RElationship Building for leaders

Overview:

This self-study program was based on the client relationship fundamentals and on primary and secondary skills identified as relevant to the client relationship community. Each pathway was framed around the primary skill, with a set of reflection questions, an activity, and closing reflection questions which prompted the learner to apply what they discovered during the activity. The learner would earn a badge for each milestone, which would be recorded in the LMS and the badging platform.  The arc of progress was from the transactional everyday necessity to becoming the trusted advisor of the client. The idea was that the learner would collect badges which would then be considered with their qualifications for selection into the companywide leadership programs.

Role:

Lead developer and collaborator

Structure:

The structure was 6 pathways with 3 milestones in each pathway. It was a choose-your-own-adventure style learning experience.  The learner could start on any pathway or any milestone. From there they would read an opening frame-up, with reflection questions that would help the learner assess their current knowledge on the topic.  The learner would complete an activity.  Then they would journal about their experience and submit the written response in the LMS system to record their completion and award a badge for the milestone.

The stakeholder’s problem:

There were three tiers of client relationship leadership development programs, starting from fundamentals with local single-client relationships, building on regional-level partnerships, and eventually global client relationships. This self-study was the first of three self-study programs to help emerging client relationship (CL) leaders bridge the gap between the programs.  Whether the emerging CL leader was a new hire, a lateral move from another organization, or needed a boost in some areas, they would have the option to take this self-study to demonstrate their ability and commitment to be considered for the next CL program.

Research and Development:

I researched the internal content of client relationship resources and identified which skills were most relevant to the 6 learning pathways.  Each pathway had a theme around client relationships, such as honing a personal brand, things to avoid that drive clients crazy, presentation skills, and building trust. I identified the primary skill for each pathway, for example, Emotional Intelligence, Communication, and Pro-active Responsibility. Next, I found secondary skills for which I would make additional resource libraries for the learner to explore. The idea was that if the learner felt they were already strong in a primary skill, they had the option to explore and learn about other skills for their growth.

Each pathway milestone was a build on the previous ones, but the milestones were self-contained enough that the learner could start anywhere.

The idea was that learners could choose which milestone was most relevant to their needs to learn and grow and bridge the gaps in their knowledge for the next learning experience.