CASE STUDY:
Targeting the Middle Level at P&G
Designing the College for the Middles
The first task was to conduct a needs analysis to guide selection of content for the Band 3 College. This research assured that all task force members had a common understanding of the topic. Each module owner first surveyed all existing training and job aids within the Company relevant to their topic. Their goal was to determine why this training was not sufficient to produce the desired skill levels. In most cases they found the training to be basic, that is, for the person new to the topic. What was needed was an intermediate-level of training.
In other cases, the Band 3s did not demonstrate the desired skills simply because they did not believe it was expected of them or that it did not apply to their work. The College would clarify expectations. For example, technologists were willing to learn to be coaches of others, but believed that coaching was exclusively the role of the managerial-track Band 3s; yet R&D Leadership was counting on this group to develop the next generation of competent technologists and technically-aware managers. In another example, both managerial and technical track Band 3s were likely to forego learning about the financial aspects of their business unit, viewing this work to be reserved for P&G’s Brand Managers and financial experts. Yet, R&D’s leadership knew that knowledge of financial aspects could impact Band 3 decisions at an early stage to help the organization make good business-relevant decisions.
The Instructional Designers’ set out to learn about the target audience through small group discussions and tours of several R&D technical centers. Informal discussions with Band 3s provided perspective on just how diverse the Band 3 roles are across the company. Their physical surroundings alone pointed to the differences. Some had office spaces filled with product displays and volumes of printouts on consumer research. Others had lab and office space near laboratories or near pilot facilities where medium-scale production research was conducted. Some had 30 people reporting to them while others had none. Some Band 3 technologists reported to Band 3 managers for a specific project, while others ran their own research program or reported to managers one to two levels above them.
At the request of the Chief Technology Officer, who was the key sponsor of this effort, the task force looked for proven content and models, rather than unproven new theories or tools. The task force identified the learning objectives and nuggets of content that would have the greatest impact across this wide range of Band 3 roles for all the business units. By focusing on commonality, the College could build up or help maintain a common language across all the various business silos. The College would take the best proven materials and bring the entire organization to the highest level of skill.