CWJJ Episode 5: Matt Joiner & Claude McKee

Episode Transcript:

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[0:00] : Jim Schauer: [0:11] Good morning to our LinkedIn network. What a beautiful day. We are having today. I can’t believe it. It’s wonderful.

[0:18] Today’s special episode has brought out some of EWN’s best, Dr. Matt Joiner, VP of education, and mr. Claude McKee, who manages the EWN compliance team. Good morning. Gentlemen, how are y’all today?

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Matt Joiner:  [0:32] Good morning. How are you? Jim?

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Jim:  [0:34] Fantastic. Thank you. Matt. Claude, you good?

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Claude McKee:  [0:39] I am thank you. Good morning. Glad to be here.

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Jim:  [0:41] Well, I have to tell you guys I’ll say this publicly that I feel my brain cells are growing exponentially by the second just being in the same audience with you two. So I thank you for that. My brain thinks you for that.

[0:55] And as always my partner in crime, Mr. James Cross is with us as always. We don’t do this alone. We do it together Sir James. How are you today?

[0:00] : James Cross: [1:06] Sir James? Like I’ve been knighted.

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Jim:  [1:08] I like that.

[0:00] : James: [1:09] Jimmy, I’m good, man. We are privileged just like you said to be joined by Matt and Claude today and I too I’m praying I learn a little bit by osmosis from these guys.

[1:21] But here’s the deal. We have an important initiative going on at EWN and we kind of pulled some cards today to get these two fellows here. That are really spearheading that effort.

[1:32] So over the past month EWN has pivoted just like a lot of companies out there in regards to the COVID crisis and we began offering the Master Evaluator Certification Program. We call it MECP but online. OK?

[1:48] So Jim we’ve heard a lot of people over the past weeks that we’ve brought in for these Coffee segments talk about how they’ve changed their business to really avoid disruption to their clients. And to the industry.

[2:01] But this one has made such an impact with our industry’s essential workers. And so without stealing any thunder from these two. I want to introduce Matt Joiner really to tell us a bit more in detail in your own words what it is that EWN decided to do with the Master Evaluated Program and why?

[0:00] : Matt: [2:24] Yeah, James. Thanks for having me today and it’s good to see both you and Jim this morning. We are really enjoying what it is that we’re doing with the Master Evaluator Certificate Program moving that to a synchronous online format and I’ll talk a little bit about what that means.

[2:46] As you guys are probably aware. We have had quite a few of our instructor‑led trainings that we have traditionally had face to face have had those not just on the EWN headquarters location, but we have a great partnership with the Decatur Conference Center here in Decatur.

[3:05] That’s made it a great opportunity for us to teach at their location and have our clients stay next door at the new Marriott hotel that’s been really nice and a great opportunity for those folks who who do need to travel in and take advantage of the great state of Texas and in our community here in Decatur.

[3:26] One of the things that COVID prompted that quite frankly we’ve been talking about for quite some time was the option of a recertification program for our eight‑hour Master Evaluator Certificate Program that we would be able to hold virtually.

[3:42] Several reasons that we have kind of entertain that idea first and foremost the convenience of our clients, EWN is one of the most client‑focused organizations that I’ve ever been a part of.

[3:58] And one of the best things that we can do especially in a time of crisis when folks are having difficulty traveling maybe the budgets are a little tighter than they’ve been in the past is make it possible for them to continue to maintain their evaluator status without traveling far from home.

[4:17] And that really is kind of the impetus there for the recert program and it is a four‑hour. I mentioned before that it is a synchronous opportunity. I would like to kind of make it compared to the second kind of experience that you would have in a classroom.

[4:36] And I’m sure we’ll get into that a little bit more later, but it is very similar to an experience that you would have in a classroom in that you and the instructor are in the same place at the same time able to interact and ask those questions.

[4:51] And so that’s what we call synchronous, two people doing the same thing at the same time as compared to a virtual learning where you’re receiving the information, but you don’t have that instructor there to ask those questions of.

[0:00] : James: [5:04] So Matt, I get that we did it really to provide flexibility to our folks. So just to kind of catch up people that are maybe not aware. You know, what what who necessarily MECP applies to can you give a little bit of detail and clarity on that?

[0:00] : Matt: [5:22] OK, the Master Evaluator Certificate Program is designed for anyone who performs evaluations in our industry and traditionally as I said before that has been a eight‑hour certificate program.

[5:40] One of the things that we have done for this particular arrangement is we do ask that individuals who come into the recertification offering have completed their in‑person eight‑hour within a three‑year period.

[5:56] So but that that that certificate program applies to anybody who needs that credential in order to do their job out in the field and perform those evaluations.

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Jim:  [6:07] Let me let me ask a quick question to Claude because Claude from what I understand you instructed the first online MECP course, is that correct?

[0:00] : Claude: [6:16] Yeah, it is when the ILT Department reached out and asked me if I’d be willing to you know, get in there and take that on. I was really excited to do that. So I did have the opportunity to teach the first class that was offered virtually, you know on the Web.

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Jim:  [6:30] OK, so and just to help me a little bit more. So what is required for an online class and how does it work exactly like nuts and bolts?

[0:00] : Claude: [6:39] When you look at hardware or anything along those lines? There’s really not a lot of requirements. You do have to have a you know stable Internet connection. You need to have a microphone webcam. So that way we can engage when we’re in that class.

[6:52] Obviously it lends a lot to it being able to see the participants being able to see their reactions and kind of read their tone and then engage with them right being able to get on that microphone and you have those questions come out when they come up is very important we go through that class.

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Jim:  [7:05] OK.

[0:00] : James: [7:06] Claude you kind of stole my thunder there man. That was my next question. You know, we understand when it comes to training and education engagement is everything right? I don’t have to preach that to this group.

[7:18] So so, how is it how was the engagement? You taught the first one in the in that class comparative to the classes, you’ve taught, you know live in person how would you compare the engagement in regards to the online version?

[0:00] : Claude: [7:34] So I would actually say in some instances. It may have actually been better you always when you’re giving instruction anybody that’s a trainer will know that you know, you kind of have a class champion that stands out somebody that’s really willing to jump in there and help things kind of go.

[7:49] And I definitely still have that when I was virtual. I was really worried that people wouldn’t be willing to step up and ask those questions or put that input out there.

[7:57] And that wasn’t the case. I really had a lot of really good input people willing to share experiences and things that they’ve seen in the field and that helps. I mean when you’re going through in your treat teaching a class to have somebody that can do that.

[8:09] And then I was able to engage everybody secret or you know separately as we went through if I had specific questions, I could direct it to a certain person and then get their response. So I still had that full engagement of the classroom style of training even though we were in this virtual atmosphere.

[0:00] : Matt: [8:28] James, let me interact, excuse me interject real quick. Just one of the things Claude just mentioned. There was the the engagement factor and I think that’s that’s absolutely mission‑critical.

[8:40] And frankly one of the things that we worried about when we talked about the possibility of doing this online as you guys are well aware EWN is all about relationships relationships are absolutely critical to what it is that we do as a company in our divisions so and in our division.

[9:00] So I think it’s important to note that the system that we arrived at the the platform that we use is not your typical Zoom or Google Hangout or some of those other types of arrangements. This is actually a an online classroom. That really does make it possible to interact and to learn in a really really cool fashion.

[9:25] Just as an example. There is a chat feature between the instructor and the participants that can even be a private chat. If you choose for it to be.

[9:34] Individuals who might be in a classroom maybe sitting amongst their peers might not be as willing to to ask a question with fear that it might make them look maybe a little less than so. They can they can actually ask that question of the instructor privately and get that question answered.

[9:54] And so I think that’s that’s one of the powerful things. That can be done with this particular platform that we’re using.

[10:00] We also use polling in this classroom as well, which is very powerful for the very same reason. It allows people to weigh in and talk about things that they know maybe things that they don’t know as well as they should.

[10:16] It allows the instructor to kind of kind of pivot at that point and target specifically the needs in the classroom to make sure that everybody is making progress and getting where they need to be.

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Jim:  [10:27] No, I appreciate I appreciate that and as I’m sitting here. I’m thinking about our audience the energy industry as well as other Industries, you know, we’re across the whole board. Are there any major takeaways that you have learned so far to help share to help our audience members?

[0:00] : Matt: [10:44] Go ahead, Claude.

[0:00] : Claude: [10:47] I guess the major takeaways for me to kind of jump in there was you know, I was kind of looking at you know, how do you guide their attention when you’re in a virtual atmosphere? And that with some of the tools and things that we had we were really able to do that.

[11:01] So that was you know phenomenal from an instructor side being able to really guide the participants as we go through this process and we discuss these things getting them to focus in and engage on what we need them to be paying attention to at that time.

[11:13] So that was my takeaway that I really enjoyed that part of the class.

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Jim:  [11:18] Matthew did you have anything?

[0:00] : Matt: [11:20] Yeah, Jim, I think the thing that was most memorable the thing that probably is my biggest takeaway as I sat there. We’ve actually had two of these MEC recertification classes so far. And obviously the one that Claude did was our first and we had another couple since then.

[11:41] I guess the thing that I was struck with the most was the participants and the environments they were coming from in both classes.

[11:50] We had individuals participating in that class who were very clearly in an office, maybe an individual who was sitting at home, maybe an individual who was out in the field in some sort of housing arrangement out in the field with kids and a wife and maybe in kids in the background.

[12:11] And I think the thing that I was really struck with in both instances in all instances was the fact that this this is real life. And we are really taking this great instruction that we have always had and making it possible for people to continue their jobs continue to support their families.

[12:29] Not lose that that credential that they have had and will continue to have but doing that in the comfort of either their office or home without the added cost of travel and time away from work and that kind of thing.

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Jim:  [12:44] Matt, that’s a good point. And as James had said earlier I find it. We find it amazing that the more people, you know, we interact with and talk to in like the this setting and how we learned that as as we face this pandemic. We as an industry, we as a country continue to learn and to be better.

[13:04] And I think that’s just amazing that in the in the grips of all this again where there’s always bright spots and things we’re learning and things we’re doing better. So I just want to say that.

[13:15] Gents, I we can’t thank you enough for your time today. I’m proud to be part of the team providing this innovation to our industry. Again, sitting with the the two folks here that has spearheaded makes it so much sweeter and my brain power has grown ready exponentially again. So I appreciate it.

[0:00] : James: [13:34] Yep. Guys, I’ll echo the same thing. Jim said we can’t thank you enough for joining us teaching us really what the next generation of distance learning looks like.

[13:44] And as always if someone you know, or someone or yourself would like to join us on Coffee with Jim & James. We’d love to have you.

[13:51] Reach out to us. If you have any questions or need more information about our MECP program our online MECP connect with Matt Joiner and Claude McKee reach out to us we’ll connect you.

[14:07] God bless you. All. God bless. God bless this industry, and we’ll see you next time.

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Jim:  [14:13] Take care. Be safe.

[0:00] : Matt: [14:15] Thanks, everybody.

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Jim:  [14:16] Thank you, gentlemen.

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