Monday afternoon, the Workflow Learning Symposium audience heard from Brad Cooper, co-founder of Plateau. Cooper presented his perspectives about learning management systems and enterprise architectures. He identified several of the shortcomings in the LMS world, and then focused on his recommendation for successful LMS implementation: Tie learning management systems to performance management.

“Performance management means getting people the information they need when they need it,” Cooper advised. “To do this, all sorts of systems are required so data can be sent down to the level where people can use it to solve problems. In order to do this, we have to link to the work that people perform.”

Cooper stated that learning management systems are typically used to teach skills, not deal with human performance. To link with systems that can influence human performance, the LMS must be tied to enterprise architecture software, such as ERP. Cooper advised that by adding LMS functionality to an ERP, learning can be linked to performance evaluation.

There currently exist two different systems with pros and cons that manage aspects of data necessary to support workflow learning. The problem, according to Cooper, is that these systems don't present data in a way that is useful. Learning management systems are focused on managing learning specific activities required of employees, whereas competency model systems are focused on improving the capabilities of employees.

Jay Cross, Managing Director of the Workflow Institute, added: “A problem I see is that we are trying to retrofit the existing LMS systems, designed to track courses, to a future world of learning that comes in bits. We won't have traditional job descriptions in the future, but rather roles that are oriented toward satisfying customers.”

Discussion groups convened to consider Cooper's perspectives, and identified three key needs for future success:

•  Customers want a system that builds a curriculum that builds competencies.

•  Training must prove its value to the direct strategic goals of the company.

•  The management of performance requirements is one of the big missing links. The intersection of performance, learning and competency management is what is currently missing.

Cooper recommended that Human Performance Management needs to distance itself from traditional Human Resources. “HR is a support service to a company. If HR went away, the company would still operate. If training goes away, the company can't operate. When training is at the level of have-to-have, then it has established itself, succeeded in proving its value add.”

Cooper summarized with his recommendation for a three-pronged approach to creating performance management systems, which include the following:

• Competencies, which include skills, knowledge, and specifically manageable performance objectives
• Activities, which include courses, documents, mentoring and self-study, and
• Actions, which include performance needs, performance standards, performance metrics