Asking questions that already have answers. Asking for changes that you cannot implement. Failing to define choices. Mismatched response scales. These are just 4 of the 10 devastating errors that smother participation rates, annoys respondents, and renders your survey results meaningless. But so easy to avoid! Download these 10 free lessons from the world's most-read survey guide: The Survey Playbook. Simply compare the illustrated examples with your own surveys, quizzes, assessments and evaluation forms to identify gaps. By addressing these common issues, you will get far higher response rates, more meaningful results, and you audience will look forward to answering your questions the next time you ask.

You’ve got a great idea for a new training program at your institution. It could be an onboarding program to curb employee turnover and increase satisfaction, or a leadership program meant to train up the next generation of your workforce’s change-makers. Either way, there’s one thing you need before any training program can get off the ground: the support of existing leadership. One way to convince your leadership team of the benefits of a new training program is to show them the cost of not having one.   In this resource, you'll learn about the return on investment for training programs, you’ll discover:  How to calculate the ROI of your training programs  How to identify what your organization is losing without a training program  How to maximize your ROI with training  An ROI workbook that makes it easy to see your savings at a glance

The time and energy company managers spend trying to keep their people focused on results is substantial. In fact, it can be a major resource drain that significantly undermines company performance. Managers must therefore find effective ways to unleash the potential of their people and ensure that they are in sync with their company’s visions and objectives. But how?  Organizational leaders must become empowered to move forward to realize their vision and goals. This can only be done to the extent that they are able to help their employees avoid being focused on themselves. Our aim is to allow them to do this. In this Q&A, we clarify how changing mindset lays the foundation for the productive, accountable, and collaborative behaviors that are essential for a dramatic and sustained improvement in both personal and organizational performance.

Expectations For Year 1 with eLearning Tech There’s something exciting about using new technology. Whether that means solving problems, creating efficiencies, better management, (or all of the above), it’s an exciting and hopeful process. The experience is the same for learning technology. But not all learning leaders have the same expectations for the potential and the processes involved with buying a learning management system. First-time technology buyers may find that there are a million considerations to make and having a solid strategy in place is key. Experienced buyers will bring their knowledge of how important the implementation phase is and how "well begun is half done" can ring true. People often overestimate what they can accomplish in a year but underestimate the progress they can make in 2 to 3 years’ time. This eBook examines what that first year with a learning management system often looks like and ways to measure the success of learning programs right away. This eBook is the first of a 3-part series that examines years 2 and 3 (and beyond) of using an LMS and the roles that stakeholders in learning can play in the process. In this eBook, we focus on things that learning leaders should keep in mind when planning, executing and measuring data from that all-important first year of using an LMS. Topics include: Identifying and prioritizing L&D goals Looking at causes for change Crafting a plan for a successful implementation Collecting meaningful data to measure success Strategy suggestions to avoid common mistakes How to share progress and victories with key people in the organization

Creating an effective, engaging eLearning course requires more than pretty pictures and fancy animations. You need a solid foundation of instructional design and the right tool to make your vision a reality. But how do you know which tool is right for you? This eBook breaks down authoring tool features into 10 easily digestible considerations—with comparison charts focusing on the top 3 authoring tools! Download now to discover which authoring tool will help you create the best learning experiences and get the best results!

Times are changing and skills are becoming obsolete faster than organizations can keep up with. This challenge gives learning and development teams a unique opportunity to make a clear strategic impact and showcase their value to business performance. In this eBook, you'll learn core strategies and tactics for an developing an effective upskilling and reskilling program, including how you can tie it into talent development and overall business objectives.

It all starts with your leaders. Investing in them will have direct, positive impacts on the future of your organization. But the rules have changed, you’re busier than ever, and knowing how and where to begin can be like searching in the dark. In this ebook, you’ll find a well-lit path to guide you through understanding what to focus on and how to help your organization succeed in this age of leadership change. Topics you’ll find in this resource include: A case for leadership development How to lead in a time of isolation How to identify high-potentials and new managers and how this helps to plan for succession How to guide experienced managers and c-suite executives to continue leading through learning What leadership training looks like now and how we can help

Building critical skills is the number one worry for growth company leaders. And now in the midst of a recession, HR and L&D leaders are expected to close this gap with even fewer resources than before. Find out how.

In today’s corporate training world, speed to competency is everything. So how do you get workers to master communication skills, prove proficiency, and pick up knowledge in record time? Deliberate practice, with documented feedback, using the power of video.  When you combine the best elements of mentorship and self-paced learning with the convenience of smartphones and modern technology, your employees can record themselves from anywhere, get feedback, and document their progress.   Download this eBook to find out how video-based practice and coaching get better outcomes, conquer sales goals, and more —in less time than ever.

Whether it’s local, state, or federal, every business must work by a set of laws and rules concerning hiring, promotions, firing, and other personnel-related matters. Being compliant is critical to any business’ success as it keeps the company from lawsuits, violations, etc. However, keeping up with everything is often easier said than done for HR. In this infographic, you’ll find:  A checklist for an optimal HR compliance program  Review of compliance for top HR topics such as onboarding and hiring practices  Lists of topics for your compliance training program

When creating a learning strategy, it can be difficult to see the whole picture. Individual components like onboarding efforts, compliance training, leadership development, and skills development programs can be complex ordeals, each requiring varying levels of thought. However, simply examining these programs individually can be a costly mistake. Without considering how they belong to the overall learning and development efforts, the strategy can fall apart. Taking a holistic approach might be necessary to protect from some of the inherent risks of training expenditures. As part of best practices, any learning objective should align with the broader business goals. But, beyond that, any training activities should include a clearly defined message of the "what’s in it for me" or WIIFM to the learner. Asking them to commit to the process means knowing what they stand to gain for their efforts. The holistic approach to explaining the WIIFM should include not only the learner, but their team, department, and organization, in general. In this eBook, we focus on how organizations can take a holistic approach to creating upskilling strategies for their learners. Topics include: Why the business climate is right for upskilling initiatives Using learning tech to help the organization adapt and thrive Ongoing challenges learning leaders face with upskilling programs Strategy suggestions to avoid common mistakes How certain industries can win with upskilling programs

If your company is in a hiring freeze or has laid off productive, hard-working team members, you’re probably wondering how you're going to meet your goals. When meeting KPIs and achieving lofty business goals gets even more difficult, finding the right talent to replace missing staff members can be a challenge with slashed budgets. . . . but there are options: project outsourcing, staff augmentation, or a hybrid of both. Because every situation is different, you will want to carefully weigh the pros and cons. We understand that you may have trepidation about outsourcing. We get it. In this eBook, we'll also address 8 of the most common outsourcing fears and how to alleviate them.

Have you ever heard this common saying? "The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now." This sentiment doesn't just apply to tree-planting. It also applies to the development of your workforce. The best time to grow their skills is in the past, but if that hasn't been a top priority previously, the second best time is now.   Within the scope of this report, we will look at data from 1,000 talent and learning leaders just like you to draw insights into what priorities exist for the coming year. In addition, we will leverage the perspective of 1,000 learners as well to determine what they need most. 

Coaching has grown more popular than any other developmental technique in recent years. Today, most organizations need leaders at all levels who can drive rapid change. The more an organization can make every leader an effective coach, the more fluidly it will adapt to today’s fast-moving business environment. With the rapid changes in markets and technology, learning and upskilling have become everyday activities. Coaching is a great tool to nurture talent on an ongoing basis.  This guide offers twelve coaching best practices that organizations can share with leaders and employees. Each best practice is accompanied by reading recommendations from the getAbstract library.

The future is an unknown variable, and we never really know what tomorrow brings. However, we can look at the trends of today to see what’s likely on the horizon. Looking at trends in learning and development can help leaders formulate a game plan for training strategies in the coming year and even mitigate risk. In this ebook you’ll learn: How personalized training is the way to train moving forward Why employee disengagement is a problem and how to combat it Ways to focus on training and developing managers and leaders

Training, Learning, and Talent Development leaders and professionals rely on Training magazine's Annual Training Industry Report report--this year sponsored by Adobe Learning Manager--as a statistical gauge for measuring their own training functions against industry norms. With data representing a cross-section of industries and company sizes, the Industry Report presents a comprehensive view of the current environment, as well as historical trends. Click here to for analysis of 2021-2022 training expenditures, budgetary allocations, and delivery methods, plus COVID-19’s continued impact on budgets and training.

Ever wondered how you can provide personalized training to remote employees?    This infographic looks at three crucial aspects that every trainer/instructional designer needs to consider when planning a successful training program for your remote workforce. Knowing how to design on-demand training, how to embrace asynchronous training, and what is the best way to leverage technology can mark the difference between success and mediocrity. 

Employee mental health has long been a taboo topic in the workplace, but there has been a recent shift at organizations to cater to health and well-being of employees. This shift has resulted in the need for all employees to be able to recognize the signs of mental illness, know how to offer support, and how to handle the tough conversations that can stem from discussing mental health.  In this ebook, you’ll learn:  Key elements for building a strong mental health initiative at your organization Common myths and misconceptions about mental health and how to overcome them How to get buy-in throughout the organization for a mental health initiative

Do your teams have the right skills and capabilities to keep focused, keep moving, and keep growing… in spite of economic uncertainty? Your organization’s success relies on its ability to deliver valuable products and services to your customers. This can be a challenge in the best of times, but even more so during periods of market uncertainty when the ability to pivot despite disruptions to ‘working norms’ may signal whether your business meets its strategic goals. Today, it is more important than ever that learning and development (L&D) support organizational change with effective work-based learning that enables learners with the right skills and capabilities that are essential to maintain momentum. And to ensure that high-quality services are sustained, however the landscape shifts. In this thought paper, we explore how the right work-based learning provides a common language and approach to work that will help your teams adopt new ways of working and create solutions that better meet the needs of your customers.

From storytelling to easter eggs to boss battles, there are tons of ways game designers keep players hooked. Download this infographic to incorporate these winning strategies within your eLearning content. Plus, turn to the last page to see an actual game in action, and download the matching project file to modify, customize, and keep for yourself! 

The inner fire is the most important thing humans possess. - Edith Södergran A culture of learning is relevant to any organization. However, the need for healthcare organizations to promote this is critical since evidence-based practices are constantly evolving and your clients’ well-being depends on your staff’s knowledge and skill. To provide the best care and optimize health outcomes for persons served, healthcare leaders must tap into that inner fire within their staff and enable continuous learning opportunities. How can you tap into your staff’s inner fire and create a learning culture? Download this white paper to learn: What a learning organization looks like The five main disciplines of a learning organization Real-life examples of how a learning culture can be applied Steps to sustain a culture of learning

Did you know that according to the CDC, 26% of Americans self-identify as adults with functional disabilities? Just imagine the business impact of excluding 1 in 4 learners! While no one sets out to purposely create barriers to learning, we all see the world through our own lens. Between an aging population and an overall shift towards a more equitable culture, an inclusive design must consider the full range of human diversity - even beyond WCAG and Section 508.   To ensure your learning is relevant and accessible to everyone, follow these guidelines and checklists.

Introduction When Peter McLaughlin and I first began talking about the topics of communication and feedback specifically, we quickly realized we had several things in common. We both felt that we were not particularly effective in giving feedback. In fact, we felt that we were pretty bad. We enjoyed the challenge and the positive results that come with a successful feedback conversation. We wondered why we had not naturally learned to give feedback. We agreed that if we were provided with a roadmap or model for giving feedback, we would have performed much more effectively in such situations. Looking back at particular examples, we both had a sense of delight from the positive encounters, and a sense of dread over the sessions that left us feeling discouraged, beaten down and lackluster. So why did we begin a project filled with such negative emotion? The answer—both to improve our own feedback skills and to examine what it would take to teach a new perspective and help "turn the opinion tide" that has made feedback a dreaded negative topic. Who doesn’t want to get better? Have you ever known anyone who said, "Nah, I’ll just stay mediocre and by the way, I don’t want a raise, promotion or exciting project…" Probably not. Our internal drive propels us to strive, learn and improve.

With the changes happening in the working landscape, from remote work to skill gaps, companies are having to move away from the old command-driven leadership practices. Managers are shifting to more of a supportive model where they offer guidance, and their employees learn how to adapt to change more easily.  Developing effective coaching skills is critical to organizational success. Whether you’re developing your employees or working to improve your own skills and capabilities, effective coaching skills impact business results.  In this infographic, you’ll learn:  Why coaching skills are critical to the success of your organization  Seven skills to develop to help turn managers and leaders into coaches  When coaching is most effective