The New Workplace in Training Media Review

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When dealing with change. it's easy to kick around buzz words and talk theories, philosophies and systems. It is much more difficult to come to the realization that the old concept of how we get work done is dead, and that we have to move swiftly to change if we want to survive.

Finding support materials for this type of training is hard, because it's not simply a matter of knowledge and skills. In asking people to make this kind of change, we must convince them to leave security and stability behind, and feel confident facing a future full of ambiguity and shifting demands. We must win their minds and their hearts: the first and most difficult step is to get both to open up to possibilities. We need strong tools to help us accomplish this goal.

What's out there has not been a good fit for me. Some programs are too industry-specific -- or too general. They're not designed for managers -- or not for employees -- or are aimed at everyone, but with a diluted message. They're too preachy -- or too pie-in-the-sky. They get bogged in details. They espouse approaches that don't fit. Or, they're too long -- they try to do too much, and end up doing little.

If you've shared some of these frustrations, make a new year's resolution to look at The New Workplace. This is a two-part video; one for all employees, and one for organizational leaders, which comes with a facilitator's guide. At 23 minutes for each video, and a guide that's not all that thick, what are you getting? A really great set of flexible tools that will help you do an impressive job.

The secret of the program's success is its construction: all the parts work together. Each program is "framed" by its own folk tale, told by a Native American story teller. As she tells the story, animation helps the visualization. Parts of the story are told throughout the program.

The rest of the program is made up of clips of interviews with a large and diverse group of' people who know what they're talking about - consultants, managers, and employees from a wide range of organizations. They make observations about change in the workplace. The clips are so skillfully edited together that you almost feel you're sitting in on an informal roundtable discussion. The thoughts flow together well, and stay on point around topics such as "How is the work we do changing?" or "The changing roles managers play." The first time a key term, idea, or question comes up, it's quickly superimposed on screen as reinforcement. The people interviewed bring up many good points, and take change as natural and a given. And, they admit there are problems to overcome and there are no guarantees. The comments make sense without being overly specific. Chances are excellent that they will fit what you're trying to accomplish. This style gives these programs a lot of credibility.

The facilitator's guide is a gem. The point of this package is to reinforce the realities of the new workplace, and get participants thinking and talking. Taking a cue from the program's theme, it enables and advises rather than directs the facilitator. For each of the several segments in each program, there are pre-viewing activities, discussion questions, thought exercises, and even narration transcripts and discussion questions on the folk tales. They are effective as is, but can also inspire you to come up with more specific questions for your situation. The guide makes suggestions, and lays out options. Handouts can be copied. There's a good mix of individual, small and large group activities, which are interchangeable. And, it includes an extensive bibliography and a dictionary of terms.

Another unique aspect of the program is that the "all employee" tape, Making the Change, comes in both union and non-union versions. The difference is a short segment that discusses the changing role of unions, and the guide has positive discussions supporting it -- an effective option if you have an organized workplace.

These are programs that can be used over and over again. Each time you watch it you'll hear more and have more to think about. And it is flexible enough so you can use segments in shorter sessions over time.

Leading the Change is a strong program for every level of managers, but it will be particularly effective with supervisors and mid-level managers. It addresses so many of their problems and concerns, and yet gives them a lot of support. It would be interesting to use this periodically as a yardstick of positive change: if you can keep a record of and compare the original discussion this program sparks to the discussion after changes have been in place for a while, managers will recognize a difference in their reactions, and recognize the progress they've made.

If you are involved in organizational change issues, this program is definitely worth your consideration. It assumes a basic familiarity with the new workplace issues (like empowerment, teamwork, facilitative rather than directive management), so if you are new to the subject, you might want to do some reading and research beforehand to get the background for leading discussions (remember the bibliography). And if you preview the programs, it's worth the time to follow the suggestion in the guide: watch it all the way through to satisfy your curiosity, but don t stop there. Repeat it segment by segment with the facilitator's guide for maximum impact.