1. ◾ 527
Case C.1
How We Are Incorporating
the 6Ds Methodologies
into Our Culture, One
Step at a Time
Tom Stango and Jon Hurtado
Learning Consultant and Senior Learning Consultant,
Coventry Workers’Comp Services
Background
Coventry Workers’Comp Services (Coventry) offers workers’compen-
sation cost and care management solutions for employers, insurance
carriers, and third-party administrators. The mission of the learning and
development department is to provide learning solutions that support
strategic operational outcomes. We accomplish this by maintaining
responsive, consultative partnerships, enabling success with stakehold-
ers, and connecting employees’roles with business goals.
In January 2012, we realized that our training was not aligned with
the company’s business goals and performance support. It was our
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2. The Field Guide to the 6Ds528 ◾
practice to measure the effectiveness of our training programs at the
Kirkpatrick Level 1 (Reaction) and Level 2 (Learning) only. Therefore,
we formed a subcommittee, known as the Metrics Team, charged with
researching and implementing the policies and procedures allowing
us to measure Kirkpatrick Level 3 (Behavior) and Level 4 (Results) and
ensure that transfer of learning occurred.
After months of research, we learned about the 6Ds Company and
agreed as a team to use their methodologies as the foundation for our
culture change.
What We Did
We began by incorporating the 6Ds methodology into our needs analy-
sis process. The five 6Ds Outcomes Planning Wheel questions were
inserted into the needs analysis form used by our learning consultants
for initial stakeholder interviews. In doing so, our learning consultants
and stakeholders became familiar with the questions, and that began to
change the way we approach training projects.
Next, we reviewed all of the training programs that were in the
design phase to identify opportunities for updating with the 6Ds meth-
odology. One program in particular, the Service Group Training project,
was determined to be a good candidate. We met with the learning con-
sultant on the project, presented our ideas, and agreed to make the fol-
lowing changes to the program:
• Meet with the stakeholders to redefine their original expectations of
the course and clarify the criteria used to measure the training pro-
gram’s success.
• Incorporate“transfer of learning”checklists to engage the partici-
pants and their managers throughout the learning process and to
encourage the participants to use their newly learned skills on
the job.
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3. Case C.1: How We Are Incorporating the 6Ds into Our Culture ◾ 529
• Revise the course’s learning objectives to ensure they aligned with
business outcomes and included discrete, measureable behaviors.
• Modify the course to include exercises and activities that mimicked
the true work environment as closely as possible, so the learning
experience would be seamless for the participants as they moved
from training to the job environment.
• Collaborate with the quality assurance department and managers to
provide timely feedback to the participants.
Results
Adding the 6Ds questions to the needs analysis form has allowed us to
change the way we and our stakeholders approach training requests by:
• Establishing a mutual understanding with our clients of each other’s
expectations,
• Remaining focused on the goals and behaviors that need to change,
and
• Creating effective programs that meet or exceed our stakeholders’
expectations.
As a result of the changes made to the Service Group Training
program:
• Eighty-eight percent of the respondents said they felt confident they
could apply the skills on the job, and 100 percent were committed to
applying the skills on the job.
• Post-training evaluations and quality assurance data confirmed that
participants were using the skills they learned in class on the job.
• Within three months post-training, the stakeholder confirmed a 76
percent increase in expense savings to our customers, due in large
part to the skills learned in training!
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4. The Field Guide to the 6Ds530 ◾
Advice to Colleagues
• Be prepared if your stakeholders are reluctant to answer the
Outcomes Planning Wheel questions, especially if they are not
accustomed to them. You may need to help them understand
why you’re asking the questions before they will share the
information you want.
• Establishing a partnership with stakeholders is paramount.
Without the support of the stakeholders, it is impossible to
ensure that training will result in behavioral changes on
the job.
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5. iD1: Define Business Outcomes ◾ iD1: Define Business Outcomes n
The Field Guide
to the 6Ds
Roy Pollock
Andrew Jefferson
Calhoun Wick
How to Use the Six Disciplines
to Transform Learning into Business Results
Tips, Tools, Case Studies, and Practical Advice
ffirs.indd 1 16-01-2014 16:29:49
This excerpt from The Field Guide to the 6Ds is used with permission of
John Wiley & Sons. Copies of the complete Guide are available from
www.wiley.com. Enter code 6DS20 at checkout for a 20% discount.