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I’d love to take credit for this provocative title, but, sadly, I can’t. This phrase was first used 45 years ago when a study showing little or no relationship between training and work performance was published. Most recently, it was used this past August for the title of a Harvard Business School working paper which demonstrated the same findings. What a Haul! Since 2012, U.S. companies have spent more than $150Bn every year on education and training. That’s a lotta dough! Incredibly, survey data collected from HR and training professionals peg the effectiveness of these programs at… are you sitting down?… between 10% and 50%. That means between $75Bn and $135Bn has been wasted EVERY year; no results to show for it. INSANE! How can this happen? Remember the many times you’ve told executives or managers their problem wasn’t a training problem and they said ‘Train ’em anyways.’ and you did? Or someone mistakenly thought a situation could be improved by training when, in reality, it couldn’t and that big program that got rolled out with so much fanfare went nowhere. All these add up and up and up. It’s the System! Countless studies and anecdotes show that business performance problems are the result of overall system deficiencies, not lack of individual knowledge. This means that factors like an organization’s roles, responsibilities, reporting structure, standards and work flow primarily drive performance. Even if people learn a better way to work, they generally can’t apply it to their situation, so teaching them a ‘better way’ is waste. The factors above are the very definition of a ‘value stream’ which is what Lean aims to improve. Stop Getting Robbed Understand and fix the value stream BEFORE creating ANY training! Otherwise, you’re fighting the tide. Training is in a perfect position to lead these efforts; people are coming to you with problems to solve. Applying Lean tools like PDCA, root cause analysis and good problem statements will keep you from jumping to conclusions and help you create genuinely effective training. Read about UPS’s driver training program in a previous post on their Circle of Honor recognition program. It’s a work of art. The Training Bottom Line How much are you (inadvertently) contributing to the Great Training Robbery? How much money does your organization annually spend on education and training and how effective are these programs at changing behavior and improving performance on the job long term? It could be a very scary number. Look it straight in the eye and vow to change your approach. My Lean Learning certification programs can help. Let’s Ride! Todd Hudson, Head Maverick The post The Great Training Robbery appeared first on Maverick Institute.

After the Red Sox lost the American League Championship Series, it was an easy decision to root for the Chicago Cubs in the World Series. Why? Joe Maddon, their manager, is clearly someone who thinks and practices Lean. He’s known for his lengthy team meetings and press conferences and liberally sprinkles them with aphorisms and koans. Here are a few examples that reveal his Lean nature. "Do simple better." This is a tee shirt Joe Maddon regularly wears and screams ‘LEAN!’. He doesn’t want his players to overcomplicate their jobs and continues by saying "I don’t want extra work. I don’t want too much information." Lean is all about eliminating non-value-added activities and waste that take time, energy and focus away from what’s really important, i.e., what the customer is willing to pay for. For the Cubs, those customers are fans hungry for a trophy after 107 seasons who watch the team (tickets and advertising revenue) and buy merchandise. With all the distractions, hype and expectations being placed on his team, simple is essential. "Respect 90." The distance between bases is 90 feet and this slogan encourages players to hustle at all times. In fact, ‘respecting 90’ was responsible for a Cub getting a base hit in Game 2 when a ground ball got bobbled for one second by the Indian second basemen. Baseball, like business, is overflowing with mostly useless statistics that confuse rather than clarify. A few simple, visual signals that easily communicate what’s happening right now are much more effective than a blizzard of reports you have to wait for and wade through. I’m sure Joe Maddon, sitting in the dugout, watches his players run the bases and assesses their current mood by how much hustle he sees. Then, he adjustments; a pep talk here, a player change there. "I love funk. The funk is good." While Maddon was specifically referring to the sidearm pitching delivery of one of his relievers, it shows his acceptance and appreciation for eccentric methods. Eliminating waste and creating new customer value is not easy and often times requires unorthodox thinking and methods, namely FUNK! People often worry more about how something looks rather than the results it actually delivers. The tendency is to go for the elegant, comprehensive solution that takes years to implement instead of the simple bailing wire and tape one that can be put in place tomorrow. And loving funk ties in nicely to a final quote. "You have to have a little bit of crazy to be successful." Maddon admits that he is indeed crazy and "crazy" is required for players to succeed. Lean also requires a bit of crazy. Big hairy goals like cutting defects or cycle time in half drive radical changes to polices, processes and procedures. They require questioning the very assumptions that underpin them. Sometimes the best improvement you can make to a process is to simply STOP DOING IT, which can sound completely crazy. Game 3 at Wrigley tonight. Play Ball! Todd Hudson, Head Maverick   The post ‘Lean’ Chicago-Style appeared first on Maverick Institute.

It used to be that you got what you paid for. If you wanted the best, you had to pay some pretty penny for it. Cheap stuff was just that: cheap. Like, you couldn’t get a Mercedes for the price of a Yugo. And, with cars, you still can’t. But with software, it’s different. You see software, unlike physical products, doesn’t have a raw cost for each copy. Heck, with Cloud-based software, you don’t even need DVDs or a box to sell it in. You just have the costs of developing it and keeping the servers running, both of which have huge economies of scale. That’s why software like TalentLMS can be so affordable. Case in point, our starting plan, at $29 per month for up to 25 users, comes down to a little over a dollar per user. You probably spend 5 times as much per day just for coffee. TalentLMS brings expensive features in an affordable package But don’t just take our word for it. Ask Capterra, the hugely popular website for business software reviews and guides, that awarded us the 1st price for the most affordable LMS Software. The ranking, which you can see here, was based on each LMS’ average monthly cost, total number of features offered for that cost, and customer reviews. TalentLMS soared past the competition with 4.5/5 stars for Functionality, 4.5/5 stars for Overall Quality and 5/5 stars for Value, resulting in a 96/100 total score — and the 1st place! Capterra also lists some of the features that TalentLMS supports, which combined with the "Most Affordable LMS" award, read as if a top of the line BMW got the "most affordable car" award: Course management, Completion tracking, Learner portal, SCORM, compliance, Course authoring, Assessment tools, Learning paths, Blended learning, Compliance management, Mobile learning, Webinar integration, Branding, Social learning. And still, TalentLMS has way more features than that And not just small things either! As complete as it may be, this list doesn’t include many of our great features that you’ve shown through the years matter to you, like our support for reporting, infographic creation, multiple branches, microlearning, offline learning, eCommerce, survey engine, gamification, file management, certifications and SSO. Not to mention the numerous integration options, and TalentLMS’ enterprise-ready REST API. Oh, and our fully native mobile clients for iOS and Android. We are very proud that TalentLMS is being recognized not just as a great corporate training platform, but also as an affordable one — a platform that enables businesses, big and small, to embrace eLearning. And we will continue to make sure that when you subscribe to TalentLMS, you get way more than what you pay for. The post Affordable luxury: TalentLMS wins Capterra’s "Most Affordable LMS" ranking appeared first on TalentLMS Blog.

Corporate eLearning is in a class of its own - but it’s not isolated from other business elements. eLearning in a corporate setting has to be structured, compliant with various regulations, universally adoptable and financially viable across many geographic regions. That’s because corporate eLearning has to be scalable. With all this in mind, what is going to change in the world of corporate eLearning in 2017? In this article, we’ll cover 6 trends that we believe (from a combination of data and personal intuition) are going to play a key role in the development of corporate eLearning in 2017. Some of these are rather revolutionary ideas; many, however, are in fact older trends that - astonishingly - haven’t been widely adopted specifically within a corporate eLearning setting as of yet. Without further ado, we present to you: 1. Adaptive programs and further diversification of delivery options eLearning is a great concept and over the years its effectiveness and uses have only grown. Admittedly, however, static eLearning - meaning how it was when the concept was first developed back in late 20th century - is not as effective for today’s audience. eLearning just needs to be mobilized to the best of its capabilities, that’s all. Adaptive eLearning programs offer so much more than static eLearning, as they accommodate specific users’ requirements, allowing them to progress through certain areas that they are evidently more familiar with, quicker than others. Providing different options for eLearning delivery is also a way to make training suitable for each individual, and by combining this ‘freshening up’ of content with brand new features such as 3D Learning, you’re onto a winner. We realize that more recent technological developments such as 3D Learning may not be adopted within corporate eLearning for some time, but adaptive programs are a no-brainer. The only real barrier is cost. The actual process will barely change, making this an appealing investment due to its likelihood to increase efficiency, effectiveness, and achievement of learning outcomes while causing minimal disruption to operations. 2. Collaborative and social (heard that before) - but actually implemented! Although we’ve had the technology for a while, corporate eLearning, in particular, is an area where social and collaborative practices simply are not being adopted. Speaking from first-hand experience, eLearning remains relatively siloed and thus significantly less effective than it is capable of being in corporate environments. Let’s succinctly explain this with a slightly nerdy metaphor: far too often, eLearning remains much like a neglected Intranet system when it has the potential to be a popular, active social network in a corporate setting. Although collaborative and social aspects of eLearning such as group tasks, gamification (which we’ll cover later) performance leaderboards, forums, video conferencing etc. are nothing new, 2017 should finally be the year that these elements come into play in the corporate training world, big time. 3. Author diversity This one is a personal hunch rather than data-backed or experienced-based like the rest of the trends in this post, but we do truly believe that - perhaps even only to a minor degree - author diversity will grow in 2017. With eLearning possessing the capability to be a company-wide training device for large multinational corporations, we as an industry must embrace and drive this. Employing culturally diverse authors - many of whom who could work remotely - is a way of providing a more comprehensive eLearning platform on a global scale. That’s the kind of thing that appeals to the corporate giants of this world, so we expect to see it develop in the year to come. 4. Fully responsiveness across devices Again, this is nothing new to us. Being able to take an eLearning course on a desktop, laptop, tablet or other mobile device is commonplace, and so it should be. The problem is that a vast number of companies still believe that their employees only require their eLearning to be available on their desktop. We wish we could report where they got that information from - but it’s quite possible that in 99% of cases if they spoke to their employees, the outcome would be completely different. The issue is that if a work-from-home culture isn’t present, employers can’t imagine their employees wanting - or being able - to engage in eLearning anywhere other than their desk. The reality that we acknowledge, however, is that work-from-home or not, eLearning must be accessible across all devices. For example, mLearning would allow employees to be more productive, handing them the opportunity to take time away from their desk and work in a different environment that is, most likely, less monotonous - and more mentally stimulating. There’s also the possibility of giving your employees the option - if they wish - to make the most of their commute or lunch break to complete their designated training. 5. Gamification Gamification has yet to gain real traction, despite predictions that by 2015, 40% of the world’s 1,000 biggest companies would utilize some form of gamification. However, there are signs that these ambitious predictions may not be totally ridiculous in their estimations. WallMart - publically regarded as the largest organization globally by revenue - undertook an enormous scale (75,000 participants) gamification project in order to improve safety and efficiency. The results? A reduction in workplace accidents to below industry average, and lost time cut by 50% - in just 6 months! In a more recent report, Gartner have reeled in their expectations of gamification, touching upon how their research has uncovered dubious attitudes towards gamification from organizations who doubt it’s capability to be a long-term device for engaging their staff. That said, Millennials are the largest generation in the workforce now, and what better way to engage millennials than with gamification? 6. Increased senior buy-in Many of the trends we’ve discussed in this article relate to a shift in attitude towards corporate eLearning. Senior personnel at such organizations are coming to a realization after, for example, observing the success of eLearning as a delivery method across their industry. Whatever the cause, the realization is this: that in the vast majority of cases, a lack of participation or non-achievement of desired learning outcomes often relates to internal attitudes rather than eLearning as a method of training. To help solve this, confidence, enthusiasm, and obvious buy-in to the platform from the top down are essential. eLearning is not going away; in fact, it’s growing. Perhaps C-levels are realizing that too - expect to see a gradual alteration in attitudes towards eLearning in your organization over the course of the next year. Conclusion We’ve often focused on emerging technologies that have the power to transform the corporate eLearning landscape. But, as is true for most businesses, the most powerful element in this equation is not the tech itself, but rather the attitudes of the users, the learners and their bosses. We hope this list might bring some clarity as to what you really should strive for in the year to come, and where the industry is going towards. The post Corporate eLearning in 2017: 6 key trends to be aware of appeared first on TalentLMS Blog.

Performance management has been labeled as "a waste of time, demoralizing, and stupid." Why the sudden hatred? And more importantly, what can you do about it?

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The insanity of work is at an epidemic level.  Our own work suffers. If we're honest, quality and innovation have been replaced by minimal effort delivered as quickly as possible.  We're doing the easy things fast to feel productive when the impact we are making is minimal. Perhaps this is why companies are reorganizing and trying to change cultures.  I do not believe organization structure change helps if the people in the organization are addicted to busy-ness.  Bold leaders are stopping and asking what can be done to minimize busy-ness. Want help taking back your own energy and power? Bring our Power of You learning experience to your team. We’ll focus on each individual, help each person craft a better way to choose the appropriate emotions, help them learn to focus and get back to their personal ‘stable’ base more quickly- allowing them to be more effective at work. Schedule in 2016 for the special rate of $10,000 + travel for up to 15 learners. Connect with Brittney for more details or to add this to your calendar. bhelt@russellmartin.com , 317-475-9311 x3.

Workplace zombies are often the result of poor leadership. By listening to their concerns and offering challenging projects, leaders can help bring workplace zombies back from the dead.

Designing eLearning programs for imperfect Internet connections is, oddly enough, a valuable skill. Despite enjoying mobile data and broadband connectivity increasingly everywhere, most learners are still disrupted with unpredictable connections. How can you catch exceptions like these? Find out in this article! With the broadening scope of eLearning courses, you shouldn’t be surprised if someone in Africa or in Bangladesh is registered for your courses. In fact, many developing nations rely on eLearning programs and training materials for quality learning experiences. They also look forward to completing the courses with dedication and add their professional development experiences to their resume. This kind of dedication is hard to find! These learners are often among the select few individuals in their towns and villages that have the privilege of owning a computer and an Internet connection. These individuals, upon completing eLearning programs with you, would happily become an advocate to all who are interested in their community to learn more about your course. Unfortunately, in scenarios like these, the quality of the Internet connection is seriously compromised! Learners in such areas are frustrated and can only have patience with their local communication infrastructure. These dedicated learners design their day around periods of stable Internet connectivity. They download the course material and open all the external resource pages on different tabs in order to read at their leisure, when Internet connectivity is low. Part of being a successful eLearning provider is to cater to this learning need - the capability of your eLearning programs to run offline. Provide ample downloadable material to be viewed in spare time. Use file compression tools and methods to decrease the download time and required bandwidth. Also, when you wish to conduct teleconferencing sessions, consult with these learners before you set up a time. Better yet, always save the audio conference transcript for downloading in case these individuals miss a live meeting. You can imagine the sense of gratitude (and growing enrollment) after such compensating steps. There are several more reasons that learners have weak or intermittent Internet connectivity, whether on the subway or just bad a mobile data connection in their favorite hangout. And YouTube videos in your courses are a potential issue for all these users. These videos do not work under frail Internet connections. Thankfully, there are several video compression or video converter software option available for reducing the size of large videos, from 700 MB to 40 MB, for example! Your learners will thank you for the effort, and no one will miss out on your content. Just make sure you don’t compromise the video quality too much. And don’t forget to supply the transcript of the video on the learning management system page, in case the compression trick doesn’t work for some users. Learners can read what they could have been seeing and still make some sense of the missed video. If your learners complain of weak Internet connectivity issues, reassure them that you understand their situation. Offer them assignment and course completion deadline flexibility. This strategy will prevent any discouragement. Your learners are more likely to complete the course due to your empathy! Many of your learners are working on a mobile device, and this can lead to sporadic and unreliable network connections. Learners could get very short periods of connectivity or could drop out altogether. These technical problems require technical solutions. Work with your IT support to create more compatible and adjustable eLearning programs. Here are a few suggestions: Allow multiple types of network connections: Bear in mind that network protocols present in one part of the world will be entirely absent in another. You need to create eLearning files that work well with computer network protocols such as Wi-Fi, EDGE, 4G and 3G. Break down content into smaller files: Instead of having learners download one big file, allow them to download multiple smaller files when they can. While they get busy reading it, they can wait for the next one to download. Enable content download and offline reading options. This will be appreciated by many learners as it will save their time. If possible, enable learners to resume a download operation that was interrupted. Enable on-device storage and sharing options for the content. This will help prevent any frustrations due to connectivity problems. Requiring learners to be connected continuously while taking a course is not practical. Allow learners to download units of content with full interactivity when not connected to a network. Unpredictable Internet connections raise the need for offline eLearning programs functionality. We hope the points raised in this article will enable you to be prepared for such irregularities in the global learning platform. The post Good eLearning Design for Bad Internet Connections appeared first on TalentLMS Blog.

We’ve been introducing our team to all of you TalentLMS friends, and it’s time to invite another person to the party. So, for the next post of our Talent behind TalentLMS series, please welcome our user experience guru and all-around fun-loving gal, Sofia. A round of applause and here we go. Tell us a little bit about your background, and how you got involved with UI/UX design. Hey there! I’m Sofia and I’ve been working as a designer for almost two decades now. I studied multimedia computing and today I still use the term "multimedia designer" to annoy my colleagues and friends. When I took my first steps in the world of visual communication, the Internet and designing for it was a very new thing. So I was very lucky to see it grow and evolve in many ways and, consequently, I evolved with it. I guess you could say that I didn’t get involved with either UI or UX. They got involved with me! How and when did you start working for Epignosis? I had been working in eCommerce projects for many consecutive years, so I figured it was time for something different. eLearning is a great field to apply the things I’ve learned through the years and there are also many new things to explore. So, Epignosis seems to be the perfect ground for that. How do you define UX/design? I suppose, the concept was always around us, but finally it’s been given a name, and the attention it deserves. You know when you play a game and you suddenly go "WOW, look at what just happened!". Wonderful moment, isn’t it? Well, you encounter cool moments in everything around you. The secret is they don’t just happen. There are people whose job is to meticulously think, do research, analyze, plan, coordinate, test and finally implement quality interactions. Sounds like the Truman Show. What’s the difference between UI and UX design? UX Design refers to the term User Experience Design, while UI Design means User Interface Design. UX design is a cognitive science that aims to connect business requirements with user needs in the most satisfying way possible. It’s about people, behavior and feelings. UI design is a strictly digital practice that is responsible for guiding the user to getting to know your product, comfortably and effortlessly through a visual environment. To create such an environment you need to be well rounded in interaction design, visual communication principles, aesthetic balance - the list is really long really, so I’ll stop here. Both UI and UX require technical and analytical skills and endless hours of continuous education and they both have one goal in common: to make any product, digital or not, enjoyable to the point where you can’t live without it. Could you name some apps or websites that you love? I love Duolingo. I’m hooked for real. I’m learning Norwegian at the moment and I’m having lots of fun. I already know 489 words - thank you very much! I also use Twitter, I like reading posts at medium.com and I’m a happy Google+ user, quite possibly the only one. If you hadn’t followed your current path, what other career would you have pursued? I’d be one of those rangers that protect animals from hunters. The innumerable hours I’ve invested on Starcraft and Counter-Strike education, would finally come in handy. Either that, or I’d be a pit-stop mechanic. Mind you, that both of those excellent career paths require research, strategy and flawless execution. What do consider to be your best buy ever? Oh, I’m proud of my road bicycle! It’s the perfect cure for the blues, you get to know your city better, you meet new friends, you get to be silly if you like, and most of all, riding a bike in Athens constantly reminds you that "Goonies never say die". How do you start your day at the office? I try to avoid all human interaction, until I get at least one sip of coffee in me. Then I read some news, check out new website launches, prepare my to-do list for the day and head on to Balsamiq and Photoshop. Last, but not least, how do you like working at Epignosis? Where do you see yourself, and the platform, in 5 years? Epignosis somehow manages to be laid back and focused at the same time. Not an easy thing to achieve! I love working with software developers and I find it very challenging to tweak the little (or not so little) things that make a difference in a product. In 5 years from now, the platform will be even easier to use and hopefully a little more fun. Watch out for easter eggs, people! As for myself, I’ll still be learning, I suppose. The post The talent behind TalentLMS: A chat with our UI/ UX designer appeared first on TalentLMS Blog.

Unhealthy, unhappy people cannot lead.  As an immature leader I used to believe that it was dishonest not to share all my worries and feelings with my team.  Now I realize that as a leader I have to carefully choose what is in the best interest of my team, not MY best interest.  Clearly, all teams are looking to their leader to lead them. Uncertainty and stress can scare the team, and the leader must find a way to be authentic and optimistic.  Leadership is a difficult task and a serious meddling in people's lives.  This sacred work must be taken very seriously.Emotional Intelligence is the secret sauce of leadership.  First, clarify what your strengths are in the following three:Self-Awareness  - know when you are experiencing an emotion and why Self- Regulation - know how to calm your emotional state down when appropriateEmpathy - see and know the emotional state of othersOf these three, I find empathy the most challenging.  With our customers, any combination of these three can occur.  The good news is that your emotions are a personal call to action - you telling yourself that something needs to change. Learning to listen to that inner voice is critical to great leadership.  Emotions are a muscle, that with practice, are easily grown.There are many EQ assessments and programs.  I believe emotions are the critical drivers of awesome and terrible leadership.  Businesses are starting to pay close attention to the EQ of their leaders and teams.  My advice is to start simply - focus on just these three.  We're all prone to trying to do too much, and the same can happen in growing EQ.Check out the Behavioral Intelligence Assessment we love for only $75 (normally $150) Use Code: OCTLF16- offer valid until 10/31. In addition, leaders need to make sure that the people they lead are healthy.  It's hard enough to exercise, sleep, eat well and manage emotions effectively.  And it's also the leaders responsibility to be aware (empathy) of the signals from members of their team that all is not well.  The leader may not be the right person to intervene in every problem and he/she is the right person to coach and direct to the best resources. ​

Do you know how many metaphors we use every minute? According to research, we use up to six metaphors per minute, though most of the time we just don’t notice it.Metaphors are abundant in the English spoken and written language where they are used as a tool to communicate thoughts, feelings, and abstract ideas to others. By comparing something difficult to something more common and tangible, metaphors aid in the audience’s understanding of what the speaker is trying to say.Like stories, metaphors evoke images in our minds. Because of this, metaphors have potential as a tool for training as well.Here are some ways metaphors can be used in training.1. Avoid Technical JargonLegalese and other technical jargon make learning hard. But replacing the jargon with a metaphor allows trainers to present difficult or complex ideas in a way that learners are familiar with and, as a result, helps them digest the information better.2. Use Clean Language QuestionsBecause learning happens when learners are able to connect a new concept with something they already know, it’s important that they come up with their own metaphors. One technique trainers can use or learn from is Clean Language.Prompt learners to develop their own metaphors with the phrases "It’s like..." or "It’s as if..." instead of using technical jargon. Training professionals can use Clean Language questions as an example. Clean Language is a psychotherapy and coaching technique developed by counselling psychologist David Grove. The approach makes use of questions that are free from the questioner’s own thoughts, assumptions, and metaphors. Below are the 12 basic Clean Language questions.Credit: David J GroveWatch this video to learn more about Clean Language.3. Metaphoric LandscapeCognitive linguists George Lakoff and Mark Johnson, authors of "Metaphors We Live By", believe the metaphor is a "fundamental mechanism of the mind" that uses what we know to help us understand what we don’t know. This process happens subconsciously in what is known as the Metaphoric Landscape, which contains symbols that are embedded in an individual’s metaphors. These elements shape a person’s perceptions and actions. For trainers, the challenge is in finding the right set of symbols and metaphors that will result in the desired behavior.4. Self-DirectionMetaphors can also be useful in an interactive learning environment. Designers can incorporate a self-contemplative mode to encourage learners to reflect deeper and create their own context. Their metaphors will assist them in connecting the content to their real-life work.ConclusionThe use of metaphors should not be limited to the English language. Training and development professionals can also take advantage of metaphors as a tool to help learners gain deeper insight from unfamiliar concepts.In what way do you envision using metaphors in your next training session? Share your thoughts below. ReferencesRaymond W. Gibbs. Categorization and Metaphor Understanding. Psychological Review, Vol 99(3), Jul 1992, 572-577.Caitlin Walker. Clean Questions and Metaphor Models. TEDxMerseysideGeorge Lakoff and Mark Johnson. Metaphors We Live By. University Of Chicago Press (December 2008)Ray Jimenez Transforming Minds - Using Metaphors in eLearningRay Jimenez - Is your content out of context or in context? Ray Jimenez, PhDVignettes Learning"Helping Learners Learn Their Way"Ray Jimenez, PhD Vignettes Learning Learn more about story and experience-based eLearning

Do you know how many metaphors we use every minute? According to research, we use up to six metaphors per minute, though most of the time we just don’t notice it.Metaphors are abundant in the English spoken and written language where they are used as a tool to communicate thoughts, feelings, and abstract ideas to others. By comparing something difficult to something more common and tangible, metaphors aid in the audience’s understanding of what the speaker is trying to say.Like stories, metaphors evoke images in our minds. Because of this, metaphors have potential as a tool for training as well.Here are some ways metaphors can be used in training.1. Avoid Technical JargonLegalese and other technical jargon make learning hard. But replacing the jargon with a metaphor allows trainers to present difficult or complex ideas in a way that learners are familiar with and, as a result, helps them digest the information better.2. Use Clean Language QuestionsBecause learning happens when learners are able to connect a new concept with something they already know, it’s important that they come up with their own metaphors. One technique trainers can use or learn from is Clean Language.Prompt learners to develop their own metaphors with the phrases "It’s like..." or "It’s as if..." instead of using technical jargon. Training professionals can use Clean Language questions as an example. Clean Language is a psychotherapy and coaching technique developed by counselling psychologist David Grove. The approach makes use of questions that are free from the questioner’s own thoughts, assumptions, and metaphors. Below are the 12 basic Clean Language questions.Credit: David J GroveWatch this video to learn more about Clean Language.3. Metaphoric LandscapeCognitive linguists George Lakoff and Mark Johnson, authors of "Metaphors We Live By", believe the metaphor is a "fundamental mechanism of the mind" that uses what we know to help us understand what we don’t know. This process happens subconsciously in what is known as the Metaphoric Landscape, which contains symbols that are embedded in an individual’s metaphors. These elements shape a person’s perceptions and actions. For trainers, the challenge is in finding the right set of symbols and metaphors that will result in the desired behavior.4. Self-DirectionMetaphors can also be useful in an interactive learning environment. Designers can incorporate a self-contemplative mode to encourage learners to reflect deeper and create their own context. Their metaphors will assist them in connecting the content to their real-life work.ConclusionThe use of metaphors should not be limited to the English language. Training and development professionals can also take advantage of metaphors as a tool to help learners gain deeper insight from unfamiliar concepts.In what way do you envision using metaphors in your next training session? Share your thoughts below. ReferencesRaymond W. Gibbs. Categorization and Metaphor Understanding. Psychological Review, Vol 99(3), Jul 1992, 572-577.Caitlin Walker. Clean Questions and Metaphor Models. TEDxMerseysideGeorge Lakoff and Mark Johnson. Metaphors We Live By. University Of Chicago Press (December 2008)Ray Jimenez Transforming Minds - Using Metaphors in eLearningRay Jimenez - Is your content out of context or in context? Ray Jimenez, PhDVignettes Learning"Helping Learners Learn Their Way"Ray Jimenez, PhD Vignettes Learning Learn more about story and experience-based eLearning

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Upgrade your Boss's Day gift to what your leader really wants this year.

Leaders think strategically, understand the critical link between focus and clarity, and appreciate the value of time.  So fewer and fewer are inclined to let others waste their time. Brevity has become a basic communication skill for professionals. Here are six best practices as a leader: Be brief when speaking off-the-cuff. Lectures are for the classroom. Make your point and move on. 

​When the world of work pulls you off center, it's important to have a way to intentionally get back to being a great leader. In projects, we use the following questions to stay on track:What will we have after we do this project that we don't have now?  What impact will this project have on the organization if we do it right now?   In my personal life, I like to use my personal Purpose Statement.  I use this in many of our leadership interventions and I like to use it as a mantra.  It's 3 PM and I have not gotten enough done (my opinion) today.  My head is spinning from checking off tasks.  It's time to get back on track:Move away from the computer and take a few deep breaths.  Pull your shoulders down, tap your right hand to you left shoulder, left hand to right shoulder a few times.  Close your eyes (if you're comfortable, it's not necessary) and notice five sounds. Notice five things you can see. Look inside, and think about five physical things you can feel. Repeat your Purpose Statement to yourself while you breath. Here's how to create a Purpose Statement:  simply choose three verbs and a noun and make it into a meaningful sentence that you can easily memorize and repeat as needed.   Here is mine:I ignite, affirm and sustain learning in self and others.  Remember, this is your reason for being on earth. No pressure, right? Of course, since it is yours, you can change it any time you want.  Get your team together and do this as a team (the team's Purpose Statement) then help build each other's.  I guarantee that the time you invest will create great value.  NOTE: Submit your purpose statement using the form to the right and win fabulous RMA merchandise! 

In our book Mission Possible, my coauthor Terry Waghorn and I state that the most important earthly relationship you can cultivate as a leader is your relationship with yourself.  That might sound self-serving, but think about it—how well do you really know yourself? Every leader should have a purpose—a reason for being—something to strive for. A purpose is different from a goal because it is ongoing. It has no beginning or end. As a leader, your purpose comprises two elements: a personal mission statement and a set of values that define your strengths and help you make values-based decisions on a daily basis. Having a clear purpose gives meaning and definition to a leader’s life. Some people have asked me if making money is a good purpose.  There’s nothing wrong with wanting to make money—and it may be a goal to work toward—but it’s not a purpose. Purpose isn’t about achievement. It is much bigger. Your purpose is your calling. It’s about what business you are in as a person. I ask leaders to spend time developing their personal mission statement by answering these four questions: Why am I in the world? What is my overarching purpose? What would I like people to say about me after I’m gone? What difference will it have made that I was here? The next step is to identify your personal values by answering these questions: What is really important to me? What do I stand for? What three values do I want to live by? Which of those values is most important? Going through this process takes some soul searching and quiet, thoughtful time. This isn’t an exercise to rush through. Once you clearly understand your motivation and intention as a leader, you are able to monitor yourself on a daily basis. You’ll begin to notice certain actions that are more in line with your purpose than others. And you’ll begin eliminating behaviors that don’t support your purpose—and staying on a path of continuous personal improvement. When you really know who you are as a leader, you can operate more efficiently and calmly while making meaningful decisions. But the best part is that you’ll also be able to bring out the magnificence in others. And isn’t that the most important role of a leader?

eLearning course collaboration is one of the hardest things to achieve. Without course collaboration, learning is incomplete, as eLearning is an inherently social process. Trainers become overwhelmed at the prospect of engaging course participants. With each batch of learners being more unique, challenging and intellectually advanced than the previous one, trainers and online facilitators soon run out of strategies to engage and collaborate with learners. In this article, we’ll share the top 12 questions trainers need to ask while revising the course before delivery to boost collaboration. The best eLearning courses are usually the ones that have been improved in iterations. The answer to these questions are one of the fastest methods to achieve higher quality courses. Also included are a few more questions for learners, to further aid in the eLearning course improvement. Use the following exercise for note taking and final tweaking of the course towards establishing eLearning collaboration: 1. What is the content of this course? What areas of this content encourage collaborative learning? What areas are surplus? Some pieces of content may need to go, no matter how important they seem. There is a place for the surplus (and seemingly worthwhile) content, and that is the "Resources and Extra Reading" section. Have learners review this section by providing direct links from the main content. But try not to clutter the main content. 2. What are the goals of the small group activities already established for this course? Do they lead to rich collaboration environments? The best way to ensure that collaboration will be successful is to merge the course goals with your current registered learners’ goals. 3. What are the team sizes for these activities for efficient eLearning collaboration? Based on the age groups of your learners and their competency level, create appropriate team sizes and composition to ensure that collaboration actually happens in the desired manner and is an improvement. 4. How are groups or teams formed? Are they formed by the trainer or by the learners themselves? Are they formed based on interests or strengths? Responding to these questions will yield better and satisfying learning experiences. 5. Should teams be homogeneous or heterogeneous? Research indicates a JIGSAW-style group formation in which high capability individuals are mixed with lower capability ones. This creates a culture of helping, caring and inspiration, and helps all learners learn better. 6. Do the groups remain the same throughout the course? Or does each activity require different groups? If the course is short, try maintaining the teams throughout the course. Longer courses can benefit from team member shifts. It will help instill better team spirit and leadership skills. 7. How will activities be structured to ensure participation? Everyone needs a chance to express themselves. When learners submit their resume/introductory email, try to analyze the strengths of each. Create activities that everybody can relate to, identify with and contribute towards. 8. Do the group dynamics lend themselves to labeling groups or individuals with roles? Identify strong characteristics of your learners and provide roles to them. This way, the peers are more likely to benefit from each other and actually learn more efficiently. 9. Are there any rewards and motivations built into the course? Think of adding gamification techniques, like points or badges awarded to all members of a group that succeed in a given task. 10. Is there accountability built into the course? Have learners contribute towards rule-making activities. Give them choices and responsibilities. This will engage them even more into the course, and facilitate active learning. 11. How will evaluation of individuals and groups take place? Is the evaluation completed by the trainer or by the learners? 12. How will feedback to performance be provided? Will it be completed by peers or by the trainer? Or perhaps by both? The importance of feedback in eLearning is indisputable, as it helps the learners improve their performance, whether provided by their peers or the instructor. Trainers and eLearning course facilitators need distinct answers to these 12 questions in order to establish collaboration from day one. Having answers to these questions creates strong leadership and mentoring capabilities in the trainer. In addition, you should also have the learners answer the following questions (in the middle or towards the end of the course) to ensure collaboration: 1. How do I rate myself as a participant in group activities on a scale of 1 to 5? (5 being a great team player) 2. Did I make a worthwhile contribution to the group? 3. Did I share my chores in the team? 4. How comfortable was I with the group process on a scale of 1 to 5? (5 being at ease) 5. Did I feel comfortable in expressing my problems and concerns openly? 6. Did I provide reasonable feedback to my peers? 7. How did the collaborative process contribute to my learning goals for this course? Trainers need to further improve the course for eLearning collaboration, based on the responses by the learners. Conclusion Establishing collaboration is an explicit and a deliberate effort. It needs prior planning. Sometimes, collaboration plans need to change according to the group responses. Have a meeting with the eLearning development team to discuss your answers and those of your learners to these questions. You will be surprised at how much easier it becomes to have learners engage and communicate with each other on a regular basis. The post 12 Questions to Promote Collaborative Learning appeared first on TalentLMS Blog.

You’ve ensured that your website and social media pages fall in line with your brand. But is your eLearning course a true reflection of your company’s image? In this article, we’ll highlight 5 ways that you can brand your eLearning course. How To Brand Your eLearning Course Chances are, you’ve spent a great deal of time polishing your brand image. You pride yourself on your online reputation and do everything in your power to build credibility with your online learners. However, you may be missing a golden opportunity. Take a closer look at your eLearning course. Does it feature your company logo? Do the images and color palette align with your company’s message? Here are the top 5 ways that you can integrate your branding into your eLearning course design. 1. Company Colors Many eLearning authoring tools allow you to customize various aspects of their pre-built eLearning templates and themes. Take advantage of this by changing the color scheme to align with your branding. For example, you can modify the colors of your borders, backgrounds, fonts, and navigation icons. If you don’t already have a pre-set color palette, use your logo as inspiration. Just bear in mind that more is usually less when it comes to colors. So, opt for two or three colors rather than a veritable rainbow. Also, ensure that every eLearning course page, activity, or social media page has the same color scheme. The goal is to make your eLearning course materials instantly recognizable. Quick Tip: Another important consideration is color associations. For instance, the color yellow typically symbolizes energy and optimism. On the other hand, red is linked to urgency and danger. Think about the emotions behind the colors you are using and whether they’re a good fit for the subject matter. 2. eLearning Templates Featuring Your Logo eLearning templates featuring your logo and company message can be used time and again. If you are using an eLearning authoring tool with pre-built eLearning templates, simply add your own branding images to the layout. You should also create an intro or outro screen for eLearning videos that prominently displays your logo and contact information. The same goes for social media banners and any other eLearning course materials. If you are creating your eLearning course from scratch, you might consider a reusable eLearning template to make the process easier. This saves time in the long run, because you’ve already integrated the logo into your layout. Quick Tip: Before you create an eLearning template featuring your logo, it may be wise to evaluate your current eLearning course design, especially if you’ve had it for some time. Is it outdated? Are there elements you’d like to add to the image? You don’t want to add the logo to all of your eLearning course content only to realize that it needs a modern makeover. 3. Workplace Imagery Including workplace images is one of the most effective ways to integrate your branding and personalize the online training experience. This includes photographs of your physical location, employees, and other work-related snapshots. The best images are usually candid pictures that are relatable, such as a customer service associate helping a customer. Branding images enhance the realism of your eLearning course, as well. For example, including pictures of the work equipment or machinery that is used on a daily basis. Online learners have the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the tools before they enter the workplace. It also tells them that the online training is custom tailored for their needs, which increases its overall value. There is a variety of sites for free eLearning stock photos where you can find industry-specific images. Using your own photos is always best, but only if they’re of high quality. 4. Social Media Links Your social media presence is an integral part of your brand image. This is particularly true in this day-and-age, when millions of people are using social networks daily. All of your eLearning course materials should display your social media contacts, including Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube. Your social media presence is an integral part of your brand image.Click To Tweet Online learners must be able to click through to the pages without having to search for them online. If you don’t have any social media links, then now is the time to create them. Signing up for the major networking sites takes just a few minutes, and they also feature your branded images. Quick Tip: Instead of using hyperlinks or standard buttons, customize your social media icons to match your branding. For example, embed the links in company images or use your color scheme in the button design. Don’t forget to align your social media thumbnails and headers with your existing branding materials. 5. Associated Fonts Your organization probably has a go-to font that they use for all their memos and emails. You can carry this over to your eLearning course design by changing the font type. It doesn’t necessarily have to be all throughout. In fact, just changing the header or button fonts can make a difference. If you don’t have a favorite font, consider choosing one now to use for all of your future eLearning course materials. The secret is selecting a font for your eLearning course that accurately conveys your brand message, but is still legible in digital formats. For example, elegant or artistic fonts may reflect the sophistication of your brand, but online learners may not be able to read the text. Quick Tip: The simplest way to narrow down your typography choices is by opening a word document and typing the company name. This gives you the opportunity to compare the sample fonts side by side to find the one that’s just right. You should also have other members of your eLearning team take a look and offer their input. Sometimes all it takes is a fresh set of eyes and a different perspective. In addition to using these 5 techniques, evaluate all of your online platforms and ensure that they are cohesive and up-to-date. They must all feature the same logo, color scheme, and font type to establish your brand. This also helps to build brand awareness and foster trust among your audience. Facebook and Twitter are great brand-building tools, but don’t forget about YouTube. Read the article 4 Simple Steps To Launch Your eLearning YouTube Channel to discover the benefits of creating an eLearning YouTube channel and simple steps to follow in order to get started on this adventure. Don’t forget to check how you can customize your TalentLMS portal to improve your users’ learning experience! The post 5 Ways To Brand Your eLearning Course appeared first on TalentLMS Blog.

Everyone is too busy.  For great leaders, busy is an opportunity to do great things more effectively than others. For poor leaders, busy is an excuse to be ineffective.  Victims cannot be great leaders.As I was watching Andrew Luck work his magic at the end of a Colts (loss) game, I was struck by his ability to see the whole field and then instantly switch to a laser focus on the person he was passing to.  In this case, unfortunately, a Denver player was able to sneak up on him and interrupt the play. Had he been seeing the whole field at that point, he might have been able to avoid the tackle.  However, he would likely not have been able to accurately make the pass.  Great leaders intentionally pick what they will focus on.   Bad leaders let every interruption interrupt their brain. Our brains are not built to jump between multiple points of focus.  Write down 25 random words. Give yourself a minute or less. Turn the list over.  Quickly write down what words you remember.  You'll notice a couple of things from memory theory:You'll remember the first and maybe last word you wrote down.  You'll remember any strange words.You'll remember emotional words.You'll group words together that make sense. Words that don't have pictures (for example, love) will be more difficult to remember. Focus requires intention.  Chunking, pictures and other memory techniques are required for our brain to remember more than 7 +/- 2 things.  Bad leaders have a to-do list that has 100 items on it to get done today.  Great leaders have 1-3 imperatives for the day.NOTE: More details on mitigating busy-ness in the September Learning Flash

Just assessing for more intelligence isn’t enough. You need to diagnose with a purpose.

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