Tailor-Made Training
The Pathways Way
Crafting Human-Centered Solutions For Modern Workplaces
Pathways Business Seminars uses The Pathways Way—a philosophy built on the core values of Synchronization, Diversity, Flexibility and Proficiency.
Years of experience have shown us that letting these core values lead our performance is the best way to provide next-level service.
Synchronization
Client synchronization is the most important element in the Pathways Process. We develop a deep understanding of a client through site visits, interviews, surveys, focus groups, and dialogue with key personnel. Using Paired Comparison Analysis, Values Clarification and other processes, our experts guide clients in identifying and prioritizing learning needs, then developing overall project timelines that consider feasibility, time constraints, budget and content boundaries. We focus on having reverse conversations with clients—first discussing and refining their overall development goals and then working backward from those goals to create a series of logical, sequential learning experiences.
Dialogue continues through project development—we work closely with clients (through phone calls, email, videoconferencing and online file sharing) to ensure that created plans, designs and materials are synchronized with client expectations, organizational culture and technical infrastructure.
Drafts of instructional plans, media resources and designs are provided to the client, with opportunities for feedback and adjustment. This is a hallmark of our process and distinguishes Pathways from other companies that often conduct initial needs assessments, then have limited dialogue with a client until plans and resources are mostly complete.
Quality control is enhanced by our focus on synchronization—all created materials go through multiple cycles of editing, revision and proofreading, involving both Pathways staff and client representatives. This ensures professional, error-free materials in the final delivery, and allows additional opportunities for tweaking tone and content to better match the client organization's culture, language and goals.
Synchronization is also assessed in retrospect—we conduct follow-up surveys with learners, follow-up interviews with key organization stakeholders, and longer-term follow-up interviews with selected learners and stakeholders to evaluate both the short-term and long-term effectiveness of the learning experience. Learners are evaluated in the quality and depth of knowledge/skills gained during the training, and also asked to provide feedback on the quality of the activities, effectiveness of instructors, appropriateness of activities, overall logistics of the course, appropriateness of technologies used, and user-friendliness of websites, media resources, videoconferencing and other technologies used.
Diversity
The Pathways Team does not promote one instructional model—rather, we believe in an eclectic approach in which diverse team members contribute ideas and plans from a variety of backgrounds and viewpoints. This approach has guided the expansion of the Pathways staff; we have purposefully recruited experts that bring a variety of methodologies and approaches to each project.
We also believe that our best work is produced when our team displays diversity in cultural background, race, gender, generation, and personality. This belief enriches our client interactions, promotes much needed representation, and allows us to make meaningful connections and inspire diverse populations—we know that an instructional approach or tool is effective only to the degree to which it fits the unique traits and needs of the learners.
We also take a diverse approach to learner engagement: We provide large group instruction, small group instruction and individual coaching and mentoring in most of our projects. Our coaches are certified by the International Coaching Federation, and we use strategic questioning to stimulate self-advocacy and meaningful growth during one-on-one sessions.
We believe that innovation is also fueled by diversity. While "innovation" is often used to refer to new technologies or processes, we innovate by including creative elements not often seen in adult learning experiences. We have included realistic role-play scenario challenges, including live appearances from fictional character guests, to stimulate learner engagement and provide context to concepts being learned. We often create vivid, ongoing storylines, involving memorable fictional characters facing relatable challenges, that weave through multiple modules and bring a cohesive feel to a full day or multiple-day learning experience.
Flexibility
Our staff can often be found in animated discussions, weighing the pros and cons of instructional strategies and activities for specific projects. We value flexibility in all aspects of our work, and our staff have the agility to change directions when a particular approach isn't working during project development.
Our staff enjoy "stretching" themselves to learn from each other, enrich colleagues' skill sets and research new methods to meet client needs.
During the delivery of a course, we remain committed to flexibility. We sometimes condense or expand sections of the learning experience based on ongoing client and learner feedback; we have ongoing instructor discussions during a course, incorporating learner feedback and client feedback in real time to adjust elements like pace, language, setting and activity type. After every course delivery, we do careful analysis of evaluation surveys and anecdotal feedback so that we can make adjustments during the next iteration of the same course.
We maintain a wide network of consultants, instructors and instructional designers, so that we have the flexibility to assemble a team that is ideal for each specific project. This network also insulates Pathways from problems that can arise from turnover or limited staff availability.
Expertise
Expertise in Project Management
We work with professionals who share a "project instinct" and effectively use meetings, videoconferencing, online planning tools and other technologies to keep projects on track. Each project is led by an in‑house Project Management Professional (PMP), certified by the Project Management Institute (PMI).
Instructional design projects are often viewed through the lens of predictive project management; however, in practice, we have found that agile project management is a more realistic approach to these projects. At the beginning of an instructional design project, there are often unknown factors—client preferences, needs, limitations, etc.—that only become latent once the process is underway. A hybrid project management approach, balancing both predictive and agile project management, is usually best.
Expertise in Instructional Design
We have staff who have been trained in educational methods, adult learning, psychology and guidance; some are educators with years of experience teaching all ages of learners in classrooms, training facilities, businesses, colleges and universities worldwide.
Engagement and interactivity are keywords in modern instructional design; however, we often see these concepts implemented in superficial ways that have no significant impact on learning. Therefore, Pathways Business Seminars focuses on creating authentic engagement in which learners are led in meaningful activities that involve personalization of content, autonomy and choice in learning activities, development of group learning identity, and creation of personalized action plans.
Expertise in Workplace Culture and Climate
Our instructors and designers have rich and varied work histories and bring a deep awareness of workplace culture. Some of our staff have traveled extensively throughout the USA and internationally, immersing themselves in diverse cultures and work climates as they designed and presented learning experiences for organizations worldwide. Our staff constantly monitors publications and media outlets, tracking workplace trends and shifts that have implications for learning design.
Expertise in Instructional Technology
Our instructors and designers constantly monitor the tech landscape, watching for emerging technologies and innovative ways to use existing technologies. We believe it's important for good instructors to approach technology with healthy discernment, identifying and using tools that truly enhance learning without detracting from the learning experience.
We often design learning experiences that include:
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Mobile-based polling and surveys, fully integrated in live classes
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Interactive online whiteboards that incorporate imagery, video, process illustrations, slideshows, debates and links to external resources
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Both small-group and large-group discussions face-to-face or using videoconferencing technology effectively
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One-on-one coaching sessions and learner assistance
Expertise in Media Production
Our designers are seasoned experts, adept at creating modern, culturally‑relevant media resources for learning design projects. We support our projects with expertise in major design software and systems including Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign, Logic Pro, and Final Cut Pro, to name a few. We maintain relationships with media resource libraries and work to ensure our workbooks, web resources, presentations, live broadcasts, video clips and audio clips are both purposeful and world-class.
Most media production is handled in-house at Pathways Business Seminars. Clients appreciate this because it adds flexibility and relaxes production schedules; it is easier to make edits, change graphics, rearrange content or make other adjustments when there is no dependence on an external media house.
Online asset management allows all team members to access project resources, streamlining the design process and ensuring a unified appearance in final deliverables.
Expertise in Change Management
Our leaders have extensively studied the subject of Change Management, and we are experts at applying key principles such as the ADKAR model, Appreciative Inquiry, the Theory of Loss Aversion and Strategic Consensus Building to change how staff view change and increase the level of authentic engagement with the development of the organization.
Expertise in Executive and Team Coaching
Members of our staff have effectively coached individuals and teams around the world to improved performance--from diverse industries such as mining, government, nonprofit, social services, finance, military, utilities and manufacturing. We deeply integrate Appreciative Inquiry, the Collaborative Coaching model, autonomy development principles, and lateral thinking activities to create lasting improvements in work teams.
Expertise in Knowledge Management
We know that Knowledge Management (KM) is not just “common sense,” that the Information Age is over, and that now, in the Knowledge Edge, our leadership and staff will make better decisions utilizing wisdom-infused knowledge (understanding gained through experience) rather than just data or information. That is why we implement KM best practices throughout our processes to collect, leverage, and share institutional knowledge.
