management, one of the requirements was to select a company to study; profiling their leadership teams, what the organizational culture is like, and assess their leadership capabilities. I picked a company that at the time was actually a client of the company that I was working for, and that company was Sun. I read everything I could find in the press on them, attended conferences where leaders from Sun were speaking, and I really became intrigued with them. So when I decided I was ready to move to a new position, I was actually approached by Sun about a role that they had just created, that being Chief Learning Officer!

The really fun thing about this job is that Sun got very radical about the position they put together. I now run technology training for one of the largest IT Global Training companies in the world. I also run training for our sales and services team, our partners who help us sell and support Sun products and services, as well as support training for our developers and universities. So in total, I have four main audiences; customers, partners, employees and communities, which covers a total of 150,000 people. Last year alone we delivered over 5 million hours of training to those individuals.

Because we work with all four of these audiences, I get to leverage the purchasing power and the infrastructure of a much larger organization than if we only worked with employee learning. Also, I love that Sun is a company of innovation; that’s a very attractive feature in a company to me. If you come up with a good idea, it’s the idea that carries, not your position in the company. People that come to Sun tend to stay a long time, and at the risk of sounding sappy, I can say that I have simply fallen in love with the company and really enjoy working here!

• Because you’re responsible for training so many employees, can you tell us more about the people that you work with in each of these areas?

We have several key positions, starting with our advocates, who are customer facing: think of them as our account executives. One of them heads up the customer community advocates, and another runs employee and partner learning. We also have a technology & reporting group, as well as a significant design & development group. I also have three regional CLO’s, and they in turn manage sixteen additional CLO’s, also organized by their location. Each of these regional CLO’s has to wear the same hats that I do, so you see just how important these individuals are to our organization.

• Sun Microsystems has a very extensive blogging network for their employees, and I noticed you have a blog called “Learning 2.0”. What does writing for this blog do for you personally, and how does it help connect you with the SUN Microsystems community?

It’s interesting, because my very first job was as a newspaper reporter, so I started blogging with more of a personal essay style simply because that’s a style that I’m comfortable with. But in the future, I see myself blogging more about leadership observations and focusing more on how to use technology in a learning environment. The Sun blogging community is a very interesting and active community, and it’s always great when I get emails from employees asking me when my next blog entry will be!

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“What you cannot enforce, do not command.”

- Sophocles (496 BC - 406 BC) - Playwright, politician, general and priest

Leadership, Motivational Quotes, Sophocles