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Award of Merit - 1999 EPSS Design Contest 

IBM Management Development - Manager QuickViews

"IBM Manager QuickViews," by IBM Management Development, is an intranet-delivered EPSS for 30,000 global IBM managers.

Contact: Peter Orton, IBM Management Development, porton@us.ibm.com 919-477-2600

1. Purpose. IBM managers frequently need access to both IBM-specific and generic performance-support material about people-management and leadership skills topics. For example, a manager may be set to interview a new-hire candidate using the IBM Behavioral-Based Structured Interview Process and need to review quickly the IBM-specific steps and protocols of that process. Or a manager may be about to run a meeting as a team leader of a cross-functional team and want insights to maximize her leadership role in that specific task (generic content). "Manager QuickViews" provides just-in-time solutions to such needs. And as IBM managers are typically pressed for time, the material -- presently 42 different content topics and growing monthly -- is meant to be pithy and concise, and quickly and easily accessed. (E.g., except for company-required header, all graphics are tiny file-size cartoons for quick downloading.)

2. Solution. The design was co-developed with Harvard Business School Publishing (HBSP). IBM Management Development is a founding member of HBSP’s 14-member New Media Partners’ Council, but this was the first time HBSP worked solely with IBM MD to create an EPSS for IBM MD to use internally and for HBSP to sell externally. HBSP’s tool, "Harvard ManageMentor" uses only Harvard material. IBM Manager QuickViews contains 10% Harvard material and 90% IBM-produced content.

From the IBM Management Development main page, the manager clicks on the navigation bar label which brings her to a pull-down list of the 42 QuickView topics.

 

FIGURE #1 Partial view of pull-down list of topics on QuickView main page

Selecting a topic immediately brings up the OVERVIEW page, which briefly outlines what issues and questions are addressed in the topic. The manager can then click on any of the following content tabs across the top:

-- BASICS (or STEPS, if the information is chronological). From 3 to 8 scrollable screens. The heart of the topic information, it may include theory underlying the practice, but typically is specific work processes and skills information.

FIGURES #2 and #3 Parts of BASICS screens from 2 topics.

-- FAQs. The common and frequent questions that managers ask about this topic, with answers, of course.

-- TIPS & TRAPS. Practical insights, hints, and suggestions for in-field, real-life performance improvement. What will help, and what to watch out for.

-- RESOURCES. Hot links to relevant internet and IBM intranet sites -- annotated -- and other just-in-time IBM materials.

-- TOOLS. Checklists and worksheets intended for printing to hard-copy for use on the job.

FIGURE #4 Partial view of a TOOLS page from MAKING A PRESENTION topic

"RIP & READ" Any or all content topics can be either (1) immediately printed, or (2) sent to one’s own or another’s e-mail address.

FIGURE #5 -- BOTTOM OF "RIP & READ" ACTION SCREEN

3. Prior State. Previously all IBM managers had to request printed materials, which would be sent via Airborne Express or snail mail, rather than just-in-time as needed. Or managers would have to locate and consult materials collected and saved from any of a number of classroom workshops.

4. User Profile. Typical users (IBM managers) are 47 years old, college graduates, with over 12 years at IBM.

5. Results. Since its release, IBM Manager QuickViews have become one of IBM’s most popular intranet website (2nd to IBMers’ personal Tax Deferred Savings Plan page requests). Number of IBM Manager QuickView page requests are as follows, and growing:

TOTAL: 1,146,720 page requests

We do not have "behavioral-change" results. However, we have lots of user feedback from the "Feedback" button on our footer, as well as qualitative interview anecdotes from a 3rd-party, independent study recently conducted by Prof. Youngme Moon (617-495-6981) of Harvard Business School about IBM MD’s online materials. For example, about the IBM Manager QuickViews, Professor Moon quotes IBM managers as saying:

"...I now have a bag of tools and I know what these tools are for. This is really empowering for a new manager. I don’t feel alone anymore... I don’t have to worry about ‘knowing it all’ -- instead I feel confident I know where to go for help."

"What I really liked about it being online was that you could combine learning and practice on-the-fly. What I mean by that is, say you encounter some real-life problem on the job. This happened to me a few times. I could then jump right to the online topic that referred to the issue and learn all about it. I could then apply what I learned immediately, putting it into practice literally moments after I learned it. This ability to combine learning with real-life management was great. You couldn’t do this if you were in some structured learning environment like a classroom."

"The amount of material is overwhelming. But the nice thing is that you can go at your own pace and you can go back to a topic at your convenience ... as you need it."

"The great thing about it being online is that you can go as deep into the material as needed. If I found some topic that really interested me, I could follow the hyperlinks for a lot more information. You can’t get that in a book or in a classroom."

"Whenever there’s a question or a point of confusion, it’s great for me to be able to pull up a webpage... and show it to other managers."

Since June, IBM Managers have requested 23 additional topics for QuickViews, of which 12 more are currently in development.