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Complian ce? Competence ?
40

Competency or compliance - you choose

May 06, 2015

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Business

Clive Shepherd

Looks at the value of compliance training in the workplace and suggests that an emphasis on competence would be more productive.
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Page 1: Competency or compliance - you choose

Compliance? Competence?

Page 2: Competency or compliance - you choose

Earlier this year I had the opportunity to take on a consultancy assignment in deepest Africa. Before I could go, I had to complete an e-learning course around issues of health, safety and security.

Page 3: Competency or compliance - you choose

As I found out, in some parts of the world safety and security are very important issues.

Page 4: Competency or compliance - you choose

There’s a lot that can go wrong if you don’t know what you’re doing.

Page 5: Competency or compliance - you choose

As you can imagine, this is a fascinating topic and the course could have been really interesting and engaging.

Page 6: Competency or compliance - you choose

It might even have worked if it had been properly positioned and reinforced.

Page 7: Competency or compliance - you choose

Trouble is, this was a compulsory course, followed by a very long test which I had to pass if I was to continue with the assignment.

Page 8: Competency or compliance - you choose

The game became beating the system – passing the test with the least possible effort.

Page 9: Competency or compliance - you choose

I failed in this respect because I didn’t pass the test first time round. Good job I had written down the answers to the more tricky questions, so I wouldn’t mess up a second time.

Page 10: Competency or compliance - you choose

And, of course, I had forgotten everything I had ‘learned’ within a few days.

Page 11: Competency or compliance - you choose

What could have been a highly intriguing exploration of issues likely to have a very real impact on my personal well-being …

Page 12: Competency or compliance - you choose

… became a rather frustrating chore to be finished as quickly as possible.

Page 13: Competency or compliance - you choose

To be fair, my client was, in this case, probably really looking to increase the competence of its employees and sub-contractors in dealing with issues of safety and security.

Page 14: Competency or compliance - you choose

What they got was compliance, i.e. people who could pass a quiz.

Page 15: Competency or compliance - you choose

Compliance training is carried out in order to meet a regulatory requirement or to reduce a risk of legal liability. Training must be seen to have taken place. Real learning is a bonus.

Page 16: Competency or compliance - you choose

Competence-based training, on the other hand, is focused on performance – making sure employees can do their job properly.

Page 17: Competency or compliance - you choose

Compliance training is designed to be as efficient as possible – that means cheap, quick and non-disruptive.

Page 18: Competency or compliance - you choose

Whereas competency-based training is designed to be as effective as possible. In other words, it works.

Page 19: Competency or compliance - you choose

So, why is compliance-based training not effective? Well, firstly it is compulsory, which causes resentment – a ‘teach-me-if-you-can’ mentality.

Page 20: Competency or compliance - you choose

Compliance training tends to start with the assumption that you’re guilty (of discrimination, of poor security, etc.) until proven innocent, which causes defensiveness.

Page 21: Competency or compliance - you choose

And most compliance training involves testing, which causes stress. Resentment, defensiveness and stress are not so good for learning.

Page 22: Competency or compliance - you choose

“Practices that target managerial bias through diversity training show virtually no effect. In fact, research to date suggests that the training often generates a backlash.”

Professor Frank DobbinHarvard University

Compliance training can even do more harm than good.

Page 23: Competency or compliance - you choose

•Learners are resistant so …

•trainers hate training it so

•they use e-learning instead so

•now learners hate e-learning

Compliance training also damages e-learning. Here’s why:

Page 24: Competency or compliance - you choose

•Learners are resistant so

•trainers hate training it so …

•they use e-learning instead so

•now learners hate e-learning

Here’s why compliance training damages e-learning:

Page 25: Competency or compliance - you choose

•Learners are resistant so

•trainers hate training it so

•they use e-learning instead so

•now learners hate e-learning

Here’s why compliance training damages e-learning:

Page 26: Competency or compliance - you choose

•Learners are resistant so

•trainers hate training it so

•they use e-learning instead so

•now learners hate e-learning

Here’s why compliance training damages e-learning:

Page 27: Competency or compliance - you choose

Provide positioning

To ensure competence, an intervention needs to cover all the bases. First of all it must provide positioning - a rationale for the training - as well as covering the underlying concepts and principles.

Page 28: Competency or compliance - you choose

Provide positioning

Present the policies and procedures

It needs to present the policies and procedures clearly and simply.

Page 29: Competency or compliance - you choose

Provide positioning

Present the policies and procedures

Provide worked examples

It should work through some examples.

Page 30: Competency or compliance - you choose

Provide positioning

Present the policies and procedures

Provide worked examples

Allow for safe practice

And allow the learner ample opportunity for practice, safe from danger and from the risk of embarrassment. Here’s where simulations and scenarios come in handy.

Page 31: Competency or compliance - you choose

Provide positioning

Present the policies and procedures

Provide worked examples

Allow for safe practice

Support application

The learner must be supported in applying what they have learned to the job, perhaps by coaching, by reference information available on demand, or through communities of practice.

Page 32: Competency or compliance - you choose

Provide positioning

Present the policies and procedures

Provide worked examples

Allow for safe practice

Support application

Reinforce behaviour

And managers need to reinforce the new behaviours by modelling the skills themselves and by providing rewards through the performance management system.

Page 33: Competency or compliance - you choose

Present the policies and procedures

By contrast, a typical compliance programme does this ...

Page 34: Competency or compliance - you choose

Present the policies and procedures

Test knowledge of policies and procedures

By contrast, a typical compliance programme does this ...

Page 35: Competency or compliance - you choose

Present the policies and procedures

Test knowledge of policies and procedures

This methodology is driven by managers who don’t understand about learning. They assume that learners are empty vessels just waiting to be filled.

Page 36: Competency or compliance - you choose

As a result, most compliance training is like drinking from a fire hose.

Page 37: Competency or compliance - you choose

Compliance training only works as a tick-box exercise – it doesn’t result in changed behaviour (and it damages the reputation ofe-learning).

Page 38: Competency or compliance - you choose

To really make a difference, the emphasis needs to shift to competence: a more sophisticated and costly blend of activities, but with a strong chance of success.

Page 39: Competency or compliance - you choose

Success really is worth striving for: less discrimination, fewer accidents, fewer security issues, fewer security lapses, fewer legal claims, fewer PR disasters.

Page 40: Competency or compliance - you choose

Compliance or competence - you choosewas created by Clive Shepherd© Copyright 2009, Fastrak Consulting Ltd