LearningFront™ Program

What is the Program Vision? This program is designed to help your company increase customer service ratings, profit, retention, recommendation, and repeat business beyond your competitors. The program can also result in increased employee engagement and morale due to the employees' participation in the redesign and continuous improvement of their work and a trustworthy performance measurement system.

What is the Program Challenge? A service objective is an expectation of a company that is created by its customers. It's what they expect you to sustain. Or a service objective is an expectation that a company communicates to its customers that it will sustain. If you believe that trust is a basic building block of business relationships, then a basic foundation of trust is service objectives -- stating what you will do and doing it, over and over.

Solution. Throughout the world, companies are striving to meet their customers' expectations with their products and services.

On the downside, these efforts do not always align service objectives with customer expectations.
On the upside, the results of successful companies employing service objectives will pave the way for other companies to benchmark and customize to meet their business goals.

This program provides you with the knowledge, real world actions, and tools needed to build a case for service objectives and to launch your company's approach to meet customer expectations.

Program Learning Layouts. Our program plays out in Learning Layouts -- a new way of combining people, teaching, and technology. For each Learning Layout, our approach requires you to a) identify a measurable business goal, b) take real world actions needed to reach that goal, c) complete learning activities that help practice the actions, and d) access what you really need to know to complete practice activities. We trust the following eight Learning Layouts will help you to think creatively, act, collaborate, and support a service objectives project plan in your company.

Learning Layout 1: My Home Base and Self-Assessment

Getting Started: This component contains a welcome to the program by Paul Riecks and an overview of how the program works.
My Program Support: This component contains the program description, projected schedule, and resources such as references, video tutorials, and an interactive glossary. We strongly suggest that you bookmark and visit this Learning Layout often throughout the program.
Self-Assessment for the Power of Service Objectives: This component contains two activities for self-assessing your proficiency and for applying the self-assessment results. The results of the self-assessment appear as red, yellow, or green indicators in front of Learning Layouts 2-8.

Learning Layout 2: Defining a Service Objective

Measurable business goal:
"Identify a measurable business goal for service objectives to support!"
Real world action you must take to reach the learning goal
Define and share service objectives in your company
Realistic activities to practice the action:
- Explaining service objectives to staff
- Identifying company service objectives
- Integrating service objectives into a project plan
Essential information needed to complete the practice activities:
Video: Paul Riecks explains service objectives
Video: Paul Riecks offers example service objectives
InfoFeed: Service objectives and expectations
InfoFeed: External and internal service objectives
Websites: Example small business
Coaching Tip: Paul Riecks shares insights and experiences
My Service Objectives Project Plan (SOPP): Section 1 in the SOPP WikiTask template
Collaboration: Peer and coach feedback about defining service objectives

Learning Layout 3: Using Service Objectives in Your Company

Measurable business goal:
"Identify a measurable business goal for service objectives to support!"
Real world action you must take to reach the learning goal
Connect company processes with service objectives to meet customer expectations
Realistic activities to practice the action:
- Identifying company processes that are dependent upon each other
- Engaging company staff to determine internal service objectives
- Integrating service objectives for improving work processes
Essential information needed to complete the practice activities:
Video: Paul Riecks explains how to use service objectives
Infographic: Example company processes and service objectives
Infographic: Example company staff roles for service objectives
InfoFeed: Example company roles and service objectives
InfoFeed: Engaging staff in using service objectives
Website: Example small business
Coaching Tip: Paul Riecks shares insights and experiences
My Service Objectives Project Plan (SOPP): Section 2 in the SOPP WikiTask template
Collaboration: Peer and coach feedback and improvement

Learning Layout 4: Aligning Service Objectives with Customer Expectations

Measurable business goal:
"Identify a measurable business goal for service objectives to support!"
Real world action you must take to reach the learning goal
Align company service objectives with customer expectations
Realistic activities to practice the action:
- Analyzing companies that engage customers and enjoy the benefits
- Identifying personal and company experiences that met expectations
- Relating company processes to customer expectations that were met
Essential information needed to complete the practice activities:
Video: Paul Riecks explains how to align service objectives with customer expectations
InfoFeed: Aligning service objectives with customer expectations
Websites: Example companies with successful customer experiences
Coaching Tip: Paul Riecks shares insights and experiences
My Service Objectives Project Plan (SOPP): Section 3 in the SOPP WikiTask template
Collaboration: Peer and coach feedback about aligning service objectives

Learning Layout 5: Developing Service Objectives

Measurable business goal:
"Identify a measurable business goal for service objectives to support!"
Real world action you must take to reach the learning goal
Develop service objectives for each company process to meet a customer expectation
Realistic activities to practice the action:
- Gathering data from and about customers and their expectations
- Analyzing the data to identify patterns that define customer expectations
- Developing internal service objectives that ensure customer expectations are met
Essential information needed to complete the practice activities:
Video: Paul Riecks explains how to develop service objectives
InfoFeed: Getting ready to develop service objectives
InfoFeed: Example customer expectation data
InfoFeed: Developing service objectives
Website: 5 new customer expectations you must meet
Blog: A guide to customer expectations
Coaching Tip: Paul Riecks shares insights and experiences
My Service Objectives Project Plan (SOPP): Section 4 in the SOPP WikiTask template
Collaboration: Peer and coach feedback about developing service objectives

Learning Layout 6: Sharing and Managing Service Objectives

Measurable business goal:
"Identify a measurable business goal for service objectives to support!"
Real world action you must take to reach the learning goal
Create a strategy and tools for sharing and managing service objectives with company staff
Realistic activities to practice the action:
- Exploring why and how to share and manage company service objectives
- Designing a strategy and selecting tools for sharing and managing service objectives
- Alpha-testing the strategy and tools to manage company service objectives
Essential information needed to complete the practice activities:
Video: Paul Riecks explains sharing and managing service objectives with wikis
Website: What are wikis and how to use them
Website: How to build your own wiki
Website: How to apply the WikiTask tool to your company
InfoFeed: A company wiki strategy and tools
Coaching Tip: Paul Riecks shares insights and experiences
My Service Objectives Project Plan (SOPP): Section 5 in the SOPP WikiTask template
Collaboration: Peer and coach feedback about sharing and managing service objectives

Learning Layout 7: Conducting a Service Objectives Project

Measurable business goal:
"Identify a measurable business goal for service objectives to support!"
Real world action you must take to reach the learning goal
Lead a company service objectives project to meet customer expectations
Realistic activities to practice the action:
- Organizing a service objectives project plan team
- Developing the project plan sections and schedule for the team
- Alpha-testing the project plan for making improvements
Essential information needed to complete the practice activities:
Video: Paul Riecks explains the value of a company service objective project
Video: Building an effective team
InfoFeed: Success story - Large commercial bank
InfoFeed: Success story - Small professional consultancy
Coaching Tip: Paul Riecks shares insights and experiences
My Service Objectives Project Plan (SOPP): Section 6 in the SOPP template
Collaboration: Peer and coach feedback about conducting a service objectives project

Learning Layout 8: Completing a Portfolio Reflection and Kaizen

Overview: This component supports a review of the Learning Layouts with a focus on the question, "What have I learned?" and the Portfolio Reflection Performance Levels.
Portfolio Reflections and Sharing: This component supports a portfolio reflection process, identification of best works, and colleague conversations for sharing their program contributions.
Program Feedback Survey: This component supports the Program Feedback Survey to provide information to improve “The Power of Service Objectives” for the next offering to small business owners.
Kaizen: This component supports connecting your accomplishments to continued professional development after the program.

Source: The Learning Layouts were developed by Paul Riecks as a result of decades of business management experiences, networking, and consultations with entrepreneurs and business owners.

The LearningFront Dynamic Learning Community

The LearningFront Dynamic Learning Community (LDLC) supports professional development entirely over the Internet. It blends what people do best -- nurture, facilitate, and support -- with what technology does best — process information at the speed of light. LDLC members become colleagues, join teams, learn, collaborate in cohorts of up to 12 members, and share products and performances.

The Power of Service Objectives is offered through the LDLC Blended and Self-Paced Strategies supported by a Program Coach. These strategies help you to complete practice, development, collaboration, and assessment activities and to demonstrate real world actions expected in program learning layouts. The program includes eight learning layouts, which are subdivided into components, and practice activities. Text, graphics, animations, video, and social learning tools such as Syzygy, colleague and team messages, and instant messaging support each learning layout. The program also helps you to use the TaskBuilder and WikiTask tools to develop and share expected program products.

Program Coach - Paul Riecks is the program subject matter expert and author of The Power of Service Objectives and will serve as your Program Coach. Please use a Colleague Message to contact him directly throughout the program. Learn More about Paul Riecks.
Blended Strategy - In the Blended Strategy, members complete learning layouts working together, in teams, and independently as part of a scheduled interactive webinar using a web-conferencing tool. They submit practice activities to their coach, colleagues, and teams for formative feedback and to their coach to confirm completion and earn badges. The Blended Strategy can include brief coaching sessions for individual members during the scheduled interactive webinar.
Self-Paced Strategy - In the Self-Paced Strategy, members complete learning layouts independently, at their own pace, in their preferred location, and submit work to their coach, colleagues, and teams for formative feedback and to their coach to confirm completion and earn badges. The Self-Paced Strategy can include brief coaching sessions for individual members in a scheduled web-conferencing meeting.

The Power of Service Objectives supports the LDLC Blended and Self-Paced Strategies by leveraging the skill sets of cohort members to offer peer instruction and feedback thereby converting a 1:12 coach-member ratio to a 12:1 coach-member ratio facilitated by the program coach.

Program Delivery and Timeline. The Power of Service Objectives is delivered in eight weeks as described below and displayed in this Infographic.

Week 1. Using the Blended Strategy, the program coach will initiate The Power of Service Objectives by conducting an interactive webinar to meet members virtually, clarify program expectations, establish colleagues and a cohort team, and demonstrate the LearningFront integrated social learning and professional development tools used to deliver practice activities and construct expected program products. This interactive webinar will include time for you to start and practice the first and second Learning Layouts to gain experience with the LDLC integrated tools and virtual collaboration and learning.
Weeks 2-4. Using the Self-Paced Strategy, you will acquire content and skills to complete learning layout practice activities for defining, using, and aligning service objectives with customer expectations. Then, you will apply them in your Service Objective Project Plan (SOPP).
Week 4. Using the Blended Strategy, your program coach will conduct a Blended Strategy interactive webinar for the cohort members to share progress and challenges and prepare for the final four weeks of the program.
Weeks 5-7. Using the Self-Paced Strategy, you will acquire content and skills to complete learning layout practice activities for developing, sharing, and managing service objectives and conducting a services objective project. Then, you will apply them in your Service Objective Project Plan (SOPP).
Week 8. Using the Blended Strategy, your program coach will conduct a culminating interactive webinar to reflect on your own portfolio development, share best works, and build on the collective expertise of your program cohort. The program cohort member relationships and WikiTasks will serve as powerful professional development resources for use in your company project and to share in learning communities beyond the completion of The Power of Service Objectives.

Schedule of Dates and Times

The Power of Service Objectives is delivered through the LDLC according to the schedule of dates and times posted when registering for the program and can be modified for a customized approach with interested companies.

Expectations: For a successful outcome to your efforts in The Power of Service Objectives, you are expected to complete the following learning layouts and products to demonstrate your achievement of the program real world actions. The real world actions are described in the "Begin with the end in mind" in each Learning Layout and the target completion dates are specified below.
Products	Learning Layouts	Completion Dates
Self-Assessment	My Home Base and Self-Assessment	During the first Blended Strategy interactive webinar and updated after each Learning Layout
Practice Activities	Learning Layouts 2 - 7	During Blended and Self-Paced Strategies
SOPP: Section 1	Defining Service Objectives	Target Date: End of Week 2
SOPP: Section 2	Using Service Objectives in Your Company	Target Date: End of Week 3
SOPP: Section 3	Aligning Service Objectives with Customer Expectations	Target Date: End of Week 4
SOPP: Section 4	Developing Service Objectives	Target Date: End of Week 5
SOPP: Section 5	Sharing and Managing Service Objectives	Target Date: End of Week 6
SOPP: Section 6	Conducting a Service Objectives Project	Target Date: End of Week 7
Portfolio Reflection	Completing a Portfolio Reflection and Kaizen	During the final Blended Strategy interactive webinar

Review the infographic of the program products and timeline projected for developing and submitting program expectations.

The Power of Service Objectives uses a portfolio reflection to measure your performance and award a program completion badge. Your portfolio reflection will apply the following criteria to measure progress from your initial self-assessment toward the completion of the program vision, challenge, and real world actions. You will consider the performance levels and descriptors below as you reflect on your accomplishments in the program. You may seek external validation of your portfolio reflection by sharing it for feedback with a colleague, mentor, or other professional associates.

Portfolio Reflection Performance Levels And Descriptors
Exemplary	I fully understand the power of service objectives; I can provide vivid examples and answer pertinent questions to demonstrate my knowledge of service objectives; I enjoyed learning collaboratively and sharing products with my program colleagues and coach; I attended all program Webinars in accordance with the program schedule, stayed on task, asked probing questions, and took risks to learn deeply; Where appropriate, I offered insightful interpretations or extensions of the program real world actions; and I completed all of my Service Objectives Project Plan sections and can confidently implement the plan in my company.
Proficient	I substantially understand the power of service objectives; I can provide relevant examples and answer relevant questions to demonstrate my knowledge of service objectives; I enjoyed learning collaboratively and sharing products with my program colleagues and coach; I attended all program Webinars in accordance with the program schedule, stayed on task, and asked probing questions to learn deeply; and I completed most of my Service Objectives Project Plan sections and with support can implement the plan in my company.
Novice	I am now familiar with service objectives; I am just beginning to understand the power of service objectives; I enjoyed learning collaboratively and sometimes shared products with my program colleagues and coach; I attended some program Webinars in accordance with the program schedule; and I completed some of my Service Objectives Project Plan sections and need more help to implement the plan in my company.

You can use Colleague and Team messages, Syzygy, Instant Messaging, Programs, TaskBuilder, WikiTasks, interactive webinars, and other social learning and professional development tools to access help from your Program Coach and peers. In addition, your Coach can be available for virtual coaching sessions scheduled according to the Coaching Tool. For LearningFront technical help please contact: LearningFront Support Team.