2. Thank you
This deck summarizes research conducted by three Columbia University
Information and Knowledge Strategy Program (MS) students.
We would like to thank the 83 individuals who took time out of their day to
answer our survey questions and contribute to a new way of looking at
how companies can help their employees to grow and learn on the job.
Aaron Buchsbaum
Cayly Dixon
Keren Isaacson
3. Our aim
We sought to build a model that looked at employee on-the-job learning
(“performance support”) in organizations using knowledge management (KM)
principles. Each of the questions we asked relate the these KM fundamentals:
1) Access to and use of information
2) Organization and storage of information
3) Capture of information
4) Recognition of employee performance
5) Management strategy for employee learning
6) Facilitation and tools for employee learning
7) Analysis of employee learning and performance
4. 43
7328
63
28%30+
8
People manage
others
Respondents with 2
or less years at their
current company
Respondents with 10+
years experience
People (10%) state they
do not learn from
others on the job
Companies in tech,
consulting.
Did not feel people are appropriately
recognized for their work.
People work in HR
Companies
represented
Of 83 respondents...
5. Our respondents . . .
Work mostly in tech and consulting
Mostly supervise small teams or
none at all
Have spent a range of time at
their companies
6. What did they say?
Learning in my organization is...
“non existent and not important to senior
leadership”
-Manager of 30+ people
“On the job, informal, fast-paced”
-Tech company employee
“Encouraged but not easily accessible”
-New Hire (<1 year)
“Encouraged, not funded, stalled”
-Consultant, 5-10 years
“Is a core value”
-Advisory Firm Manager of 1-8 people
“scattered and not tied to overall learning &
development plans”
-Manager of 1-8 people, software
“In our DNA”
-Tech company manager of 1-8 people
“the only option for survival.”
-Consultant, 2-5 years
7. What did they say?
You can have three wishes come true that will improve learning and support for
employees in your organization. What are they?
“More frequent informal feedback, in person
training on analytical tools, more clear path
of expectations for each role”
-New hire
“I wish that in a big company, my little voice
could be heard more, I wish I can learn whatever
I want and not what just is "valuable to clients" I
wish that in such a big company I didn't have to
try so hard for guidance; it's there but you need
to look for it yourself.”
-New hire, global organization
“consistent introduction training, mentoring
plan, formal recognition events”
-Manager, service firm
“willingness to share information; culture
that learns and grows from experience not
just in my team”
-Employee, 1-2 years, NGO
“Learning programs not only blessed by HR
but more by sector-thematic divisions
based on demand and future needs; Every
staff has a fixed learning budget per year”
-Manager, 5-19 years
“1. adapting to all types of learners 2. better
communication 3. workshops on devel-
opment skills not just business skills”
-Employee, 1-2 years
8. Questions 1-4 Average of All Individuals
n=83
Average of the Top
Scoring Individuals n=15
Average of the Bottom
Scoring Individuals n=15
My organization maintains key
information for my work in
databases, libraries, publications,
or similar resources.
1.244 1.824 -0.067
My organization reliably updates
guidance that supports my job.
0.462 1.765 -1.067
I can easily find key research,
process documents, guidance, or
protocols in time to help me do my
job.
0.641 1.706 -0.533
I use research, process documents,
guidance, and/or protocols to
improve my job performance.
0.974 1.765 -0.400
Agreement Scales
Maximum score possible is +2. Minimum score possible is -2.
Color Range: +2 dark green to -2 dark orange
9. Questions 5-8 Average of All Individuals
n=83
Average of the Top
Scoring Individuals n=15
Average of the Bottom
Scoring Individuals n=15
People in my organization are
appropriately recognized for their
work.
0.885 1.588 -1.200
People in my organization get
timely and useful feedback about
their performance.
0.718 1.529 -1.000
I am encouraged to network, work
in teams, and/or collaborate in my
organization.
1.462 2.000 -0.133
I see clear paths or opportunities to
learn so that I improve my job
performance.
1.064 1.765 -0.800
Agreement Scales
Maximum score possible is +2. Minimum score possible is -2.
Color Range: +2 dark green to -2 dark orange
10. Questions 9-12 Average of All Individuals
n=83
Average of the Top
Scoring Individuals n=15
Average of the Bottom
Scoring Individuals n=15
My organization promotes
seminars, learning events, and
other person-to-person
opportunities for knowledge
exchange.
0.962 1.765 -0.333
My organization measures my
performance.
1.423 1.882 -0.400
My organization holds me
accountable for my performance.
1.462 1.941 0.000
My organization makes decisions
based on analysis of employee
performance.
0.808 1.588 -1.133
Agreement Scales
Maximum score possible is +2. Minimum score possible is -2.
Color Range: +2 dark green to -2 dark orange
11. Matrix
Through the analysis of the survey and four in-depth interviews, we created the
following matrix to be used as an analytical tool.
● The six matrix headers comprise core knowledge management functions.
● Competencies are described in increasingly sophisticated terms from
bottom to top.
Organizations seeking to improve their performance support, and, by extension,
new employee productivity, will take actions to move up the matrix in all six
knowledge management (KM) areas.
12. KM Areas: Access/Use
Innovate
Capture Organize
Store
Recognition /
Feedback
Facilitation
Tools
Management
strategy
Analytics
3 - best in
class
Content easily /
regularly accessed /
used at the moment
of need; collaborative
knowledge creation
within systems;
personalization /
customization of
knowledge content
Learning materials
are innovative,
constantly updated /
reviewed, stored
centrally, and fit to
business need and
employee growth
pathways
Formal consistent
feedback on (at
least) monthly basis;
annual 360
performance review;
informal regular
feedback on
assignments;
recognition for
meeting objectives
Training, sharing,
and technology use
are integrated;
collaboration and
innovation are
disciplines; network
technology is
user-friendly; regular
mentorship
Leaders develop
capabilities across
the organization
through collaboration
and target strategic
initiatives with
appropriate
resources to drive
value creation
Enterprise-wide, big
results, sustainable
advantage; analytics
are the primary driver
of performance and
value; tied into future
strategic capability
planning
2 - above
average
Content regularly
accessed / used;
content pulled not
pushed
Diverse learning
materials;
categorized by
business need;
content reviewed
annually or more
Formal feedback on
yearly or more basis;
formal coaching /
mentoring; some
recognition
Formal networks
aligned with business
needs; networks as
key collaboration tool
Siloed functions
define strategy and
allocate resources
accordingly;
duplication / gaps
organizationally
Efforts toward
enterprise-wide data
& analytics; point
advantage; future
performance and
market value
1 -
average
Content exists; not
accessed / used
regularly
Learning materials
held on disparate
platforms; yearly
content review
Informal feedback
mechanisms;
feedback is not
timely; some
coaching / mentoring
Informal networks;
team level
collaboration; some
technology
Inconsistent
messaging and
action tying resource
allocation to strategy
Localized and
opportunistic; ROI on
individual
applications / tools
0 - no
capability
No ability to access
or re-use existing
content
Learning materials
do not exist, are
disorganized, and not
connected to
business value
No feedback
mechanisms in
place; no clear
expectations for
performance
Values / culture /
technology prevent
knowledge sharing
Organizational
strategy is poorly
defined and not
communicated;
resources ad hoc
Negligible capability;
no measurement
13. Some Key Take-Aways
Some key take-aways from our research suggest small adjustments in many
places can have a big impact on employee learning and performance.
Look for low-hanging fruit while preparing for longer-term strategic changes.
14. ● Get in sync. Management must be aware of employees “on the ground”
reality and support learning opportunities as well as the importance of
informal employee networks.
● Help from my friends. Employees thrive on tacit knowledge exchange and
collaboration with their peers, and should encouraged to do so.
● Organization as a team. Small teams combined with tangible, clear
connections across the organization support employee performance and
satisfaction.
Take-aways
15. ● Know where you’re going. Clear management strategy that is easily
communicated and flows down to individual objectives is most engaging.
● Integrate analysis. Performance metrics should be baked-in to process and
workflows and coaching and evaluations should use relevant data to guide
and teach rather than punish.
● Get it right. Poor management of resources, time, approval, organizational
structure and employee development eclipses strengths in all other areas.
● All-access information. Having enterprise systems containing online
libraries of learning tools and/or other accessible resources increases
performance in general.
Take-aways
16. ● Support the managers. Understand and provide the tools managers need to
learn on the job including how to support newer employees at their time of
need.
● Hide and seek is boring. Findability is as important as the existence of
content in supporting learning and innovation.
● Baked-in appreciation. Most organizations fail to recognize learning and
contributions effectively and it must become a cultural driver so as to
become habit.
● Shorten feedback loops. Consistent and ongoing feedback trumps
annual or quarterly performance reviews
Take-aways
17. Thanks!
Our project continues and if you have questions or thoughts,
we’d love to hear from you.
cdd2124@columbia.edu
