ABOUT THE LEARNING KEY®

Interview with Dr. Elizabeth Treher of the Learning Key, Inc.
Hoover's Online
Barbara Redding
May 2004

About The Learning Key, Inc.
Sometimes learning can best be accomplished in unconventional ways -- by playing board games, for example. That's the philosophy of The Learning Key, a company that provides consulting and training services to pharmaceutical companies and other science-technology businesses. The consulting firm has created several board games as part of its arsenal of training tools to help companies improve communication and productivity. The Learning Key specializes in leadership development, human resources issues, team building, and organizational structure. Clients include drugmakers, biotechnology firms, banks, and software companies. Headquartered in Pennsylvania, the company also has offices in Minnesota and New Mexico.

The Learning Key, Inc. Stats

About Dr. Elizabeth N. Treher
A doctorate in nuclear chemistry prepared Dr. Treher for her career as a research scientist for a large pharmaceutical company. But the degree didn't help her manage the communications and training issues she encountered in the laboratory. Intent on improving her own "soft skills," she volunteered to work with the company's consultants and eventually started a science training program for E.R. Squibb & Sons' 22,000 employees. When the company merged with another firm, she co-founded The Learning Key and began offering to other businesses what she'd learned. Dr. Treher and her associates conduct workshops and offer coaching and other services to companies in the US and Europe.

How did you come up with the idea to start The Learning Key?
While I was working in R&D, I tried to get my staff to attend training to develop their leadership and communications skills. But I was always met with a lot of resistance. A common response was: "The facilitators don't understand me or what I do." After I educated myself by getting training and attending workshops, I realized that few consultants had any experience dealing with science and technology companies. I recognized there was a real need within my own company, and at other firms, for specialized training.

Why do technology companies need more specialized training programs? What does your firm offer that other more traditional consulting firms don't?
People in the research world and in technology fields work in unique environments and face different situations than those in more traditional workplaces. Today's technology companies need people who can work together in teams and who can communicate well with one another. People in an R&D environment tend to be more independent and self-motivated. Thus, they are not as plugged in to the company and its goals. Our associates have science backgrounds, so we understand the work environment and what motivates people in these industries.

Can you describe some common problems companies face?
What we often hear from senior management is that "our people don't understand our business and the industry environment." When we ask how they are communicating with their employees, it is usually in a lecture format. We try to help them come up with ways to explain the company's goals so that employees can relate to them and understand the complexities of the industry.

Industry board games are an important part of your training programs at pharmaceutical companies and banks. How did you come up with the idea to create the games?
We were consulting with a Johnson & Johnson company in the late 1990s and looking for better ways to explain the challenges and expenses involved in drug discovery and development. We came up with the idea of a board game called The Pharm Game: Drug Discovery and Development. (Since then the company has introduced Big Buck$$, a board game about the banking industry, and another pharmaceutical game, GMPWorks, that explores the "good manufacturing practices" that the FDA requires in the drug manufacturing process.)

How effective are the games among the companies you work with?
The games have been a real hit. They are a playful way for employees to increase their knowledge of the company and learn about the challenges facing the industry. The games have helped companies accomplish their goals, too. Universities around the world are using the games. They've even been translated into Japanese.

What's next for your company?
We are developing electronic versions of our games. In the current regulated environment, training must be documented. By creating e-versions of our games and training programs, employees can access them online and get credit for playing the games. We're also looking for ways to offer some of our training tools to a broader audience -- to help people who are unemployed learn networking and other skills necessary to find another job, for example.

What do you enjoy most about your job?
Company executives today are facing some very challenging situations -- organizations are running leaner and faster, and people are more stressed out. Helping find solutions that are positive for employees and helping companies meet their goals is very satisfying. I also like the flexibility of running my own company -- it allows me to spend my summers in Minnesota.