I was speaking at a conference recently, and a question was posed to me from someone in the audience near the tail end of the session. We deployed our enterprise social network last year, but it’s a ghost town. No one is using it. I knew what was about to come next, but I politely waited for the question to be asked anyhow. Why won’t anyone post to it? I mean we spent gobs of money, and invested oodles of time … why aren’t our employees willing to post, or share, or contribute anything? The convention center room I was stationed at looked like any other convention center room I’ve spoken at over the past decade. They’re windowless and the carpets look as though designers around the world have colluded with one another to see who can come up with the most bizarre patterns possible. I withdrew my gaze that was stuck on the purple, yellow and reddish-turquoise diamond patterned carpet to the audience, and return volleyed a few queries of my own. Fantastic question. One I know thousands of other companies and organizations are struggling with at this very moment. Tell me, would you describe your culture as one that is open or closed? Do you and your employees operate in a culture of fear or is it a relatively harmonious and engaged environment? Is innovation and ideation a shared experience or left to a few? You could tell by the body language of the audience member where those answers were going to lead. We’re a financial services company. Nobody shares anything, and everyone is afraid to speak their mind. It was a refreshing and honest answer. The fact of the matter is this story is far too repetitive. It’s happening across many organizations. In part, it’s why enterprise social networks haven’t fully become a crucial component to an organization’s operating practice. Quite frankly, that saddens me because although technology isn’t the answer, enterprise social networks can do so much good for an organization’s culture and engagement. Consultant Jane McConnell of NetStrategyJMC, has been researching enterprise social networks (ESN) for the past decade. Her latest report — based on surveys from employees in 26 countries representing 280 organizations — also suggests both leadership and culture are affecting the adoption of ESN. Of the nine dimensions to her Digital Workplace Framework research, culture and leadership (two of the nine) have not materially increased. In the leadership dimension, for example, in the "majority" of organizations more than 80 percent of its leaders only provided vocal support and/or resources versus sustained commitment, conviction AND participation. In the culture dimension, 75 percent of survey takers in the majority category didn’t feel as though they had the freedom to experiment or take initiative. Charlene Li has also spent the better part of the last decade researching and writing about aspects of ESN and open leadership in general. Founder and CEO of Altimeter Group and the author of five books, in a recent column on Harvard Business Review, Charlene surfaced data that suggests less than half of the ESN deployed have ‘many’ employees using them regularly. Like me, Charlene is a crusader for a more open and collaborative culture. In her piece, she makes a point that I wholeheartedly endorse: Our research shows that leadership participation is crucial for collaboration. Leaders know they should engage with employees, especially via digital and social channels. But they don’t, and they offer a string of common excuses such as "I don’t have enough time" or "Nobody cares what I had for lunch." More than anything else, they fear that engaging will close the power distance between them and their employees, thereby lessening their ability to command and control. Why use the enterprise social network if it’s going to eradicate my ability to lead … or so the theory goes of many a leader. But that’s not what grows an organization, nor is it a way in which we should be operating our organizations in the first place. McConnell writes in her research paper, "Digital workplace maturity is significantly higher in organizations with a culture of trust: there is a strong sense of purpose, decision-making is distributed and people are free to experiment and take initiatives." Indeed, part of McConnell’s research corroborates Li’s investigative analysis. McConnell writes, "The digital workplace tipping point comes when well over half of senior management understand the value of the digital workplace, participate and demonstrate sustained commitment." As is far too common in many organizations, however, senior leaders might provide vocal support but demonstrating active participation and open behaviours (like writing a blog post or posting a video of themselves) just doesn’t regularly happen. We might call it, "lipstick on a pig." Sadly, because senior leaders have not yet instituted the correct open and collaborative behaviours inside the organization, they too do not understand the potential good an enterprise social network can create when it comes to improved business processes, ideation, innovation or customer service. Over at TELUS — a Canadian telecommunications company, and my place of work — a member of our C-Suite regularly publishes short, self-made videos from a webcam on his laptop to highlight successes in the month, recognize individual employees, or simply to share his thoughts. There is a Senior Vice-President who publishes a bi-weekly video friendly ‘rant’, to solicit feedback on his thoughts or ideas from his team. Another Vice-President uses an internal blog to solicit feedback on an important business unit initiative related to customer service. These are examples of senior leaders using the TELUS enterprise social networks, but the company didn’t simply dump a bunch of technologies on its 43,000 employees and hope everyone would start collaborating. Over a number of years, a series of organizational-wide behaviour and culture change programs (and models) were introduced including leadership, engagement, recognition, community, learning, career, performance and collaboration. These were used in unison as a way in which to address our number one priority … putting Customers First. Both Jane and Charlene - and their wonderful research - prove an organization needs senior level support for enterprise social networks to be successful. But the real secret is hidden in an organization’s operating culture. If the organization remains closed - if it’s a culture of fear - it doesn’t matter what fancy new features are found in the latest update from your ESN cloud provider. What matters is if the enterprise social network might aid and abet your overarching culture change, one that is progressively more collaborative and cooperative. I once asked Tony Bingham — CEO of the Association for Talent Development (ATD) — if he had come across any examples or stories where culture and technology seemed to blend nicely. He recalled a story about Booz Allen Hamilton, an American consulting firm with over 26,000 employees and $5.5 billion in revenues: Walt McFarland, when at Booz Allen Hamilton, once told me that technology doesn’t make a difference if the culture doesn’t support collaboration. We had this discussion back when the idea of "social learning," some call it "collaborative learning," was really beginning to gain traction in the workplace learning profession. In an effort to better serve their clients, Booz Allen was using social technology tools to give their consultants the ability to reach across the organization and tap the knowledge of subject matter experts to solve complex problems. It’s important to note that at Booz Allen collaboration is a corporate value. Working together is built into the company’s DNA. In Walt’s terms the technology, or tools, ‘actualize the culture.’ I’ll keep answering those questions in the convention center rooms. I’m very happy to. But one day, I hope the questions have more to do with ways in which to augment engaging and open cultures, versus asking why no one is using their enterprise social network. Originally posted to Forbes. __________ Dan Pontefract is the author of FLAT ARMY: Creating a Connected and Engaged Organization and is Chief Envisioner at TELUS Transformation Office. His next book, DUAL PURPOSE: Redefining the Meaning of Work, will publish November 10, 2015. Dan's Related Posts:The Social C-SuiteRethinking the Work of LeadershipThere Is Nothing Wrong With The Term ‘Company Culture’Waxing Lyrical On Leadership, Engagement, Purpose & InnovationQ&A on the Future of Social, Mobile and eLearning

This LeaderLens webinar featured Brooke Deterline, Director of Corporate Programs for the Heroic Imagination Project. Brooke has spent most of her career working with executives to create "best practices" to positively affect corporate culture and reputation.

31 May, 2015 Dear Frederic, I read your book, Reinventing Organizations. First off, congratulations on becoming a published author. I’m wondering if you’ve read my first one, FLAT ARMY? Regardless, there are parts of your book I rather enjoyed. But when I came up against ‘Teal‘, I began having my doubts. Particularly as it relates to … well, a lot that has to do with Teal. Its implementation and feasibility in medium and large-sized organizations is of concern to me, so I’d love to understand how it can actually be achieved. (I consider Zappos rather small, at ~1500 employees - and I don’t think ‘Operation Teal’ is fully implemented yet) I won’t belabor this letter to you, but I’d like to propose a public debate. Let’s openly (and publicly) debate #ReinventingOrganizations and #FlatArmy. I’ll take the Flat Army angle, and you can defend ‘Teal‘. I’ll be in Vienna, 5-7 November, 2015, so perhaps we can do it live and in person. (we’ll arrange for someone to record it so others might enjoy in the festivities) If not, let’s figure out a date and place where this can happen. I understand you don’t travel much, but given I’m based in British Columbia, Canada … I thought we might make it happen whilst I’m in Europe. (Unfortunately, I won’t be back again in Europe until 2016) I look forward to your response. Respectfully,     Dan Pontefract Author of FLAT ARMY: Creating a Connected and Engaged Organization and the forthcoming book, DUAL PURPOSE: Redefining the Meaning of Work.   Dan's Related Posts:Did Zappos Just Ruin Their Culture Or Is It A Brilliant Org Redesign?"Oh, you’re one of those. You want to work anywhere, anytime."I’m Showing My Work … My Next Book Is PostponedFlat Army Book Launch Party … A Sea of HumanityIn 2015, Will I …

This on-demand webinar is designed to equip leaders with powerful decision-making skills.

This week, twenty-five years ago, I graduated from high school. Technically speaking, I’m now old. I have no hair, I’m a size 34 waist (ok, probably 35 on Saturday nights) when I should be a 32, and the 12-, 10-, and 8-year olds parading around our home, masquerading as ‘children’ and causing irreparable havoc, occupy 134% of my free time. As I turn 44 years old myself next weekend (hint hint, family), I consider myself at "Peak Dan". I reckon I’ll live to the age of 88, so from here on in, there’s no going back. I’m old, and I’m getting older by the minute. As far as I understand 1st century engineering, the sands of the hour-glass don’t possess an off button. Having been born in 1971, I’m smack in the middle of the GenX cohort age bracket. Translation? I’m halfway between contempt for all that the Baby Boomer’s have achieved (and partially screwed up) and all that is made of the Millennials via their mainstream-media depicted "saviour of the Western world" taxonomy. I’ve become the middle child. I’m not used to this at all. Even though I’ve been tattooed by author Douglas Coupland as a member of the GenX cohort, born between 1965 and 1981, I’ve grown somewhat weary of those in my age bracket, accurately depicted by their pessimistic, itching to outdo yet often skeptical behavior in films such as Reality Bites, Singles or Fight Club. The brooding, nihilistic and jaded attitude of many GenX’ers (but certainly not all) has become a bit too much for my liking. I think I’m ready for a brand change, but not like the disaster that was New Coke. Because I am one of them — those cantankerous GenXer’s — it’s going to take a lot more mindfulness and meditating to undo my own DNA. (In fact, I may have to steal my son’s singing bowl.) Part of my interest these days lies squarely with a Millennial’s disposition. This is the cohort of Earth’s citizens born between 1981 and 2000. My brother, Adam, is a Millennial, born 14 years after me to the same parents. Through his teens and early 20s, I didn’t understand why his attitude was so "half full" when he encountered life’s unpredictable yet certain potholes and storm clouds. I’ve grown to appreciate my brother’s rather easy going attitude, and have become rather envious as he inches into his 30s and I into my mid-40s. Adam turns 30 on June 21! In hindsight, I feel as though I’ve missed out on a decade of happier times when I was in my 20s. My natural temperament was to judge and find fault and compete, arguably any GenXer’s chromosome deficiency. Adam has always been one that naturally produces smiles and understanding in both the darkest and lightest of times. He has often battled the bumps of life in the company of others, asking for assistance whenever needed. I think I’ve come a long way, but Uncle Adam and his Millennial DNA is far wiser than I was in my 20s. Of course Denise and I are raising "goats", too. The homemade herding is providing me with another anthropological inquiry. The "kids" are classified as Generation Z by some, born between 2001 and 2015. So far, whilst they are certainly tech savvy, they’re also exhibiting far more collaborative and sharing-like behaviours than I ever remember exhibiting during the 1980’s. Their competitive streak seems to be higher than their "blue ribbon" Millennial counterparts, but on the surface it might be that they’re a generational mash-up of Baby Boomers and Millennials. Mind you, I think it’s only the good bits. Saltfleet High School, before it was demolished. It brings me to a moment of recollection and reflection. As I mentioned, twenty-five years ago, I graduated from high school. Where the Hell is the reunion? It’s a big deal, isn’t it? Maybe they didn’t invite me. Between 1985 and 1990 I attended Saltfleet High School in Stoney Creek, Ontario. Back then, high school in Canada’s most populated province occurred between grades 9 and 13. The other provinces thought we were just a wee bit slow, what with their own high school tenure concluding at grade 12 and ours at grade 13. I think it just allowed some of us the opportunity to have a beer at lunch, once we turned nineteen and became of ‘legal’ age to drink. There were a few liquid lunches, I was told, on occasion in 1990. Never me though. Never! Like any high school experience for any teenager anywhere, there were millions of fond and not-so-fond experiences to remember. There was the epic outdoor "air band" concert, first kisses at "The Dairy", competitive euchre tournaments on spares, and practical jokes on Mr. Cann. (His first name was John, so ‘them was easy pickings.’) The cafeteria "beaver ladies" somehow mastered the art of serving extra fatty french fries and 550 calorie chocolate chip cookies, while the regal, English-bred vice-principal had to put up with my morning "radio show". That’s right, yours truly was ‘in charge’ of the morning announcements. It came with my post as student council president. (How they let ‘me’ be president is still a mystery.) I attended our goats’ school closing ceremonies this week. Thankfully they have been ‘promoted’ to grades seven, five and three respectively so I can put away the caning manual. But the pomp and circumstance really got me thinking. Why didn’t anyone organize a 25th anniversary reunion for our high school graduation year? Was it because we’re GenX’ers, brooding over life’s miseries? Was it because they bulldozed the school a few years after we graduated — apparently there is no such thing as ‘heritage status’ for 75+ year-old buildings in Stoney Creek — building a new one kilometers away? Was it because "Reality Bites"? Were the five years of high school a forgettable experientia? Nonetheless, twenty-five years later, I feel nostalgic and somewhat culpable. After all, I am Canadian. There were many moments of love, happiness and learning during high school. In retrospect, that half decade was a wonderful experience. Firsts rained down like water does during a North Vancouver January. The nostalgia of high school ebbs and flows, perhaps more so now that I approach the back half of "Peak Dan". I’m now officially closer to death than birth. Introspection indeed breeds lucent visions of yesteryear. In 1990, I left my hometown of Stoney Creek for Montreal. A higher education degree beckoned, and I was on the hunt to marry Mitsou. By 1995 I was married (not to Mitsou) and living in the City of Glass, Vancouver. By 2011, with three goats grazing heavily and a return to ‘small town’ circling our marital headspace, the quaint hamlet of Victoria called. When I departed for Montreal, however, I never returned to Stoney Creek. My parents moved to Ancaster — a town some 30 kilometres away — and then divorced. I never lived with them again, remaining in Montreal for summer breaks and then immediately moving West after marrying. In essence, I divorced Stoney Creek as well during the process.What a GenX kinda thing to do. In that divorce came, perhaps, an unreasonable separation from my high school, and my hometown, and my memories. Hence, in a moment of reflection, I feel partially responsible (culpable, indeed) for not organizing a 25th high school reunion. Sure, there’s an "Old Saltfleet High School" Facebook group, but no one from "Class of 1990″ is on there, let alone chatting up a reunion party. I don’t know Darryl Buckle, but he’s like a 24-hour DJ on that site. I certainly haven’t posted anything. Speaking of Facebook, I’m only connected with a half-dozen or so people from my actual graduation year. With over 200 graduates, that seems odd to me as well. Am I being too much of a GenXer? Probably. Can I learn from Gen Z and the Millennials? I would think so. They probably would have held a 25th reunion party. (Editors Note: ask one of your children to organize a 30th) I’m sorry there isn’t going to be a 25th high school anniversary for Saltfleet graduates of 1990 (or 1989 or 1991, etc.) If you’re a Saracen, from whatever era, it would be great to hear from you. Maybe one day we’ll have some sort of reunion party and reminisce about bush parties, Taco Bell lunch competitions, Mr. Baxter’s tongue (and wandering eye), "the strap", miner niner day, typewriting, yearbook club and those legendary MC Mike DJ’d dances. Maybe it’s a step closer to becoming less like a GenXer. Dan's Related Posts:The Hierarchy of EducationPlease Don’t Let There Be Anonymity After DeathYa, I Cry at Work. Do You?Leadership Lessons From Late Night King David LettermanWhy I’d Work With Google’s Laszlo Bock (one day)

I’ve had music pop star Taylor Swift on my mind for the better part of a year. It could have something to do with my young girls repeatedly playing her latest album, 1989, (bought on iTunes, naturally) since it released. As a consequence, even I know all the words to the song "Out Of The Woods" now. But Taylor Swift is not only a musician, she’s a shrewd businesswoman. She’s not only a shrewd businesswoman, she’s a staunch advocate of people paying for art. Last year, she decided to pull her music from online music streaming service Spotify. Speaking with Time, Swift said, "I think there should be an inherent value placed on art." That decision was made in early November, but clues were dropped earlier in the year of the inherent value she places on art, like music. For example, in an Op-Ed piece penned to the Wall Street Journal, Swift wrote: Music is art, and art is important and rare. Important, rare things are valuable. Valuable things should be paid for. It’s my opinion that music should not be free, and my prediction is that individual artists and their labels will someday decide what an album’s price point is. I hope they don’t underestimate themselves or undervalue their art. Apple recently decided to get into the streaming music business. Playing catch-up to competitors like Spotify, the company purchased Beats in 2014, which came with the streaming service, Beats Music. In June of 2015, Apple retooled parts of Beats Music to announce Apple Music, the company’s attempt to enter the fray of streaming music services. With Swift’s recent decision regarding her music on Spotify - not to mention the Op-Ed piece at the Wall Street Journal - one must have assumed (if you work for Apple) that she would respond at some point. When Apple announced Apple Music on June 8, the company indicated its customers would be able to sign up for a free three-month trial membership. It’s the classic "try before you buy" adage. It sounded good to everyone. Except Taylor Swift. You know, the artist whose latest album, 1989, had sold over 8.6 million copies worldwide by February of 2015, according to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. Artists just don’t sell albums like that anymore, it seems. While the free three-month trial membership to Apple Music might have looked great to consumers (and to Apple as a way to entice people to purchase its new service) it was the fine print that irked Swift. The artists weren’t going to be paid during this three-month trial period. Their music would be available, but whatever arrangements Apple set up with the music recording industry players resulted in no payment to the musicians (err, the artists) during the trial period. On June 21, Swift penned another column (this time on Tumblr) titled, "To Apple, Love Taylor." In it she wrote: Three months is a long time to go unpaid, and it is unfair to ask anyone to work for nothing. We don’t ask you for free iPhones. Please don’t ask us to provide you with our music for no compensation. The column was gobbled up by mainstream and social media outlets. It was everywhere. Seventeen hours later, Apple responded with a couple of tweets, via Eddy Cue, the company’s senior vice president of Internet Software and Services, reporting to CEO Tim Cook: Apple will always make sure that artist are paid #iTunes #AppleMusic We hear you @taylorswift13 and indie artists. Love, Apple That is, the company reversed its decision and any musician (err, the artists) will now be paid during the Apple Music three-month trial period. How is this story a demonstration of open leadership? Let’s start with Taylor Swift. In the case of Spotify, Swift and her management team pulled her music behind closed doors, and seemed to leave it at that. To this day, Swift’s music is not available on Spotify, and neither side has truly openly debated or discussed the situation. In the case of Apple Music, before the music streaming service ever commences operations, Swift openly wrote an opinion piece (via her Tumblr post) that outlined her concerns and wishes. Sure, she stated her music would not be available unless things changed, but the openness and thoughtfulness of the piece gave Apple time to react. She wasn’t writing or sticking up for herself. Indeed, she was writing on behalf of the artists who can’t afford to go three months without being paid. That is a remarkable demonstration of open leadership. The ball then swung into Apple’s court. What to do? Ignore the backlash and the army of Swift supporters? It took 17 hours! Apple could have balked, hidden behind company (and legal) walls or simply ignored the problem. Many organizations do this. Instead, it took all of seventeen hours to reverse the decision. And how did the reversal get communicated? Openly, via Twitter, of course. Peter Kafka of Re/Code caught up with Eddy Cue after the Twitter announcement reversing the decision, and Cue stated to him: I did reach out to Taylor today, and talked to her, and let her know that we heard her concerns, and wanted her to know that we were making changes. She was thrilled to hear from us and that we were making the change, and we were grateful for that. For me, with Cue calling up Swift, it demonstrated yet another example of open leadership in this short but enlightening story. And in the end, Swift publicly responded with another tweet: I am elated and relieved. Thank you for your words of support today. They listened to us. What’s the lesson? Be open. It can do wonders for your business and your brand. Maybe both Apple and Swift are now "Out Of The Woods." Originally posted to Forbes. __________ Dan Pontefract is the author of FLAT ARMY: Creating a Connected and Engaged Organization and is Chief Envisioner at TELUS Transformation Office. His next book, DUAL PURPOSE: Redefining the Meaning of Work, will publish soon. Dan's Related Posts:Apple CEO Tim Cook and his Moment of Open CultureLessons in Leadership From Jim Balsillie and Mike LazaridisI Wrote a 90,000 Word Book Entirely in EvernoteThat Decision Is Above My Pay-GradeIf Your Enterprise Social Network Is A Ghost Town It’s Probably Due To Your…

Enjoy this dynamic conversation from December 2010 with Christine Arena, author of the High Purpose Company and CEO of SparkUp, a new technology for engaging stakeholders.

In her book, Show Your Work, Jane Bozarth encourages us to work in the open. On the topic, she recently wrote, "Working out loud takes us off autopilot and forces us to confront assumptions, bad habits, and prejudices. Helping others better articulate decisions helps them learn—and if we’re paying attention, we might learn something, too." John Stepper is another fabulous example of mastering the "work out loud" nascent meme. He even recently published a new book titled, Working Out Loud. He once wrote that, "You need to make [working out loud] purposeful in order to be effective." I’ve looked up to Jane and John for many years now (mostly virtually) as they have perfected the art not only of working out loud, but of building networks to increase their own knowledge and success. It’s been beautiful to watch from afar. For they are beautiful at working out loud. I like to think I’m open. I like to think I’m collaborative. I like to think I’m (mostly) working out loud. But like most of us, I have plenty of room to grow. Consider this entry about being open with my work. My other work. My writing. When my first book, FLAT ARMY, published in May of 2013 I immediately began sketching, researching, and writing the next book. While FLAT ARMY was a book written to help organizations and leaders launch improvements in their culture and employee engagement practices through connected leadership, pervasive learning and collaborative technologies … I not only had the bug to continue writing, I wanted to delve deeply into the concept of purpose. At first, I titled the book, "It’s Work Not Jail" and it was about 15,000 words in when I realized it was the wrong book. At the time, the target audience for the book was employees — not a bad thing — but I had an epiphany on a long bike ride. While I’d love to help the millions of employees out there directly with a new book on purpose (at least the thought of potentially helping them), I felt the concept of purpose was so delicately intertwined with employee engagement, that the target audience needed to shift. Thus, the first book on purpose was mostly scrapped, and I started fresh. (or, perhaps I started over) I recognized through more research, interviews, and personal reflections that purpose is in fact a two-fold process. First, the organization needs to define what its purpose should be. Second, employees need the resolute assistance of leaders to determine how they might evolve from a job or career mindset into what I believe is a ‘purpose mindset’. (Of course, the purpose mindset is aided and abetted by a more wholesome and stakeholder-driven definition of the organization’s new purpose.) This is why my next book is titled DUAL PURPOSE. Since the Spring of 2013, I’ve written and rewritten this next book several times. I’ve ventured into the memory vault of my own prior roles and organizations. I’ve researched till my fingers bled. I’ve interviewed many people — be it on the organizational or employee side of purpose. In April of 2015, I finished the first complete draft. I did a little dance in the kitchen. Even the goats laughed at me. Over the next two months, five different people read the book. Great comments. Insightful recommendations. Cheeky shots at my propensity for long sentences or made-up-words aside, the book was coming along. And then the paring began. It was 100,000 words and was being whittled down to something more manageable. An appendix was even created, so the flow of the book made more sense versus some of the stories that could be read almost anecdotally. Prior to completion (in 2014 and 2015), five other people had read bits and pieces of the book. Again, fabulous feedback was received and incorporated into the book. The cover was designed. I loved it. So fab! I was getting ready to launch. November 10, 2015 was the chosen date. I could taste the anticipation of publishing another book, in hopes of helping organizations and leaders with this concept called ‘purpose’. It was time for endorsements. I didn’t seek out endorsements for FLAT ARMY, instead choosing to define the words flat, army and flat army on the back cover. But for DUAL PURPOSE, I thought it was time to try something different. Over the years I feel as though I have morphed into the world’s most fortunate aspiring writer. I have met many of the heavyweights and rock stars from the leadership and management space. Whether they have been CEO’s, consultants, ex-consultants, ex-CEO’s, academics, industry analysts, authors, broadcasters, and so on … I’m so lucky in some cases to even have developed a relationship. I decided to call on one of them. The galley was issued. (galley is ‘book-speak’ for a not complete book) Some time lapsed. If the leadership and management space had some sort of articulated equivalent, in my mind, I was essentially ringing on the doorbell of Abbey Road, asking one of The Beatles for their approval. Today, I got a response. It was not positive. Not at all. At first I felt as though Lennon might have quipped, "You’re only playing three chords, and your G isn’t that good either." Gutted. For the entire morning I was not a member of Earth. My mind may as well have been on Mars, searching for water. I got on an airplane. Then I got on another one. Before taking off on airplane #2, a flight attendant approached me in my economy class seat and asked: "Would you like to take 3A in business class?" "Would I?" I shrieked. "You have no idea." So, I plopped myself in 3A and pulled out my iPad. I’m on a cleanse now, and although tempted by wine, I had the wherewithal to pass. I re-read Lennon’s long and so very thoughtful email roughly fifty times. Each time I read it, my degree of hopelessness lessened and my sense of forlornness dissipated. The comments were structured and blunt but written in the spirit of making the book better. Lennon wasn’t trying to attack me; Lennon was attempting to help me make the book a much better book. An offer of assistance was included. It was as though Lennon had asked an Indie band to jam with him for a period of time. It doesn’t even pain me to write this, but DUAL PURPOSE will not publish on November 10, 2015. I don’t know when it will publish, but if Lennon thinks there’s a few more chords to utilize and songs to write, that’s good enough for me. I’m working out loud. Thanks Jane Bozarth and John Stepper. And thank you so much, John Lennon. Dan's Related Posts:My Definition of Work and an Update on Book TwoIn 2015, Will I …Three Types of Workplace MindsetsWhat Should The Title Of My Next Book Be?"Oh, you’re one of those. You want to work anywhere, anytime."

Ashley Welch conducted a stimulating conversation with Shannon Horst, CEO of Savory Institute.

My first few days as a team member at TELUS in November of 2008 were rather interesting. "Here’s your office, Dan," said the charming woman, gleefully pointing to a cavernous room that consisted of an oak desk the size of a canoe and a view of the parking lot. "There’s your PC, desk phone…and over here is a table where you can have your meetings." She was a lovely woman, doing as she had always done, perhaps a hundred times over. Of course, I wanted nothing of it, causing a minor stir of incredulity that first day. "What if we gave back the office, and the PC, and the telephone," I asked. "Would that be a problem?" At first, I thought she was about to strike me with the stapler she was holding in her hand. Thankfully, she did nothing of the sort. As a bonus, the stapler looked empty, too, so there would be no staples masquerading as bullets flying past my head. Pedestrians pass in front of the TELUS Corp. building in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Photographer: Aaron Harris/Bloomberg "You mean," she began, "you don’t want an office?" She put the stapler down, and for a moment I truly thought she was about to pick up the soon-to-be orphaned desk phone and start hitting me with it. "Not really," I awkwardly responded. "I’d like to be able to move around, work from home, be in different buildings and generally work from anywhere." She was beginning to go for the phone. "But I do appreciate what you’ve done," I implored with heartfelt sincerity. "I’ll do whatever it takes to ‘send it back,’ if need be." My new friend quickly began to connect the dots. "Oh, you’re one of those," she said. "You want to work anywhere, anytime." "Exactly!" I exclaimed. "I want to work anywhere, anytime." Without skipping a beat, she replied, "I wish I could do that. I really wish I could work anywhere, anytime." These days at TELUS, more people than ever before are working anywhere, anytime. And that type of operating culture is paying dividends in many facets of our overall customer, business, team member and community strategies. Take for example our employee engagement scores. Since formally implementing Work Styles - a flexible work program empowering team members at TELUS with the tools, resources and support to work when and where they’re most productive - we have witnessed employee engagement shift from 57% to 85%. We utilize Aon Hewitt for our twice-annual engagement surveying, and the firm has informed us that our employee engagement score is "number one globally amongst organizations of similar size and composition." Not only are we proud of that distinction, in 2015, once again TELUS was named to Canada’s Top 100 Employers list. But employee engagement is but one aspect that demonstrates TELUS’ flexible working arrangement and model is, err…working. Since 65% of TELUS team members work from home 100% of the time (called at-home team members) or work from a combination of locations including an office and the home (called mobile team members) we have witnessed a significant contribution to the environment and our communities. For example, in 2014: We avoided 5,645 tonnes of CO2e simply by driving less to the office; and We saved 1.3 million hours of commuting time that equated to 22.7 million less kilometers on the road. Furthermore, because we believe in spirited teamwork (whether we’re at an office, at home, at a customer site, or elsewhere) our use of collaborative technologies and reduced travel - and the open leadership principles that we have employed since 2010 - predicts TELUS will save $63.5 million over a 13-year period, monies we can invest into our team members and our Customers First strategy. Would you be surprised to know TELUS has reduced its overall real estate footprint by one million square feet since 2010 as well? As a result, we’ve lowered our real estate costs by $50 million annually, which also helps our 2020 goal of reducing our overall carbon footprint by 25%. Simply put, the efforts applied to the TELUS Work Styles program has not only resulted in a return on investment, it has demonstrated a return on engagement and a return on environment. Perhaps it’s a new triple bottom line. I never did take that office, back in November of 2008. Six-and-a-half years later, I’m still working, anywhere, anytime. And like many other team members at TELUS, I feel a sense of purpose in my work and a deep commitment to our Customers First strategy. Now, where was that stapler? If you’re interested, feel free to download the TELUS Work Styles infographic. Originally published to Forbes. __________ Dan Pontefract is the author of FLAT ARMY: Creating a Connected and Engaged Organization and is Chief Envisioner at TELUS Transformation Office. His next book, DUAL PURPOSE: Redefining the Meaning of Work, will publish May 10, 2016.   Dan's Related Posts:Try Implementing Flexible Work Options to Increase Employee EngagementFive Essential Tips to Effectively Work from HomeAfter Five Years In My Role We’re Hiring My Replacement. Are You Interested?Flexible Working WorksMy Next Role Is …

Everyone encounters it at one time or another: behavior by team members that drives you crazy.

When you fly into Australia direct from another international destination like Singapore, Los Angeles or London, country law dictates the airline must decontaminate the airplane for any potential insecticides before anyone may disembark the plane. If it’s your first time to Australia you might think you’re on the set of the movie Ghostbusters or worse, caught up in an international flu pandemic. Once the landing has completed and the pilot has pulled the plane up to the gate, flight attendants parade up and down the aisles spraying a World Health Organization approved aerosol disinfectant. You have no idea what it is, but there is an implicit trust that Australia — and by association, the flight attendants — know what they’re doing. They’re acting on behalf of the interests of an entire country. I find myself needing to apply some form of disinfectant to the fuselage that makes up my current professional projects. In particular, I’ve recognized over the past several weeks that if I want the Dual Purpose book project to safely and successfully disembark, my own patterns and behaviours must change. I have a case of the sophomore book blues. To combat it and to ensure I improve the final result, I’ve decided to take a sabbatical from all other forms of social. That includes contributing, participating or mingling in personal/professional social networks whether face-to-face or digital. This includes coffees, beers, and lunches. This includes other forms of writing. As hard as it might be for someone who draws his energy from other people, a 60km bike ride today put things into perspective. I need a different strategy. Thus, I’m applying the disinfectant. Call it the ‘sophomore blues sabbatical’. (that should be the name of a band) See you on the other side, whenever that is. Dan's Related Posts:Why Don’t We Tip Flight Attendants?Air Canada Isn’t Collaborating With Its EmployeesI’m Showing My Work … My Next Book Is PostponedRedefining the Social EmployeeThe 10 Winners of Flat Army Copies Are …

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

PR News Online reports: "Interaction Associate’s 2011 "Building Trust in Business" survey sounds a big warning for businesses and their executive leadership: Even as employees express trust in peers by saying they share and collaborate more easily with colleagues, they remain wary and di

That’s right. I object! Over the years, I have spent a lot of time crafting them, chiseling them so they fit, viewing lists of verbs to ensure each LO began with the proper verb, reworking other people’s, and getting irritated when learning professionals commit the cardinal sin of starting their LOs off with the words "learn" or "understand". (audible gasp) What madness is this? I have diligently written learning objective (LO) statements at the front of every set of training documentation I’ve written, on one of the first few .ppt sides in the decks, woven them into CBT modules, and on flip charts when facilitating live. I would just as diligently use the learning objective statements when crafting or contributing to evaluation plans. And hated doing it all. One day, I had an epiphany. What real good do these things do? What person in a leadership role somewhere decided that these things we call learning objectives justifies the existence of  training departments, the budget for them and we "trainers"? More importantly, that their existence proves that peopled learned what they were told to learn, as stated in the LO statements?  Being the rebel that I am, I started leaving LOs out of slide decks and off from agendas. Guess what? No one commented. Not sure they even noticed. Let’s get real, just because these static statements appear at the front of content doesn’t mean that is what those who are engaged with the content will learn. (the "learners, participants, etc.") What we call learning objectives are not "one size fits all"-or even most. If we’ve done our job well when conducting a thorough needs analysis, interviewing subject matter experts, synthesizing the information and crafting the information into what the "learners" need most to know to perform better on the job, then the job is done. Complete. Fini. If your content and curriculum is designed and provided to address performance on the job, then what is to be different post-training has a place in performance planning documents and discussions. Not as a slide or items to be checked off while completing the content. Picture every participant of a "click Next" elearning module thinking, "Yippee! Three learning objectives checked off. Done."  Perfect. No wonder we’re not taken seriously. Here’s the thing. Having a plan for what the learning intervention is and is to be is absolutely a good idea. When that plan aligns with corporate goals and strategy is something I’ve been talking about, writing about, and striving for for more years than I’m going to write here. But too often, these LOs, these things that people complete as a mandatory element to "good" training design don’t even come close to doing that. I know what you’re thinking. But what about (so-called) compliance training? And, how will I provide completion data to leadership? While I have much to say about how ineffective so-called compliance training is, I won’t do so in this blog post. My response to those questions, and others like them is, nothing changes.Your involvement in making recommendations for the post-completion evaluation plan isn’t different. Performance planning documents and discussions with whatever metrics leadership requires don’t go away. I’m proposing that everyone in our profession get better at living in a world where the language of performance and outcomes is what we do and spend time on. NOT crafting those silly 3-5 learning objectives at the outset of any training documentation. Filed under: Training & Learning Tagged: ASTD, CPLP, Development, Instructional design, Learners, Learning, Training