Topic: Is it Possible to Predict & Enhance Learning with Big Data Date and time: Wednesday, 4th December, 2013 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM US/Pacific Description: Learner Intervention in Adobe Presenter 9 extends the social collaboration experience and integrates the traditional quiz outcomes to create a modern and powerful solution for analyzing the student learning […]

The Leadership Tonic Scale identifies and defines five types of leadership styles found in today’s organization. This is the fifth of those five types.  [divider] The Harmonic Leader In my book Flat Army: Creating a Connected and Engaged Organization I highlight a scenario I call "Crossing the Leadership Chasm" where a leader must successfully open herself up to the team/organization and the team/organization has to open themselves up to the leader. If this occurs — where both sides are operating in an open and thus harmonious manner — we can define her as a Harmonic Leader. That is, there is harmony between all players. In the Spring of 2013 something very interesting occurred. After a four-year absence (and retirement) A.G. Lafley returned to the post of CEO and Chairperson of Procter & Gamble — a post he held between 2000 and 2009 — to reinvigorate what can only be described as a negatively spiraling future at the 175 year-old company. I find A.G. Lafley to be the perfect definition of a Harmonic Leader. I’m not surprised at all he has resurfaced. As I detailed in Flat Army: Through his decade at the ultimate leadership helm he helped to double total sales, quadrupled profits while increasing P&G’s market value by over $100 billion dollars. Furthermore he helped grow the number of billion-dollar brands at P&G - such as Gillette, Pampers, and Tide - from 10 to 24. How’d he do it? In his book, "The Game Changer: How Every Leader Can Drive Everyday Innovation (Profile Books, 2008) co-written with thought leader Ram Charan, Lafley refers to the unique combination of openness and ideas. They write: "Open architecture is the organizing principle that enables a business and its people to open themselves up to get ideas from anywhere at anytime. P&G collaborates with anybody, anywhere, anytime. P&G likes unusual suspects. It will even compete with a company on one side of the street, and cooperate with it on the other. In an open innovation system, anything out there is fair game, even if competitors are sitting on it. And that’s fine with both partners because it works." At P&G, Lafley opened up everything. He wanted his leaders to be more open and equally important he wanted his employees to be open. When that occurred, magic happened. He branded this open architecture at P&G "Connect and Develop" or C&D for short. It was an open leadership framework that ran across all employees, regardless of title, and it not only drove revenue and profitability, it grew employee engagement. Lafley and Charan further opine: The single characteristic of C&D is the willingness of all people at P&G to be psychologically open and to seriously consider new ideas, whatever the source, thus building a truly open, truly global innovation network that can link up—and be first in line—with the most interesting thinkers and the best products to "reapply with pride." To be a Harmonic Leader both the team and the leader need to be open, trusting and collaborative. The leader must be eager to listen to the people of the organization in order to drive the business forward. When a crisis occurs, command and control ruling isn’t immaturely inserted into the leader’s bag of behaviour tricks. She remains open, trusting and collaborative. What More to Know: What more is there to know? This is the ideal leadership style, one you want to be aligned to and one you want to embrace yourself. It’s form before function, and behaviour before technology; the Harmonic Leader knows it’s about an open, trusting and collaborative behaviour before anything else including fancy social technologies. Read Flat Army … it’s packed with details that directly align to the concept of the Harmonic Leader. My suspicion is A.G. Lafley was brought back to P&G not only for his business acumen … but to reinstate a sense of openness and connectedness that might have diminished since his departure. I am very curious to see how this next chapter of P&G — and A.G. Lafley — plays out over the coming months and quarters. I’m very interested to see if A.G. continues to be the Harmonic Leader in the current state of crisis at P&G. I’m very interested to see every leader become a Harmonic Leader in today’s organizations. [divider] NB: although I didn’t include the Leadership Tonic Scale in my book Flat Army: Creating a Connected and Engaged Organization, you may be interested in Chapters 4-6 (The Connected Leader) and Chapter 7 (The Participative Leader Framework) in particular as they help to depict what I believe are the key ingredients to 21st century leadership. The entire Leadership Tonic Scale will be released on June 10th as a free downloadable paper. UPDATE: The Leadership Tonic Scale downloadable PDF is now available. 2,489 total views, no views today Dan's Related Posts:Future Of Work: A Flat Army Of Open Leadership via A.G. LafleyThe Iconic Leader: Stage 4 of 5 in the Leadership Tonic ScaleThe Moronic Leader: Stage 1 of 5 in the Leadership Tonic ScaleThe Platonic Leader: Stage 3 of 5 in the Leadership Tonic ScaleThe Ironic Leader: Stage 2 of 5 in the Leadership Tonic Scale

The National Building Museum's great hall has been transformed into a synthetic, stark-white beach. The post Architects Make an Ocean Out of a Million Plastic Balls appeared first on WIRED.

The Beginner Adobe Captivate training course will quickly have you creating eLearning and mLearning lessons that include software simulations, demonstrations and soft-skills (compliance training). You will learn how to make your lessons engaging and interactive by creating quizzes, adding text captions, animations, videos, rollovers, clickable areas (buttons and click boxes), typing areas, voiceover audio and sound […]

During the week of June 3, I wrote five posts in five days centered on "The Leadership Tonic Scale". I defined five types of leadership styles found in organizations today: The Moronic Leader The Ironic Leader The Platonic Leader The Iconic Leader The Harmonic Leader You can download the entire series as a singular PDF document. Download PDF Version of The Leadership Tonic Scale Thanks for visiting, downloading and/or reading. cheers dp The Leadership Tonic Scale by Dan Pontefract 3,579 total views, 1 views today Dan's Related Posts:The Iconic Leader: Stage 4 of 5 in the Leadership Tonic ScaleThe Ironic Leader: Stage 2 of 5 in the Leadership Tonic ScaleThe Platonic Leader: Stage 3 of 5 in the Leadership Tonic ScaleThe Moronic Leader: Stage 1 of 5 in the Leadership Tonic ScaleThe Harmonic Leader: Stage 5 of 5 in the Leadership Tonic Scale

Cheese making used to belong to artisanal masters of the craft. Today, your camembert is more likely to bear the imprint of a microbiologist. The post Microbiologists Hold the Secrets to Making Perfect Cheese appeared first on WIRED.

For my friend ‘K’RB. "We’re not here to see through each other; we’re here to see each other through." _____________________ IF IF you can keep your head when all about you Are losing theirs and blaming it on you, If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, But make allowance for their doubting too; If you can wait and not be tired by waiting, Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies, Or being hated, don’t give way to hating, And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise: If you can dream - and not make dreams your master; If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim; If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster And treat those two impostors just the same; If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools, Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken, And stoop and build ‘em up with worn-out tools: If you can make one heap of all your winnings And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss, And lose, and start again at your beginnings And never breathe a word about your loss; If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew To serve your turn long after they are gone, And so hold on when there is nothing in you Except the Will which says to them: ‘Hold on!’ If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue, ‘ Or walk with Kings - nor lose the common touch, if neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you, If all men count with you, but none too much; If you can fill the unforgiving minute With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run, Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it, And - which is more - you’ll be a Man, my son! - Rudyard Kipling 1,647 total views, 3 views today Dan's Related Posts:For Don …I Have Never Worn a WatchI Unfriended You On Facebook. Are We Still Friends?42-24 … I’m 42 Today: What I’d Say to a 24 Year Old MeFlat Army Dedication

We recently released a free update for Adobe Captivate 7 and it includes some stunning new features and enhancements like support for iOS 7.0.3, Android 4.2 and later, Mac OS 10.9, and Windows 8.1, color swatches, lock size and position of objects, star shape, millionaire interaction, and this list doesn’t end here… The most awaited […]

Proportionally speaking, of course. The post According to Basic Math, Pluto is Hotter Than Justin Bieber appeared first on WIRED.

Calestous Juma is Professor of the Practice of International Development and Director of the Science, Technology, and Globalization Project at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard University. Harvard University of course is in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Professor Juma tweeted the following on Saturday, which I thought was both poignant and appropriate for the purpose of my pending prose: Meghan Biro and Kevin Grossman - as they previously state: "were comparing notes about the many forces reshaping today’s workplace. They wondered aloud about how talent-minded professionals could connect and support one another through chaotic and exciting shifts in business, technology and workforce dynamics." Thankfully, in Cambridge, they started up the TalentCulture "world of work" community that includes the highly popular weekly #TChat Twitter chat and #TChat Radio show.  With Meghan based in Cambridge and Kevin in Santa Cruz, these two have undoubtedly run into a few enemies as they began TalentCulture, but more importantly, they have created an awe-inspiring collaborative community of professionals desperately yearning for — and in many cases practicing — a new and improved way in which to operate our organizations. <insert happy dance> … because we need more Meghan and Kevin’s. In December of 2008 I joined an organization with an employee engagement level of 53%. I knew it could be turned around if many of us banded together, although I knew I would encounter enemies along the way. In early 2012, I wanted to broaden my reach in an attempt to help others outside of the organization I worked at full-time. So, I sent an email out to 20 people asking for their help. I wanted to write and publish a book even though I knew full well I might create more enemies, whether in the organization I worked at or through the final result of the book itself. The power of my network and my willingness to try something new despite knowing I would create enemies ensured I published the book. This past week those forces collided. (and what a positive experience it was for me personally) Earlier in 2013 I was fortunate to be introduced to Meghan and Kevin (and their co-conspirators Kathleen Kruse and Tim McDonald) by one of the brightest interlocutors out there - Nick Kellet - founder of List.ly and one incredibly bright spark. After publishing Flat Army in March in Canada (the USA and Europe followed in April and May) Nick (based in beautiful Kelowna, British Columbia) was kind enough to send a note expressing his sentiments that me (and Flat Army) might be featured through the TalentCulture community. And at that point, the #TChat Leadership Train of Meghan, Kevin, Kathleen and Tim was steaming towards me whistling gleefully down the track. Their enthusiasm and willingness to share the Flat Army story of a connected and engaged organization (and leadership style) was maple syrup to my pancakes. I know, I’m mixing metaphors. But trust me, these are very, very good people. Kathleen effortlessly worked with me on a post for the TalentCulture community Kevin provided all sorts of guidance and encouragement Tim recorded a Google+ Hangout with me (and offered me tips for my own timeslot) Meghan wrote a post for Forbes linking to our theme for the week and interviewed me for a 30-minute TChat Radio segment Of course everything culminated with me moderating the #TChat Tweetstorm for 60 minutes where it landed on the Top 10 Twitter Trending list in the USA during its Wednesday timeslot. Meghan has taken the final step of recapping the entire week of ‘open leadership’ in a masterfully written summary. (ie. no point in trying to duplicate excellence) To the entire team, my many thanks. Not simply for inviting me as a guest, but for what you are doing to help hundreds of professionals get on the ‘open leadership’ bus. You are open leaders … you are role models for many to look up to. I’m glad you tried something new despite potential enemies in your midst. So many people out there are better off as a result of your courage and openness. #kudos #tchat … You are #openleaders 1,964 total views, 5 views today Dan's Related Posts:Future Of Work: A Flat Army Of Open Leadership via A.G. LafleyThe Harmonic Leader: Stage 5 of 5 in the Leadership Tonic ScaleWHY I Wrote Flat Army: The Flat Army Golden CircleDon’t Be a FOOL: Fear of Open LeadershipRethinking the Work of Leadership

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Hot damn, it’s great to hear that theme song again. After a three-month break—irregular episode scheduling has become Disney’s M.O. with this show—Gravity Falls is back to finally explain the mysterious reappearance of the other Stan Pines, the author of the cryptic books Dipper has been using to illuminate the paranormal around town. The lingering […] The post Gravity Falls GIF and a Graf: Mystery Stan appeared first on WIRED.

Flat Army? What the heck is a Flat Army? Work environments need not feel like a military camp or a ruthless command-and-control operation. The process of work should be fun, innovative, creative and very engaging. I believe that the best way to create a connected and engaged organization is by invoking a "Flat Army" mindset. Why? Let’s unpack that analogy: To be flat is to be on a level surface, not in a hierarchy. To be in an army (from armata, the Latin term referenced in 1533, meaning a flotilla of vessels) is to be part of a large group of people who are committed to similar aims or beliefs. An organization with a Flat Army ethos benefits from an unobstructed flow of coordinated, constructive, creative behaviors that arise from the common interests of employees, leaders, partners and customers. It is a shift from "me" to "we," using collaborative, participative and growth behaviors. Flat Army is a playbook that moves organizations toward increased engagement and innovation. Profile Of A Flat Army Leader In our Flat Army model, a harmonious, connected leader creates a situation where both the team and the leader are as open as possible to performing business tasks and achieving objectives. In an environment where even mundane day-to-day tasks are conducted in this open manner, there is harmony among all contributors, regardless of rank. Openness — both as a quality of the leader and an expectation of the team — fosters a harmonious relationship among all parties. It’s arguably a step in the right direction towards higher levels of engagement, productivity and business results. A harmonious, open leader connects with the team — parlaying the culture as if it can only be successful when all parties are united, equal in nature and committed to openness. And if we agree that leadership is for all, we also wish that everyone in an organization will participate as a harmonious, open leader. Getting Under The Hood With Open Leaders I define open leadership as the act of engaging others to influence and execute a coordinated and harmonious conclusion. Therefore, open leadership is essential for every Flat Army organization. A.G. Lafley comes to mind when I think of stellar Flat Army leadership. His name may not ring a bell, but I can assure you, he sets a standard of excellence for openness and collaboration. Between 2000 and 2010, Mr. Lafley was the highly successful president and CEO of Procter & Gamble (P&G) — the consumer products conglomerate with over $80 billion in revenue and over 125,000 employees worldwide. Throughout his decade at the helm, he helped double total sales and quadruple profits, while increasing P&G’s market value by over $100 billion. Furthermore, he helped grow P&G’s portfolio of billion-dollar brands (such as Gillette, Pampers and Tide) from 10 to 24. How did he do it? In his book The Game Changer: How Every Leader Can Drive Everyday Innovation, co-written with management thought leader, Ram Charan, Lafley refers to the unique relationship between openness and ideas: Open architecture is the organizing principle that enables a business and its people to open themselves up to get ideas from anywhere at any time. P&G collaborates with anybody, anywhere, anytime. P&G likes unusual suspects. It will even compete with a company on one side of the street, and cooperate with it on the other. In an open innovation system, anything out there is fair game, even if competitors are sitting on it. And that’s fine with both partners because it works. At P&G, Lafley opened up everything. He wanted his leaders to be more collaborative, and just as importantly, he wanted his employees to be open. As a results, magic happened. He branded this open architecture "Connect and Develop" or "C&D." The framework reached across all employees, regardless of title, and it drove not only revenue and profitability, but also employee engagement. Lafley and Charan explain: The single characteristic of C&D is the willingness of all people at P&G to be psychologically open and to seriously consider new ideas, whatever the source, thus building a truly open global innovation network that can link up — and be first in line — with the most interesting thinkers and the best products to "reapply with pride." Lafley’s leadership example demonstrates what’s possible when a harmonious environment is created through a culture of open initiative. That is Flat Army in action. And perhaps that’s a key reason why P&G just rehired Lafley last month to lead the company forward. The Open Leader Toolkit Hopefully now the concept of open leadership is clear. But what are these social business and collaboration tools everyone keeps talking about? An open, Flat Army environment can’t thrive if leaders suffer from technology blindness or ignorance. In truth, tools for communication and collaboration are as integral to a Flat Army mindset as they are to employee engagement and productivity. If your organization doesn’t embrace tools that support dynamic exchange of knowledge and ideas, then be a catalyst for change. Look for ways to integrate capabilities such as blogging, micro-blogging, expert networks, discussion forums, video sharing or instant messaging into existing platforms and workflows. Start using them to demonstrate that you are a connected, collaborative and participative leader who assists your team (and your organization) in achieving their goals and objectives — even as you strive for a high level of employee engagement and customer satisfaction. What are you doing to help your organization embrace a Flat Army ethos? I invite you to share your ideas and experiences. Flat Army Leader Examples Listly by Dan Pontefract Flat Army Leader Examples A list of leaders who I believe demonstrate the Flat Army leadership mantra. 262 Views crowd rank curated alpha newest queue Richard Branson 0 0 0 Tony Hsieh 0 0 0 Vineet Nayar 0 0 0 Nick Howe 0 0 0 Karie Willyerd 0 0 0 Karen Kocher 0 0 0 Marcia Conner 0 0 0 Lisa Brummel 0 0 0 Wendy Arnott 0 0 0 Cam Crosbie 0 0 0 View more lists from Dan Pontefract Originally posted to TalentCulture: World of Work 3,129 total views, 7 views today Dan's Related Posts:The Harmonic Leader: Stage 5 of 5 in the Leadership Tonic ScaleDon’t Be a FOOL: Fear of Open Leadershipthe FLAT ARMY cheat sheetWHY I Wrote Flat Army: The Flat Army Golden CircleThe Fifteen Habits of a Connected Leader

"You did what?" Those were the words echoed by several young bucks (and does) when I shared the news that Denise and I were engaged … over the Christmas holiday season of 1993 and at the tender age of 22. No, she wasn’t pregnant. And yes, I’m certain my in-laws are still recovering. But we *were* sensible enough - to those in our various circles - to schedule a wedding date for July 1, 1995 giving us time to complete our undergraduate degrees and maybe even find a job. Which, when you do the remedial math (arguably difficult for some of those we were hanging around with at the time) means we got married at the age of 24. Twenty-four. I know. It’s as though we were born in the 40′s and 50′s and got married in the 60′s. Call us Mr. And Mrs. Cleaver. (Although Denise being Denise she kept her last name so what do I know?) That’s what you did ‘back then’ in the 50′s, 60′s and even the 70′s; you got married young. It was unheard of in 1995, or at least within our friends and family plan. We hadn’t even graduated from McGill University so why on Earth were we getting engaged? Oh, the horror. But I wouldn’t change it for the world. Today, I turn 42 and when I looked at the numbers - four and two for those of you playing the online version - it reminded me of that fabulous day in 1995 when we got married. I was 24. Denise was 24. It was a 24-hour day that will never be forgotten. I mean c’mon, we had a stripping gorilla at our wedding. Did you? And if I had the chance, what more would I say to myself as a 24-year old knowing what I know today at the age of 42? For people in Western Canada, a case of beer is 24 not 12. Dan, you can continue to embarrass and make fun of those that believe it in opposite terms You’re moving to Vancouver in five weeks. It is a fabulous place. Dan, you will try to move back to Ontario, but it’s futile. Just stay put - Vancouver is the most magical place in the world. In a few years you will begin to enjoy — even fancy — Scotch. Dan, don’t tell people it’s a drink for aristocrats only. Those beer swigging idiots that show up at The Tragically Hip concerts mosh pit ‘dancing’ causing trouble and embarrassment will continue to be beer swigging idiots later in life. Dan, don’t be a hero - let them be. Fatherhood is the single most important role you will have in your life. Dan, trust your instincts, you won’t screw things up. Islands are surrounded by water and for all intents and purposes prove difficult to get off of during inclement weather. Dan, everything always works out so enjoy the moment. Even if you are yourself - a truthful, open and passionate self - there are evil corporate citizens who will seek to sabotage or undercut your beliefs. Dan, grow up … you can’t get to great without going through a few hornet nests. Things will change. For example, for some unknown reason you will no longer enjoy open patios, balconies or bridges where you’re more than 30 feet off the ground. Dan, fear is ok … it’s a natural part of life, just don’t let it consume you. Ever. Your Achilles tendon will become your Achilles heel. Dan, you should take up cycling now at 24 not at 34. Possibilities are endless. They might even invent a razor-thin laptop the size of an 8 1/2 x 11″ piece of paper. Dan, your mind will continue to race like a Disney Imagineer … it’s ok to constantly dream and envision what will make the world, organizations and your family better … just know not everyone will see the world as you do … and that’s ok. You are getting married in 10 days. Dan, that’s the best decision you will ever make in your life. (yes, even better than what you will do in your mid 40′s) Good luck with your next 24 years Dan. I hope you make a true ‘case’ for yourself. 2,870 total views, no views today Dan's Related Posts:An Example of the Flat Army CLAM in Action: BC Ideas2ActionWHY I Wrote Flat Army: The Flat Army Golden CircleI Don’t Do GolfDon’t Be a FOOL: Fear of Open LeadershipOur Three Young Children Blog … Here’s Why

Topic: The exciting new features and enhancements in Adobe Captivate 7.0.1 Description: Join Dr. Pooja Jaisingh, Adobe eLearning Evangelist, to learn about the new features and enhancements in Adobe Captivate 7.0.1. She will demonstrate the enhancements related to HTML5, Advanced Actions, Variables, Color Swatches, new Millionaire interaction, and a few more enhancements. Recording Link

Being a rookie author I have no idea whether (or when) a second edition is contemplated. If you’re from Wiley and reading this, please fill me in. But if a second edition of Flat Army is in the cards, then I have the chance to update the myriad statistics and data points that envelope chapter one around the topic of ‘employee engagement’. Gallup recently released their annual findings on employee engagement. The short version summary? Not much has changed. Take a peek at the following graphic, courtesy of Gallup: Over a twelve-year period, the percentage of ‘engaged’ employees in the workforce has see-sawed between 26% and 30%. That, my friends, is pathetic. And our friends at Aon Hewitt (see one of their graphics below) have submitted a similar trend. That is, over the past five years there has only been a 3% deviation in employee engagement between 2008 and 2012 flipping between 57% and 60% - on the global roll-up number. (in fact, North America is on the decline over the past four years from 67% to 63%) With both Gallup and Aon Hewitt indicating employee engagement is poor and it’s still not really making any positive inroads, does it actually matter? I’ve previously written on this site that customer satisfaction can be improved by a more engaged workforce. There is also a litany of further evidence that I document in Flat Army. But I was grinning ear to ear when I saw the following graphic (and accompanying words) from a recent Gallup report entitled "How Employee Engagement Drives Growth": Gallup states: Gallup researchers studied the differences in performance between engaged and actively disengaged work units and found that those scoring in the top half on employee engagement nearly doubled their odds of success compared with those in the bottom half. Those at the 99th percentile had four times the success rate of those at the first percentile. These kind of performance differences are always important to businesses, but they are especially crucial during a recession. Work units in the top quartile in employee engagement outperformed bottom-quartile units by 10% on customer ratings, 22% in profitability, and 21% in productivity. Work units in the top quartile also saw significantly lower turnover (25% in high-turnover organizations, 65% in low-turnover organizations), shrinkage (28%), and absenteeism (37%) and fewer safety incidents (48%), patient safety incidents (41%), and quality defects (41%). Simply said? It’s (yet) further evidence — and thus another smoking gun — that an engaged, collaborative and open workforce does in fact help the bottom line. What say you? 7,496 total views, 19 views today Dan's Related Posts:Can Employee Engagement Improve Customer Satisfaction?WHY I Wrote Flat Army: The Flat Army Golden CircleGive Piece a ChanceFlat Army Graphics on SlideshareFlexible Working Works

It’s true what they say … "when the cat’s away the mice will play." When ‘Mom’ went out for dinner one night and the 10, 7 and 6 year-old’s suggested they wanted to interview ‘Dad’ on life as an author … it became a collaborative, open and fun project for all four of us. Kinda how I envision any and all organizations and teams. Enjoy. 2,154 total views, 6 views today Dan's Related Posts:Would You Send Your 6-Year Old to an MBA Program?Flat Army Graphics on SlideshareIn 5 Minutes Louis C.K. Nailed Behavioural Malfunctions in a Connected WorldFlat Army: Chapter 2 OverviewFlat Army: Chapter 1 Overview

Topic: Go Mobile with Adobe Captivate 7.0.1 Description: The new update for Adobe Captivate 7 is loaded with enhancements to help you create stunning mobile learning courses using the HTML5 publish option. Join Suresh Jayaraman, Captivate Engineering Manager and Dr. Pooja Jaisingh, Adobe eLearning Evangelist, as they show you how to use the new mobile […]

Whether you are working to impress the boss or to share your favorite game tips with friends, virtually everyone is looking to YouTube videos to catch and create the latest trends. In the past, creating great videos has been a difficult proposition, it’s difficult to imagine how you can go from average video surfer to […]

I liken learning in an organization to osmosis. At least I think it should be like osmosis. The Oxford definition of osmosis can help us: Biology & Chemistry a process by which molecules of a solvent tends to pass through a semipermeable membrane from a less concentrated solution into a more concentrated one. The process of gradual or unconscious assimilation of ideas, knowledge, etc. (eg. by some strange political osmosis, private reputations became public) Learning therefore is part art and science. It can be a scientific process methodically laid out (i.e. a formal event of some sort) and it can be a manifestation of colour, creativity and vibrancy (i.e. serendipitous discovery). Learning by osmosis permits employees the opportunity to allow new ideas and concepts to fill our gaps through any type of passage or membrane. It is as much conscious as it is unconscious. And most importantly, learning should be thought of as pervasive. In my book, Flat Army: Creating a Connected and Engaged Organization (Wiley, 2013) I define ‘Pervasive Learning’ as: learning at the speed of need through formal, informal and social learning modalities. Confucius once said, "I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand." This sums up what Charles Jennings has established as part of his 70-20-10 Forum mission and it aligns ever so nicely to my definition of Pervasive Learning as well. We — as workers in the organization — learn by doing not by rote memorization. Learning fills us up (like osmosis) as we perform our roles, our actions and our objectives. We complement our intelligence and acumen through daily interactions but we also do so through ‘self-directed’ and ‘undirected’ methods utilizing formal, informal and social means. Deft leadership skill is not trapped or boxed in by the leader. Knowledge is not found solely on a Trivial Pursuit card. Similarly, learning isn’t held hostage by the formal classroom event or eLearning module. We must open our minds — think through the pervasive learning reality of both the art and the science — and once and for all recognize that learning happens directly and indirectly, formally and non-formally, experientially and sequentially whether with people or without. Pervasive Learning should not be treated as a commodity rather as a way of being. You don’t go to training, you learn wherever, whenever and however in an organization. We all should employ this model in an attempt to build engaging teams and companies who want to learn and to drive business results. "Sally, did you get your two weeks of training this year," asks Betty over lunch. Sally responds, "No, I didn’t. I’m pretty sure my boss doesn’t care about my development or my career." As citizens of the organization, we must see past the fool’s gold of a classroom-only training mindset. It does no one any good. We should all believe (and demonstrate the ability to) learn at the speed of need. Pervasive Learning is the switch from a ‘training is an event’ fixed mindset to ‘learning is a collaborative, continuous, connected and community-based’ growth mindset. It is for everyone in the organization. I liken it to moving from ‘sage on the stage’ to ‘guides & strides from all sides’. If osmosis can be thought of as both a science and an art, we must unlearn what we’ve learned and redefine the way in which we learn in our organizations. We must instil pervasive learning as our new mindset. The 70-20-10 Forum sets out to help individuals, teams and organizations make the shift to such a learning paradigm. The Forum helps shift the learning mindset to become pervasive, an art and a science, and ultimately … like osmosis. I’m all for it. Are you? Originally published to the 70-20-10 Forum. I received no compensation for such an endorsement. It’s simply my true belief. 4,900 total views, 12 views today Dan's Related Posts:Pervasive Learning Graphic from Flat ArmyLearning 2.0 is Dumb: Use ‘Connected Learning’ InsteadWhy You Must Define the So-What of Learningthe FLAT ARMY cheat sheetMy Employee Engagement Advice to a Stranger

Topic: The Coolest Adobe Captivate Tips on the Planet Description: Too many Adobe Captivate features are hidden and not well known. In this session, Joe Ganci, President at eLearning Joe, will show you many of the Captivate features you need to make the most of this powerful tool. Why is it important to know about […]

The one thing we can be assured of until humans safely land and colonize Mars is "organizational culture" will continue to be a topic of conversation. It’s about on par with the Leadership vs. Management debate — as John Kotter rehashed earlier in 2013 — but I’ll save my thoughts on that meme for another day. Google returns over 22 million hits when you search the term "organizational culture". You can even read what Google has to say about its own culture. You may find it interesting to know, for example, that they "strive to maintain the open culture often associated with startups." Almost 10 years has passed since Google filed their S-1 IPO papers where they stated, "Don’t be evil. We believe strongly that in the long term, we will be better served — as shareholders and in all other ways — by a company that does good things for the world even if we forgo some short term gains." That sounds like a pretty good starting point of organizational culture to me. But what really is organizational culture? Cheryl Morris, a Director of Marketing at Nanigans introduced me to something on the HBR Blog site I had never heard of before: culture decks. In her piece entitled, "Why Executive Teams Shouldn’t Write Culture Decks" Cheryl tries to explain a culture deck — a series of slides that depicts your organization’s culture to the outside world — should not be created by an executive because "genuine culture is organic, not imposed" and "culture is not our mission statement or how our teams are structured." It’s a tad naïve and somewhat myopic to start-up only mentality, but in essence what Cheryl is trying to state (I think) is executives might be out of touch with the ‘real’ culture of the organization and thus it should come from the actual people of the organization not outfitted with a fancy title or position. Although culture decks are cute, the real issue is why we believe the divide between employees and senior leadership is akin to "No Man’s Land" in the battlefields of World War I. I then stumbled upon a tweet by Twitter quote machine Vala Afshar, Chief Customer Officer and CMO at Enterasys, which quite frankly surprised me: It’s not that I disagree, per se, given levels of employee disengagement and disillusionment in our organizations of today. It’s that the tweet was written in the first place. Is this what organizational culture has come to? Have we taken liberties from Hugh MacLennan’s literary masterpiece and written "Two Solitudes for the Organization"? I’m one of those practicing pundits / futurists that thinks (and practices) a fair bit about organizational culture. I also wrote a book that delves a fair bit into this topic. In the Flat Army central thesis, organizational culture is defined by one criterion, and one only: "An organization’s culture is defined by the manner in which employees are treated by their direct leader." I go on further and write, "treat your people and your team members like a tool, a number or a subordinate, and you can merrily look forward to an organizational culture replete with apathy, disengagement and insubordination." Put another way, if an organization’s culture is left to be defined (and actualized) by the employees when their leader isn’t in the room, you don’t have an organizational culture that is healthy, engaging or productive. In fact, you end up with factions and thus organizational culture camps. You end up with two solitudes. This is just as bad as a top-down enforced and/or rigid culture. Cheryl and Vala aren’t wrong in their aforementioned assertions … but simply letting it continue as it has been for decades isn’t cool either. Michael Watkins conducted a LinkedIn discussion earlier in 2013 entitled "What is organizational culture? How can we help newly-hired leaders learn about cultures and integrate more efficiently and effectively?" There were some fascinating and enlightening responses, not the least of which was Michael’s own observation that culture is "the organization’s immune system." If there is an unhealthy and closed or extremely hierarchical culture, the immune system maintains its unhealthiness. The white blood cells are helpless. The employee (perhaps our white blood cells metaphor) might try to battle the bugs in the bloodstream but they will be unsuccessful in rooting out the existing malady. Put another way? The organization on the whole will remain disengaged or disenfranchised no matter what pharmaceutical medicine is applied. Thus, the organizational culture will remain laughable under the banner ads of "Two Solitudes". Organizational cultures in need of shifting, improving and changing toward a more open and collaborative one doesn’t have to start at the top of the hierarchy. The change might very well commence from the employee base. But if an organization’s culture is defined (as is my thesis) by the manner in which employees are treated by their direct leader, it (the engaged and connected culture) must be upheld and continuously demonstrated by senior leadership across the organization so that: all employees, regardless of rank, fully appreciate how important culture is to its success; everyone can trust one another to do what’s right, backed by both the culture and leaders; the entire organization can drive business results in a more open, inclusive and engaging manner. (yes, through its culture) Organizational culture is not top down. Organizational culture isn’t bottom up either. Organizational culture isn’t solely for employees and it certainly isn’t solely for leaders or managers. If done effectively, organizational culture is one solitude not two. It happens together, harmoniously, built and honed by all and in hopes of participating in one singular working framework. Anyone should be able to write the ‘culture deck’. And culture should happen both when the ‘manager’ is in the room and when she isn’t. Perhaps that’s where I inadvertently take umbrage with Vala and Cheryl. We must break the divide between employees and senior leadership once and for all. We must deconstruct two solitudes into one. We must — as a singular organism and organization — become both the white and red blood cells as we harmoniously develop an improved immune system. It’s not us against them. It’s not employees versus management. It’s not hierarchy washed away by anarchy or heterarchy. It’s people working with people. Period. "If the washroom isn’t good enough for the people in charge, then it’s not good enough for the people in the store." Lord Marcus Sieff (1913-2001), British president of Marks & Spencer From A Passion for Excellence (Tom Peters and Mary Austin, 1985) 10,220 total views, 15 views today Dan's Related Posts:The Connected CultureBill Sullivan, CEO of Agilent Technologies is a Chief Engagement OfficerWHY I Wrote Flat Army: The Flat Army Golden CircleSocial as a Weapon of Class DestructionGive Piece a Chance

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I’ve recently returned from 3 1/2 weeks away with the three ‘goats’ and Denise where we enjoyed the fine Puget Sound sea air of Gig Harbor. Ever since I can remember, Denise and I take 3 weeks of holiday in the summer usually coinciding with the last week of July and first two weeks of August. We might venture to Europe or parts of Canada … but this was our first time in the USA for three weeks straight and with the three goats. We nearly FedEx’d the goats to Siberia half way through the trip, but that’s another story for another day. I also have something to confess. I lied. Not about anything from above, but with my ‘out of office‘ message. If you received one from me, I mentioned in it that I was on my annual ‘acoustic and unplugged‘ summer tour. I wasn’t unplugged at all. In retrospect, it was a lie. A bit like Google’s 20% time. But there is a difference I’d like to share with you. Whilst I lied and was totally plugged in with my iPad and Blackberry Z10 (yes, I really like it - give them a break for crying out loud) fluidly connected to the interwebs … I was fully and completely detached from work, from email and from any of my current deliverables. I may not have unplugged but I detached. And the team at TELUS — where I currently work — were just fine while I detached. While I was plugged in overlooking the beautiful waters of Puget Sound, I was doing a lot (I mean a lot) of reading for book #2. I was doing some writing as well, and as you know, I like to write in Evernote so being plugged in was somewhat handy at times. I even played a few online games. And yes, we had fun with the goats as well. Do you know how many crabs there are to catch in those waters? But whenever they find me or I seek them out, the statistics of people working during a holiday sends me to the infirmary. For example: A Pertino Survey found 47% of Americans say relaxing on vacation means knowing they’re never more than a few clicks away from the office Harris Interactive found 61% of employees planned to work while on holiday in 2013 up from 52% in 2012 and 46% in 2011 Robert Half Management found 64% of Canadian CFO’s they polled check in with work while vacationing And this Vacation / Work-Life Balance (not) infographic depicting Americans and their vacation plans will surely send you to the nearest watering hole While Baratunde Thurston may have "Left The Internet For 25 Days" — providing some compelling reasons why to unplug in his Fast Company piece — I’m advocating a different philosophy. In fact, research proves email ‘vacations’ — or detachment as I refer to it — can decrease stress and increase concentration. You should detach while on holiday … not unplug. You simply need the discipline to not do ‘work’ work while being plugged in. You need to detach yourself from work. Think you can do it? Think you can detach and remain plugged in? 2,183 total views, 14 views today Dan's Related Posts:A Summer of Anonymity is OverI’m Not Scared of Email; I Developed a System called DADDIOInterlocutors of 2012 (the goats are better for it)Our Three Young Children Blog … Here’s WhyAn Infographic Depicting Learning & Collaboration in Action