Technology has been instrumental in Dan Pontefract’s journey as a learning professional.
by Site Staff
November 19, 2012
DAN PONTEFRACT
Head of Learning and Collaboration, Telus Corp.
In fact, he was brought in by Canadian telecommunications company Telus Corp. in 2008 to make a splash — and he did, as the company experienced a shift from classroom-only learning to a combination of formal, informal and social. No longer is learning viewed as a series of isolated events. Instead, it is part of an integrated, collaborative process.
To address business and learning challenges, it was imperative that Telus innovate and rethink learning.
The company developed a three-part learning and collaboration strategy. The first part is focused on practices and what Telus refers to as “applying a comprehensive, proactive formula.” This entailed using business goals as the base to fuel a cultural change that would better enable effective learning.
The second part is centered on technologies and what Telus refers to as “pioneering Learning 2.0.” This meant widening learning’s scope within the organization beyond formal offerings to include informal and social learning. It also was deemed crucial to use technology that would allow employees across the organization to collaborate and participate in online knowledge sharing.
The third is focused on processes and what Telus refers to as “re-engineering learning function operations.” The company created a new way of thinking about learning governance, outsourcing and measurement; streamlined vendors; and transformed vendors into partners aligned to its vision. A governance structure was established, as was a proprietary learning measurement system.
Some of the results reported include: higher employee engagement; increased learning effectiveness, efficiency and accountability; greater average return on learning; and greater innovation.