To lead a cultural transformation to Agile, leaders require a very specific mindset.

Why did Susan Boyle become an overnight sensation?According to Jonah Berger and Katherine L. Milkman in their paper What Makes Online Content Viral?, "Virality is partially driven by physiological arousal." The authors explain how evoking certain emotions in people increases the chance of a message getting shared. "If something makes you angry as opposed to sad, for example, you’re more likely to share it with your family and friends because you’re fired up," Berger says.Awe-inspiring content strongly influences emotions and increases action-related behaviors. Boyle's impressive and remarkable story captivated the hearts of her listeners and gave them hope. People realized that new doors can open at any point of life. Many were inspired to follow her footsteps.Thanks to YouTube, Boyle became an instant international celebrity. Inspired by what she accomplished, millions of viewers exchanged insights about their feelings, their opinions and their own hopes. People from all over the world learned about each other. Boyle's story affirmed what Academy Award-winning producer Brian Grazer said: "The power of YouTube has made it the most valuable storytelling outlet our planet has ever seen."Boyle proved that stories can drive social learning.The challenge then becomes: How do we leverage social sharing behavior and formal learning content and instructions? Here are some ideas to help you get started on arriving at an answer.Tip 1: Use language that encourages experience sharing.Stories arouse emotions and enrich the mind. Consider these two approaches of giving information.The first approach: "Constant exposure to loud noise is harmful."The second approach: "Do you know that Roy lost his hearing due to too much exposure to noise?"The first approach states a fact; the second invites the listener to engage in a conversation and thus has a stronger impact than the first because it evokes an emotional response and a desire to know more.When we get so emotionally involved with a story, we begin to identify ourselves with some of the characters. Because we are social beings, we are always in a relationship. Sharing what we feel, what we think and what we do just follows spontaneously. Emotions are as contagious as viruses.To make experience sharing smoother, use language that encourages it. Examples include:What has worked or not worked?What are the frustrations?What are the joys and dreams realized?Tip 2: Encourage sharing of factual content.Social learning, unlike formal instruction which is highly factual, is contextual and emotional, thus elaborates on a the wider scope of the story.  It melds facts with emotions and context, and weaves stories and factual content into seamless lessons. This is facilitated by stories, which act as emotional drivers and help create context for learners.Present factual lessons using an emotional context that learners can immediately relate to. Introduce facts by highlighting its impacts on living situations.Consider the following scenarios and how you can seamlessly incorporate facts into their emotional context:What would a broken spare tire do to the health and safety of a worker?How would listening help establish rapport?Tip 3: Allow learners to share their interpretations of factual content.When people share stories, they begin to ask questions. Have you experienced something like that? Did you ever feel the same way? How did you resolve it? Did it work? They share factual content that are meaningful to them.Encourage learners to share their experience about a specific problem or situation. Guide them by asking questions like "Have you seen or experienced this in your life or situation?" or "What would you do to resolve this?"ConclusionStories enhance successful social learning because they add meaning to factual content. They encourage learners to share their own stories. Hence, stories are preferred methods in social learning projects.ReferencesJonah Berger, Katherine L. Milkman (2012) What Makes Online Content Viral? Journal of Marketing Research: April 2012, Vol. 49, No. 2, pp. 192-205Bozarth, Jane. Social Media for Trainers: Techniques for Enhancing and Extending Learning. Pfeiffer, 2010David Brooks. The Social Animal: A Story of How Success Happens. Short Books: April 1, 2011David Brooks. The Social Animal. March 2011Brian Grazer. Susan Wojcicki. Time: April 16, 2015Association for Psychological Science. Why Do We Share Stories, News, and Information With Others?. June 28, 2011Tip #20 - Weaving Stories and Factual Content for Seamless LessonsTip #54 - Social Learning Ought to be Story-Sharing: "Friends You Haven't Met Yet"Tip #109 - 12 Metaphor Story Questions to Engage LearnersRay Jimenez, PhDVignettes Learning"Helping Learners Learn Their Way"Ray Jimenez, PhD Vignettes Learning Learn more about story and experience-based eLearning

A few tips to launch or improve any product. You have a vision. You have an idea. You start building a product. You have an engineering team and a design team. You can’t make them work together as well as you had initially imagined. Development suffers. Crises break out. You suffer. Your clients suffer. You suffer even more. You blame the team. You blame your partners. You start to regret the whole thing. You lose sleep. Product, energy, money… will it all go down in flames? It doesn’t sound like a pleasant situation now, does it? Here are a few thoughts on how to break out of this cycle of torment and finally breathe! In my humble opinion, it’s never too late to: 1. Establish design principles Every product has to be meaningful and serve some purpose, otherwise people won’t use it. It’s a simple concept. It’s common sense, really. Design principles can help any team stay focused on that purpose. Also, they enable quick decision-making both in everyday life and in cases of crisis, and they help you maintain a clear vision of where you want to go. For example here, at TalentLMS, we aim for efficiency, clarity and usability. Our goal as a team is to remember these principles in every meeting and implement them in every action. Find your own principles, communicate them to your team and let them guide your way to awesomeness. 2. Create and communicate a roadmap Ah yes, the roadmap. In the minds of developers and designers everywhere, the roadmap is almost synonymous with the dreaded "deadline".  In reality, the product roadmap is a very useful tool that aims to describe the growth process of your product and to align the team, including the stakeholders. An effective roadmap though, is not an easy thing to create, since product development usually goes hand in hand with unexpected changes, setbacks and all kinds of panic attacks (Agile, anyone?). What do you do then? You use your product thinking superpowers, you get everyone on board, you define the product, you aim for the right features, you fearlessly tackle problems and you review often. Please, let me repeat: you review often. 3. Talk about engineering constraints I’m a designer. I’ll try to be objective though, for the sake of a civil and ladylike blog post. So, engineers have this knack of imposing constraints, usually in the form of the infamous 2-letter word: "No". If they’re on a good day they may even use a whole sentence: "This can’t be done". Oh, the despair! Oh, the murderous rage! What do you do? Since finding an engineer that appreciates solid product design is more difficult than climbing the Himalayas, on your hands, facing backwards, you have to sell them your idea and actually convince them that it’s worth it to at least consider the effort. You employ all your logic, all your patience, all your suave, and when, as a new Ulysses, you overcome that legendary boss battle, then you will find some common ground to talk and see what the real constraints are. Mind you, that a better idea would be to avoid this battle altogether and find an experienced designer that would be your go-to kamikazi person at this stage. Therefore, if you want your product to see the light of day, you get your team together and let them play. 4. Get to know your team Effective teams are precious. They are the proof that miracles do happen. Find good people that know what they’re doing or are willing to learn, share your vision with them, be excited enough to get them excited as well and, most importantly, be honest with them and let them bond with you and with each other. If your team members are on the same page with you, there are very few things out there that could stop you. Effective teams are precious.Click To Tweet How will you perform this magic? With communication. I wish we were all telepathic. Life would be easier, I suppose, things would move along faster, but guess what: We’re not there yet. So, invest the time. Start talking. Be interested. Ask questions. Message. Email. Leave post-it notes on their desks. Gesture. Sing if necessary (on second thought, please don’t). You shouldn’t micromanage though - the Dark Side is to be avoided at all costs. Show some trust. Get to know your people, find out what their strengths and weaknesses are, and as a good strategist place them in the appropriate positions and give them the freedom to do their thing. 5. Follow the process! Hundreds of articles and dozens of books have been written about the Process. Personally, I’m close to writing an ode. It’s a tricky thing (the process, not the ode) and especially in a fast paced environment, it is the first thing that gets overlooked. Experienced teams of engineers and designers know that the product development process can get very messy and some parts of the product could get kind of unpredictable. Often we don’t really know what will work, if it will work, until our product gets a shape and becomes tangible. We’ve all been there. So the least you can do, is try to remain as close as possible to the following pattern: Spec, Wireframe, Feedback, Prototype, Feedback, Visual Design, Feedback, Development, Testing. Add the necessary loops and pay attention to a small sneaky repetition: Feedback. 6. Accept feedback (aka the art of forgetting your Ego) One of the most difficult things a person can do on this lifetime, is to let go of their Ego. There, I’ve shared with you the secret to a good life and I will accept your admiration and congratulations later. For now, let’s admit that becoming selfless is close to impossible, and let’s agree that this kind of liberation deserves an effort. What does any of this have to do with product development? Well, I suppose that with limited Ego, you can accept critique - you will actually look forward to it - and you will be able to effectively act on it. You can give feedback to someone else without having to sugarcoat anything and, more importantly, without sounding like an, ahem, let’s say, bad person. You can empathize with your users and understand their pain-points and their needs. You will want to find solutions to all kinds of problems. You will be a knight in shining armor when the situation calls for it! Conclusion What I’ve been trying to say for the past bunch of lines is that if you love your work, it will love you back. If you look forward to the launch and the improvement of whatever you’re building, people will respond. The result will be an awesome product and you will have completed the effort to make somebody’s life a little better. Oh dear god, no! It’s getting sentimental. I’m outta here.   About the author: Sofia studied multimedia computing and has been designing digital things for 18 years, notoriously hiding easter eggs in source files. Very curious about cognitive processes, she joined Epignosis as a UX designer, to build and enhance great learning experiences. The post It’s never too late to show your product some love appeared first on TalentLMS Blog.

Do your online learners require quick demos, tutorials, and task walkthroughs? Bite-sized videos make eLearning memorable and engage distracted online learners. In this article, we’ll share 8 tips to produce microlearning videos for your eLearning course. How To Produce Microlearning Videos For eLearning eLearning videos grab learners’ attention and make the subject matter more digestible. However, you can make them even more effective by throwing microlearning into the mix. Bite-sized eLearning videos simplify complex concepts and visually engage your audience. They also improve your online training ROI, thanks to the fact that you can give online learners all the information they need in a fraction of the time. Here are 8 tips to create microlearning videos that make eLearning more convenient and easily accessible. 1. Narrow Your Scope Microlearning is intended to be quick, convenient, and topic-centered. Your microlearning video should explore one key idea or task so that online learners get the help they need. Keep in mind that microlearning videos are common "moment of need" resources. Online learners are looking for specific information to solve a problem or tackle a task. As such, the scope should be narrow and focused. You always have the option to create additional microlearning videos for related concepts. For example, an involved process becomes 3 separate microlearning videos, each covering a different aspect of the task. The first explores the skills, the second features the steps, and the last offers tips. 2. Script It Out You may be tempted to hit the record button and just see what comes to mind. After all, you already know the subject matter inside and out. However, resist the urge and write a script so that you stay on-topic. You may even consider a storyboard that maps out every scene, visual, and audio element. Remember, you don’t have a lot of time to cover the core ideas and concepts. The beauty of microlearning is that it’s concise. But that presents a unique challenge. A script and storyboard ensure that you include the main takeaways in a way that’s easy to understand. The beauty of microlearning is that it’s concise.Click To Tweet Lastly, a script makes it easier to add subtitles or closed captions to your eLearning course for online learners with special needs. 3. Include Compelling Visuals Visuals serve two very important purposes. Firstly, they simplify ideas by providing a visual illustration. However, they also grab your online learner’s attention, which is crucial when there are distractions everywhere that can pull them out of the eLearning experience. As a result, you must choose visuals that are intriguing, compelling, and possibly even controversial, within limits. Highlight trends and stats with graphs and pie charts. Evoke emotion with relatable images. Map out the key steps in a task with diagrams and workplace photos. 4. Provide Additional eLearning Resource Links There’s only room for the main ideas, but that doesn’t mean you have to leave it at that. You can still provide your online learners with additional information by using embedded links. Curious online learners can explore sub-topics or improve their comprehension. You also have the opportunity to test their knowledge and facilitate practical application of what they have learned. For example, links that direct them to interactive branching scenarios or serious games. Make sure to clearly label your links so that online learners can quickly access the online resources. 5. Focus On What Matters Most Microlearning videos don’t necessarily need to be cinematic masterpieces. You shouldn’t try to cover a lot of ground or dazzle your audience with amazing cinematography. The key is to focus on what truly matters. What insights do your online learners need to get the job done or achieve their goals? Avoid extraneous eLearning content that distracts them from the primary purpose of the microlearning video. For example, the images you’ve chosen may be eye-catching, but do they help your online learners achieve the desired outcome? Or are they just there for the sake of aesthetic appeal? 6. Don’t Forget The Online Demos Visual walkthroughs are one of the perks of microlearning videos. You have the ability to highlight every step so that online learners can mimic the process. Instead of just reading about it, they can see it in action. This is also ideal for product knowledge online training. Employees are able to view the product from every angle. Sales people can also discover the benefits and features in order to share them with your consumers. Once again, make certain that you only provide them with need-to-know info. Online learners aren’t concerned about every detail or sub-topic. They are looking for quick, just-in-time knowledge so that they can finish the task. 7. Rely On The Right Tools There are a myriad of eLearning authoring tools that allow you to create microlearning videos quickly, even if you’re on a tight eLearning budget. The trick is finding a platform that meets your needs and aligns with your skill sets. You should also consider the nature of your subject matter and theme. Many tools now have built-in asset libraries. This includes eLearning templates, graphics, and audio elements to make the task easier. So, do your research and take advantage of free trials. Explore their online multimedia libraries to ensure that have what you require. In addition, ask about their support services and formatting options. Ideally, the tool of your choice should be mobile-friendly. 8. Host An Online Viewing Party An online viewing party gives you the opportunity to gather valuable eLearning feedback from your audience. Invite a select group of online learners and screen the microlearning video during a live event. They can share their thoughts, recommend changes, and discuss the topics with their peers. Provide a survey at the end to collect measurable data. Then use your findings to get your microlearning video ready for launch. Make sure to have a list of questions ready for the event so that can identify areas for improvement. For example, are the visuals on-point? Is there enough interactivity? Microlearning videos provide online learners with the knowledge and skill development they require to achieve their objectives. Use these 8 tips to produce a top notch microlearning video that is engaging, entertaining, and highly effective. Can you separate microlearning facts from fiction? Read the article 6 Microlearning Myths eLearning Professionals Should Bust to discover what’s true and what’s a fib. The post 8 Tips To Produce Microlearning Videos For eLearning appeared first on TalentLMS Blog.

Using the tools mentioned throughout this LearningFlash for BASE, SCOPE and MAGIC, you can predict the future of your team engagement and productivity:​ Without a shared BASE, your team will be frustrated with rework and lack of direction soon becoming disengaged.Without a shared SCOPE, your team will duplicate each other's efforts while dropping important work.Without a shared MAGIC, your team will default to status quo without a sense of purpose or opportunity to innovate.  ​Using BASE, SCOPE and MAGIC to intentionally create a strong engaged team will create:Alignment with internal team members and outside stakeholders.Willingness to challenge, confront and grow together.A model to identify gaps and hire effectively. A maturity to tackle tough problems and drive strategy. Let me know how it goes.  How better to start a new year?  Need help?  You know who to call…317-475-9311. 

Habits are like chains. According to Warren Buffett: I have been discussing the implementation of micro-learning projects with clients and colleagues. It should be obvious to me, but I failed to recognize that many professionals including designers, learning and training specialists, "are chained" to certain habits.  Almost No Link Between "Now" Habits and New Habits  There are overlapping worlds that chain us into habits.  Our current habits  drive us to build our strengths and contributions. On the other hand, the new habits encourage us to continue to learn newer ways. The stress and failure come when there is almost no link between the  current/existing habits and the new ones we are starting to adapt.Micro-Actions Versus Micro-ContentOne of the exercises I ask clients to do in micro-learning implementation is to recognize the difference between Micro-Actions and Micro-Content. The concept revolves around the situation of a worker carrying out tasks at work. In the process, the worker applies Micro-Actions: Often, the worker wants to fix, change or find a new solution and uses experience and/or seeks out answers from others or documentation. The worker applies the answers and learns something along the way."I have this screw that does not seem to fit onto the equipment. I tried several ways and I could not make it work. So, I checked the documentation and confirmed this screw is the correct one. I tried again with another twist and still continued to fail. So, I checked my colleague. He said the same thing. It is particularly difficult to use this screw. Finally, I called the supplier wanting to know if the screw is the correct one and expressed my frustration. The supplier said, screw no. xx2, is the same as xx3. But it has to be heated slightly before it can fit exactly. Based on this I learned that there are temperatures that affect the use of some screws and to factor this in the next time."The worker in the above situation applied Micro-Actions. This happens in an instant. The focus is on solving problems and fixing things immediately. When I presented this situation to the designers and trainers, their solutions were not just surprising, they threw me off. I was expecting them to provide a quick solution or an instant direction to the workers. Instead, they provided lengthy details and elaborate content like these answers: Complete checklistHow-to proceduresMore product informationQuality control stepsI failed to recognize that designers and trainers are "chained" to the correctness and completeness of content. They were not able to focus on the worker's problems and the micro-actions needed.Unchained from Content to ActionsTo help in unchaining "now" habits to new habits required in Micro-Learning, I summarized the very simple steps of Micro-Actions. Micro-ActionsWorkers want to fix, change and find new solutionsThey use their experience, ask others and check documentation and resourcesThey apply ideas to fix the issueThey learn how to fix similar future problemsMicro-Actions RequirementsLow effortFastEasyQuick to apply "The ZAP Micro-Learning Principles is one key idea learned during the Micro-Learning for Disruptive Results  - An Action-Driven Online WorkshopFocus on Work Conditions of the Worker and LearnerIt became clear to the designers and trainers and my clients that in Micro-Learning, the focus is the worker and learner while in action at work. Other lessons learned: The completeness and thoroughness of the content does not support Micro-Actions.Complete and elaborate content slows down or worse, are ignored and not accessed by workers when implementing Micro-Actions. They become nuisances, not productive tools.Designers and trainers need to "unchain" themselves from thinking of content instead of solutions for workers on the job.ConclusionAlthough it seemed simple, I realized Micro-Learning challenges us all to think differently. Focus on Micro-Actions, not Micro-Content.ReferencesHow to Create 5-Slide Micro-Learning - Tiny, Succinct, Fast Capture Financial Impacts of Micro-Learning - Download the 22-Page Case StudyBreaking 10 Training Rules Using Micro-LearningHow to Add Depth to Micro-IdeasRay Jimenez, PhDVignettes Learning"Helping Learners Learn Their Way"Ray Jimenez, PhD Vignettes Learning Learn more about story and experience-based eLearning

Habits are like chains. According to Warren Buffett: I have been discussing the implementation of micro-learning projects with clients and colleagues. It should be obvious to me, but I failed to recognize that many professionals including designers, learning and training specialists, "are chained" to certain habits.  Almost No Link Between "Now" Habits and New Habits  There are overlapping worlds that chain us into habits.  Our current habits  drive us to build our strengths and contributions. On the other hand, the new habits encourage us to continue to learn newer ways. The stress and failure come when there is almost no link between the  current/existing habits and the new ones we are starting to adapt. Micro-Actions Versus Micro-ContentOne of the exercises I ask clients to do in micro-learning implementation is to recognize the difference between Micro-Actions and Micro-Content. The concept revolves around the situation of a worker carrying out tasks at work. In the process, the worker applies Micro-Actions: Often, the worker wants to fix, change or find a new solution and uses experience and/or seeks out answers from others or documentation. The worker applies the answers and learns something along the way."I have this screw that does not seem to fit onto the equipment. I tried several ways and I could not make it work. So, I checked the documentation and confirmed this screw is the correct one. I tried again with another twist and still continued to fail. So, I checked my colleague. He said the same thing. It is particularly difficult to use this screw. Finally, I called the supplier wanting to know if the screw is the correct one and expressed my frustration. The supplier said, screw no. xx2, is the same as xx3. But it has to be heated slightly before it can fit exactly. Based on this I learned that there are temperatures that affect the use of some screws and to factor this in the next time."The worker in the above situation applied Micro-Actions. This happens in an instant. The focus is on solving problems and fixing things immediately. When I presented this situation to the designers and trainers, their solutions were not just surprising, they threw me off. I was expecting them to provide a quick solution or an instant direction to the workers. Instead, they provided lengthy details and elaborate content like these answers: Complete checklistHow-to proceduresMore product informationQuality control stepsI failed to recognize that designers and trainers are "chained" to the correctness and completeness of content. They were not able to focus on the worker's problems and the micro-actions needed. Unchained from Content to ActionsTo help in unchaining "now" habits to new habits required in Micro-Learning, I summarized the very simple steps of Micro-Actions. Micro-ActionsWorkers want to fix, change and find new solutionsThey use their experience, ask others and check documentation and resourcesThey apply ideas to fix the issueThey learn how to fix similar future problemsMicro-Actions RequirementsLow effortFastEasyQuick to apply "The ZAP Micro-Learning Principles is one key idea learned during the Micro-Learning for Disruptive Results  - An Action-Driven Online WorkshopFocus on Work Conditions of the Worker and Learner It became clear to the designers and trainers and my clients that in Micro-Learning, the focus is the worker and learner while in action at work. Other lessons learned: The completeness and thoroughness of the content does not support Micro-Actions.Complete and elaborate content slows down or worse, are ignored and not accessed by workers when implementing Micro-Actions. They become nuisances, not productive tools.Designers and trainers need to "unchain" themselves from thinking of content instead of solutions for workers on the job.Conclusion Although it seemed simple, I realized Micro-Learning challenges us all to think differently. Focus on Micro-Actions, not Micro-Content.Ray Jimenez, PhDVignettes Learning"Helping Learners Learn Their Way"Ray Jimenez, PhD Vignettes Learning Learn more about story and experience-based eLearning

Multinational organizations have two major leadership strategy balances to get right: Global vs. Local, and Design vs. Implementation.

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Now that the team has a BASE and knows the PURPOSE, you have a newly engaged group ready to do amazing things.  There's a small window of opportunity to apply the strength before the status quo tries to take over. This is the time to really challenge and push outside the realm of their 'real work'.  Here are some ideas: Systems Thinking (Causal Loop Diagrams)  This is a graphic way from the Fifth Discipline Fieldbook of discovering interventions for gnarly issues that won't go away.  For example, a team attacked the problem "Why is the Help Desk not helping?"  No matter what they did, their solutions helped for a while but didn't make a long term impact.  The premise is that these issues are systemic and likely not 'solvable' but it is possible to create small interventions that lessen the impact of problems.  Put another way, small assumptions and decisions can be adjusted when discovered to improve processes.   The team picks an appropriate WHY question and begins to sketch the 'wheels' of the diagram, which are the cause and effects.  As they learn more from each other, the WHY question can evolve.  Start with a 'Nirvana' loop - if everything were perfect, what would happen?  Here's an example: Help Desk Calls increases => Customers Helped increases => Customers Faith in Help Desk increases => Held Desk Calls increases (circle) This is called a reinforcing loop - it just gets better and better if nothing changes.  But flip any of these three behaviors in a negative direction, and the whole loop spins down as fast as it came up: Customers Faith in Help Desk decreases => Held Desk Calls decreases => Customers Helped decreases => Customers Faith in Help Desk decreases… Clearly, there is more going on here because the Help Desk is not getting better and better OR worse and worse.  To continue, teams discover and add small loops around the outside to document the other triggers that change the system.  For example, As Customers Helped increases => Wait Time for HD increases could be a factor in keeping the Nirvana loop from always getting better.  You will likely need  to hire a facilitator who knows how to lead these types of meetings.  This process requires both analytical and innovative thought, and a good facilitator will be required to balance these two. (Shameless marketing - Call US! 317-475-9311)  Scenario PlanningAnother technique, also from the Fifth Discipline Fieldbook is Scenario Planning. You'll notice this is similar to the HAVE/WANT exercise above.  The team comes up with two criteria to vary over the four quadrants and describe the future state. I generate these two by gathering words from the team that describe 'why you work at the job you have now'.  For example, the team might come up with GROWTH and ENGAGEMENT.  Next, the team breaks into two to four groups and each describe a future in the organization including, people, process, technology, culture, careers, etc.  for the following possible futures.  Here's a simplified version of the stories they might create: GROWTH/ ENGAGEMENT (Heaven) - people/process/culture are aligned, low turnover, etc. No GROWTH / ENGAGEMENT - work is fun but there is no career planning.No GROWTH / No Engagement (Hell) - high turnover, sweat shop, work and shut-up. GROWTH / No Engagement - the company is reaping the benefits of the hard work, not the employees. The imagined future becomes a story the teams tell to each other.  Once the stories are shared and discussed, the team creates strategies, projects and tasks to move to the future they want to be in. GROWTH/ ENGAGEMENT (Heaven) - we need to work on balance and collaboration to engage great teams. No GROWTH / ENGAGEMENT - we need to remember that growth is the goal and fun can't be enough.No GROWTH / No Engagement (Hell) - we've got to keep the lines of communication open so when employees feel oppressed, we find it out early enough to intervene. GROWTH / No Engagement - we need to establish some sort of incentive for employees based on their contributions to our growth. ​