Spring is here and the opportunity to refresh, renew, and regenerate is irresistible. Yes, it is time to dig out those tried and true programs and begin to think about them differently. The advances in the ways we design and deliver learning enable us to begin to think about redesigning learning for today’s time-squeezed, media-driven, geographically dispersed, globally influenced audience. Where to begin? Here are a few tips for getting started: Identify one of your solid, proven, critical, traditional programs that could really use an update. Take one topic, module, or lesson out of that program that has the potential to have the most impact to your organization.  Review the learning objectives and make any updates, adding any new business objectives and removing any obsolete elements. Dissect the elements of the module to see what content might be delivered differently.  Re-approach the content with the new delivery format in mind.  Rethink your program to consider how all of the redesigned pieces fit into the bigger picture. This can be a huge undertaking for a large program, but if you start this way, you don’t have to complete the transformation all at once. You can begin to transform it slowly, introducing the redesigned elements to the audience and adjusting along the way. Here is a great example: Let’s say you have a fantastic one-week, instructor-led course on becoming a manager of managers. It is not realistic for you to continue to bring this audience together for a one-week session, and the training hasn’t been sustainable after the learners leave the classroom experience. Take one of those topics, something like Assessing Talent. Ask the following questions: What about this topic absolutely needs to be addressed in the classroom? What existing assignments can be done in an eLearning format prior to the classroom? Can I make some of the reference material more engaging in an interactive PDF? Are there some scenarios or case studies they can work on before coming to the classroom? What are things I can move to a mobile delivery for just-in-time learning as they are exercising the competency? What tools can I create for a manager or supervisor to use as pull-though learning after the classroom event? By just thinking about this content a little bit differently, you can increase the engagement and effectiveness of those tried and true, proven programs to meet the needs of a more complex and contemporary audience. Let us know if you have any great strategies you have used in redesigning learning content by posting a comment. Be on the lookout for an upcoming webinar on redeveloping learning content.

Before we talk about creating engaging courses, I want to start by defining what that means to me. And it is best when working with a client to understand exactly what they mean as well. Often what I mean by "engaging" and what they mean are two different things! Engaging design is a design that makes people think about what they are reading, seeing, or hearing. It is sort of like the statement, "Engage your brain before putting your mouth in gear," except we want to engage learners’ brains while they are in a safe environment before putting them in the workplace where they have no safety nets. This leads me to the first tip: Engage learners in activities that allow them to practice what they need to DO differently on the job. Engaging design is NOT bling, bells, and whistles unless that helps to accomplish the goal of letting them do what they need to do in real life. And even then, I would contend that bling, bells, and whistles are more likely to become distractions than add value, but I digress. Many times our clients (or their bosses) want their employees to "know" something—and it usually isn’t a little something; it’s a laundry list of somethings. It takes work and often multiple conversations to get them to talk through what they really want. What are the desired outcomes, and what do they want people to do differently after the training? Often, clients identify through this process that they want some people in one role to do one thing, but they need people in another role to do a different thing. Or sometimes, we identify through observing the employees that top performers are doing several things that others are not doing at all. In both cases, we try to design a curriculum that is relevant to the specific role or group of learners and that focuses on the actions or behaviors that produce the greatest value—outcomes of value. So that’s the second tip: Focus content on the outcomes of value rather than create a scrapyard of information. And here’s a scandalous addition: You might even want to let learners discover tidbits of information as they look for help in completing the tasks or activities. That might even mean you don’t need to list learning objectives in the course! (Oh my!) This leads me to a discussion of information and job aids to help the learners as performers. There was a great article in Learning Solutions magazine that references a Do-Know-Access model. It is very similar to the models we use in resolving our clients’ performance challenges. The authors use the Access leg of their triangle to explain what we typically call performance support. We are talking about the same thing, though (and my third and final tip): Provide learners with access to the same tools in the same way that they, as performers, will retrieve and use them on the job. That may or may not mean you will need to build new tools. Often it means simply co-locating the tools, such as on a single website, or creating a new website that links to existing tools. Learners can then practice finding and using the tools during the training and will be much more comfortable finding what they need when they need it when they are back on the job. So those are my three tips to keep learners thinking, discovering, finding, using, and doing things better. That’s what I call engaging!

Spring is here and the opportunity to refresh, renew, and regenerate is irresistible. Yes, it is time to dig out those tried and true programs and begin to think about them differently. The advances in the ways we design and deliver learning enable us to begin to think about redesigning learning for today’s time-squeezed, media-driven, geographically dispersed, globally influenced audience. Where to begin? Get a few tips for getting started here. Click here to read the full issue of Performance Matters.

In the latest issue of Chief Learning Officer, Bloomsburg University Professor and Author Karl Kapp wrote a thought-provoking article around gamification and game-based learning. These topics point to a critical need in the learning industry that is frequently forgotten. So often, we are focused on our organization’s needs, whether it be compliance requirements, travel restrictions, or simply the time we have available for these training interventions. Unfortunately, these business drivers are very real and often create a gap between the content presented and knowledge acquisition. And in the middle of that gap is a single word—motivation. There are several methods to approach motivation in a training intervention, and we will discuss a few below: Gamification As Kapp aptly put, gamification can motivate learners through the process of creating a training journey full of challenges, scenarios, and interventions (as well as the points and tools we are familiar with) to increase engagement with a learning program. Game-Based Learning A common myth not addressed in the article is the myth that game-based learning is a complex, cost-prohibitive learning solution. Rather, game-based learning is a different way of looking at learning to wrap the core content around a story or a challenge to provide context and engagement for the learner. Collaborative Learning Environment In this incredibly virtual world we live in, collaboration becomes increasingly challenging. While technology has granted us the ability to be more cost effective and time efficient by developing eLearning training solutions, this also leads to learner isolation. Building a collaborative space where learners can work together can increase motivation as they feel a part of a larger team. Learner-Centered Approach Together these strategies and others can be combined into a learner-centered approach. It is possible to meet the needs of a business from a cost and speed to market perspective while focusing on what the learner needs. A learner-centered approach focuses on delivering content in a blended learning strategy that accommodates multiple learning styles and is mapped to the type of information being conveyed and learner preferences. An ideal learner-centered approach may include gamification, game-based learning, collaborative learning environments, as well as blended modalities. How many times have we selected a training method based on budget, travel restrictions, or time? These challenges will always exist, but they do not have to be a barrier to learner motivation. By considering learner needs when developing a learning strategy you can develop a curriculum that creates the impact you are looking for and the outcomes you need. Join Sheri Weppel, Director of eLearning Development and Training for GP Strategies, in a 20-Minute Webinar on Wednesday, April 30th at 2:00 pm EDT to discuss how to bring game-based learner motivation into your enterprise today.

There has been an automotive industry shift from traditional mass communication efforts to the need for experiential marketing events. During these events, consumers actively participate in the marketing effort. The events are geared to connect the audience with the brand on a personable, no pressure level. These events reinforce consumer opinions of a brand or change behavior towards it. Listen to Bob Pientrantonio as he explains how GP Strategies leverages experiential marketing events for customers. How could your company benefit from experiential marketing events? Leave a reply or an example about how your company leveraged an experiential marketing event to gain or retain customers:

The increased development of new technology and the expanding global workforce has encouraged organizations to rejuvenate the learner experience. Through the use of Virtual Instructor Led Training (VILT) and open-online courses, organizations are making an effort to predict the future of the learning industry and which practices need to evolve. Recently, GP Strategies’ VP of Learning Solutions, Dennis Bonilla (@MedsnMan) and Adobe’s Head of Learning Technology, Justin Mass (@jmass) discussed these topics, among others, in a one-hour GP webinar. Furthermore, Justin Mass went on to explain how Adobe was able to make an impact on their new hire orientation by implementing a VILT program. Following the webinar and heightened interest in the virtual learning process, GP Strategies took the conversation to Twitter to answer questions, engage with followers and further shed light on VILT and open-online courses. The following are the highlights from our recent #VirtualLearning tweet chat. Q2: Are there design considerations you would approach differently with VILT v. more traditional mediums? @medsnman @jmass #VirtualLearning — GP Strategies Corp (@gpcorp) April 23, 2014 To see how folks on Twitter responded to this question, visit here. Q3: What key components are needed to help support a compelling VILT experience? @medsnman @jmass #VirtualLearning — GP Strategies Corp (@gpcorp) April 23, 2014 Click here to see what Justin Mass believes are the key components needed to help support a compelling VILT experience. In synchronous VILT how should we think about designing for a quality experience when we reach 500+ learners? #virtuallearning — Justin Mass (@jmass) April 23, 2014 To see how those on Twitter responded to Justin’s question, visit here. Q4: Do skills transfer assessments have a place in VILT? How can learning leaders measure effectiveness? @medsnman @jmass #VirtualLearning — GP Strategies Corp (@gpcorp) April 23, 2014 To see if skills transfer assessments have a place in VILT, go here. Q5: As the capabilities of #technology expands, what does the future of #learning look like? @medsnman @jmass #VirtualLearning — GP Strategies Corp (@gpcorp) April 23, 2014 To see what the future of #learning looks like, visit here. @jmass @MedsnMan @gpcorp Hi! - do any of the VILT tools offer a "newscrawl" app or component? (To compete with the likes of CNN… — Steve Swink (@SteveSwinkTN) April 23, 2014 Want to see which tools offer newscrawl? Visit here. The full webinar "Reimagining the Learning Experience: A Look at How Adobe Successfully Implemented a New VILT Orientation Program" along with the slide deck and link to Q&A follow up are available for download in our Webinar Archive.

Since 2000, significant changes have occurred in Talent and learning technologies. Numerous products have undergone considerable change by adding or creating features and functions that address changing market trends and government regulations.  Mergers and consolidations have integrated and aligned the best technologies.  While these changes and advances have been significant to the ability of organizations to define and manage talent, there is a greater, untapped opportunity for software vendors that will likely provide the strongest market impact yet.  This opportunity might allow proactive organizations to differentiate their companies by the talent and quality of their workforce and truly accelerate performance.  We know that organizations with good talent management strategies see higher returns per employee than organizations without such strategies—now those strategies should be harvested for the betterment of all companies. With the markets shift to Software as a Service (SaaS) and the culmination of large data repositories, vendors are now armed with more data and intelligence on how great companies use talent to improve operations, create sustainable competitive advantage, and increase time to knowledge than ever before. I believe the largest untapped opportunity today remains in the use of this data for predictive talent analytics, workforce analytics, and industry benchmarking. Let’s look at an example outside of talent like Amazon’s "Anticipatory" shipping. This patented concept predicts what buyers are going to buy next and then stages items for near term or immediate shipping. What if a learning management system applied the same concept, but instead of shipping courses, it predicted what each individual needed to learn based upon long-term organizational goals and objectives? What if your talent vendor could tell you what talent operations looked like at comparable companies and could predict the development and training your organizations needs to accelerate revenue and profitability? One of the most exciting concepts in today’s talent marketplace is workforce analytics & planning. Workforce analytics (WFA) improves decision making by helping companies find answers to key questions about workforce challenges and provides guidance to help solve them. WFA systems today look at all types data across organizations, HR metrics, and industry trends to help provide actionable insight that has long-term strategic value. The company that can supply knowledge married with cross-industry best practices will be the company that moves beyond the historical trends of training and tracking to creating long-term strategic value for its customers. The industry has been collecting data for years and now it is time to create actionable insight with it.  With industry analytics and predictive talent capabilities can you imagine the speed at which organizations can grow their talent base?  Proactive planning for skill attainment and development would mean that companies will be ready to execute on the most strategic goals of leadership.  What an exciting day that will be! Paul recently participated in an excellent panel discussion at HR2014 with SuccessFactors, Aasonn and hyperCision around the future of learning management solutions. Click here to watch.

As learning and development professionals, we know the value of locating resources, sharing ideas, and learning about best practices from the experts in the field, so why then do we seem to underestimate or ignore the value of our own hard-earned knowledge and insight? Our experience and expertise are unique assets we can share in the workplace. They are a professional advantage that we can leverage within the organization to mentor colleagues and use to gain new clients. The expectations that all learning and development professionals should be comfortable sharing can be intimidating and know how to share the knowledge can be misleading. We often have more opportunity to share because of the nature of our work but may feel unprepared or aren’t sure how to distill, organize, and communicate what we know and have learned from a project. By organizing the information into digestible chunks, the information becomes useful and shareable. I’d like to offer a list of Best Practice resources to help you on your journey to better knowledge-sharing—enjoy! Where Knowledge Management Has Been and Where It Is Going- Part One by Dr. Nancy Dixon Developing and Sharing Best Practice: Some Key Issues and Principles by Della Fazey Leadership by Example: A Conversation With Frances Hesselbein Brag! The Art of Tooting Your Own Horn Without Blowing It by Peggy Klaus Summary: Knowledge Management Best Practices on KMT, an educational KM site Knowledge Sharing: Moving Away From the Obsession With Best Practices by Peter Holdt Christensen Quality Service - Benchmarking and Best Practices: An Update (Guide X) from the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat Share your ‘Best Practices’ as a First Step into Knowledge Management by Luc Bouquet 5 Ways to Share Your Professional Expertise and 4 Reasons You Should by Chrissy Scivicque 18 Ways to Leverage the Internet to Enhance Your Professional Credibility on Positively Magazine.com How In-House Training Can Boost Your Team’s Morale by Mark Arnold What Does the Term "Best Practices" Mean Today? On the Lean Mining LinkedIn Group Best Practice on the Info Entrepreneurs Blog For more information, watch Karen’s latest webinar on Best Practices for Sharing Best Practices where she discusses: Why sharing can build professional credibility and retain organizational knowledge How to share knowledge through writing, speaking, and mentoring Where some places are to share best practices

The first girl I ever had a crush on was an "older woman." I was six; she was eight. The crush materialized at a drive-in movie theatre. For the millennial reading this, ask your parents—or perhaps your grandparents—what a drive-in was (imagine an outdoor primitive IMAX). Built into the foundation of the mammoth movie screen was a concession stand. I had accompanied my father to the stand, navigating the gravel waves of cars with bulky, wired speakers clamped onto the windows. This concession stand offered more than popcorn, candy bars, and sugary soft drinks—it was set up to serve families "fast food-like" meals including hamburgers, hot dogs, french fries, and onion rings. Another part of the business model was that customers dressed their own burgers with condiments on a table across from the counter. Just as we were ordering, I spotted a pretty girl at the condiments stand. There was something about this girl, or more so what she did, that gave me an adrenaline-like rush I will never forget. Just as she spooned a dollop of relish onto her burger, the girl went to grab a plastic knife to spread it, but there were none to be found. I watched in awe as she turned the spoon over and used the back of the spoon as a knife. She had improvised¸ and I was in love (well, at least until my family’s order of onion rings arrived). The girl had made a spoon serve one of the roles intended for a knife. (Granted, had she tried to cut the burger in half with the spoon, she would have likely become quickly frustrated, but she adapted and made the tool at her disposal perform the task at hand.) In school and at work, many of us have been told and taught to use the "right tool for the right job." But what do we do when the right tool isn’t available and the task is urgent? How many times have you been forced to improvise when the "appropriate" tools were not available? Perhaps a projector bulb has blown, a particular system was not available, the fancy authoring tool was not in the budget, teaching materials have not yet arrived, or a guest speaker has been unavoidably detained. Have you discovered that improvisation leads to innovation? Kleenex facial tissues were originally intended for make-up removal, but the market moved them to a much different application. Have your audiences or team members (learners, stakeholders, clients) surprised and even delighted or inspired you with their improvisations and innovations when presented with a challenge, regardless of whether that challenge was circumstantial or engineered? How many times have you found that a "spoon" can do the job just as well as (or perhaps even better than) a "knife"? Tell us your stories about improvisation and innovation in learning by leaving a reply below.

Did you know? • Less than half of all US employees expect their employer to provide clear career paths. • Less than half talk to their manager about career. • About half expect their next career move to take them outside the company. What can organizations do to improve this situation? Developing people is paramount to maintaining future competitiveness, but difficult when roles and required skills are evolving quickly. The need to be nimble makes it very challenging for organizations to plan people’s development, create definitive career paths, or make long-term commitments. From an employee’s perspective, relying primarily on an employer to provide opportunities or a clear career path is a thing of the past. It is well understood that the best options for career growth, professional satisfaction and job security reside in building skills and experiences that make the individual highly valued. External opportunities are often more obvious and more appealing than internal ones. Get a snapshot of the results from the recently published research, "Navigating Ambiguity: Career 2014" or download the full report.