Jeffrey Vargas, CLO, Commodities Futures Trading Commission, Generational Insights During Lean Budget Times, Blackboard Federal Strategies Workshop 04/10/13

1. Generational Insights
During Lean Budget Times
Blackboard Federal Strategies
Forum
Presented by:
Jeffrey Vargas
Chief Learning Officer
U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission
April 10, 2013
The following presentation is a reflection of the opinions of the presenter and
is not an endorsement of the Federal Government or the Agency in which the
presenter is employed.

2. DOES ANY OF THIS SOUND FAMILIAR?
“They cut my
“I can barely complete OPM’s training budget
mandatory training
requirements and I’ve got a by 40% due to
staff of younger employees sequestration.”
that have a ton of immediate
training requests.”
“Our training
EVS scores are
taking a nose
dive!”

3. WHAT TO DO WHEN THEY
TAKE YOUR $$ AWAY?
CRY
RESIGN/RETIRE
GET YOUR KIDS AND THEIR
FRIENDS TO VOLUNTEER ON YOUR
STAFF
PICKET YOUR CFO’S OFFICE

4. WHAT TO DO WHEN THEY
TAKE YOUR $$ AWAY?
CRY
RESIGN/RETIRE
GET YOUR KIDS AND THEIR
FRIENDS TO VOLUNTEER ON YOUR
CENSORED!
STAFF
PICKET YOUR CFO’S OFFICE

5. WHAT TO DO WHEN THEY
TAKE YOUR $$ AWAY?
CRY
RESIGN/RETIRE
GET YOUR KIDS AND
THEIR FRIENDS TO
VOLUNTEER ON YOUR
STAFF
PICKET YOUR CFO’S OFFICE

6. WHAT TO DO WHEN THEY
TAKE YOUR $$ AWAY?
CRY
RESIGN/RETIRE
GET YOUR KIDS AND THEIR
FRIENDS TO VOLUNTEER ON YOUR
STAFF
PICKET YOUR CFO’S
OFFICE

7. SO WHAT CAN YOU REALLY DO?
Disclaimer:
DO NOT do
• Build Your Generational IQ anything of the
previous things!
• Build/Enhance Your Strategic
Learning Plan
• Build/Enhance Business Case for Your
Learning Needs
• Relook at Your Needs Assessment
Process
• Participate/Support in Interagency
Collaborations

8. GENERATIONAL IQ
Assess Assess Assess the
Generational Generational Generational
Make-up of Make-up of Approach you
Your Learning the Audiences have toward
Team Your Trying to Training
reach Assessment &
Technology

9. BUILD/ENHANCE YOUR
STRATEGIC LEARNING PLAN
 Focus on the Mission
 Focus on Customer Needs
 Focus on Demonstrating
Economies of Scale
 Focus on Marketing Your
Success

10. BUILD/ENHANCE BUSINESS CASE
FOR LEARNING NEEDS
 Infrastructure – 5 Years Out
 Speak the Language of Risk
“What will happen to the
Agency if training is not
provided?”
 Place decisions in the
“if/then category”
 Leverage the Good Work of
Sister Agencies

11. TAKE A FRESH LOOK AT YOUR NEEDS
ASSESSMENT PROCESS
 (Do a Dr. Phil) How is this process
going for you?
 Note! For Generation X/Y =
Data is King
 Who are you involving in your
needs assessment process?
 What technology are you using?
 How are you distributing your
results with manager and
employees?
 How are you comparing results (5
years ago, 10 years ago, etc.)

12. PARTICIPATE/SUPPORT
INTERAGENCY COLLABORATION
 CLO Council
 OPM Pilots
 Partnership - Partnership for Public Service
 Educational Partnership – Research/Innovation

13. FINAL THOUGHTS
 Mitigating Generational
Differences in Training
and Development begins
and ends with
involvement and
inclusion.
 Lean budgets require a
renewed focus, not only
results – but a focus on
people.