Aviation Week & Space Technology
08/20/2007, page 92
Printed headline: Learning and Networking
About six years ago, Rockwell Collins embarked on plans to change the way employees think about learning and how they gain access to information. Over the years, the goals have remained the same, though their implementation has been upgraded continuously.
Clay Jones, president and CEO at Rockwell Collins, says the first step was toward creating a “general expectation across the company that lifelong learning is a priority. To me, [creating that expectation] is as important as providing the information. You can offer the richest programs in the world, but there has to be an expectation and the time/opportunity to tap into the resources and the wealth of information.”
Rockwell Collins’ employees embrace the expectation of continuous education, with each employee averaging 40 hr. of education per year. “It’s just one metric,” says Jones of the number, “and we use it because it gives us a sense about the expectation.
Rockwell Collins’ leaders have created a number of innovative ways to share information and knowledge with employees, involving virtual tools.Credit: ROCKWELL COLLINS |
“But what’s really important are the intended results—sales, revenue, return on invested capital, the acquisition and retention of talent. Those are the true measures.”
Jones’ team also is focusing on 21st-century-style learning. “It’s the antithesis of one-size-fits-all, which people like me were born and raised into,” Jones explains. “It must be tailored and will be different for each of us.”
To encourage an apprentice-like atmosphere, Rockwell Collins is using an online capability that matches employees to create mentoring relationships, similar to online dating services. The person to be mentored creates an online profile that states what the person needs to know, how they best receive information and his or her cultural norms. The employee is then matched with a mentor who has the skills pertaining to those specific characteristics and whose communication style would be the best for that individual. Rockwell Collins offers the system to all of its employees.
To manage knowledge and expertise, Rockwell created a database that is common to many companies. After experiencing some stumbling blocks, the company found a way to make that tool as easy to use and secure as possible. Using a Google-like search capability, employees can enter keywords to access the knowledge-management database in order to identify where (and from whom) specific knowledge can be learned. Unlike Google, there are access and security controls built in to protect classified information and intellectual property.
Human interaction is the final leg of this progressive effort. “Communities of practice,” or special interest groups, can form and disband based on need. Any group—technical, analytical, marketing—that wants to share knowledge and best practices can set up meetings for like-minded colleagues. And in a nod to “millennial” workers, Rockwell Collins has created “TeamSpace,” online communities for sharing information among teams distributed across the country.
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