Networking in the early days leads to a new hire who stays longer and is more engaged.

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As you can imagine, I’m on a lot of mailing lists and social media groups about Lean and see it described and talked about in many ways. Recently, some of these have been really over the top and, quite frankly, do a disservice. Headlines like "Improvement Through Cultural Transformation!" either scare people away or are so vague and highfaluting that everyone reads into it whatever they want. Thoughtful organizations that can benefit, sadly, hesitate. Others jump in with both feet and little understanding of what’s actually required. Not surprisingly, their effort stalls, sputters or flat out fails; another casualty in the Program of the Month Club. Lean strives for simplicity and transparency, so let’s describe it that way. Here’s how I frame my conversations with clients when they ask what Lean is all about: Lean is the daily practice of people perfecting their own work by eliminating non-value-added activities and creating more customer value. You’ll notice I don’t mention any tools or techniques. No value stream analysis. No 5S. That’s because tools change over time and apply to specific situations and problems. And I don’t mention reducing costs either because that’s just one possible result and some organizations don’t want to focus on that. For example, healthcare is concerned with patient outcomes and L&D organizations want to reduce time to proficiency. This definition evolved over many years and tries to communicate Lean’s never-changing essentials. Here are the words and phrases I thought about carefully and why I included them (and excluded others). "Daily Practice" Are you watching the Rio Games? Those athletes and teams perform at a consistently high level because they practice and practice and, then, practice even more. How well would the USA volleyball team perform if they got together and practiced once a month? They wouldn’t even make it out of the first round. Lean is the same. It requires frequent application to develop proficiency and deliver results. The first step in developing Lean problem-solving muscles is to set aside time daily. In addition to doing work, people need to spend time improving work together. "People Perfecting" Lean is collaborative, so the word ‘people’ is important. Also, I didn’t say ’employees’ because improvement can involve suppliers, contractors and consultants. Most waste is the result of activities, things and data moving (or, in some cases, NOT moving) between people, departments and locations in the right order at the right time. Therefore, people have to work together to identify and eliminate these wastes. And they should have ambitious goals that make the time working together worthwhile. Problems should be eliminated at the source so they cannot recur. Lean is not putting yet another Band-Aid on a problem. "Their Own Work" As opposed to special teams sitting in a corporate office changing other people’s procedures, tools and work environment, Lean improvement happens where the work happens, i.e., at the gemba. Change comes from within. Now, some of you are rolling your eyes, but consider the adage I live by: ‘People don’t mind change; they mind being changed." Properly led and motivated, people are capable of radically altering how they do their work. And that leads to the last part of my description. "Non-Value-Added Activities" and "More Customer Value" Lean focuses on clearly understanding what the ultimate customer truly needs and wants, i.e., what they will actually pay for. Armed with this knowledge and using Lean tools and techniques, work teams can separate the wheat from the chaff and make changes, both small and large, to their work processes. What the ultimate customer values becomes the ‘True North’ of every effort. So, does this definition scare you? Are you more or less likely to want to start practicing Lean after you read it? Let me know at todd@maverickinstitute.com or call me direct at 303.819.6662. I’d like to hear your thoughts. Let’s Ride! Todd Hudson, Head Maverick The post Don’t Be Scared Away From Lean appeared first on Maverick Institute.

People focus too much on Lean as a way to reduce costs. Yes, that’s frequently one result, but Lean, at its core, is about creating more customer/patient value. Show ‘Em the LUV The perfect example is Southwest Airlines (NYSE: LUV). You’ll never see the word ‘Lean’ on their website or any corporate communications. And to my knowledge they’ve never presented at a Lean conference. But, continuous improvement and low operating costs are thoroughly ingrained in their culture. You see it in their airport employees moving between jobs and locations and in their modern, fuel-efficient fleet. You feel it in their unique booking and boarding process. You read about their impressive gate efficiency in aviation journals. The result is Southwest announced its 43rd year of consecutive profitability. Every other airline in existence over this period has posted staggering losses and consequently filed for bankruptcy, been acquired, or gone out of business. Lower Airfare Prices? Heck NO! So, what has Southwest done with all these profits? Increased customer value! Here are just two examples. First, you can change airline reservations for free. The other airlines charge $200. If you’re a frequent business flier on a tight travel budget, this is HUGE customer value. You could save thousands of dollars a year. Second, two checked bags are free. The other airlines charge $25 per bag. If you’re a sales person transporting product samples or family of four going on vacation, this is HUGE customer value. You could easily save $100 or more on a trip. Now, Southwest could follow the herd, charge big bucks for changes and bags and be even more profitable in the short term. Or they could forego some profit, lower prices and try to steal marketshare from other airlines. But, their strategy is to grow by offering more customer value. And this is much more difficult for inefficient competitors to match. The Machine That Changed the World (aka Lean) The Japanese car companies knocked the Big Three US automakers silly in the 1980’s doing this very thing. They plowed the greater profits generated by their Lean-based, lower cost operations into features that customers wanted. Power windows used to be an expensive option. The Japanese made it a standard feature. The same with air conditioning; came with the car at no extra charge. This strategy slammed US automakers hard. It stole customers from their showrooms and lowered revenue from both sales of vehicles and options. This, in turn, reduced their profits and deprived them of funds for new car R&D and plant improvements. The Japanese went on to gain a huge chunk of US marketshare. The upside is that we’re all driving much better cars today. Lean is a Funding Strategy Stop thinking of Lean as a cost reduction method. Rather, view it as a strategy to fund your efforts to improve patient outcomes and increase customer value. What does your customer or patient value that you "can’t afford" to provide them today? How could Lean help you reduce operational costs to fund those offerings? Remember, small wastes get big quickly! Let’s Ride! Todd Hudson, Head Maverick The post Funnel Lean Savings into More Customer Value (Not Lower Prices) appeared first on Maverick Institute.

Some of you know that I have a passion for Accelerated Learning (my first book was The Accelerated Learning Fieldbook)and the research around how people learn.   At the end of our two day workshop on Accelerated Learning, I would always play the video. The song still moves me.  It's in Every One Us, especially YOU. Pull it out and use it.   It's in everyone of us to be wise, Find your heart, open up both your eyes, We can all know everything without ever knowing why, It's in everyone of us by and by ..  It's in everyone of us, I just remembered, it's like I been sleeping for years, I'm not awake as I can be but my seeing is better, I can see ..through the tears,  I've been realizing that, I bought this ticket and watching only half of the show,  There is scenery and lights and a cast of thousands, Who all know what I know, And it's good that it's so ..  It's in everyone of us to be wise, Find your heart, open up both your eyes, We can all know everything without ever knowing why, It's in everyone of us by and by .. 

These five social media tips will help you define and take control of your own personal leadership brand.

Steve Jobs gave us the iPhone, Marc Zuckerberg gave us Facebook, Chef Alfredo gave us Chicken Alfredo. But who gave us TalentLMS? Who are those mysterious elves that helped create your favorite Cloud-based LMS platform? And what are the some of the marketing, support, and QA people working behind the scenes to bring you the most satisfying SaaS experience? In this series of posts, which you’ve already gotten a taste of, we’re having a look at the talented people behind TalentLMS. Today, we’re talking to Maria Logotheti, our Customer Support Assistant and all around nice gal. Please introduce yourself to our readers. What’s your name and general background? My name you’ve probably already gotten off the post’s image. I am a Customer Support Assistant in TalentLMS, but also Quality Assurance Manager for our new application, Snappico. I was raised in Athens, Greece and graduated from the University of Macedonia where I studied Marketing and Operation Management. Trying to combine my love of travel with personal development, I found myself studying in Sweden and then working in Spain and Belgium for a couple of years. The contact with people from different backgrounds is something that I really enjoy, which is why I really enjoy supporting customers from all over the globe. You are Support & Quality Assurance assistant in TalentLMS and Snappico. What does each of these roles entail? I am part of the after-sales-support team for TalentLMS, which includes support for customers in our free and demo tiers. I focus on our customers’ needs and my role is to come up with and propose features which they may have not yet discovered and to solve any problematic or unusual behavior noticed in their eLearning portals. In Snappico, I am responsible for the quality of our content sets, trying to give to the reader the best visuals and information in a variety of topics. How did you make this career choice? The eLearning industry was unknown territory for me, but when I chanced upon it I saw that it was a big opportunity — and I haven’t ever regretted making the jump! To some, a customer service role may sound like suffering through a mountain of customer complaints, but in reality (at least this is the case with TalentLMS) it’s nothing like that. You get to interact with people from all over the world, with different needs and backgrounds, something which I find thrilling. Of course, not all interactions are great in the beginning, but having the power to turn them into great customer experience is an extremely rewarding feeling! Do you have any examples of issues that were prevented or features that were improved thanks to the QA team? Oh, yes! For starters, the classic problem of accidentally deleting a user and losing all the data available about them. The ability to undo a deletion was a complex feature, but also an extremely useful one, as our customers were often losing information due to an unfortunate decision that they were not able to undo. Fortunately, our team managed to tackle it, and since 2016, we introduced a feature that allows our customer to restore their deleted users (or courses), and I am happy that now I can point this to any customers worried about some regretted or accidental deletion. Maria to the rescue! What TalentLMS features do you think are most important in attracting new customers? There are lots of features in TalentLMS I could talk about, as it was designed with flexibility in mind, but I will just focus on a couple of them that I have received the best feedback about. The ability to build custom reports and then use the filtered list of learners to perform mass actions. This is a feature that results in substantial time savings for our customers — and we have received some great ideas to further enhance it. Also the ability to map a user’s domain in their TalentLMS portal, and be able to customize it. In general, a little customization or coding can do magic in a TalentLMS portal, and our customers have all these ideas and contact us to help them with their implementation. How important is customer feedback in what you do? We use it fanatically to improve our business, product and the overall customer experience. After all, the best business decisions are based on data, not hunches, and customer feedback is the holy grail of tangible data. You can gather real insight into how your customers really feel about the product or service you deliver and how satisfied they are with your offering. The rapport that we have with our customers is truly special, they feel like members of the TalentLMS community (which they are) and they are more than willing to work with us, give their suggestions, and even dedicate time to help us improve the platform. When their ideas become part of TalentLMS as new features, they share their enthusiasm with us, and that has a great bonding effect that you only get from software companies who listen. Do you have some specific unexpected/funny/insightful story to share regarding this? I love the relationship we have developed with our customers and how comfortable they feel to ask any question they have in mind, even if it is not related to their (learning) portal. One of my favorite customers once asked me what’s the best way to cook an octopus! I was not sure how to respond at first, but, hey, we give support under any circumstance, so I shared my favorite recipe, and now I am waiting for my chocolate box from Australia! What do you like about working in the online learning industry in general and at Epignosis in particular? Epignosis was able to foresee the rise of enterprise and personal online learning and has built a series of products and services to make eLearning technology accessible and affordable to any company or organization worldwide. Being part of a mission and working in an environment with young, positive and warm people, I really regard myself as lucky. Also when your customers treat you like a friend, starting their messages with "Hey Maria.." — I mean, isn’t that great? What is it about your job that you love the most? It may sound cliché, but it is the environment I am working in. We spend much of our time working and it would be a pity to not feel happy. I thoroughly enjoy going to work, I like the challenges involved, I am friends with my colleagues and I feel 9-5 is the most creative part of my day! If you couldn’t do what you do now, what would be the ideal job position for you? Any other ideal job for me would look pretty similar to this one — it will again involve people and not numbers, satisfaction and not market trends. I am happy to offer my skills and knowledge to help other people. I get some sort of fulfilment out of making other people feel less stressed or helping them out in times of need. We have two hands. The one to help ourselves and the second to help others. Plus, I have the chance to get direct feedback from our customers, something extremely valuable for the development of our products, and I feel like I have significant input in the whole process. Where do you see yourself and TalentLMS in 5 years? Soon I will have my one year work anniversary with TalentLMS, and I am glad that I am part of a fast growing company. Its people are the source of constant innovation and I wish, as the time passes, to be more and more involved, and help create more of the features that keep TalentLMS on the top. In 5 years I will have my six year work anniversary — which will coincide nicely with a new title in the company! I will be responsible for training our bigger 2021 support team. The post The talent behind TalentLMS - A chat with our Customer Support Assistant appeared first on TalentLMS Blog.

Abstract theories and vague innovations never had much of a shelf life in business. Sure, the business press peddled a lot of them over the years (new theories of management, economic paradigms, ways of dealing with HR, etc.), and businesses would adopt one now and then, but in the end, only those that actually proved themselves in the market survived. Because running a business is all about the bottom line — and anything that doesn’t have a measurable positive impact on that, will, sooner or later, get scrapped. Employee training is no different in this regard. Sure, every organization needs to have capable employees. But is it really beneficial for a company to run its own training program, instead of only hiring people already skilled in the desired tasks, or delegating that to some third party? Does it make sense to invest in an online training platform, as opposed to traditional learning processes? And, finally, how does one begin to evaluate the real impact of a company’s employee training program? Fortunately, having worked with thousands of companies, helping them train hundreds of thousands of employees all around the globe and assisting them in evaluating their training programs, we have some answers to these questions. And we’re going to get through them in this very post. Evaluating your employee training program: Different kinds of impact Before measuring anything, we need to understand what it is we want to measure. Not just to be able to reach for the right tools (e.g. you wouldn’t measure length with a thermometer), but also to appreciate and comprehend the different ways in which something like employee training can impact our business. And, when it comes to employee training, there are indeed more than one things to measure. We could, for example, measure how effective it has been in increasing our employees’ knowledge and skills. Or we could measure how much more efficient our business workflows and processes have become, as a result of our training. Or we could try to measure the cultural impact, within the company, of things like ethical responsibility and racial sensitivity training. And, last but definitely not least, we could measure for any positive impact of our training program to the company’s bottom line — which is, in all probability, the main thing we want out of it. What we’re suggesting, though, is that you should measure all of these things — and a few more which we’ll discuss later in this post. That’s because all of these things, in one way or another, contribute to the success (or failure) of an organization. And besides, they’re not as independent as they might appear in the first place. New skills / Knowledge It goes without saying that a training program should be, first and foremost, efficient in training people. That is, it should help them understand and absorb your training material and gain new knowledge and skills. In fact, if we were talking about training in general education that (knowledge, that is) would be the one and only thing that mattered. But, of course, in business, there are other considerations too. Fortunately, measuring training effectiveness, namely the contribution of a training program to the learners’ knowledge, is exactly what LMS platforms are great at. That’s what quizzes, tests and the like are about, and an LMS platform like TalentLMS will give you all the tools you need to create them, manage them, deliver them to your learners, grade them and in general evaluate learner performance through them. And even if the material involves some practical skills or a physical demonstration of some newly acquired dexterity, it’s easy to leverage TalentLMS’ blended learning support to schedule some classroom or teleconference-based sessions to assess them. Efficiency impact The second thing you’d want to measure is any improvements in your company’s operational efficiency, workflows and such. Here, the built-in LMS tools won’t be of much assistance. You will need to go out and pay attention to what employees do, and how they go about in their day-to-day activities, from working on the assembly line to dealing with customers, study all available employee performance metrics, and try to find quantitative or qualitative differences compared to what was the case before the training program. Of course, this means that you’ll need to also pay attention to any workflows you want to improve through training before the training program begins so that you have a baseline to compare to. Watch for particular practices, techniques and tips that were included in your courses, and see whether your employees are taking advantage of them — and also how many of them do so. This isn’t strictly a numbers game either — observing that e.g. 80% of the workers have adopted this technique from their training, but only 20% have adopted this other technique is just the first step. You’ll also need to try and understand why this is the case, and what could be done to increase adoption or even whether anything should be done at all — perhaps some technique wasn’t adopted because it proved to be impractical or flawed in actual use, in which case you should remove it from your training material. Sometimes, asking your employee directly (e.g. through a training evaluation questionnaire) will give you surprisingly good insight on such issues. Besides workflows, another obvious way to check for differences in efficiency is by comparing the before and after of various operational metrics. That could be, for example, products assembled per hour (for a factory), successfully concluded calls (for a support center), etc. Again, to evaluate the impact of your employee training program, you will need to have a baseline to compare the post-training situation to the previous ones, so try to get a sense of those things before you start your training. Cultural impact This might not be obvious to check for at all, but if you’re doing any onboarding, ethics training, cultural sensitivity training and such, to your new hires (or even existing employees), you’ll probably want to know about its effectiveness too. Good results here won’t show up as improved production metrics, but you can still gauge them by contrasting things like HR complaints (for harassment, etc) before and after, directly asking (e.g. through a TalentLMS survey) minority employees of any changes they’ve witnessed, and other relevant questions. In general, assessing improvements from training in the company’s culture and employee-to-employee interactions takes more effort and requires a more qualitative approach than measuring other effects of online training. Employee satisfaction Speaking of qualitative results, employee happiness is another big thing you should definitely check for, before and after your training program. Employees value learning new things, especially when it comes with improved career opportunities within the company, and it also gives them a reassurance that your organization believes and invests in them and their further training. This can help reduce employee churn, which is a real problem for most companies, especially ones operating in the so-called Knowledge Economy. Again, tools like TalentLMS’ Surveys can help you get an overview of your employees’ sentiments towards their training program, but also their work in general. Economic impact Last, but certainly not least, is the economic impact of your training program. Of course, when it comes to an online training program, there will usually be considerable cost-savings compared to traditional classroom-based training. These can be quite hefty for larger companies, with lots of employees and many facilities (or extended enterprise partners), but we’re not going to focus on those here. After all, those are very simple to calculate. The real economic impact of your training will be the changes your company sees in its revenue because of it. Unfortunately, this is very hard to measure, since there are numerous factors that you need to eliminate to get an accurate picture (perhaps any uptick or downtick in revenue was due to the overall market, or because of some coincidental large orders, etc — as opposed to being directly caused by more knowledgeable employees). Still, you could get a decent approximation of this, by checking the effect on your revenue of things like the workflow and productivity improvements we mentioned earlier on. A faster order processing pipeline or a quick product turnaround time, for example, can be directly translated to increased revenue. Other training-related changes might affect a different part of the logistics of your production, resulting in increased efficiencies, etc. Once you’ve identified a quantifiable change, it’s usually quite easy to translate it into changes in revenue. Adding all of these up, and compensating for seasonal fluctuations and market factors, will give you a rough idea of the impact of your training program in your company’s bottom line. Conclusion Your training program will have an impact on your company and the way it does business in several ways. Some, like its impact on your employee’s skills and knowledge, can be easily measured and monitored through the built-in tools a platform like TalentLMS offers. In the general case though, evaluating employee training programs is a complex process, half-art, half-science. To fully understand and evaluate the effectiveness of your employee training program, both in scope and in magnitude, you need to study how it affects all other aspects of your operation, from improved workflows and company culture down to reduced employee churn and increased profits. The post How to evaluate the real impact of your employee training program appeared first on TalentLMS Blog.

​Regardless of what level of the organization you are being promoted to, you need to be onboarded. If there isn't a plan for that, create one yourself or with the help of your HR organization. Here are a few other tips: ​A manager's focus is on the team he or she manages.  The job is to build the team.    In contrast, a leader's focus is on the future (strategy) of the organization.  The job is to build the capacity to thrive in the future.  These are very different jobs and moving between them can be a challenge.   Identify people who have a job similar to the one you are promoted into.  Figure out who the best ones are, and observe what they do and say.  Figure out who the weakest are, and observe the same.   Seek first to collaborate.  Competition usually creates a battle and someone will lose.   Do research on the goals of the organization and make sure you understand the boundaries of those goals at your new level.  Know the playing field as quickly as possible.  Invest in leadership opportunities and learning.  There are so many wonderful programs online. Consider joining a peer group outside of your organization for additional perspectives.  If you end up managing people who used to be your peers, check out the wonderful book and guide by Kevin Eikenberry titled Bud to Boss. 

What is the Story Picture in Your Mind?Suppose you received a message from your boss that he/she wants to see you as soon as you come in. However, it doesn’t say why. How would you react? What scenes are running in your head?Here’s another scenario. What if your loved one is out of town on a business trip. You expect a text once he/she has reached the destination. True, the scheduled arrival was late last night but it’s already morning and no text has arrived. How does that make you feel? What thoughts are rushing through your mind?Give yourself a few minutes to go through the questions and answer them. Is there a common thread in your answers? These events are both imagined situations and the answers you provided were based on a story you’re telling yourself. Whether positive or negative, the story you tell yourself is about what could possibly happen or what possibly happened. Making Inferences, Recognizing PatternsTelling ourselves stories isn’t limited to exercises like those above, though. Without even realizing it, we tell ourselves stories all the time. We go through a narrative or several narratives from the time we wake up until it’s time to sleep. Geez, even our dreams (or nightmares) are stories, too!Stories are natural for humans. They’re central to our existence. Cultures worldwide have their own stories to share. In fact, we’re so enamored with stories, that we find stories even when there aren’t any!Have you ever looked at the clouds on a clear, sunny day and thought you saw a unicorn (or some other figure) taking shape? Our brain is so hardwired to recognize patterns that we imagine seeing patterns when in reality they’re just puffy balls of mist. Why is this fact important and how can trainers and designers use this to their advantage?In one study, scientists found that when someone tells a story, their brains and the brains of their listeners synchonize. When certain parts of the storyteller’s brain lights up, the same parts lit up in his/her listeners’ brains as well. This amazing phenomenon occurs because the brain can’t tell real experiences versus imagined ones.  As a result, the storyteller was able to let his/her listeners experience what he/she experienced. In short: "By simply telling a story, the woman could plant ideas, thoughts and emotions into the listeners’ brains," according to Uri Hasson from Princeton University, one of the study authors.Social psychologist Jennifer Aaker adds, this means stories should be able to take listeners where you want them to go.Craft Your Signature StoryAs trainers, we aim to see our learners take on the desired behavior. Stories should reinforce the lesson. Since stories are up to 22 times more memorable than facts alone, it’s a great tool to use especially when we want a lesson to stick to our learners’ minds even after the session is over.Aaker suggests, trainers should develop their portfolio of signature stories. A signature story is "a story that after you tell it, people who listen to it somehow look at you differently." Signature stories (1) shape how learners see you and (2) can be used as a tool of power and (3) persuasion.When crafting your signature story, remember to ask yourself the following questions: Why are you telling the story in the first place? Why would the audience want to listen? Why would the audience care? Why would the audience want to share the story?ConclusionsStories are powerful tools to persuade people to change their perspective. Asking questions helps learners make inferences to make the story, integrate themselves into it, and as a result make the lesson more memorable.As a trainer or designer, what is your signature story? What kind of stories are you known for or would like to be known for? Share your thoughts.ReferencesTip #102: Cognitive Tunnelling: How to Achieve Focus Through Stories Fritz Heider and Marianne Simmel. An Experimental Study of Apparent Behavior. The American Journal of Psychology, Vol. 57, No. 2 (April 1944), pp.243-259.Greg J. Stephens, Lauren J. Silbert, and Uri Hasson. Speaker-Listener Neural Coupling Underlies Successful Communication. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 2010 Aug. 10; 107 (32).Jennifer Aaker. Harnessing the Power of Stories. Stanford Graduate School of Business, 2013.Ray Jimenez, PhDVignettes Learning"Helping Learners Learn Their Way"Ray Jimenez, PhD Vignettes Learning Learn more about story and experience-based eLearning

What is the Story Picture in Your Mind?Suppose you received a message from your boss that he/she wants to see you as soon as you come in. However, it doesn’t say why. How would you react? What scenes are running in your head?Here’s another scenario. What if your loved one is out of town on a business trip. You expect a text once he/she has reached the destination. True, the scheduled arrival was late last night but it’s already morning and no text has arrived. How does that make you feel? What thoughts are rushing through your mind?Give yourself a few minutes to go through the questions and answer them. Is there a common thread in your answers? These events are both imagined situations and the answers you provided were based on a story you’re telling yourself. Whether positive or negative, the story you tell yourself is about what could possibly happen or what possibly happened. Making Inferences, Recognizing PatternsTelling ourselves stories isn’t limited to exercises like those above, though. Without even realizing it, we tell ourselves stories all the time. We go through a narrative or several narratives from the time we wake up until it’s time to sleep. Geez, even our dreams (or nightmares) are stories, too!Stories are natural for humans. They’re central to our existence. Cultures worldwide have their own stories to share. In fact, we’re so enamored with stories, that we find stories even when there aren’t any!Have you ever looked at the clouds on a clear, sunny day and thought you saw a unicorn (or some other figure) taking shape? Our brain is so hardwired to recognize patterns that we imagine seeing patterns when in reality they’re just puffy balls of mist. Why is this fact important and how can trainers and designers use this to their advantage?In one study, scientists found that when someone tells a story, their brains and the brains of their listeners synchonize. When certain parts of the storyteller’s brain lights up, the same parts lit up in his/her listeners’ brains as well. This amazing phenomenon occurs because the brain can’t tell real experiences versus imagined ones.  As a result, the storyteller was able to let his/her listeners experience what he/she experienced. In short: "By simply telling a story, the woman could plant ideas, thoughts and emotions into the listeners’ brains," according to Uri Hasson from Princeton University, one of the study authors.Social psychologist Jennifer Aaker adds, this means stories should be able to take listeners where you want them to go.Craft Your Signature StoryAs trainers, we aim to see our learners take on the desired behavior. Stories should reinforce the lesson. Since stories are up to 22 times more memorable than facts alone, it’s a great tool to use especially when we want a lesson to stick to our learners’ minds even after the session is over.Aaker suggests, trainers should develop their portfolio of signature stories. A signature story is "a story that after you tell it, people who listen to it somehow look at you differently." Signature stories (1) shape how learners see you and (2) can be used as a tool of power and (3) persuasion.When crafting your signature story, remember to ask yourself the following questions: Why are you telling the story in the first place? Why would the audience want to listen? Why would the audience care? Why would the audience want to share the story?ConclusionsStories are powerful tools to persuade people to change their perspective. Asking questions helps learners make inferences to make the story, integrate themselves into it, and as a result make the lesson more memorable.As a trainer or designer, what is your signature story? What kind of stories are you known for or would like to be known for? Share your thoughts.ReferencesTip #102: Cognitive Tunnelling: How to Achieve Focus Through Stories Fritz Heider and Marianne Simmel. An Experimental Study of Apparent Behavior. The American Journal of Psychology, Vol. 57, No. 2 (April 1944), pp.243-259.Greg J. Stephens, Lauren J. Silbert, and Uri Hasson. Speaker-Listener Neural Coupling Underlies Successful Communication. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 2010 Aug. 10; 107 (32).Jennifer Aaker. Harnessing the Power of Stories. Stanford Graduate School of Business, 2013.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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​One of the most effective Succession Planning I've seen was at Medco (now Express Scripts).  The organization had an open, shared process that enforced  that if you wanted to be promoted, be ready with your replacement.  Clearly, moving a talented supervisor or practitioner to another job leaves a hole in the organization that can be disruptive.  Medco believed that the individual who wants to be promoted must be ready to replace themselves.  This means you must encourage the creation of explicit Succession Plans for those who you think can replace you quickly. Usually this requires discussion with your boss and with HR specialists. Your candidate’s Career Map becomes your Succession Map.   Career Maps face up to your future and Succession Maps face across and down, looking for who will replace you when you move on.   This process should start the minute you are promoted into a job.  An intentional process for identifying your successor is a project, and requires documenting the steps clearly.  Here's a sample:   Identify the 1-3 people who have the most potential to replace you when you are promoted. Create a Job Benchmark and run Gap Reports (see Gap Report sample above) to verify that your choices are minimally biased.  Work with each person individually to create a plan to apply for your job.  Remember, it is their job with your guidance to create their Career Map (above).  Do not promise the job and be very careful not to set up the people to compete against each other which could create a disruptive culture in the team.   If possible, provide everyone in your team feedback and explain your criteria for the choices you've made so no one is whispering and conniving in the background instead of working.   Revisit the Job Benchmark every year in case the scope of the team responsibilities has changed.  

Leadership is not something you do to people. It’s something you do with people. I have believed this statement my entire career—and it might be even more important now than it was 35 years ago. Workforces are more diverse, workplaces are less centralized, and technology continues to revolutionize how business is conducted and how people communicate. The most successful leaders are the ones who partner with their staff. Partnership starts with clear and frequent communication. Leaders must establish a rhythm or consistent schedule of discussions with team members. I suggest that leaders meet at least once a week, for 30 minutes with each direct report. That might sound like a lot of extra work, but I guarantee if you spend this time you’ll create trusting relationships with your team that will improve morale and productivity in your department. Use these meetings to work with your team member to set clear goals, to praise progress on tasks, to redirect efforts if necessary, and to celebrate the completion of each project. It is critical that the leader and team member participate equally in these meetings, speak their truths, and listen with the intent of learning something—not judging. Some of you reading this might be saying, "This isn’t new information." You’re right it isn’t—but it is such a simple truth of leadership that I want to remind people again and again. You’ve probably heard me say that the information I provide for leaders is just common sense. But I also say that my philosophy isn’t always commonly practiced. My goal is to have every leader start having these important conversations with their teams. I urge you to partner with each team member to help them be successful. So, I provide this reminder for you to be a leader that makes this common sense, common practice. You’ll soon realize how a small investment of time spent partnering with your people will build a stronger, more self-reliant team.

eLearning is beginning to seep into the very basis of knowledge development and technology innovation. With the passage of time, scholars and researchers have conducted numerous longitudinal studies to demonstrate the benefits of eLearning. In this article, we’ll share with you the latest benefits outlined by researchers in the field of eLearning.  Use these points in your next argument with a naysayer! Win them over and have them try out a quality eLearning experience. Let them know why you love developing eLearning solutions for a living. Also, share with them the affordable and easy to use learning management systems you love! Astonishingly, we still come across skeptics or naysayers who need to be convinced of the many benefits of eLearning. Since we have a few advantages at our fingertips, there is no reason we should be unable to win the argument. So here it is! A new list of 15, research-supported pieces of evidence, proving that eLearning indeed is worth investing in, regardless of the learning environment. Learners of all ages and aptitudes will benefit from eLearning in ways not available to them through traditional learning environments. In fact, here is why more and more educators are incorporating eLearning in their live classrooms for a blended learning experience. We have provided the possible comments from the naysayers and the benefits you need to quote and shut them down! Enjoy! 1. How can eLearning support my unique learning style? Maybe I am not a visual learner? I am more of an experiential learner. eLearning has a direct effect on an individual’s learning style, by drawing them into the real-world context and making them think about reflective practices. eLearning brings learning applications closer to the actual performance environment. 2. I don’t think eLearning improves exam and testing scores at all. Do you have evidence to support that it does?  Exam results have improved substantially over the years. Research indicates that achievement is more pronounced in generation Y as compared to generation X. 3. Does eLearning provide the same rich training experiences as a live training experience? Do trainees really learn and improve skills and performance?  Personal learner development has been refined over the years, and employability skills and confidence has been boosted through eLearning tools. 4. I don’t think you can motivate learners to stay on task and continue learning throughout the entire eLearning program! You will get more course online course drop-outs as compared to traditional training. eLearning has positively affected the motivation, engagement, enjoyment, and satisfaction in acquiring knowledge. This is evidenced by surveys held on a module level, course level, focus group evaluation and international reports. 5. As an educator, I will be limited to the resources available online. I have more facilities in the live teaching environment.  Educators now have the freedom, flexibility, motivation, and the tools to innovate their teaching methods and assessment practices. Materials are more fresh and innovative when presented in an online learning environment. 6. eLearning is not as popular as physical, real-world learning.  eLearning is becoming incredibly popular and has a positive influence on educational research practices. 7. eLearning administration must be a pain!!  Support and administrative staff is also more satisfied with eLearning programs, which are filled with automations that make their lives so much easier. 8. Employees are better off with their physical training and real trainers!  Employees report richer personal development and confidence when subjected to eLearning programs. And don’t forget: it’s real training with real instructors, just less tired ones. 9. Job hunting is easier through the Internet. What has eLearning got to do with job hunting?  eLearning has improved the accessibility to employment opportunities and recruitment efforts. eLearning programs for professional development are designed around market-desirable skills. By completing a training program, learners know that they are ready to apply for certain jobs. In fact, some eLearning training providers also connect newly graduated students with potential recruiters. 10. How do enrollment and retention figures compare between eLearning and brick-and-mortar learning institutions? Organizations and institutions have experienced a greater retention rate due to eLearning. 11. We have better learning policies and their respective implementations in our "real" learning institutes!  Institutional and organizational policies have been enhanced due to eLearning programs and application is even easier. 12. Aren’t eLearning courses more expensive than LIVE courses?  The cost, effort and time for upgrading and training has actually been reduced due to eLearning. Also, the cost of attending a LIVE training program is higher. Think about gas, the frustration of traffic, the time away from families and the extra preparation to meet for projects. 13. eLearning feels so informal. Does real learning takes place in this environment?  Learning spaces have become informal. For example, libraries and meeting rooms have become casual and relaxed, with contexts becoming even more conducive to knowledge sharing, due to eLearning. 14. What about the knowledge management infrastructure in eLearning?  Knowledge management has become advanced and structured due to eLearning, as it possesses tools and automations that support the effort to harness knowledge. 15. Is eLearning available to anyone, regardless of their socio-economic status and other short-comings?  The social justice agenda - equitable, equivalent and easy knowledge for all, is easier to implement and is widespread through eLearning. Have you ever heard of free physical training programs? Not many. eLearning is offered free through countless institutions. Try one MOOC and you will appreciate the quality of an eLearning program. When inviting individuals to your next eLearning program, be sure to share these points on your learning management system. Make them believers and spread the eLearning love! The post 15 Benefits of eLearning: Time to convince the naysayers! appeared first on TalentLMS Blog.

With a track record of almost a decade and a half in eLearning, we are now able to draw patterns. How do our avid learners prefer to learn? What mode and medium do they use? Let’s explore and demonstrate the learner preference for eLearning. Training managers and instruction designers, take notes. Based on this information, you can make valuable changes to your current courses! 1. Gamification Think about credit cards! Companies issuying them have been notorious for hooking us with card after card. How do they do that? Simple: they create points and reward systems to keep you sliding your card in every possible slot! You spend more and they earn interest off your payments. This is gamification in disguise. In eLearning, we use points to motivate learners to complete the course or to collaborate with their peers in a fun and engaging way. Moreover, gamified courses are plumped up with augmentations, animations and compelling storylines. We must say, gamification is the way to go! Definitely one of the most beneficial trends in eLearning right now. 2. MOOCs (Massive Online Open Courses) MOOCs are jumping out all over the Internet. In fact, higher education giants like MIT, Princeton and Yale, all have a "MOOC presence". Virtual universities are growing rapidly. Learners are quickly becoming certified and getting better jobs as a result. MOOCs are usually free, but some do require fees. But what we know is that the future of eLearning will see a lot of MOOCs. Roll your sleeves and explore a MOOC for your own ideas! 3. Personalized learning Learners are now the ones to craft their own learning paths. Talk about learner autonomy and freedom. To be honest, today’s adult learners are more motivated and focused than ever! They are quickly able to determine which chapters in an eLearning module to hit and which ones to miss, and it is your job to try and make most of them appeal to the users of your course. Make sure you provide this flexibility in your courses. This one is not to be missed in your next course! 4. mLearning and BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) mLearning is everywhere! It’s no surprise, as handhelds are hot stuff in every aspect, not just a trend in eLearning. Smartphones have finally replaced tablets, which replaced laptops, which in turn had replaced desktops! Smaller screens mean two things: Instruction developers need to know HTML5 and they need to break content into "nibble-sized chunks". Sorry, bite-sized chunks do not apply. 5. Augmented learning Augmented reality has stepped out of the movies and the games, like Pokemon Go. We talk to each other exactly like Master Yoda spoke through his virtual form with a Jedi in Star Wars! Learners can be placed in a replica of their work space, or a modeled 3D environment, with content pop-ups and features superimposed. It’s nowadays as real a feeling as it sounds! As an eLearning developer, you may not be required to create augmented figures, but you can use this option by hiring graphic designers. Not a bad idea for the beginning vignette, to hook your learners with one of the trends in eLearning! 6. APIs (Application Programming Interface) SCORM and TinCan are examples of APIs in eLearning; basically these programs have built-in instructions for applications to talk to each other, so that the content is compatible and platform-independent. TinCan enables learners to collect data online and offline. APIs aid in tracking learner progress and using your content through a multitude of software suites, seamlessly. 7. Cloud LMS  Cloud-based services for learning management systems and course authoring tools have taken the eLearning industry by storm! With flexible payment packages and easy-to-use features, many companies are opting for this kind of training programs, to avoid outsourcing instructional designers and eLearning developers. 8. Flash HTML5 conversion Platform-independence was almost impossible to achieve just a few years ago. What you saw on a tablet may not have been available on your laptop, and vice versa! Enter the magic of HTML5! It can play audio, video, 2D/3D graphics and animation, all without a plug-in. In addition, HTML5 also gives hardware access, offline storage, and supports cloud-based applications. If you know HTML, then HTML5 will be a breeze for you, and is absolutely the way to go in today’s device-agnostic environment. 9. Wearable learning You read that right! Smartwatches will soon be the talk of more than the town, and one of the hottest trends in eLearning. Do not underestimate the screen size. There are many apps available for in-the-moment, on-the-job performance improvement, such as alerting a worker when they are performing a task incorrectly or unsafely, through motion-sensor technologies. Personal tracking and coaching from remote areas is also a great application of smartwatches. 10. Video in learning By now, you must have created an instructional video of your own! Everyone can create videos! Truly, consumers have become developers of knowledge. We know of a certain business in cake art design that took off (and is still flying high) after the owner got inspired through some homemade videos on cake icing! Where do you look for how-to information when you need it? YouTube! As a training developer, ask your managers and other senior staff to record their videos to show how things are done. This will not only improve the performance in your company, it will also reduce costs! Video with audio and overlaid text can cater for many learning types and special needs. Not to be missed! Trends get a bad name in fashion as superficial, but trends in eLearning have a more substantial role to play, as they are based on new tech developments that add value to training programs. And this list contains only those trends that either have stood the test of time, or show great promise today. So keep it as reference and try to incorporate these exciting aspects into your next course! The post Top Ten Timeless Trends in eLearning appeared first on TalentLMS Blog.

The most important part of mapping your career is realizing "If it's to be, it's up to me".  Waiting for your boss or HR to give you your Career Map clearly proves that you're not responsible for your own growth.  In addition, implementing a Career Map created without you is not an uplifting experience.     Here's an example of a Career Map.  Notice it is different than a Career Plan.  Plans have a specific path and outcome.  Maps have alternate routes, which is a priority in our approach to ©Talent GPS.  To build a Career Map, consider the following questions:   What types of work really makes my heart sing? You may change this answer at any time as you experience different types of work.  Consider volunteering to do different types of projects to learn about all the new and redefined jobs people do. Leverage your DISC behavioral strengths and your Driving Forces (priorities) to map to the job you think is best for you.  Learn more from our white paper.What income is best for my goals? Does it align with the type of work I want to do?  It's brutal, but if you really like to make donuts, it will be more difficult to pull down a $100K salary.  This is the internal choice each person must make - what is most important to me and what are the trade offs I'm willing to make.  All answers are correct if you make them for yourself. What are my options? Build branches for the types of work you have decided to go after.  Put an income range on each of these branches (check out job boards to validate the income in your area).   Add smaller branches from the trunk of the tree to the end of each branch with steps you'll take to get to the work  and income you desire.  If you want, put dates on the little branches - 1, 5 and 10 years out.   Put life events on the little branches if it's relevant.  For example, if you plan to have children, move, etc. consider how these play into your branches.     Share with your boss.    Here's a sketch:  There may be a 'secret list' at high levels of organizations with people who have been identified as high performers.  Networking while contributing positively to the organization can get you on that list if you are not on it.  Having the ability to navigate politics is a key driving force (Commanding) if you seek to climb.  If you are climbing simply for the salary, I recommend that you reconsider the golden handcuffs you are about to add to your accessories. They will get really tight down the road.   If you are climbing because you believe you can make a positive impact on the organization, go for it. You can change your choice at any time.   The Career Map above makes your goals for promotion explicit.  

Learn how these 10 common cognitive biases could be creating dysfunction in your high potential program.

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There are hilarious stories (many involving me) about hiring disasters based on our personal beliefs that we can 'read' whether a person will be a good employee or not.  By the way, you can't.  Nobody can.  You might have gotten lucky once or twice but there are huge problems with this:   There are no tricky questions that guarantee your candidate is capable or motivated to do the job you want them to do.  You come with pretty strong biases that you are not aware of.  These filters prevent you from being honest with yourself when hiring.    A big problem with hiring is your current Job Description.  It likely has 10 - 15 competencies that you expect the person to be able to do, in no particular order.  The candidate's resume has an additional 10 -15 competencies, promising brilliance in all of them.  The competencies themselves are not measurable, described with the same specificity as you describe 'World Peace'.  We believe that in general, disengaged less successful employees are not bad people, but they are likely in the wrong job for their strengths. In our Job Benchmark process, we facilitate the creation of 3 - 5 Key Accountabilities for a job based on input from SMEs and people who are currently doing the job well.  Key Accountabilities are measurable statements that describe the outcomes this person must contribute each and every day to support the vision of the organization.  Rather than look at how talented a candidate is at Communication Skills, the Key Accountability quantifies what you really need done, for example, 'Communicate with critical stakeholders to ensure project velocity is adequate for the business goals once a week'.  The next step in our process to build a benchmark is for the SMEs to describe the job with the Key Accountabilities. Next, these same experts complete our diagnostic Job Assessment and the results are 'smooshed' together into a Multiple Respondent Job Benchmark for that particular role.  It's good practice to test the benchmark on high and low performers to see how valid it is prior to using it in your hiring process.    Running a Gap Report compares each candidate to the benchmark for the job.  This allows you to see specifically the strengths, driving forces,  and competencies that are aligned (or not) with your unique job.  It also helps you compare candidates. You'll see areas for development which helps with onboarding (see below).  You'll find a sample Gap Report here.  We recently benchmarked five key Learning and Development roles using the Top 125 companies chosen by Training Magazine.  If you'd like to see the results, request our Free White Paper.

The Broadway Show Hamilton is much more than just entertainment. This award-winning musical also shares 7 ways Hamilton’s Legacy can make you a better leader.

What happens in "failure of attention?"A lot of things are getting automated these days and it’s no longer limited to factories and industries. Automation now also allows us to control our home’s air conditioning units, lights, and appliances. It’s a good thing for sure, especially for those who benefit from them the most like the elderly and the disabled. However, automation is a double-edged sword and over-reliance on it can lead to dire results. In worst-case scenarios, failure of attention can lead to death as was the case of Air France Flight 447 which crashed into the Atlantic Ocean in 2009. Cognitive TunnelingWhen things are automated, our brains don’t have to monitor our environment. David Strayer, a cognitive psychologist at the University of Utah, likens this scenario to the dimming of a spotlight representative of the brain’s attention span. Strayer says this spotlight can go "wide and diffused, or tight and focused." When an emergency strikes that spotlight goes fully bright all of a sudden and gets confused on where to focus so it shines on what’s directly in front of it.For instance, when a plane on autopilot suddenly requires pilots to fly it manually, pilots need to abruptly switch their focus from a relatively relaxed state to that of panicked focus. Failure to transition from the former to the latter state results in cognitive tunneling, a "mental glitch" caused by automation.Cognitive tunneling then is misplaced focus. But is there a way to fix this? How can we correct mental glitch? Mental Models and StoriesAn example that’s often cited about how cognitive tunneling can be avoided is Qantas Flight 32. The flight experienced an uncontained engine failure—21 of its 22 aircraft systems were damaged. Despite this, all the crew and passengers arrived safely on the ground after an emergency landing at Singapore’s Changi Airport. It’s been called "the most damaged Airbus A380 ever to land safely." It was a very serious incidence but one that was definitely handled very well. How did the pilot and crew do it? One thing: Before each flight, Captain Richard de Crespigny would brief the crew on possible problems and what to do. In other words, the captain was drilling mental models during each pre-flight session so that when an emergency situation does arise, all of them would be ready; each member of the team would know what to do. Whether we realize it or not, we tell ourselves stories all the time. These mental images provide our cerebral spotlights something to focus on, "always jumping around inside our heads." As a result, these spotlights don’t dim. When we need to transition from relaxed to panicked states, we are not blinded by the glare, explains Charles Duhigg, a Pulitzer prize-winning reporter at the New York Times. Mental Models and Learning DesignDesigners and trainers can take advantage of the principles of mental models in their workshops and courses by asking story questions. The best type of questions to ask are open-ended queries."What if this happened to me? What would I do?""How did it happen and why?"Open-ended questions help learners to delve deeper into each story or event by placing themselves in it. These questions aid learners in creating mental images about the unfolding event and what would happen if they go with solution A or solution B and so on.Revisiting mental models also advances learners’ experience since the brain doesn’t seem to differentiate between reality and imagination. Mental models have been helping agents of the U.S. Department of State create alternate realities to better handle real-life events.ConclusionsStories are very useful for more than just entertaining or sharing a lesson. They can also be used to help learners direct their focus on what matters most. By creating mental models, the brain’s focus doesn’t power off but instead transfers from one alternate reality to the next. Since the brain can’t tell imagination and real life apart, mental models help learners gather experience.ReferencesJeff Wise. What Really Happened Aboard Air France 447. Popular Mechanics, Dec 6, 2011.Charles Duhigg. Computer Says: Stop Relying on the Computer. Wired Magazine, July/Aug 2016 issue.Charles Duhigg. The Power of Mental Models: How Flight 32 Avoided Disaster. LifeHacker.com, March 16, 2016.Tip #42: Provoking Learners with Story QuestionsTip #99: Changing Behavior by Advancing Experience and StoriesRay Jimenez, PhDVignettes Learning"Helping Learners Learn Their Way"Ray Jimenez, PhD Vignettes Learning Learn more about story and experience-based eLearning

Did you ever play a game as a child when you made up the rules as you went along? I’m guessing that those evolving rules often proved to be a source of contention! Leaders at work find the same to be true. When managers decide to disregard their moral compass as the official business handbook, they begin to make up the rules as they move along. Anything can happen, and the situation frequently proves to be a source of conflict.