If I had the proverbial Dollar for every e-learning report that shows the number of hours used or the cost savings versus classroom….. These Numbers Prove Virtually Nothing. If I was a CFO and my Learning Director came to me with those kinds of numbers I would refuse to provide a budget for next year. I may also question why we haven’t employed someone more capable. Harsh? Perhaps, but we need to start to show that we have a purpose and can prove the actual worth of e-learning projects. Let’s face it, in most companies it can take a virtual act of Parliament to get something like e-learning approved in the first place. And after all the effort we often fail to adequately to show the return on the investment. So lets take a look at this more closely. Usage What does usage in terms of hours show? There is a belief there is a connection between the total number of hours and minutes that the company has accessed e-learning and how effective the learning has been. Simply Not True.  You can can cross your fingers and hope, but this is no way conclusive and I don’t know many CFO’s that take positive thinking as proof of a good return. One organization I know implemented a new version of Microsoft Office. To support this they provided the staff with e-learning rather than take them through lengthy classroom sessions. 3000 members of staff, accessed the courses an average of 20 times per person for an average of 10 minutes each time in the first month. A sample of the feedback from the staff showed that accesses were directly linked to a requirement to execute a task within the application. A perfect example of just-in-time learning, even if you don’t apply any financial return. Cost Savings There seems to be some belief that because e-learning is ‘cheaper’, the overall value of the experience is improved. Why would this be true? Walking is infinitely cheaper than air travel,  but the value surely needs to be assessed against the distance you need to travel. Just because you save money on travel, instructor costs and hotels does not make this necessarily a better choice. How the e-learning is employed is the key. Are the courses mapped to the role, the aspirations of the business and used in conjunction with instructor lead programs and coaching?  And remember balance is important also. If there is value in shipping your staff from Belgium to Bali for a learning experience then do it, but always show why. "Think about what your learners need to do with that information after the course is finished and design around that." - Matthew Guyan

This 26th September marks the 14th annual European Day of Languages. As part of this day, 800 million Europeans across all member states are encouraged to learn more languages - at any age, in or out of school.  I want to take this opportunity to revisit what makes languages so crucial for organisations, and why those with a global communication strategy will go further than the rest. No matter how large or small an organisation, whether it works online or offline, its employees will have to deal with a different culture or language at some point. This could be colleagues from abroad who haven’t fully mastered the local language yet, as well as partners, suppliers or customers in another country. Such encounters can be highly rewarding as they offer insights into a different culture and perspective. But they also leave much room for misunderstandings. Do you know how to greet someone senior from Japan without insulting them? How do Brazilians prefer to be addressed in an email? And what was that Spanish false friend you definitely had to avoid when speaking? A flexible world of learning The good news is that organisations can train their staff to deal with these issues more effectively on a daily basis. And training doesn’t need to take place in formal classrooms anymore. With the rise of cloud-based mobile learning solutions, languages and cultural concepts can be studied on a mobile phone, tablet or PC, be it at home, at work or while travelling. For HR and L&D managers, cloud-based learning means having standardised and measurable results across all borders. Our research shows that this kind of training will save costs compared to conventional classroom training, and people remember the content better because they can access it on their mobile devices at any time. Long-term, this will also help to get a better grasp of an internal talent pool, identify skill gaps and fill them with the appropriate training. Speaking your language It’s no secret that learning a foreign language will also boost your communication skills. Good communications create a positive working environment, reduce errors and misunderstandings and accelerate processes as a result. And as we know, quicker processes mean lower costs and better business. Ties with external partners or clients will be strengthened if they feel an organisation really speaks their language and has made an effort to take a step in their direction. This will give multilingual organisations a real competitive advantage as they will become the first port of call for their customers.  We just can’t expect everyone to speak fluent English anymore. So if you’re in charge of talent management in your organisation, I invite you to think about your language strategy because long-term, it will be your business strategy. Get an online language training solution in place with a  renowned provider, encourage business conversations in a foreign language and allow employees to spend some time on business abroad to boost their skills. Not only will this make communication more fluid and drive results, it will also motivate your workforce and give them a reason to stay.

Behavior and values are the source of every country’s culture, and are the building blocks for developing business culture. Cultural influences, attitudes and values vary across nations. The range of your knowledge of the culture of your business partners can be crucial when it comes to doing business or not. Nike experienced this when they brought patterned leggings onto the market whose design was inspired by the traditional tattoos of the Maori and other indigenous people of the Pacific. The sportswear company soon faced a petition objecting to the product, on the ground they were a violation of these peoples. Nike was forced to withdraw the leggings. Even when two English-speaking countries such as the USA and Great Britain are dealing with each other, cultural sensitivities come into play. This was the experience of pet nutrition company Hilton Herbs. Their product ‘Veteran’, for older pets, didn’t sell well in the US although it was doing well in other countries. They finally discovered that for Americans the word ‘veteran’ had connotations of war rather than older animals. The product is now called ‘Senior’ and is selling very well in America. That such a large cultural divide can exist between two nations that share the same language, just shows how much wider the gap is between countries that speak different languages. But cultural sensitivity is not only about speaking and writing. Body language is also very important when it comes to effective communication between two cultures. Bill Gates didn’t do his homework when he recently shook hands with the South Korean President Park Geun-hye while keeping his left hand in his pocket. This is a sign of disrespect in South Korea. Other examples are that in France, it is common for a man to greet a lady with a quick kiss on the cheek, even in a business setting. In China and India, that sort of familiar contact with business partners is frowned upon. In Saudi Arabia even offering your hand to a female colleague could be a terrible faux pas. Or staring into the eyes of your Chinese business associate while shaking his hand, can be regarded as a great insult. Neil Payne, director of "Kwintessential" - a UK based translation company which also offers cross-cultural awareness training - warns that working with colleagues from different cultures can be a minefield. He says: "Whether it’s localizing your website or sending people to conduct business abroad, being aware of things such as cultural, religious, moral, behavioral and linguistic differences is crucial". It’s not about learning a local language fluently and knowing all the customs. You should, however, know when to keep your hands out of your pockets and be able to speak a few phrases of your business partner’s language. This shows respect and that you are taking the relationship seriously. It’s possible to break down social barriers by learning local customs, this way you can gain trust and win business deals. So one of the most valuable investments you can make is to get to know your business partner’s basic social customs.

Every year there are new themes emerging in learning and development. Shortly after the 2008/9 crisis hit, everyone wanted ‘Finance for Non-Financial Managers’ type courses. Strategic Thinking also became a big topic there for a while. You couldn’t walk 15 feet through an office at that time without hearing someone using the word ‘Strategic’. So many companies clearly felt it was a good idea if some of their people actually knew what it meant. Although it’s clear that not everyone got the invite to that particular course. One topic that has stayed on the ‘Needs’ list for the last number of years is Leadership Development. However, developing leaders is tricky. It can be expensive, too. Go and get a quote from Insead  and you will see what I mean. Plus it’s hard to get the future leadership into the classroom, they often have short-term concerns that outweigh long-term requirements. There are ways to start the process more cheaply and in a way that the company can manage easily, but they require commitment. Once a week a senior, experienced leader in the organization gives up 30 minutes of their time. They are there to facilitate a discussion with the company’s high potentials. They throw a phrase out to the group like ‘ Leadership should be about relationship building, what do you think that means?’ The next week it’s the turn of one of the future leaders to come up with their own discussion point. 30 minutes a week. That’s all it takes, but it has to be something that is bought into at the top. They need to understand that part of their role is not just to lead but to coach and guide. Call them what you will, ‘Breakfast and Learn’, ‘Toolbox Talks’, but they can make difference in helping your high potentials understand the differences between management and leadership 30 minutes at a time. ‘You manage things; you lead people’. —Rear Admiral Grace Murray Hopper

Great news, we’ve just opened our first US-based office! The presence in New York will help to provide on-the-ground services for our new and existing clients. Although a number of US corporations are already using our solutions for online business communication skills training, this step marks our official entrance into the US market. This is Speexx’s ninth office, with further subsidiaries up and running in China, Brazil, Singapore, France, Spain, Italy, the UK and Germany. The Speexx solution combines online and mobile courses and learning tools for all users across all devices, as well as business analytics and APIs for enterprise customers of all sizes, from SMB to Fortune 500. Armin Hopp, one of our Founders, said "The United States corporate market holds huge potential for Speexx and our blend of cloud-based language training solutions. Our New York office is the decisive building block in our strategy to bring the best language training experience to users in corporations all across the world. And as they say - ‘if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere’." The new office officially opens today and is located in midtown Manhattan. To get in touch, drop us a line at us@speexx.com. Bye for now!

With Online Educa Berlin fast approaching us in early December 2015, it’s hard to believe that the event is now in its 21st year. The conference brings together over 2,300 participants from 100 countries and is an annual fixture in my diary. Ahead of Speexx Exchange, which takes place on the eve of the OEB event, we’re running our annual audit of global CXOs, HR, L&D professionals and training consultants who are also scheduled to join the event. Early findings of the Speexx Exchange survey show some interesting insights which I’m excited to share today. E-enabled and mobile learning still front of mind The audit asked HR and L&D professionals about the main benefits they see in e-enabled learning. 45 per cent said that "Flexibility and instant accessibility" were the key advantages they gained, followed by a "Reduction of direct training costs" (cited by 15 per cent). It is encouraging to see HR and L&D registering financial benefits of e-learning programmes. In line with this tendency, almost a third of our respondents plan to spend over 30 per cent of their training budget on e-learning or blended learning projects. Next up are mobile and 70:20:10, which are gaining popularity, but still have some obstacles to overcome. 27 per cent of the HR and L&D managers we spoke to confirmed that they are actively supporting mobile learning within their organisation and 14 per cent plan to implement a mobile learning strategy within the foreseeable future. The main factors thought to be hampering mobile learning in the workplace were "Lack of integration" (23 per cent), "No BYOD policy in place" (18 per cent) and "Corporate data security issues" (17 per cent). For the 70:20:10 model and collaboration, things are looking a little brighter, 32 per cent have this framework embraced as part of their corporate learning culture and 11 per cent plan to apply it within the coming three years. At the same time, however, 30 per cent do not use it or plan to use it and 27 per cent are not sure. To me, these figures suggest that managers need to do much more to promote blended, social and mobile learning within their organisations, and to back HR and L&D managers in along the way. At the same time, none of this can really flourish if there isn’t a solid learning strategy in place. This strategy needs to be communicated clearly and transparently across all branches and departments. The importance of strong communications is reflected in the early findings of the survey: A staggering 97 per cent rate communications as important or very important for overall business success. It’s time to rethink how we communicate changes and strategies, and what effect our communication style has on those around us. This also means taking into account linguistic and cultural differences, which often leave room for potential misunderstandings and misinterpretations. Adapting to change As we move into 2016, the integration of multilingual and multicultural workers into an overall business strategy is crucial to sustain and grow a business. Many organisations are now actively incorporating communication skills training and language learning as part of their talent strategy, nurturing staff from the ground up and making talent accessible on a global scale. An organisation with an all-inclusive work culture that embraces diversity and effectively integrates multilingual workers will ultimately open its doors to better business - and is more likely to retain its top talent.

Mark your calendar as busy on December 2 and come meet your HR and L&D peers from all over the world at Speexx Exchange - just 5 weeks from now! Hosted by HR industry rockstar Laura Overton of Towards Maturity, Speexx Exchange is a unique talent management conference on the eve of Online Educa Berlin. Don’t miss your chance to get up to speed with the hottest industry trends and network with global thought leaders. Sign up now Speexx Exchange 2015 Wednesday, December 2, Hotel InterContinental Berlin _ Learn from the Best We have an amazing speaker line-up with Credit Suisse, LG Electronics, Linde, Adecco, European Climate Foundation and many more who will share exclusive tips and insights with you. _ Grow your Network Speexx Exchange is all about you getting to know your peers and finding out how they deal with challenges similar to your own. _ New! Crowdsourcing Live This will be the first time we launch a Speexx Exchange crowdsourcing activity to share top findings in interactive group sessions. _ Live Surveys and Results Our live surveys will keep your on your toes and showcase which solutions and ideas are shaping talent management in realtime. _ Five Star Food and Drinks Last but not least - enjoy a full day of first-class catering by the renowned Hotel InterContinental Berlin. By the way, as proud sponsors of Online Educa, we can offer you a 25% discount on your OEB conference ticket. Drop us a line to find out more!

Good stuff, our list of international awards just received two shiny new members - from China and Spain! Brand of the Year First up was China’s ‘Brand of the Year Award’ which is run by Training Magazine each year. Over 300 organizations submitted projects, out of which 83 were shortlisted for the ‘Brand of the Year’ award. Speexx made it to the final round and secured the award in the ‘Corporate Training’ category. The award ceremony took place in Shanghai in October. Jun Zheng, Managing Director of Speexx China, commented: "We’re extremely grateful for this award. Blended learning in China is still in its early stages, and the corporate training industry is increasingly focussing on content. Many platform providers are committed to delivering a better overall training experience through innovative learning models. With the support of Training Magazine’s platform, Speexx will continue to deliver the most advanced ideas in the market, as well as efficient project management processes which are fully integrated into enterprise training services. On behalf of Speexx, I would like to thank Training Magazine China for this fantastic award." Check out the full press release here. Excellence in E-Learning Award  Then last week, we secured APel’s Excellence in E-Learning Award for the "Most innovative learning solution" category. Each year, the Association of E-Learning Providers (APel) rewards high quality e-learning solutions with its Excellence in E-Learning Award. This year’s winners were announced during the National E-learning Congress in Madrid, Spain. Elena Giménez, Managing Director of Speexx Spain, said: "We’re very proud to have won this award! It shows that APel is confident in our ability to continue delivering innovative online language training for large organisations worldwide. Our goal is to keep setting the standard for cutting-edge solutions which combine a self-paced learning method with personalised coaching as well as live training via virtual classroom, telephone or face-to-face training." You will find the press release here.

Do you think your employees are truly engaged in what they do? Employee engagement is a workplace approach designed to ensure that employees are committed to their organization’s goals and values, motivated to contribute to organizational success, and are able to enhance their own sense of well-being. Engaged employees care about the future of the company and are willing to invest discretionary effort to see that the organization succeeds. It is the official term used by talent developers to describe the process of motivating employees in order to increase employee retention and reduce turnover. In the light of the ongoing war for talent, companies struggle to attract the best college graduates and most talented workers on the market. To familiarize you with the ins and outs of employee engagement, we’ve created a brand-new HR webinar topic for you. In just 45 minutes you’ll discover the importance of engagement in the modern workplace and practical steps you can take to retain your employees on a long-term basis. At the same time, you’ll boost your Business English skills and meet HR and L&D experts from around the globe. Employee Engagement Thursday, 12th November, 11am and 4pm CET Sign up free   See you soon!

We’re all familiar with International Women’s Day on 8th March, but I bet not all of you knew that there’s an International Men’s Day, too - today! International Men’s Day also coincides with the month of Movember - a worldwide moustache-growing charity event each November which aims to raise awareness and funds for men’s health. So we thought we’d take a look at ‘gender from a linguistic perspective’, or ‘languages from a gender perspective’ - whichever you prefer! While gender plays an important grammatical role in most languages (with masculine, feminine and sometimes neuter nouns, as well as personal pronouns or verbs that change depending on the gender), English makes life a little easier for us in this respect. But this hasn’t always been the case. Up until the 11th Century, Old English had a grammatical gender system which was very similar to that of modern German - with masculine, feminine and neuter nouns. Some determiners and adjectives portrayed gender according to the noun which they modified. The nouns themselves also followed different declension patterns depending on their gender. For example, the word "engel" (nowdays angel) was masculine, the word "scip" (now ship) was neuter and "sorg" (now sorrow) was feminine . Interestingly, in Modern English, there are some word groups left which are considered ‘feminine’, at least in a poetic or quaint sense. These include ships, nations and churches, for example. So if you’re a non-native speaker of English and really want to impress someone with your linguistic knowledge, make a reference to a ship or country using the word ‘she’. "The Titanic sank in 1912, didn’t she?" But be warned, this might make you seem a tiny bit pretentious, too. Now finally, let’s take a look at English nouns which have a male and female form - note that there are relatively few compared to other languages. Widow / widower (not that in this case, the longer word is actually the male form!) Duke / duchess Actor / actress Bachelor / spinster Hero / heroine Master / mistress Nephew / niece Emperor / empress Wizard / witch There are many more of course (we didn’t want to patronize you with simple ones like girl/boy) but these are slightly obscure ones you might not hear every day. Hope this was useful for you. And Happy International Men’s Day / Happy Movember! By the way, if you want to improve your English on a regular basis with a professional trainer - on your mobile, tablet or desktop - take a look at our online language training solutions for organizations.