Talking with the C-suite, having a seat at the table, being a trusted advisor…whatever you call it, this form of success only comes from credibility fostered by a reputation of consistently giving good advice. This white paper will help you develop what it takes to propel yourself and your department into the confidence of senior leaders, reliably and consistently.

COVID-19 showed us how easily face-to-face solutions can be disrupted. This crisis brought about a new normal, and that means your in-person training programs needed to quickly adapt. Fortunately, pivoting to a digital-first learning model doesn’t only ensure the health and safety of your learners or the stability of your business, but it’s also been proven to be more effective. See how you can convert your instructor-led resources into amazing eLearning assets with this step-by-step roadmap for integrating digital-first learning at your organization In this eBook, you will learn: Four tips to boost learner engagement Things to keep in mind to create great training resources for adult learners Why eLearning fits the modern learner and the modern organization

Many organizations today are building learning stacks using multiple learning platforms and systems. The problem is, most of these platforms are content-based and are focused only on passive content consumption, which leads to poor knowledge application and retention.    So, how do you design a learning stack that’s centered around REAL learning?   Download this just-released eBook and learn how to build a learning ecosystem that demonstrates outcomes and value.

From engagement struggles to scalability issues, there are multiple challenges trainers and instructors face in virtual training environments.   Download this article to understand the recognized and unrecognized challenges and actionable insights on how to overcome them for impactful business-critical virtual trainings. 

Coaching is NOT managing. This is often the biggest misconception we have with clients. They assume weekly staff meetings or one on one appointments with employees can be classified as coaching. WRONG! A true coach drives performance for individual employees as well as employee teams, while a manager is often content with sustaining the status quo. Coaching can be further described as the ability of the leader to inspire and motivate employees to improve knowledge, increase skill levels, and alter behavior to be more positive. In order to create a coaching culture, it must be understood that coaching is about driving performance and should not be mistaken with traditional management techniques.

Are your employees fired up and passionate about compliance? For most HR professionals - that answer is unfortunately no. It can be difficult to change workplace perceptions about compliance and compliance training. Luckily, BizLibrary has written the book (a playbook that is) on creating a culture of compliance with email templates, content recommendations, and best practices for success. It doesn’t have to feel like an uphill battle - BizLibrary has got your back! Download our Creating a Culture of Compliance playbook today.

Are your employees fired up and passionate about compliance? For most HR professionals - that answer is unfortunately no. It can be difficult to change workplace perceptions about compliance and compliance training. Luckily, BizLibrary has written the book (a playbook that is) on creating a culture of compliance with email templates, content recommendations, and best practices for success. It doesn’t have to feel like an uphill battle - BizLibrary has got your back! Download our Creating a Culture of Compliance playbook today.

Companies with successful cultures are 5X more likely to see significant revenue increases this year. In the age of quiet quitting and the great resignation, how is your organization meeting the needs of its employees in a genuine way to create a culture that is a catalyst for improvement and growth? To dig deeper into the role of culture in driving success, we partnered with research firm Ascend2 to survey 300+ strategic leaders on how culture impacts performance. The research explores what exactly makes for a high-performance culture—and what’s at stake when an organization’s culture is considered negative or even "toxic." Download a copy of the report to find out: What organizations with best-in-class cultures are prioritizing this year How leadership development, team performance, and diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives impact culture The competitive advantage that sets high-performing companies apart

Almost 40 percent of American employers say they cannot find people with the skills they need even for entry-level jobs, and they admit that only 50 percent of new recruits have the skills needed for their new roles. 1 Another 60 percent of employers complain of lack of preparation2 and only 42.5 3 percent feel that new hires show the required professionalism and work ethic. Yet, 89.4 percent of new graduates feel they are work-ready. When it comes to work readiness, there is a growing disconnect between the views of employers, educators, and post-secondary graduates entering the workforce. There is no longer just a skills gap. It is an ever-widening chasm. The half-life of skills is rapidly falling, and nearly half of business leaders surveyed today cite the upheaval in learning and careers as an urgent problem.4 Furthermore, as intelligent systems and machines reshape the world of work, tomorrow’s employees will need to learn entirely new skills for entirely new jobs. So while the skills crisis is significant today, an even greater crisis looms. Employers need to understand that if they are to solve the current and future skills gap, the time for action is now.

This paper is a case study based on a highly successful virtual team: ours! The team here at InSync Training grew organically and created its own best practices as we grew because it was the right thing to do for our customers. Our team is proud of the way we work - and that we have the most functional working relationships most of us have ever experienced. I am proud to share this story with you.  

If you're ready to see success in your employee training program, you first have to understand what success looks like. Seeing positive results from your program requires dedication to individuals achieving goals, which translates to the organization achieving its goals. What goals are you trying to reach, and how are you measuring whether or not you've reached them? Rather than trying to come up with strong goals out of thin air, we've outlined ten steps that will take you through the process of creating goals and metrics for your employee training program. These steps will help you think through how your program is aligned with the business, and how your employees are positioned to boost business results through various training initiatives.

What is hybrid learning? It’s simply the live delivery of learning in both virtual and in-person environments. The future of work is hybrid. So is the future of learning. Our eBook is here to help you navigate this future. We’ll introduce you to our 5-stage hybrid learning model, including practical tips for designing, prepping, and facilitating hybrid sessions. This eBook explores: Why we need hybrid learning Shifting your mindset for hybrid learning Designing a hybrid learning session Preparing and planning the logistics Managing and selecting tools and technologies Facilitating and delivering hybrid learning

In today’s diverse workforce, where approximately 1 in 5 adults fall under the umbrella of neurodivergent, it’s imperative to acknowledge and embrace the rich tapestry of conditions that shape our learning landscape. Neurodivergent individuals, including those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), dyslexia, and more, sometimes have unique requirements in order to achieve their highest potential. While the idea of reevaluating and improving learning programs to accommodate neurodivergent employees may initially seem like a significant undertaking, there are many simple adaptations and considerations that require minimal time and money. Effective training for neurodivergent employees doesn’t have to be complicated, and it can ultimately improve engagement and knowledge retention for both neurodivergent and neurotypical employees. Get the eBook or download the full toolkit to find out how your organization can foster an inclusive learning environment that empowers every individual, regardless of their neurotype, to thrive and contribute fully. In this eBook, we focus on adapting learning programs to better address the needs of neurodivergent employees. Topics include: Defining neurodivergent and neurodiversity Differences in experience Offering choice & personalization Ways to create more inclusive learning environments Setting your neurodivergent employees up for success

Recursive learning and Creativity   Learning is a creative process. We start with a question, a challenge, a problem, an opportunity or possibly simple or complex tasks. Then we go back to asking more questions. Because of what we want to do, accomplish or learn, our minds go through discovery and creativity.   The focus of this tip is on Recursive Learning and Creativity. People learn recursively. We connect past experiences, with new experiences, and formulate new insights.    These then, become part of our new and improved expertise. Doing these repeatedly help us build skills, mastery and expertise.   The compounding effect of incremental insights show us where our interest areas are, and where our vocation and our passion lie. People tend to do things that give them pleasure. What gives them pleasure allows them to pursue interests. Eventually and along the way, our expertise is rooted in our passions and vocations, whether we are consciously or just unknowingly pursuing them.   Generating insights is normal and common. But deepening insights which is a creative process requires some level of intensity and penetration of desire. Is it difficult to attain? Not really.   It is easily provided when it is incremental - thinking through your insights as it happens is where the epiphany is. It is like when you eat really great food at a 5-Star Michelin restaurant. It is at the moment when your taste buds savor the flavor - at that moment - where experience is highest. This is the moment of ecstatic insights, sometimes euphoria or the Aha! moment. This is similar to the feeling when one generates fresh ideas to change a product and improve services in order to achieve organizational goals. This is similar to the Aha! moment when one discovers the connection between two previously unrelated concepts. According to David Jones, "Aha! moments may be sudden, but they probably depend on an unconscious mental process that has grown slowly." Jones argues further that we can't truly have new ideas, rather, we can connect existing facts or notions by observing others.  The Social Component of Creativity Creativity does not occur in a vacuum. Experts agree that while creativity or insight is a personal experience, "creative thinking is not so much about an individual trait but rather a social phenomenon involving interactions among people within their specific group or cultural settings."   By curating and sharing back to the community "prompt questions," members find it easier or faster to direct their attention to answers and therefore facilitate discovery and insights.   The most intriguing part about prompt questions is that it sends or kicks off learners into an automatic recursive learning process. When we ask questions, our minds go on autopilot to find what we already know, then search outside to discover what else we can learn about. This allows us to reflect and gain insights -- this is recursive learning or creative musing in action. This happens in milliseconds. Although this is most often unconscious, it is most effective in learning and gaining insights.   Prompt Questions Facilitate Thinking To help members in TrainingMagNetwork.com, we provided a prompt-question-driven search engine. It starts with "I want to learn about__________." After members search a phrase, the results go beyond showing a list of resources. It also presents related prompt-question search outcomes.  See the list under "Also try..." (See Image - 1)  Furthermore, when the member clicks "See all questions", a list of prompt questions appear in a categorized format. See Image-2) Both these steps facilitate the learners’ "creative musings." We introduced the process called "Path2X trending" which means that as you add and record insights, you are able to see your "crumbs" - where you have been and what you have been thinking aloud, and the interests you are pursuing and the knowledge and learning that you are accumulating. In essence you are building expertise, but instead of a whimsical and tentative way, we allow members to see the trends of their insights. Here are the two phases of creative musing:  1. Generative phase - During this phase, one tends to generate different solutions to a given problem. Also known as the divergent phase, the creative mind is in a brainstorming mode and tries to consider a variety of ways in which a problem can be approached and a solution can be had. This is what we commonly call "out of the box" thinking.   2. Exploratory/Evaluative phase - Also known as the convergent phase, during this phase the creative mind tends to focus on the best solution to the problem. No longer is the mind brainstorming ideas, rather, with surgical precision, it decides on what to do and faces the problem head on.  According to Robert L. DeHaan, "During the generative process, the creative mind pictures a set of novel mental models as potential solutions to a problem. In the exploratory phase, we evaluate the multiple options and select the best one." Conclusion Creativity is the result of incremental and recursive learning. While we tend to think of it as an innate talent, it cannot be separated from the social context. As a matter of fact, it is enhanced by social interaction as observed from the curated "prompt questions" by TMN members. With "Path2X trending," members can focus and see the trend of their creative musings.

Download this special report loaded with additional findings from the study. Plus, you'll get insider tips for executive leaders and middle managers.

You've probably heard the phrase, "The only certainty is change." We've all experienced change in some way, and organizations are no different. Organizational change can come in a number of ways, whether in the form of leadership turnover, mergers or acquisitions, the introduction of new technology, natural disasters, or downsizing, just to name a few! Change isn't necessarily a bad thing, but without the right planning and communication, it can leave organizations reeling. Poor planning can lead to loss of revenue, loss of clients, increased turnover, decreased engagement, or public relations disasters. Part of planning for change should include a communication strategy. It's important to identify your stakeholders and address their questions or concerns before, during, and after the change. A lack of transparency can lead to the spread of false information, which can cause employees to leave or become disengaged in their work. By communicating honestly and openly, you can decrease their distress and empower them to face the future with confidence. In today's day and age, it's not a question of if your organization will experience change, it's a question of when. By taking a proactive approach to change management with proper planning, your organization can find success in times of change! In this eBook, you'll learn: The four Rs of change management Prompts for practicing a change communication strategy Action items for each of the phases of change

Cybersecurity training has quickly and quietly become a mainstay for required training programs at many organizations. As more employees find their jobs require some form of technology and data management, the need for proper training on how to keep company records safe becomes apparent. One industry estimate claims that the average employee in the US maintains 70 to 80 passwords for various systems throughout the course of their job. Without proper vigilance, it seems like only a matter of time before there is an exposure to a data breach. Complicating this issue is the strategy around learning objectives for cybersecurity training. Because it is so commonly viewed as an annual event, and so much of it is a refresher, engagement with the material is stereotypically low. Learning leaders should pay attention to strategy here. If training feels like a simple box-checking exercise that lacks meaningful updates or is delivered in a rote style, their employees are likely not to retain the information. Data and system architects can only do so much. Every employee with access to systems with sensitive data is inherently playing a role in safeguarding that data. And, just as the technology is always changing to maintain that security against new and developing threats, so too should the training efforts. In this eBook, we focus on how organizations can update their strategy to deliver more engaging and effective cybersecurity training. Topics include: Avoiding routine delivery Industries with specific challenges in cybersecurity training Creating conversations on best practices Tracking certifications in the LMS Understanding the costs of doing nothing

According to Gallup’s 2022 survey, 68% of full- and part-time employees working for organizations are not fully engaged in their work. What can organizations and HR professionals to do motivate, engage, and retain their employees? One approach is to use a Talent Management Life Cycle. This model helps employees become clear about their developmental needs and growth goals, which means employers are better equipped to meet those needs and keep their people engaged. To learn more about this model and how to implement it, download Cycles of Success by Nicole Trapasso, Vice President, HR/OD for The Myers-Briggs Company.

In the business world, data analytics is the new superpower that can be wielded to achieve impressive results. It allows companies to do things that were never possible before, like predict customer satisfaction, analyze competitor information and identify fraud. For these reasons it is predicted that by 2023 over 33% of large organizations will utilize data analysts to unlock business intelligence, including decision modeling. 

In this white paper we examine valuing alternative futures and the use of qualitative probability theory to weigh the consequences of different actions.  We'll show how to use a common platform to engage their clients in the process of identifying assumptions, weighing the risk of those assumptions materializing or not, and valuing choices based on the probability of possible outcomes. Benefits: The benefits are participants will receive a set of tools and decision models that encourage logical thinking, discipline, and consideration of organizational realities that, in turn, will help them:   Save time.   Avoid unnecessary costs.   Increase their confidence.   Be perceived as having business smarts.   

COVID-19 forced many organizations to transition to remote work in just a few days. But now that many employees have been working remotely for weeks, employers are beginning to realize the benefits of remote work, and many organizations will continue working remotely at least part of the time. Even though your teams might not be in the office, you still need to train your workforce on compliance topics like appropriate behavior or how to stay safe online. And because employees are encountering new challenges, you might also want to consider offering training on other topics, like productivity, effective remote leadership, software, and communication. The good news is that you can do all of this with online employee training. Now more than ever, it's important to make tools and resources readily available for your employees, no matter where they are. In this infographic, you'll learn how you can deliver a consistent and seamless training experience to your dispersed and virtual workforce. You'll also learn: Tips for sourcing content When to create your own content How to maximize training effectiveness The most impactful delivery methods

Microlearning is the trend of the moment, yet it is the most commonly misunderstood. This infographic from Shannon Tipton will help dispel two of the most common misunderstandings, and then give you 6 key markers to use as guidelines for ensuring microlearning success. After downloading the infographic, hear/watch Shannon explain in the recording of her webinar on the topic below.

Why are some companies thriving in the current environment while others fall behind? The secret is modern sales enablement designed for virtual teams. Today’s winners are mastering virtual selling with an up-to-date approach to content, tools, and knowledge. Sellers are working harder than ever—and sales enablement has never been more important than it is today. At the start of the pandemic, you may have shifted overnight to virtual selling. But the processes and tactics you put in place in the Spring likely weren’t designed for the long term. Sales teams have had to learn on-the-fly how to succeed when in-person meetings aren’t possible. It’s time to figure out what works in this new world and what doesn’t. Sales enablement in 2021 will be very different from last year. But knowing how to pivot to a modern approach isn’t obvious. Download this eBook to learn the elements of modern sales enablement and how you can upgrade your current approach for long-term success. Get your eBook to learn: Best practices to accelerate results with virtual teams—and why traditional tactics are no longer enough 4 key capabilities of a holistic sales enablement solution How to build a powerful tech stack when your budget has been cut Plus, the 2021 Sales Enablement Checklist to help drive results next year and beyond   Don’t get left behind by relying on an outdated sales enablement approach. If you aren’t updating today, you don’t have a moment to delay.

Today’s business world seems enamored with design thinking. The popular problem-solving and innovation approach has generated widespread discussion and acclaim; it’s been credited for disrupting traditional markets, sparking groundbreaking ideas in flagging industries and positioning companies to achieve unprecedented growth. But what exactly is design thinking? And does it really live up to its reputation?