On a scale from one to ten, how awake do you feel in your life? Are you paying attention to the most important things right now? I was recently talking with a retail executive, and she shared with me that her team stepped away from their phones and computers for a whole strategy session. Everyone noted that they were present with one another in a new way. One of the comments was: I actually felt like I was paying attention to what I needed to, instead of the 10 distractions that come up every hour.I am sure you can relate to the feeling of distractions running your life. And every day, whether we want to admit it or not, we pay a price for not being awake to this. Our actions and inactions have impact.When I hear the phrase, "be awake", I always think of a stanza in William Stafford’s poem, "A Ritual to Read to Each Other".For it is important that awake people be awake, or a breaking line may discourage them back to sleep; the signals we give- yes or no, or maybe - should be clear: the darkness around us is deep. We have too much at stake to be in multiple places at once. Don’t look at Facebook or check your emails during a call. Don’t text someone else when someone is talking to you. These actions may seem trivial, yet they are signals.And we are all guilty of doing them from time to time.This week’s tip is to focus on an area of your life that you can be more awake. There’s no better time than now.The post Fierce Tip of the Week: Be Awake appeared first on Fierce, Inc..

Here at Fierce, we honor a person once a month with the coveted title of Fierceling of the Month. The qualification for a Fierceling is someone who has been nominated by peers for exceptionally exhibiting the fierce values and the 7 principles of our work. There are some great internal perks including choosing your favorite restaurant to catering a company-wide lunch. Each month, I look forward to interviewing these amazing people.This month, I had the honor to connect with Beth Wagner.Why did you come to work here? Fierce has been a huge part of my life since I was first introduced to the curriculum and the company over 8 years ago. Back then, I was working for a global retail organization and I had the chance to get certified as a Fierce facilitator. That experience changed my life. Not only did it test my competence and courage as a learning professional, but the content of Fierce started to come alive for me. I became a champion of all things Fierce. When the opportunity presented itself for me to work internally at Fierce, I jumped at the chance. I feel a strong sense of purpose working for a company who strives to "change the world, one conversation at a time."What are some responsibilities of your role? As a Master Facilitator for Fierce you will often find me in a different city each week, doing what I love; facilitating our Fierce programs. In addition, I conduct Train-the-Trainer sessions, which means I get to pass along to others the life changing experience I had of becoming a Fierce facilitator. Developing others is a passion of mine, and I take pride in certifying Fierce facilitators all over the world.What’s the coolest thing you are currently working on? I am incredibly excited to be conducting an upcoming series of four virtual sessions with Malaysia and Hong Kong simultaneously! It’s not every day you get to connect and share the Fierce experience with others who are half a world away…and I get to do it from the comfort of my New England office - pinch me!When you’re not at Fierce, what are you most likely doing? While the Fierce office is based in Seattle, WA, my home-base is Maine. I feel truly fortunate to work for such an amazing organization and still be able to maintain my small, quiet existence in New England. When I’m not traveling for work, you will find me outdoors. I love to spend quality time with my husband and our two dogs; our black Lab, Duncan, and our German Short-haired Pointer, Delilah. Maine is a great place to soak in the beauty of all things nature - hiking, biking, skiing, boating…I love it all.What Fierce Principle are you focusing on this month? When my life moves too fast (as it does, regularly), I need to remind myself to slow down, and "let silence do the heavy lifting". This summer has proven to be incredibly fast-paced, busy, and chaotic. So much so, I have fallen into the trap of creating assumptions which has led to far too many knee jerk responses. Instead of living in "reactionary" mode, I am practicing the art of silence and reminding myself of the 4 Fierce Objectives…Interrogate Reality, Provoke Learning, Tackle Tough Challenges, and (my favorite) Enrich Relationships.What inspires you? Other people inspire me. The strength, brilliance, courage, and sheer guts that most people have inside of them is incredibly motivating. When I open my eyes long enough to see what others are battling with, and how they are leveraging courage and conversation to get through the good and the bad, I am inspired. There are some pretty amazing people in this world. It’s a daily privilege to work with so many of them.What else do you want to ask Beth? Tweet @fierce_inc #fiercelingofthemonth to ask any other questions.The post Meet Our August Fierceling of the Month: Beth Wagner appeared first on Fierce, Inc..

This week’s Fierce resource was originally published on Harvard Business Review and outlines five ways to tackle the most common work-related stressors.If you are like me, your phone is constantly buzzing throughout the day with urgent e-mails, meeting invites, social updates, and event reminders. The list could go on forever. We are stuck in a state of constant fear - the fear of missing out.But your phone doesn’t have to be a constant purveyor of stress, it can help you rein in all the online distractions and save your mental health. 5 Work Stresses You Can Alleviate with Tech offers ways to reduce your tech-induced workplace stress.Are you a slave to your phone?"Whether it’s a constant stream of colleagues knocking on your door with a quick question, or your own tendency to fall into a Buzzfeed quiz hole when you should be working on a PowerPoint deck, distraction is a major contributor to workplace stress. Rein in online distractions with tools like RescueTime (which tracks how you spend your time online), Focus (which blocks distracting websites) or Freedom (which can keep you offline altogether)."Read the article.The post Fierce Resource: 5 Work Stresses You Can Alleviate with Tech appeared first on Fierce, Inc..

September is One-on-One month. Yes, that means intimate conversations with your colleagues, family members, and friends.At Fierce, we start all of our one-on-one conversations with the same question: Given everything on your plate, what is the most important thing you and I should be talking about today? And then we allow the space for the person to reflect and respond.In these conversations, be curious and truly present. Set your tasks aside, close your laptop, and go eyeball-to-eyeball (or phone cheek to phone cheek).This week’s tip is to have a one-on-one with someone in your life - either at work or home. Find a quiet place where you can be with the person for an hour.Who will you have your first conversation with?  The post Fierce Tip of the Week: Have a One-on-One appeared first on Fierce, Inc..

I offer the following true story as an opportunity to practice squid eye. If you’ve read Fierce Leadership, you know all about squid eye - the ability to spot the "tells" that indicate something is wrong, something isn’t working. If you’re good at squid eye, you are able to see what doesn’t want to be seen, what is hiding, often right under our noses. It’s like having sight in the presence of the blind."Tells" are all around us and come in many forms. Strongly held beliefs that make everyone weep, winning us nothing to write home about. Organizations that declare war on the wrong things. Even so-called "best" practices, when we consider the results they produce, can in fact, turn out to be worst practices. I will picture you shouting Eureka! Or found the squid! Or some such celebratory exclamation when you recognize the "tell" in this story that indicates something is very, very wrong.True Story:  After four visits from a cable company personnel over the course of 30 days, I still did not have the service I signed up for in my new condo in Pike Place Market: internet, phone, and cable television. All of which the cable company was to provide, for which they charged a pretty penny, and which they had provided to the previous tenants. How hard could it be, right?  And yet…My internet connection failed approximately once an hourOnly one phone jack was operationalI had no picture at all on one of two televisionsThe screen on the second television frequently reverted to a scramble of code, which I had to "clear"I received neither HBO or SHO, which I had requestedTiVo informed me that "Program information is running low… The DVR must connect successfully to the TiVo service." None of the technicians from the cable company had been able to resolve the problems. Each shrugged his shoulders and said he didn’t know why things weren’t working. Finally, I reached a supervisor who assured me that an "executive" would be monitoring my case and that I would hear from someone within 24 hours. No one called.And then I received a bill. I wanted to lock their technicians and their supervisors in a room with me and practice my drop kick. Who says emotions don’t come into play with customers! Eventually, after leaving yet another message, I got a call from a Customer Loyalty Specialist who told me that he reported to the General Manager. He said his name was Leon."What is your last name?" "We aren’t allowed to share that." "Why not?" "It’s for the security of our personnel". Have you started shouting? If not, go back and re-read the dialogue above.Any organization (barring the CIA and other cloak and dagger organizations, perhaps) that has a policy of withholding the identities of personnel from its customers is handing its customers a major TELL on a silver plate with a huge shiny banner declaring; WE DON’T CARE ABOUT YOU, DEAR OUTRAGED CUSTOMER.  WE CARE ABOUT OUR PERSONAL SAFETY.I expect you would hope, as I do, that if a company’s services or products have become so problematic they fear their customers might seek retribution in the form of bodily harm, the company would declare "war" on doing whatever it takes to improve their services or products. But this company’s strategy, a failed strategy, is to hide.I wrote a letter to the CEO because I sometimes wonder if the CEO is aware of his or her customers’ experience. That was a month ago. I haven’t heard from him.There are many companies, whole industries, who have a policy about not giving their real names to their customers. I hope you don’t work for one, but if you do, I urge you to bring this up for major discussion.Gather your colleagues together and ask, "What have we declared war on?" And practice squid eye together by asking, "Have we declared war on the right thing?"Perhaps the word "war" seems out of place when applied to things like improving and deepening relationships with co-workers or with customers, or coming up with a truly innovative approach to whatever it is you do, or raising the performance bar and holding it there - bold and high. But sometimes war is what it takes.One definition of war is: a sustained effort to deal with or end a particular unpleasant or undesirable situation or condition, as in - the authorities are waging war against all forms of smuggling | a war on drugs. And sometimes, nothing short of war will do.My hope for myself and for all of you is that we will occasionally declare war, if that’s what it takes, because we are committed to doing the hard things that also happen to be the right things.P.S. Leon sent me his business card, with his full name on it. A step in the right direction, though the problem has still not been resolved and he has gone "dark", doesn’t answer his phone or respond to emails. On the business card are the words:  "We’re on a mission." Exactly what that mission is, is decidedly unclear, though it’s a pretty good bet, it’s not in the customers’ favor.The post Declaring War on the Wrong Thing appeared first on Fierce, Inc..

This week’s Fierce resource was originally published on trainingindustry.com and explains how positive feedback can increase employee engagement and productivity.Whether you are a new or experienced manager, your main focus is coaching your team to success. In reality, your day-to-day gets taken up by attending meetings, putting out fires, and sifting through an endless stream of e-mails. With so little time left over, it can be easy to just focus on the performance gaps that will prevent your team from hitting their goals.But Don’t Forget the Positive finds the effects of not giving feedback can be just as detrimental to your team. If you fail to reinforce positive behaviors, you may find them slowly disappearing over time.What behavior should you be reinforcing?"In this fast-paced world, thought should be given to providing positive feedback as well as the feedback used to correct undesirable behavior. This positive feedback shouldn’t be reserved for one-on-one meetings with employees. Positive feedback should also be given in the moment it is observed. When this happens, managers can be assured that they are balancing their efforts to coach their team to success."Read the article.The post Fierce Resource: Don’t Forget the Positive appeared first on Fierce, Inc..

Janet wore a smile from the nose down; her eyes bore daggers. If I offered a Friday afternoon off for having finished a big project early, she "wished" it had been last week when she and her husband were headed out of town for the football game.  When I ordered in pizza for everyone’s lunch to celebrate a staff anniversary, she had "hoped" for barbecue.

In the third of a four-part series Diane Thielfoldt discusses the Millennial generation and the impact of generational differences in the workplace.

Wish you had a crystal ball? You’re not alone. Organizations of all types, all around the world, have experienced dramatic change over the last three years. And even as 2011 gets off to a bright and busy start, that climate of change doesn’t seem to be fading. To help you keep up, we’re offering a peek inside our crystal ball. We’ve gleaned some terrifically helpful information and insights from our clients as well as our own independent research, to discover 2011′s top five talent trends. These are the areas that successful managers need to act on now, in order to stay on top of workplace trends. Learn about the shifting status quo in retaining top talent, stretching your thin resources, the nimble way to mentor, and more. You’ll find it in our Trends 2011 Report. And if you want some guidance with keeping up with any of these trends, send us an e-mail. We’ll be polishing up that crystal ball on your behalf. To learn how to win with your workforce in 2011 download the PDF of our Trends 2011 Report. PDF: Download

Learn about "Reverse Mentoring" in our latest Learning Pro E-Zine Article at ASTD-LA.    Reverse Mentoring: Why and How to "Do it Yourself" with a Cross-Generational Mentoring Program. Show me the mentors! Even though mentoring is one of the most effective career development paths for young employees, only one in five organizations offers a formal mentoring program. This is in spite of the need for fast, point-of-need learning partnerships to help organizations share critical knowledge, onboard a new hire, develop talent, and grow future leaders.

Not every mentoring program has to be formal and top-down. In fact, we often recommend that our clients set up a "do it yourself" version called Reverse Mentoring, which leverages cross-generational relationships. Reverse Mentoring expands individuals’ skill sets and opens their eyes to some positive generational differences. Take for example, a mentoring relationship between Dave, a 24-year-old delivery person, and Jennifer, a 50-something sales manager. Pair them up, and soon Dave is coaching Jenny on social media knowledge she might need to improve her job performance, while he gains insights into her leadership role — something members of the Millennial generation value very much! You can learn more about "Reverse Mentoring" in our new 2-part article that appeared in the January and February issues of the Electrical Distributor trade journal. Click on the image below to download parts 1 and 2 in a single PDF file.

Are you and your organization getting the most out of daily actions to recognize employees? It’s easy to neglect acknowledging good work in the fast pace of business. Most managers find themselves managing by exception - paying more attention to what’s not working than to what is going well. According to a Gallup poll, recognition and praise are among the five most important factors in determining key business benchmarks like employee retention, customer satisfaction, productivity, and profits. In other words, employee recognition is a win-win situation: the employee feels valued and the company benefits from employees who work harder and longer for the company. Click to download how to take your first steps for employee recognition.

What do Apple, BMW, Coca-Cola and Brad Pitt have in common? In addition to being fabulous, they all have a well-known reputation, a brand. Now, if you are anything like me, this seems obvious for the large organizations on this list but Brad Pitt? A person as a brand? Doesn’t that only work for people like Mark Echo?   Beyond the Buzzword The short answer is of course no. Everyone has a brand (whether you are keen to admit it or not). The term personal branding is a pretty hot buzzword being thrown around these days and you are probably familiar with the concept. But for those of you who may not spend your afternoon reading miscellaneous business blogs littered with the newest lingo and for those of us who can always use a refresher, here is a simple definition of personal branding: a self-application form of marketing, where you articulate your value to an audience, with the sole mission to build a reputation and credibility for your niche or idea - essentially, how to be yourself with skill. As a Millennial business professional I realize just how critical this task is. With a world of possibilities in front of me it is essential to brand myself in such a manner that intrigues future employers, empowers the team around me and sets the tone for my career development. The same is true for you. However, knowing about this concept and actually using it are two very different things. So this leaves us wondering, "How can I use personal branding to advance my career?" This is an excellent question. While personal branding is an expansive topic and we will not be able to cover everything right here and right now, I want to share a few things that can help guide you when developing your personal brand.   1. Embrace the "Youness" of You First, do you know what makes you exceptional? A wise man once stated, "Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You." While the little children who read these words of the trusted Dr. Seuss often wonder, "how can I be anyone but me," it is scary how often we lose sight of who we are in the midst of the humdrum of everyday adulthood. The first step in developing a powerful personal brand is simply getting to know you. Ask yourself: What do you stand for? What drives your motivation? What defines success? What do you LOVE to do?   2. Stand Out Above The Crowd We intuitively know that everyone is different, like snowflakes taking on unique shapes and patterns, yet we are taught from a young age to only focus on similarities so that conflict will not arise. Often we revert back to this habit in the workplace and mute our differences for the sake of corporate culture and not wanting to rock the boat. Yet the truth is everyone has something that marks him or her as a unique asset. Something not limited to a company or position (although certainly something that benefits the organization). Something good. The challenge is to find what differentiates you and how that difference is a strength, not only for your company and team, but for your career. Now is the time to stand out, not to blend in.  Ask yourself: Why are you different? What makes you better, different, or more special? What makes you unique? What makes you stand out?   3. Marketing Matters After establishing what you stand for and what makes you stand out, the question remains: "what makes you compelling?" The third element of an effective personal brand lies in your ability to articulate your value. You know what you do for your company better than anyone. You know the intricacies of the work, the role that you play, and how your efforts contribute to the success of your company. Marketing yourself in the workplace may seem shady or selfish but it is critical if you desire to grow your career. Let me suggest a paradigm shift from marketing to markEDing - where your goal is not to sell yourself but to educate your audience about the awesomeness of you. While possibly the most challenging of the three, this is the most important for advancing your career because it involves making connections, knowing your audiences and communicating your value.  Ask Yourself: What is one thing you have done for your current (most recent) employer that wouldn’t have happened if you weren’t there? In what critical areas do you add value? How does your team and/or organization benefit from your work?   The Light At the End Using these elements to craft a well-executed personal branding campaign creates a strong, consistent, and specific association between you and the value you offer. To say that creating a brand and living up to it is easy would be a lie. It takes commitment to create, cultivate, and maintain a positive brand but the results far exceed the effort. Personal branding: Is the most effective way to clarify and communicate what makes you different, special, and valuable to employers and customers - and use those qualities to guide your career. Is the most effective and innovative strategy you can use to achieve professional success and fulfillment. Allows you to clearly communicate the unique promise of value that you have to offer. Enables you to leverage what distinguishes you from others with similar skills and abilities. There is no time to waste. Figure out what you stand for, what makes you stand out, and what makes you compelling. Then craft your personal brand statement - just do it.  

Do you remember in 2007 when AT&T challenged the stereotypes associated with generations and technology with this little phrase: "IDK, My BBF Rose" (click here to see the commercial if your memory isn’t a vault). You couldn’t help but chuckle a little when you saw the subtitles translating the kids abbreviated speech (because of course not everyone understands texting lingo), the exasperation of the parents at the cost of their children’s addiction (yet another generational stereotype) and of course Grams sittin’ in her rocker just having a heyday keeping up with the latest texting trends.  If Only… While we jest at this image, a subtle hint of "if only" lurks just beneath the surface for those who desire to see all generations empowered beyond the stereotypes. If only technology wasn’t a burden for older generations but a vital resource. If only young people learned to master the social business savvy of older generations. If only it were possible to empower both the young and the old at the same time to become more productive, engaged, and innovative in the workplace… You can probably guess where I am going next… This is possible! And not in twenty years from now after painstakingly laying groundwork for organizational reform - but now. In simple, mutually beneficial Reverse Mentoring relationships. A Simple Solution Reverse Mentoring is exactly what it sounds like. Traditional mentoring turned on its head. It is a form of employee development in which a more experienced employee actively seeks the council of an employee with less overall experience but fresh perspectives and skill sets. As a Millennial leader this concept of Reverse Mentoring is exciting! Getting the opportunity to meet with senior leaders in my organization who are not only interested in what I have to say but are invested in implementing the information I share is a powerful tool for building loyalty and inspiring me to stay where I am valued. Not to mention teaching the execs a thing or two. Reverse Mentoring also: Generates trust. Empowers emerging and established leaders. "Shrinks" big organizations - it crosses boundaries that employees wouldn’t normally cross. Helps to engage, retain and promote younger talent.  It creates a two-way conversation allowing supervisors to learn what work place conditions younger employees seek in order to advance themselves along with the interests of the company. Begins to close the knowledge gap While the idea is that managers can learn about life outside the corner office another outcome is reduced turnover among younger employees, who not only gain a sense of purpose but also a rare glimpse into the world of management and top level leaders. A Few How-To’s Now that you know the value of Reverse Mentoring there is nothing to stop you from implementing a successful DIY (Do It Yourself) Reverse Mentoring program. Here is a basic action plan to get you started: Define the Goal(s): Ensure you know what you want to get out of the relationships before you begin so that success is evident. Also identify the key stakeholders and describe what their involvement will look like. Pair up Mentors and Partners: Don’t be afraid of diversity. Often the best matches are mismatches. Plan the Launch: Host an orientation session with all members, set the ground rules, share the goals/objectives, equip each person to teach and be taught, and cover logistical details. Prioritize and Persist: Follow-up and tracking are crucial to ensure the program is effective so be diligent in checking on progress. Some success indicators include: Are people taking the time to meet and work together? Are the partners satisfied with the progress? Are they benefiting from and enjoying the partnership? What ideas do they have to improve the program? Measure Progress: Include a means of evaluating the programs success. This could include questionnaires, surveys, interviews, and/or observations of the meetings. Don’t be afraid to make changes if challenges are identified. So if you are looking for innovative solutions to address the generation (and technology) gaps in your organization, just remember: when fresh, unbiased perspectives are mixed with detailed knowledge and strategic skills, the possibilities are endless - just ask my BFFs Devon and Diane.

Not every mentoring program has to be formal and top-down. In fact, we often recommend that our clients set up a "do it yourself" version called Reverse Mentoring, which leverages cross-generational relationships. Reverse Mentoring expands individuals’ skill sets and opens their eyes to some positive generational differences. Devon Scheef will be sharing how you can implement this cutting-edge program in your organization during her session Reverse Mentoring: A DIY Approach at this year’s California HR Conference presented by PIHRA. Visit cahrconference.org/) for additional information on how to register for this powerful session.

Having trouble finding and hiring candidates with the right skill set? You may want to consider broadening your scope to include younger prospects. This huge—and hugely promising—demographic could hold the key to your company’s short- and long-term success. Click here to read the full article in Insulation Outlook.

Harold Stolovitch has sold more training books than anyone else with one simple message, "Tellin’ Ain’t Trainin.’"  We know it’s true. We know we really don’t actually learn much by listening or by reading. Reading, listening or watching a short video can work well when used in context as performance support. But for actual learning, nothing takes the place of real experience, trial and error, and self-discovery.  I remembered this lesson while I was working with scuba students last weekend.  Let’s go back to the scuba instructor laboratory again.  Learning to scuba dive is a pretty complex skill, and fairly critical. It’s a relatively safe sport, but good skills can save your life. When we begin to teach skills in the pool, we can overload students with too much to remember at one time. For example: swim horizontally not vertically; don’t exhale through your nose; don’t bend your knees, kick from your hips; breathe all the time, never hold your breath; ascend slowly and in control. Well, you get the idea. Truthfully, the last two items in this list are the only two important ones. They are the only ones that can get you hurt if you forget them. Unfortunately, this happens all too often in corporate learning. We overload people trying to make them perfect in their first class. And we create those e-learning programs where we overload learners with reading and listening and details without real experience or practice or feed-back. We put a check in a box, but have we spent our organization’s training dollars wisely? No matter how much my students struggle through their first pool session, I don’t over-correct them. I find something they did well and praise them for it. They come back the next week a little more fearless and a lot more enthusiastic. By their fifth pool session they are ready for the real world. Learning is a process, not an event. As a learning professional, you know what works. Explain your plan to your client. Tell them you want to spend their money wisely on what works. I bet they’ll trust you.

Context is the kingdom. I wish I had come up with this clever line but I didn’t. My friend, Tony O’Driscoll, Professor of the Practice of Business Administration at Duke University, did.  He is a diver too.  Tony’s line comes as a response to the often quoted phrase, "Content is King". We all know that training requires a lot of complete, accurate content. For many of us, content has become king. But the point that my fellow diver, Tony, is trying to make is that content alone will not change behavior. Receiving information or performing skills in context has become the kingdom and the key to real performance. I recently read a debate in, of all things, Scuba Diving magazine on the effectiveness of training standards. In defending the standards, H. Kelly Levendorf talks about the recent proliferation of independent study and online learning, which is completely content centric. He says, "Rather than bemoan less time in the classroom, instructors should embrace the additional time it provides to teach where it’s most valuable: in the water."  In learning scuba, water is the context. By teaching scuba, I re-learned something I already knew; that people learn best by using content in the context of how they will use that content. This can be successfully applied to any kind of learning situation. This is really the whole basis for the concept of blended learning. Content may be delivered by one means, but application in context may need to to be delivered by a different modality. What does that say about the value of stand-alone, page-turning e-learning courses? In addition to pointing out the importance of context, Mr. Levendorf goes on to say, "Student divers need ample time for practice and mastery. Instructors must focus on performance-based—not time-based—learning. I’ll take that topic on next week.

Once you have used your data to revise your instructional strategy and your prototype, you can continue developing the rest of the course with a new sense of confidence—and that critical buy-in from your client and learners. Now that you are ready to implement the entire course, how do you know that everything is working perfectly? If your first implementation is an instructor-lead course for 20 to 50 people, your risk of a perfect implementation may not be that great. A few minor issues will be tolerated. But what if you are releasing a new compliance course to 25,000 learners who need to complete the course in thirty days? Easy—we just apply the "cost vs. risk" rule again. We’re going to conduct a Field Test, according to the Robert Stake Matrix of Formative Evaluation. In Field Test, we are not evaluating a prototype; we are evaluating the entire finished course. We are not validating our instructional strategy, we’ve already done that. We are looking for any other minor failures or corrections that need to be done. These can range from fixing typos, to fixing test questions that don’t work, to fixing an entire objective where learners are not achieving mastery. We try to get a test audience of 12 to 20 learners for the field test. This is a more formal test where we try to simulate the real learning environment as closely as possible. If learning takes place in the learner’s work space, that’s where we conduct the test. Our data gathering is similar; we interview, we observe and we interview again. The observation may not be one on one with 20 people, but we augment data gathering by asking learners to keep a list of any errors or questions/concerns and where they occurred. With twenty people, we develop very strong trends and can easily separate opinions with two or three people recording an issue from strong trends with fifteen or more people recording an issue. Although a Field Test often requires a little more time to conduct and may require more logistical support, the relative cost is still low, because everyone who takes part in the test receives his or her training as a result of participating in the test. The side benefit is all that data you get to identify where your problems are before the course is released to your entire learning audience. Do I dare say it again? Why guess when you can measure? 6/8 of series

First, we have to define what a successful Field Test looks like. Having everyone tell us that everything looks great might save us a lot of revisions before implementation, but if we aren’t careful and objective about how we gather our data, we may be handling dozens or even hundreds of complaints from busy learners who don’t have time to help us correct our mistakes. A field test is a more formal type of test than a Learner Try-out. We sit with a learner one-on-one in a Try-out and record his or her stream of consciousness. In a Learner Try-out, we are validating our general strategy and approach. In a Field Test, we are validating everything. Our approach is entirely different. We want to simulate the actual learning environment for the learning events as closely as possible. We don’t shadow each learner, but we have coaches available to record questions or set things back on track if things break down. And remember, a break-down is not a bad thing; it is an opportunity for improvement. We ask learners to write down everything that comes to mind down on an observation sheet, just like the ones our staff observers use. The kinds of things we find are typos and writing corrections, test questions that need to be re-written or thrown out, and sometimes weak lessons that need to be re-written or revised. Field Tests are not just for self-paced or e-learning. We also use them for all of our instructor lead courses. They are even easier to justify for instructor lead courses. Someone has to be in the first class. That first audience becomes our Field Test group. By now, I hope you are saying to yourself, "Why guess when I can measure?" 7/8 of series

Sometimes we have very big projects.  One example was a large regional merger that included forty-four hours of self-paced e-learning and several days of instructor lead training for several different lines of business. It was one of those things where, on Monday morning, twenty thousand people needed to know how to do the same job, but in many cases they had to do it quite differently for a new company and with many new tools and processes. If we go back to our cost vs. risk question, the risk was quite high. Most of the training had to take place one to two weeks before that critical Monday morning opening as a different company. Fortunately for us, the learning programs were not the only things that needed testing before implementation. We took advantage of those tests for our own testing purposes. Before people could test the systems and processes, they needed to know how to use them. We had no trouble finding twenty or thirty people who needed to learn how to use new processes before they could test them. One new problem for us was with so many programs needing testing at one time, enlistment of many people from our client’s staff to do the actual field testing, including observing and recording data was necessary. That meant we had to be super organized. The Field Test went like most Field Tests do, despite its large size and criticality. We had two lessons where we had an unusually large number of people score below 80%. We looked at the test questions, and they looked valid and reliable, clear and understandable. We looked at the lessons and that’s where we found the problem. There were some things about the way they used to do perform those particular tasks that were throwing them off. We took that into account, revised the lessons, administered the two lessons and the tests again, and everyone scored well above 90%. We spent another two or three days making revisions and turned everything over for implementation. Then we waited. In the first week after the big Monday morning conversion, our customer recorded less than fifty support calls related to merger operations and training. Whenever we see a high risk project on our horizon, we know that a careful investment in Formative Evaluation will protect us, our learners and our client. After all, Formative Evaluation is our "all purpose magic". 8/8 of series

Mobile learning has become the current "next big thing" in training, and the numbers show it. Recent enterprise technology studies show that nearly 73% of companies allow smart phones for work purposes and 50-60% have added tablets to their tech offerings. Naturally, if a company is going to invest in these resources they want to see them used, and training is a likely candidate for mobile application deployment. As you think about your mobile learning philosophy, there’s one fundamental question to ask: Why would a learner access training resources on a mobile device instead of a conventional desktop or laptop computer? If you own a smart phone think about how you use it. My guess is you usually have it with you and it’s probably within arm’s reach - inside a pocket or nearby bag, or next to you on your desk right now (Did you just check for it?). I would also guess you always keep your device powered on. Not counting the talk and text functions, how do you use the "smart" capabilities of your phone? E-mail, news, looking up directions to a destination as you leave, or looking up more information about a topic that comes up in conversation are all commonly reported uses.  Mobile devices are always available and when we need information throughout the day it’s the first resource we turn to. Your clients and/or employees are going to look for training on their mobile devices to function the same way, providing support that is just-in-time and just enough. Unless your learners have completely replaced their desktop or laptop computer with a tablet, it is unlikely they will access a traditional training course on their mobile device.  What they will look for are job aids, short audio or video demonstrations, and interactive knowledge banks for an answer to a specific job-related question at the moment they need an answer. When you are asked to create mobile-based training, keep this in mind and design mobile tools that are enhanced by the always available, just-in-time way we use our devices. Your training will see more wide-spread adoption and will become a useful resource for your learners. The second part of this series will get into the nuts-and-bolts of designing for mobile devices. Part one of two Peter Engels, Instructional Designer/Developer, Handshaw, Inc.

Last time we talked about how and when to use mobile devices in a larger training strategy that will leverage their strengths of accessibility and immediacy. This week, let’s look at how mobile devices impact resource design. There are a few unique characteristics that you should keep in mind as you design mobile resources: small screen size, touch capabilities, and synchronization. Small Screen Size Tablets have screens comparable in size to small notebook computers, but mobile phone screen sizes vary wildly, from as small as 320 x 240 pixels on some Blackberries to as large as 640 x 960 on the iPhone. With less real estate, every element added must be meaningful and intentional. Keep your content direct to limit extra text and keep images and videos small enough that they can be viewed without scrolling. Many newer devices also replace the physical keyboard with a digital version that appears when needed and can require up to half the screen space on a mobile device. Avoiding text entry interactions removes this concern. Touch Capabilities Touch screens add a fun, interactive element to your resources with the right planning. Your learners will be using one fingertip for control, so size and space elements with this in mind. Try this: move your mouse pointer to the darker border of this blog and place your finger next to it on the screen. See the size difference? That is how much bigger your clickable elements have to be. Fingertip control comes with different functionality, too. Think through how your learners will interact with the resource as you design it: a rollover is a great way to present information, but not if the screen prevents them from accessing it. Clicks, swipes, and drag-and-drops will work the same using a mouse or a touch screen. Synchronization Most users synch their devices so that they can access the same resources on their phone, tablet, and desktop. Job aids, databases, and other mobile resources should also be tested on traditional computers to ensure learners will have access to the same help in any situation. It is also common to use more than one device at once. If an employee is experiencing software troubles, a troubleshooting resource on their mobile device will allow them to look at both screens at once. Using images and instructions that can be directly compared from one screen to another can be a powerful intervention. Matching the right design with the right purpose will help your mobile learning strategy grow to become a valuable, effective resource for your learners. Part two of two Peter Engels, Instructional Designer/Developer, Handshaw, Inc.

I recently conducted a learner tryout event of a training program for a client who is implementing a new, enterprise-wide system that will significantly change the way their employees complete their daily work tasks.  The prototype that I tested was a combination of web-based training and instructor-led training.  After the event, the client expressed their surprise at the positive feedback received by the participants as it relates to the system.  There is a cultural concern that employees will not like the new system and resist the change.  However, the majority of the feedback during the event was a mildly surprised, "I like the system."  Guess what the client attributed to this positive feedback?  The training. Any training interventions you design have the opportunity to sell learners on the business goals, and not just teach the tasks required to meet them.  Often during our analysis phase, we uncover attitudinal goals which require learners to make a choice to perform a task, and we include this performance objective as part of our training.  I believe that there are always attitudinal goals to consider, whether they are a documented part of our task analysis or not. As a performance partner, we want to take advantage of every opportunity our training materials have to establish our learners’ buy-in to the change.   The ideal way to facilitate the sometimes unspoken attitudinal goal of business case adoption is to take a step back from the training and help our clients look at the bigger picture of how to best sell and deliver the change.  Developing a communication plan helps establish a clear channel between the drivers of the change and the receivers of the change.  Once a plan is established, we can help deliver that communication consistently downstream through training materials and before, during, and after training events. If that strategic level is unavailable to us for a given client or project, we can still help facilitate the change for learners solely through training materials.  As an instructional designer, the better you understand the client’s business case for the change, the more you can communicate that through your writing in the materials.  Additionally, ensuring that the training is built to be the best that it can be can help adoption.  For instance, building web-based training with hands-on practice that functions consistently, provides practice opportunities, and offers valuable feedback helps learners more easily accept the change by making them feel comfortable with it.  For this client, our training materials were able to help learners accept the change by understanding the reasons behind the change.  At the same time, the design of our web-based training courses made them comfortable navigating through the system, and begin to like working in it.  One special concern in the case of training for a new system is that we manage expectations between system-simulated web-based training and real-life experience.  By teaching learners coping strategies for when something goes wrong along with the tasks, we can bridge the buy-in we were able to establish through early change communications and during training with learners’ actual on-the-job experience.