When navigating a complex change management initiative, people encounter a number of obstacles to driving change. One of the more delicate problems that arises is when the leader of the change effort is behaving in ways that hamper its implementation.

Recently published: https://www.opensesame.com/blog/learning-styles-what-all-fuss-about I’ve recently been reading quite a few articles, tweets and blog posts about whether learning styles exist. Most I read make their arguments against and tweet and retweet often on the subject. There are still others who hold onto their belief in the various models and theories tweeting and retweeting too. Frankly, I don’t understand what all of the fuss is about. If believing in the presence of diverse learning styles makes you a better designer and learning facilitator-great! What is a "learning style"? The more popular among the models is Fleming’s VAK  based on Neuro-linguistic Programming (NLP). V = Visual, A = Auditory, and K = Kinesthetic. But Kolb’s Experiential Learning and Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences enter into the conversation too. And they have just as many supporters who are just as passionate as those who stay true to VAK. (comprehensive listing of theorists and their theories). These theorists and many more all hold a place in the evolution of this industry we call Workplace Learning and Performance* (that’s T&D for the rest of you). I am of the opinion that our roles in workplace learning and performance come with the responsibility-no, the obligation- to design, develop, facilitate and offer learning in ways that people learn best. And do the best we can to remove obstacles to them learning. That’s it. How to accomplish this well isn’t difficult but it does take intention. In the spirit of the "3 R’s" (Readin’, ‘Ritein, & ‘Rithmatic) I offer the following quick litmus test: Relevant and Timely: Will the learners be able to apply what they’re leaning back on the job? Immediately? Do they need to have this knowledge right now in order to be successful? Several years ago, I learned how to create models in MS Access used to "mine" pages and pages of data. I haven’t had to use that set of skills and knowledge in quite some time. If I needed to be able to do this again tomorrow I would be freaking out and finding the online tutorials for remedial education somewhere. It is no longer stored anywhere in my brain that I can easily access. Repetition: This has always been  key concepts has always been necessary to for learners to learn. When I was a child (111 years ago), my family had decks of flash cards for learning addition, subtraction, multiplication and fractions. (I hated those most) And my nephew recently began his journey in the early entry program for the Navy Seals. His mom built sets of quiz cards to learn the Navy "language" he needed to know in his first 6 weeks. (Important success factors like what the rank ribbons mean and slang terms for the various uniforms.) We have the ability to recreate this and mnemonic devices digitally these days but either way, what’s important is repetition has always had a place in learning and it always will. Reinforcement: Is the learning going to be Reinforced back on the job? As learning professionals, we can’t afford to pass this responsibility off on the learners’ leadership entirely. What type of tools have been made available to the learner so he/she can go back and access what they need exactly when they need it. Be it a list of internal and external resources on the organization’s intranet or a solid handout, we owe it to the learners to have ways of referring back to the content and instruction. Otherwise, why are they going through this exercise? In closing, I leave you with a quote from a very long time ago that is credited to Confucious. Note: he points out the need for variety and repetition too!  I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand. Tweet me: @dawnjmahoney Find me on LinkedIn here: www.linkedin.com/in/dawnjmahoney Reading & Resources (heck, type the words into your browser -LOTS of references): http://vudat.msu.edu/teach/teaching_styles http://www.vark-learn.com/english/page.asp?p=questionnaire http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/hrd/styles/kolb.html http://www.multipleintelligencetheory.co.uk/ http://www.ldpride.net/learning-style-test.html Recent blog posts on the topic: http://davidkelly.me/?s=Learning+Styles&submit.x=0&submit.y=0 http://onehundredfortywords.com/2012/03/01/learningstyles-awareness-day-catering-to-interaction-preferences-instead/ http://www.brainx.com/resources/blog/?Tag=learning%20styles http://www.trivantis.com/blog/learning-styles-awareness-less-about-styles-more-about-design-part-1 http://goodpractice.com/blog/learning-styles-its-a-bit-more-complicated-than-that/ *Workplace Learning & Performance (WLP) is a contemporary definition crafted to encompass the various aspects and practices that are a part of the field. Specifically but not limited to, learning, performance, training, instructional design, development, human resources, organizational development, manufacturing, healthcare, (insert your favorite here). Filed under: Training & Learning Tagged: ASTD, CPLP, Design, Development, Learning, Learning Styles, Performance Support, Training

(Published on OpenSesame‘s blog 4/3/12) Bill Cushard (@billcush) nudged me to blog about my use of games in designing performance support tools (aka, my career: the early years). ENJOY and THANKS for reading! In my early days of building learning and performance support tools, I used to call myself "the McGuyver of training". We didn’t have a learning management system available to us and online social networks and rapid authoring tools were in the future. The development tools of choice were Microsoft Word, flip charts, masking tape and Mr Sketch markers and screen shots of mainframe computer screens. Using games and familiar references made learning and practicing complex sets of new skills fun! Nowadays, it’s easy to get caught up in all of the available tech tools and forget that it’s the activity itself - online or off - and not the technology that determines the success of the learning experience. And more importantly, the outcomes. Get a Clue As a young corporate trainer I was presented with a big challenge: Client relations representatives needed to be able to accurately interpret the data sent from our company’s mainframe to the three main credit bureaus. In other words, make the complex digital data that associates were literally scared to work with, readable and less scary. The solution: As a child, my sister and brothers and I loved to play Clue. This inspired me to create Get a Clue: Solving the Mystery that is Credit Bureau Reporting. This simulation game required the associates to explore the various job-related forms, mainframe screen shots and system codes, mocked up data and resulting credit bureau reports to "solve" the murder mystery. This game brought a complex, dry and mandatory attendance program to life for the associates. The game sheets and information used to solve the various mysteries also became the associates’ own job aids for their use in the future. The Interactive Interchange Game The need: Explain the various steps in the process of how a credit or debit card issuing financial institution gets paid when their cardholders use their cards to pay for goods and services. Specifically, the various entities involved, percentages, etc. The solution: the Interactive Interchange Game, where volunteer attendees chose to play the part of one of the various elements or phases, by physically walking through a typical purchase transaction for their peers. Key questions were asked and correct responses made it possible for "the purchaser" to advance to the next phase. Four Tips on Putting Games to Work There are LOTS of ways of incorporating games into training and learning. I won’t even attempt to list them all. Some favorites: Relay and "Jeopardy" -style training session reviews are a lot more fun for the attendees than a boring old quiz or test. I like to do them in teams and allow the group to collaborate on their responses. Back in the day, we used an overhead projector with the smallest Post-It’s and classroom bells or noisemakers to ring in. Now, there are lots of free .ppt templates available making it all look high tech and fancy. However, what makes it effective is solid instruction and reinforcement of the content/concepts so the attendees are able to be successful and "win" the "game". Safety Scavenger Hunts and Safety Bingo are used in most of our 648 senior living buildings, as a way to re-engage our associates with things to watch out for and report to stay safe at work. Team-based incentives are built into the program. For example, meeting/exceeding a goal of XXX days worked without a workplace injury or accident results in a meal, leadership taking pies in the face, etc. And individual associate prizes like new uniform shirts and "shoes for crews" are offered on a quarterly basis according to the published targets and goals. Marshmallow Wars isn’t so much a learning game but used for celebration at the end of a stressful project. I’m pretty sure your associates have never laughed this hard at work. Note: I suggest you don’t tell the Legal Dept you’re doing this, outside, on company time. In fact, I usually keep the fact that I’m doing this a secret right up until the moment it happens. Having an element of surprise is always more fun! "Who Am I?" is the party game where you find your "match" with someone else in the room by asking only yes and no response questions to find out what is on the note on your back. So think about it. While everything I’ve written about here is for face-to-face, classroom instruction, this approach can—and often is—applied to digital learning too. Which game(s) did you like to play as a child? Annie, Annie Over, Freeze Tag, Dodge Ball, Monopoly™, Chutes & Ladders—all are possibilities for immersive learning experiences. Dust off those skills and bring them into workplace learning. I wrote about it here, having never mentioned the words "gamification" or "avatar" once. Follow me on Twitter (@dawnjmahoney) and LinkedIn (http://www.linkedin.com/in/dawnjmahoney) Filed under: Training & Learning Tagged: ASTD, CPLP, Design, Games, Learning, Performance Support, Training

When Michael Doyle and David Straus wrote this best seller, now translated into a dozen or more languages, little research had been done on group process.

When I come across new terminology for what is essentially "old school" strategy or methodology, I have to smile. I smile because it really is true, everything old is new again if you stick around long enough to experience it. Following are a few examples of what I mean. Enjoy and thanks for reading! Social Learning: Learning has always been social and as old as time. 100s of years ago, women used to get up very early and gather at the closest water source to (of course) get their water supply for the day. But that is also where they shared their stories, the young ones learned from the elders, shared tips and tricks, etc. Groups of men engaged in hunting and gathering rituals to eat. Schools and classrooms are highly social learning venues, with the  hierarchy and rituals of a social setting. (Remember those reading and math groups? Yikes!) Distance Learning Back in the day, people completed correspondence courses. That’s what distance learning was. Someone could live in the remotest parts of the continent and if postal mail delivered there, they could send their assignments and receive feedback and grades from a teacher in another location. That is what is now referred to as asynchronous learning. Synchronous distance learning is seemingly ubiquitous these days. We tweet chat, we hang out on G+, and use invite only Yammer groups. Facebook too-of a sort. Peer learning and connected learning models are popular and widely used. If you have ever used Moodle, WebEx, GoTo Meeting, or one of the many collaborative and interactive white boards now on the Web, you’re learning or providing learning synchronously. Therefore, in present day terms distance learning might have an "e" or digital component(s). But it is still learning at a distance, or distance learning. Training is now Learning, Performance, Organizational Development to mention a few. That’s ok. They’re likely more accurate most of the time. Are you, or members of your group, still engaged in good ole lectures to your learner population? With handouts that haven’t been updated in eons, as well. (note: If you know someone in our profession with this going on, please share this blog post as a reminder to get over it and move on.) If any of what I’ve written applies to you, then you’re not able to say you’ve moved forward into the areas of performance, performance support or organizational development. You’ve got some work to do. Get on that—now! Training, Learning, Development, Facilitation I used to be a "Trainer". Lately, that word is not well thought of in many circles. I suppose because "training" often has a bad reputation. I don’t get it. A while back, I believe it was Shaq who said on a tv ad, "hate the player, not the game". If the "training" in your organization has this reputation, you’re just the person to change it. Get on that—now! Are you a lifelong learner? I don’t see any other way to do this work we do. Continuously working at doing it better, finding innovative ways for learners to learn is an imperative. No longer a "nice-to-have". I say call me anything you want I’m still going to be here trying to do this work better. Bugging you for new ideas. Asking questions about how you’ve done things (fairly recently). When you did X or Y, what tool or tools did you use? How did you define and measure success? I’ve got a million of ‘em! Watch. Me. Go! Filed under: Training & Learning Tagged: ASTD, CPLP, Design, Development, HR, Learning, Learning Styles, Performance Support, Training, Training and Development

David Straus' best selling book, How to Make Collaboration Work: Powerful Ways to Build Consensus, Solve Problems, and Make Decisions, is available in soft cover and e-book formats.

Anyone who believes they got where they are by her- or himself is pretty much lying. We all have someone who helped us get here. In my case, I have a whole host of "someones". And I would be remiss if I didn’t say so. I hope you know who you are, as they are too numerous to mention here. (note to self: send out many, many written thank you’s!) To begin, I don’t think Betty G had any idea of the gift she gave me so many years ago. On my last day working in the customer service department of a large catalog retailer’s call center, she took me aside and stated that if I didn’t pursue some form of teaching in my future work then I would be making a "big mistake". Wow! Considering I left with no real plan, that was quite a lot to take in. Her words lingered and have bounced around in my brain all of the years since she spoke them, though I’ve never actually seen her again. I like to think she’d be proud of what I’ve accomplished. And even more proud of what I still plan to accomplish in the future. As I built my career in training, learning, facilitation, design and development, I made connections. LOTS of them. I networked like crazy. And I still do. People were so generous with me in the beginning, sharing resources, agreeing to take my calls, providing free or discounted attendance at events—and more.  My local ASTD-SCWC chapter was another gift I was given. Who knew that the work I’d been doing and making up out of my head was not only "real" but there was a local consortium of people who do this for their livelihood and are willing to talk with me about it! How cool! Fast forward to early 2010 when this little thing called Twitter came into my world.  I created an account and did what is referred to as "t-watching" for months. And then I met Terrence Wing and simply wouldn’t let me stay on the outside looking in. (He was a great friend lost too young, last December. Post by another friend here. ) TW introduced me to the world of tweet chats and choosing to follow people specifically for the purpose of fostering my hunger for learning and knowledge. Again, how cool! Friendships have formed with people in the learning field, whether we’ve ever met in person or not. I’m talking about real friendships. And equally as important and the focus of this post, is the "attitude of gratitude" that prevails. We collaborate on projects; help each other solve design and development challenges. We share in each other’s successes and comfort each other when things aren’t going so well. We joke, we snark, we have fun at others’ expense. But most importantly, we share resources and our own learning. As someone who works from my home, having connections is important, especially with my fellow "training managers". However, connection to like-minded people in my PLN has made a profound difference in my own learning, approach to work, broadening my knowledge of many things relative to the work I do in learning, performance, and organizational development.  How cool! PLN:  THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart!! Filed under: Training & Learning Tagged: ASTD, CPLP, Design, Development, HR, Learning, Learning Styles, Performance Support, Training, Training and Development

I am fortunate to have several friends in elevated positions in their respective organizations. Some of them have continued to elevate their positions as long as I’ve known them. Especially Ann. She has more credentials than I could ever hope to aspire to. She was been VP-Organizational Development in more than one Fortune 500 company. And she’s my friend. I know, you’re asking, "So what?" A group of us were talking about dysfunction that occur within organizations.  When a group of OD types gather on a regular basis, there is always plenty in this arena to be discussed, and not a little of it to be ridiculed too. On one recent occasion she uttered these words,"You’ll never be a prophet in your own land". It struck me and I’ve been considering this condition ever since. In my dad’s words, I am a "muller". So I’ve pondered the implications of this concept more than a little bit. I keep coming back to how sad is this? It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that organizations benefit at greater levels with people in place who know the business and its people.  It takes time to embed culture, business strategy, products, customers—all of it. Where does this misplaced and misguided concept come from? (read = mindset; mode of thought) I have to go with the "one bad apple" theory, meaning one person or small group of people fostering it. What the heck, I’ll take the risk of going further out on this proverbial limb by stating a person, or small group of people, with narrow views of how things are supposed to be. In their world view, how "we’ve always done it" is above innovation and interest in seeking creative solutions. A pervasive, "My way or the highway" undercurrent exists and shapes project outcomes. I shudder to think that this concept exists in departments with "Organizational Development, or Training" in the title. Really. I actually shudder. Where is the "development" part of the "organization" in here? I’m reminded of a time when the on-site human resources director in an organization where I worked happened to  mention that her new policies would reduce "foot traffic" in her department. What is that? Pretty sure the word "human" was in her job title and job description. (can’t make these things up!) But I digress… Fair blog post readers, we’re here for the purpose of keeping up with trends, helping to make changes in the organization bearable for those who aren’t so reslient, bring fresh ideas and ways of doing "old" things-and a lot more! It is incumbent on each and every one of us to figure out ways of doing this. Please don’t get stuck in ruts or succumb to pressure and choose to take the path of less resistance. (I shudder again!) I am still out on this limb, so I will creep out a little further and say that if staying this way is OK with you, please seek another form of employment. (I know, I’m scary!)    While I write this, I’m thinking what sort of advice can I give to people reading this posting?  Here goes: Crawl out of the corner you’ve painted yourself into and look at all of the innovation around you. Web sites, magazines, greeting cards, fashion trends, games, K12 edcuation-there are millions of them! Read all you can get your hands on. Read until your eyes are tired, then read some more. Design and change management books and web sites are a great place to start. Participate in social media events that embrace getting better at this work. (think Tweet Chats, Yammer groups and G+ hangouts) Join ASTD, both local and national. Both because they exist for different reasons and will provide you with a broader perspective on this work we do. If you have a local SHRM or ODN chapter, they’re great resources too.    And finally, I confess that I’m not always successful in getting people to like my ideas. But I’m going to keep trying. My resolve I will be pleased when SME’s to agree to text boxes with color in them and round corners on them. I will be ecstatic when other departments consider including us earlier in their discussions on updates or new ways of doing something. I will leap for joy when they listen and incorporate the plans we’ve made.  What do you think? Can we together squash this thinking in our organizations? And more importantly, in our HR, OD, and Training departments? I say a resounding YES! Filed under: Training & Learning Tagged: ASTD, CPLP, Design, Development, HR, Learning, Learning Styles, Performance Support, Training, Training and Development

As a professional in the learning profession for, um, more than 20 years, I’ve been lucky to have been in many, many situations where people choose to lavish praise on me for what they say is a job well done. And yet, for longer than those 20 years I’ve been (inwardly) unable to accept their gift of praise. Why is this? Where does it come from? What do I do to figure it out? This is what I really need to learn how to do. Several of you who know me might also know that I trained for many years to be a singer. I don’t really remember what I planned to do with that degree, but that’s what I was about. Probably education. Ta Da! Here I am! J But I bring this up because I would often hide out following a performance just so I didn’t have to face the people in the audience and what they had to say about my performance. No way was I born with, nor equipped with the right mouth sounds and appropriate responses. On the occasions when I did face them, the battle raging in my head would go something like, "Was that response humble enough? Maybe they’re just being polite". Hiding out was truly easier. Fast forward a few years and I began speaking for groups and facilitating classes. Informally as a volunteer in the beginning and a while later I found out I could do it as a career. Who knew! People said they’d asked me because they thought I’d be great at it. Imagine this "thing" inside my head growing bigger exponentially with so many chances for my abilities to be judged. Yikes! Did you know they do these things called evaluations where people provide written feedback. Whoa! Way not ready for this. But I’m in it now, so what do I do? (insert a shoulder shrug; gulp) Soldier on, I guess. Over the years, I’ve learned to turn the volume down on the voice inside my head when she’s performing her sabotage lectures. But make no mistake, she is still there. For you, I’ll call her, Doubt. But she has several other names in my world. When discussing this with a close friend and confidante several years ago, she mentioned that I might suffer from something called, "imposter syndrome". We had a chuckle over that, I likely cracked wise and continued our social event. She moved on. However, I’ve carried that metaphor around for years. Years! How in the heck did she hit the nail on the proverbial head so accurately? Huh. I’ve been pondering writing a blog post on this for a while but it is so public. But….self-doubt and that really loud voice in my head kept me from doing it. After all, people will read it. I’ll be outted. The fraud I’ve been perpetrating revealed. What if it isn’t good enough? Why would someone bother to read it? Will they think less of me? ("Probably", she says with her arms crossed and a snide look on her face. Mental head slaps for everyone!) There is also this quiet voice I like to think of as Reason, who chooses to assert herself every once in a while. This time, she said, "so what if they don’t read it? Maybe it will help you." Huh. So before I lost my nerve completely, I consulted with the great oracle Google searching "imposter syndrome". Lo and behold, it is a real thing. For other people too! Some refer to it as "imposter phenomenon", but it is the same thing. Huh, again.  It remains to be seen what I’ll do with this new knowledge that I don’t suffer this alone. But I know I’ll do something with it. There are quizzes and recommendations and books. There has to be something in there that will resonate. I’m not convinced that Doubt can move aside to let Reason shine. But forging an alliance would be nice. I’m willing to try. I hope they are too. Filed under: Training & Learning Tagged: ASTD, CPLP, Design, Development, HR, Learning, Learning Styles, Performance Support, Training, Training and Development

Tonight, Facebook asks, "What are your New Year’s resolutions?". I don’t typically write them, nor rarely even think them. In fact, I wrote a friend today, saying I LOVE surprises so I choose not look too far into the future to possibly see what is coming next. The past few years have dealt some sad and frustrating circumstances that, at times, threatened to dash my ability to enjoy wonder and be amazed. But I didn’t let it. Professionally, 2012 was filled with wonder and amazement. And, opportunities to remember what it is like to start from a low point and build up from there. A few of the highlights: I’ve launched this blog site, continue to garner support for L&D through it, 800+ Twitter followers, publishing in a few places, a (mostly) weekly web tv show (#eLearnChat http://www.justin.tv/relatecorp and archives: http://www.youtube.com/relatecasts) I met a few "idols" in this crazy profession we like to call, "Workplace Learning & Performance". And many of my really terrific friends are also my most trusted professional allies too. They let me know they love me unconditionally and support me no matter what. How lucky can one gal be? How can I ever fail? Personally, I have had to learn a LOT about a lot of things I never thought I’d have to learn so much about. Cancer, Hospice, Kidney disease, death of a close loved one-you get the picture. But from all of this, I’ve been re-learning how to be grace-filled with myself. Live more in the moment, without worrying about what is coming next because it is mostly outside of my control anyway. Enjoy the experiences WHILE I’m having them, even more than I ever have. Cook for the joy of doing it. Enjoy perfectly delicious food with as little guilt as possible. Laugh as often as I can. Smile at least as often. Be present. I am trying to be a student of learning that the best moment is this one. So this for me, all of this is my answer to the question. Bottom line: I won’t be writing lofty goal statements and berating myself for not having attained them. I’ve learned that wonder and wonderful are more my style. Filed under: Training & Learning