"Global Development Month": Empowering Learners
3M is a diverse company over 100 years old and recognized as one that innovates. 3M made a goal that100% of the workforce will be in development opportunities by 2025. 3M realized all activity was globalized - local. Want people to be ready across the organization. HR and training was centralized under CLO, then did global audit of local content.
Development month program started locally in Canada to strengthen within area. Popular program that grew but still with local flavor, not leverage size/scale. Got reps from every area to form central program - determine theme globally. 2016 each area has own focus, but 2017 with global focus, the theme was “customer first”. Regions and images resonating with different parts of business. Each local area could localize with language, color, etc. Limit face-to-face when possible; instead used WebEx for globally consistent, locally relevant, balance scale and learner engagement, diverse and innovative formats, leverage tech to facilitate in person and remote. Used LMS similarly - consistent content but surfaced by local preference. Consistent registration process.
Insights from 2017 program:
Employees becoming comfortable leveraging technology to learn versus classroom
Employees with higher level of tenure had less positive experience
Manager encouragement and support directly and positively impacted employee experience
Greater opportunity to assist learner in applying it
Time continues to be largest barrier - 8 seconds is human attention span - less than a goldfish!
Employees were aware of and appreciative of this personal development investment by 3M.
Content: created more than 101 pieces of original content-organized and serviced by each local area as it was relevant to them. Functional content example (finance for finance, finance for non-finance). Strategic capabilities, leadership behaviors.
Decoupled compliance and development platforms; GDM is at will. Had 58% participation in first year.
Program executed with core global team of four. Biggest spend in budget was translation. Invested with third party for strategic alignment. Partnered with functional groups for functional content. Also built out content that needs to be done for rest of year.
Development month is positioned as a business priority, not an L&D priority. Leaders are involved with kick-off’s, creating video, etc. Development month was created as a catalyst, got to ID gaps/interest and creation of assets to sustain future forward.