Mixing Media for Continuous Learning
By Diana L. Mungai

Blended learning proved to be an Rx for organizational change at this health-care risk management firm. Customers and suppliers jumped into the action, too.

Integrating new employees into an organization in a way that's both consistent with and supportive of the organizational culture and strategy is a huge challenge. When an organization experiences rapid, large-scale growth through acquisition, the challenge looms even larger. Yet, for companies to thrive in constant change brought on by acquisitions, mergers, rightsizing, and downsizing, they must develop proactive, innovative ways to communicate and support the organizational culture to cultivate their most valuable asset--their people. MMI Companies confronted this challenge several years ago when its employee base nearly doubled, largely through acquisition.

Before going public in 1993, MMI Companies had an employee population of approximately 200 located primarily in the corporate office, with smaller offices in eight to 10 locations across the United States. Growth was gradual, so the challenge of inculcating the company's vision and mission to new and existing employees was relatively modest. That changed in 1996 when MMI merged with or acquired seven niche U.S. and European companies. In fewer than 18 months, the company almost doubled in size. With the January 1999 acquisition of a 200-person company, the employee base grew by another 40 percent.

In 1997 the company launched MMI Insights University, a corporate university that supported organizational learning and cultural transformation through synchronous and asynchronous media. It was through the university that we created an organizational learning initiative called The Harvard Series. The program evolved during several years, but its purpose, goals, and vision remained constant. The program was designed to

• use a selected Harvard Business Review article as the basis for a shared learning experience facilitated by MMI thought leaders
• provide a forum for employees to explore our business and culture in an interactive format
• support our integration efforts
• support our continuing transformation through learning.

The program was designed initially as a monthly, one-hour learning experience open to all employees. The corporate office served as the origination site, with five videoconference sites around the continental United States. We also made the programs available to remote locations via audioconference or videotape. Prework activities often were developed and delivered using email and hyperlinks to Websites that supported the monthly program themes.

The first program was conducted in January, 1998, and featured an HBR article, "Building Your Company's Vision" by James Collins and Jerry Porras. To demonstrate high-level support for the program, our featured guest was Rick Becker, MMI's chairman and CEO. He integrated themes of core purpose and values from the article into a discussion on the importance of understanding and perpetuating MMI's vision and mission internally and externally.

Subsequent programs featured leaders of our various core businesses and, beginning in the second year of the program, external customers and suppliers. Regardless of the speaker or the featured article, common themes emerged around building and sustaining strong customer relationships, developing professionally in a learning organization, thinking strategically about our work, and defining and sustaining corporate values.

Other articles featured included

• Henry Minzberg's "Musings on Management." This program facilitated greater awareness of the ways we could best mobilize around organizational strategy by demonstrating "spirit of the hive" behaviors.
• Thomas Jones and Earl Sasser Jr.'s article, "Why Satisfied Customers Defect." This discussion was on the importance of maintaining customer relationships.
• Ralph Nichols' article, "Listening to People." This program was the basis for a highly interactive session among a family practice physician and MMI customer, a long-term MMI supplier, and the president of our insurance company who discussed the importance of really listening to customers, suppliers, and each other.
• Chris Argyris's classic 1994 article, "Good Communication That Blocks Learning." In this program, we explored ways in which "defensive reasoning" and "theories-in-use" can inhibit our personal growth and professional relationships.

Building collaborative learning relationships with several key suppliers was essential to the success of the program. Curt Peoples, a consultant with many years of experience in the communications and public relations field, helped us establish a prototype for the program structure, interactivity, and creative development. He guided us in the design and development of each program and served as the moderator of the live sessions. Joel Shayman developed the program's look and feel by creating presentation templates and stage signs. Gene Hartman and his staff served as our behind-the-scenes technical support. Hartman was able to draw on his experience and knowledge of videoconference systems when using our somewhat outdated videoconferencing technology.

In 1999, we began delivering programs every other month. We found that this sequencing helped us build greater momentum between programs. The cost to produce a one-hour program was approximately $3,000 to $4,000, so we felt it was important to reserve a greater portion of our budget for new program development. All scripting, creative planning, and hosting were brought in-house, and our technical consultants were able to provide more sophisticated hands-on support because they didn't have to devote so much time to troubleshooting. They had greater freedom to help us develop creative program design.

For instance, we asked our telecommunications partners to help create interactivity among audioconference participants. We gave audioconference, live, and videoconference attendees an article quote and asked them to discuss whether they agreed or disagreed with it. Audio-only participants, who had not been able to engage in program interactions, were placed in a "subconference" by the telecommunications operator. There, they collaborated with fellow audio participants to arrive at a group response. The format enabled them to contribute to the learning in real time.

The Harvard Series became an integral part of the culture. Level-1 program evaluations improved steadily, and written evaluation comments, follow-up emails, and informal comments indicated the program resonated strongly with employees on many levels. The average attendance for the live program remained consistent, with approximately 25 percent of U.S. employees in attendance for any given program. Program videotapes were distributed to all MMI offices, but we did not track how they were used.

This program proved to be a success on several fronts because it

• served as a timely forum to educate employees about our business
• connected more employees to the learning than a traditional, face-to-face experience
• helped build learning relationships along the customer-supplier chain
• allowed us to showcase internal talent and leadership and to hear from external clients
• provided an opportunity for employees to reflect upon, discuss, and translate for our customers key learning from business thought leaders
• demonstrated the creativity and innovation we considered essential to our success.

Most important, perhaps, is that it provided a living, learning legacy for our work.

Published: July 2000