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 www.trainingmag.com

MARCH/APRIL 2018 VOLUME 55, NUMBER 2

48 L&D BEST PRACTICES

Strategies for Success
A look at how Penn Station East Coast Subs drafts a
training program and how Windham Professionals
creates employee satisfaction.

52 Top 10 Hall of Fame

Outstanding Training Initiatives
Details of Capital BlueCross’ Consultative Training
22 with Insights and PwC’s Project Management
Foundations for Assurance adaptive e-learning.
DEPARTMENTS
FEATURES
22 Partners in Learning
Collaborating with the right internal partners within your
organization can make the difference between reaching
2 Online TOC Web-only content
4 Editor’s Note Shall We Dance?
learning goals and falling short. BY MARGERY WEINSTEIN BY LORRI FREIFELD
6 Training Today News, stats, and
26 Crafting a Holistic
Approach to Learning
Companies are finding that learners increasingly benefit
10
business intel BY LORRI FREIFELD
Soapbox Training and Talent Development
Regain Momentum BY EDWARD E. GORDON
from courses that are offered in many different ways, 12 Soapbox 10 Reasons Videos and Visual
partly for convenience, and more importantly, for Content Optimize Onboarding BY MATT PIERCE
knowledge retention. BY MARGERY WEINSTEIN 14 Soapbox Take the Mystery Out of Marketing
Your Learning Function BY MELISSA SMITH

30 Adapting to Adaptive Learning

Adaptive learning enables an individualized, contextual
approach that focuses on what learners need and directs
AND MARIA CHILCOTE
16 How-To Manage Training Projects
BY ROSS TARTELL
instructors to where they are most needed. BY GAIL DUTTON 18 World View Focus on Singapore
Choosing the Right Agile Strategy
34
BY LILY KELLY-RADFORD

The key element, which all Agile frameworks boast, is 20 World View Focus on Slovakia BY NEIL ORKIN
that whatever method you use supports the development 54 Best Practices Micro-Aggressions and
of multiple iterations and constant evaluations in a Phubbing in the Age of FoMO
BY NEAL GOODMAN
short timeframe. BY GAIL DUTTON
56 Learning Matters Navigating Complexity:
5 Ways In-House L&D Pros Can
38 Become More Entrepreneurial
By prioritizing your internal clients’ needs, wants, and
It’s NOT Complicated BY TONY O’DRISCOLL
58 Training Magazine Events The Emotional
Future of Instructional Design
BY PHYLISE BANNER
demands, you can position yourself as an indispensable
in-house training professional. BY SCOTT McKINNEY 60 Trainer Talk Taking Training (and Results) to
the Next Level BY BOB PIKE

41 Training Heats Up in Hotlanta

The Training 2018 Conference & Expo ignites participants’
passion for learning and making connections.
62

64
Talent Tips Maximizing Learning at Work
Holistically BY ROY SAUNDERSON
Last Word Me First Doesn’t Work
BY LORRI FREIFELD BY DAVID McNALLY
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www.trainingmag.com training MARCH/APRIL 2018 | 1

 online contents
www.trainingmag.com
Your source for more training tips, trends, and tools
On www.trainingmag.com, the online
home of Training magazine, you’ll find
these Web-only articles. Send your
feedback to lorri@trainingmag.com.
6 Tips to Inspire Better Brainstorming
Well-run brainstorming sessions can help teams solve the
toughest challenges and achieve creative breakthroughs.
https://trainingmag.com/6-tips-inspire-better-
brainstorming
Gen Z Learning Tendencies:
A Call for Next-Gen Learning Platforms
The next generation comes with eyes glued to screens.
Better to meet them where they are, with mobile learning
technology that features video and collaborative features.
https://trainingmag.com/gen-z-learning-tendencies-call-next-
gen-learning-platforms
The Evolution of Blended Learning
Companies today are recognizing the importance
of delivering more informal and experiential learning,
according to the 2018 Brandon Hall Group
Learning Strategy Study.
https://trainingmag.com/evolution-blended-learning
5 Steps to Drive Real Change into Your
2018 Training Calendar
Everyone must understand the “why” behind needed
improvements, the “how” underpinning your training
calendar, and the measurement plan that ensures that
all participants recognize success when it happens.
https://trainingmag.com/5-steps-drive-real-change-your-
2018-training-calendar
Interested in writing an online article for www.trainingmag.com?
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 editor’s note

Shall We Dance?
O
ne foot firmly plants. An arm outstretches. Hands clasp. Muscles bunch. A
body lifts and balances. To the audience, the movements are effortless and TRAINING EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD
flow sinuously like a river. For the performers, the movements are the result of Brent Bloom, VP, Service Central Operations &
Training, Applied Materials
thousands of hours of practice, training, and sweat.
Vicente Gonzalez, Senior Director, Global Training,
A special performance by dance troupe Pilobolus dur- MAXIMUS
ing our Training Top 125 Gala last month in Atlanta Jim Harwood, former VP, University of Farmers,
reminded me how much learning is like dancing. Both Farmers Insurance
can have elements of push/pull. Both require mental Bruce I. Jones, Senior Programming Director,
agility, commitment, and retention. And for both, the Disney Institute
Nancy J. Lewis, former CLO and VP, ITT
foundation is collaboration and trust.
Corporation, and former VP, Learning, IBM
Those themes ran through our Training 2018 Confer- Marc Ramos, Learning & Development, Google Fiber
ence & Expo and Innovations in Training events, held Ross Tartell, former Technical Training and
in February in Atlanta (see the Show Wrap-Up coverage Communication Manager - North America,
beginning on p. 41), and also are displayed in each of the GE Capital Real Estate
feature articles in this issue. Our cover story, “Partners in TRAINING TOP 10 HALL OF FAME
Learning” on p. 22 looks at how collaborating with the right internal partners Kenneth Barber, Manager, Learning and Development,
within your organization can make the difference between reaching learn- Jiffy Lube International, Inc.
ing—and corporate—goals and falling short. Eight 2018 Training Top 125ers Cyndi Bruce, Executive Director,
KPMG Business School – U.S.
reveal their secrets for successful Learning and Development partnerships.
Laura Byars, VP, Human Performance,
In “Choosing the Right Agile Strategy” on p. 34, Scott Ambler, senior con- Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan
sultant for Scott Ambler + Associates, notes, “The primary concept of Agile is Tina Claure, Senior Learning Strategist and Curriculum
collaboration and incremental, evolutionary advances.” Adaptive learning is Manager, Booz Allen Hamilton
another form of the dance, enabling an individualized, contextual approach Gordon Fuller, Global Design & Development Leader,
that focuses on what learners need while directing instructors to where they IBM Center for Advanced Learning
Daniel J. Goepp, Managing Director, Learning
are most needed. Check out p. 30 for three myths that must be overcome before
& Development, PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP
adaptive learning can be deployed effectively. Glenn Hughes, Senior Director, Learning &
In keeping with this column’s “dancing” motif, I have a few “next steps” I’d like Development, KLA-Tencor Corporation
you to consider: Steve Krupinski, SVP, Human Resources and Facilities,
1. Nominate an Emerging Training Leader: This awards program aims to recognize Capital BlueCross
training professionals who have been in the training/learning and development in- Myra Pettis, Director, Educational Service,
SCC Soft Computer
dustry between two and 10 years and who have demonstrated exceptional leadership
Robin Renschen, Director, Learning and Development,
skills, business savvy, and training instincts. To download the nomination form, McCarthy Building Companies, Inc.
visit: https://trainingmag.com/nominate-2018-emerging-training-leader-today Zach Sumsion, Manager, Learning & Development,
2. Enter the TTVs: Submit a two-minute clip from your best training video to CHG Healthcare
our fifth annual Top Training Videos (TTVs) Awards Program. The Top 3 Train- Rae Tanner, Head, Learning & Development,
ing Videos (in two categories: produced in-house and produced by a professional University of Farmers, Farmers Insurance
Lou Tedrick, VP, Global Learning & Development,
video company for a client) selected by our panel of expert judges will be shown
Verizon
at Training’s Online Learning Conference (OLC) 2018 to be held October 8-10 Stacia Thompson, Director, Keller Williams University,
in Chicago. The 6 TTV finalists will each receive a free OLC 2018 registration. Keller Williams Realty, Inc.
To submit, visit: https://www.onlinelearningconference.com/2018/abstract_form.cfm Nicole Roy-Tobin, Managing Director - Talent
3. Participate in Training’s 34th Annual Salary Survey: See how your salary Development Strategy & Innovation, Deloitte Services LP
benchmarks against those of your peers and the industry. To take the survey, visit: 2017 TOP 5
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Z5H36BG EMERGING TRAINING LEADERS
K4H4=L-KNO-HL>Q-L=- H

As Lee Ann Womack’s song goes: “And when you get the choice to sit it out or Tina Claure, Senior Learning Strategist and Curriculum
dance…I hope you dance.” Manager, Booz Allen Hamilton
Robin Jussila, Training Manager, Music & Arts
Jennifer Schoborg, Former Senior Manager, Client
Service Quality & Learning Operations, Paycor
Aaron Searcy, Senior Consultant, Curriculum Design,
CVS Health
Samantha Wilson, Senior Manager, Training and
Lorri Freifeld Development, Dollar General Corporation
lorri@trainingmag.com
4 | M A RC H /A P R I L 2018  training www.trainingmag.com
:KDW·VWKHFRQQHFWLRQ"
All of these unexpected design elements are from our off-the-shelf, eLearning training videos. Can you find
the one from Understanding Harassment?
You can sample all of the videos featured above at HMFRP7UDLQLQJ.
Explore even more of our content with a full-featured, full-library, free trial of our Thinkzoom LMS at
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 news, stats, & business intel by Lorri
by Lorri
Freifeld
Freifeld

Products & Services >> Trust AND Verify >> Tech Talk p. 8

and—here’s the part that eludes most—an

online business.
Take a cue from some of the most successful
online product businesses: Ensure your online
learning solution is not a generic rework of
your offline offering, and that your strategy,
business model, and platform are designed
specifically for your online target client.
When considering a new online initiative,
there are several key steps to consider:
1. Start with a business plan. Outline the mar-
ket, learner personas, competition, revenue

Think Like an Online Product Company and cost projections, team and operations re-
sources, e-commerce strategy, positioning, and
By Furqan Nazeeri, Partner, ExtensionEngine unique differentiators.
2. Create the organizational structure, deter-
EVERY DAY, WE SPEAK TO CORPORATIONS, nonprofits, and universities look- mine processes, and secure the resources.
ing to put their training or education online with the goal of generating 3. Articulate your “product” strategy to ensure
revenue, creating impact, or influencing target audiences. People usually the course, training solution, or certificate pro-
anchor their thinking to their existing in-person offerings and ask, “How gram is designed to be unique and specific to
do we create an online course?” what your market wants.
But that’s not the right question to ask. You are creating an online product 4. Determine your learning platform—the cen-
terpiece of your business. Don’t just
Productivity Coach’s Corner jump to a learning management
system (LMS) solution designed
By Jason W. Womack, MEd, MA
www.twitter.com/jasonwomack | www.WomackCompany.com/speaking for internal online learning. Think
about a solution tailored to your
3 Kinds of Mentors You Never Thought About learners, your vision, your business
plan. Do you think Amazon uses an
How will you grow your career from where you are to where you want
off-the-shelf e-commerce platform?
to be? This month, meet with three mentors and focus on just ONE
question: “How did you get to where you are?”
Of course not. Organizations such as
The Mentor You Know: This could be a The Mentor You Won’t Know: Think of Amazon don’t believe they putting
former manager, a colleague, or someone someone from history. Great people have offline products online; they believe
you look up to in your community. Think of lived and died. Don’t let that stop you from they are online businesses.
someone who will answer your text or meet learning from them! Choose an icon in your 5. Ensure you have complete control
you for coffee. Ask them to tell you their industry, someone you look up to. Find a over the process and end product.
story, and as you listen, wonder how you can biography, a documentary, and a Website 6. Closely monitor progress and user
emulate what they did. about that person and spend three to five experiences to ensure your product is
The Mentor You Don’t Know...Yet: Who hours this month learning about him or meeting their needs.
is out there doing what you’d like to do her. Ask: How did they get from where they
Bottom line: It’s essential that you
and who has a little more than you? Follow started...to where they ended?
revisit every aspect of your business
them on social media. Subscribe to their A year from now, you’ll be somewhere else,
e-newsletter. Watch their videos online. As
to ensure your online offerings truly
doing something different, working with new
you learn about them, discover something engage your learners. Otherwise, you
people and teams. Meet your mentors, ask your
specific you can model after starting now. are setting yourself up for disappoint-
question, and be prepared to grow!
ment before you even begin.

TO SUBMIT NEWS, research, or other Training Today tidbits, contact Editor-in-Chief Lorri Freifeld at lorri@trainingmag.com or 516.524.3504.

6 | M A RC H /A P R I L 2 0 1 8 training www.trainingmag.com

Benefits of a Global Mindset

*OD

a
CORPORATIONS THAT VALUE AND
actively promote intercultural
proficiency are more likely to
achieve key business goals and
objectives, according to a world-
wide survey of 1,362 business

a platform for credential issuing,
professionals at multinational
organizations conducted by global training
organization RW3 CultureWizard.

a nonprofit organization dedicated
Survey analysis identified two categories
of participant organizations:
Some key findings include:
sOFRESPONDENTSAT/VER-
achievers say their organization
recognizes different cultural
values and preferences in busi-
ness activities, as compared to
ONLY  OF RESPONDENTS AT
Underachieving companies.
s  OF /VERACHIEVING RESPONDENTS
believe their company supports
employees developing a global per-
Partnerships&Alliances
>> 5J&3
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acquired
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results-based learning and organizational
change company. Together, the team will
have a broader impact in creating people-
centric solutions that help people do their
best work.
>> $SFEMZ
tracking, and management, announced its
integration with efforts led by $SFEFOUJBM

&OHJOF
to improving transparency in the
credentialing marketplace. The collaboration
t
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Those that achieved or
exceeded their business targets
t
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Those that missed
business targets
The survey then revealed a correla-
tion between business achievement and
an education
companies’ commitment to a global
mindset.

an “Inclusive
Dream Job Factors
By Bruce Tulgan
www.rainmakerthinking.com | Twitter @brucetulgan | brucet@rainmakerthinking.com
What is the No. 1 issue troubling business
leaders in nearly every industry today? It’s
getting harder and harder to recruit, motivate,

a mobile
and retain the best talent. Our research shows
there are eight factors people look for when
choosing a job—or choosing to stay in a job.
We call them the “dream job” factors:

1FSGPSNBODFCBTFE
DPNQFOTBUJPO
The
basic threshold financial compensation and
benefits must be competitive. Next most
important is opportunities to earn more money
based on extra-mile effort and results.

4VQQPSUJWF
MFBEFSTIJQ Working with an
an enterprise
immediate manager/supervisor who provides
regular support, guidance, and direction.

3PMF
BOE
SFTQPOTJCJMJUJFT The actual
creator of the Olivia AI Recruiting
work, per se. Also, control of something, the
chance to get credit for the tangible results
one produces, and opportunities to grow and
www.trainingmag.com
SPECTIVEASCOMPAREDTOONLYAT
Underachievers.
s OFRESPONDENTSAT/VERACHIEVING
companies agree that their employ-
er values an employee with a global
mindset, while less than half of re-
spondents at Underachievers state the
same.
advance one’s career.

-PDBUJPO
BOE
XPSLTQBDF The ability to
work near where one lives or prefers to live,
plus an overall comfortable workspace.

4DIFEVMJOH
nFYJCJMJUZ
The ability to
set one’s own schedule. Also, occasional
scheduling accommodations to help employees
respond to real-life scheduling needs.

5SBJOJOH
BOE
EFWFMPQNFOU Formal and
informal opportunities to build new knowledge
and skills.

3FMBUJPOTIJQT
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The chance to
build productive and mutually supportive
working relationships with colleagues, leaders,
managers, clients, customers, and vendors.

"VUPOPNZ
BOE
DSFBUJWF
GSFFEPN
Clear
requirements and parameters that establish
the boundaries within which employees can
navigate with independence and creativity.
will enable colleges, universities, businesses,
and professional and trade associations to
publish credentials in a common language
called Credential Transparency Description
Language (CTDL).
>>
#MBDLCPBSE
*OD
technology company for teaching, learning,
and student engagement, announced a new
collaboration with 7JUBM4PVSDF
Access” provider. This new collaboration
provides students with seamless access to
course materials in an Inclusive Access
model within Blackboard’s learning
management systems, Blackboard Learn
and Moodlerooms.
>> .BOEFM
$PNNVOJDBUJPOT
formed a
technology partnership with 0SBJ
talent development solution that brings
personalized coaching to employees at all
levels. Orai combines the latest
advancements in artificial intelligence (AI)
with Mandel’s communication expertise and
content to enable users to objectively assess
their communication skills, get actionable
feedback on how to improve those skills,
and measure results over time.
>> 4NBTI'MZ
5FDIOPMPHJFT
recruitment marketing platform provider,
formed a new partnership agreement with
1BSBEPY
Assistant. The alliance will focus on product
integration, co-marketing activities, and a
formal sales referral process.
training M A RC H /A P R I L 2 0 1 8 | 7
Products&Services
>> Google.org rolled out the first of
its Grow with Google initiatives with
the launch of the IT Support
Professional Certificate exclusively on
Coursera. This credential is the first of
its kind to be offered through a
massive open online platform. The
certificate program provides a direct
pathway to jobs—learners who
complete the six courses in the
certificate will be able to use
Coursera’s platform to share their
information with companies such as
Bank of America, Walmart, GE
Digital, PNC Bank, Infosys,
TEKSystems, and, of course, Google.
>> A new mobile app, “Be A
THINKing Partner,” teaches how to
help others make better decisions by
listening and asking thoughtful, active
questions. Developed by the
leadership experts at 2-Way
Communications, this tool
demonstrates how to think through
situations and talk through ideas.
>> OneSmartWorld, a Canadian 21st
century skills company, launched the
newest online versions of the 4D-i
(4 Dimensions of Intelligence) and the
Smarter Meetings collaboration
accelerator. The 4D-i is part of a tool
kit that helps people and teams get
work done, effectively and efficiently,
by mastering a common language and
collaborative thinking skills, while
fostering overall cohesion and
engagement.
>> Stanford Graduate School of
Business unveiled its new executive
education course: Big Data, Strategic
Decisions: Analysis to Action. Tailored
for senior-level executives, the course
provides participants the framework,
tools, and confidence to ask the right
questions, interpret analysis, and use
both to transform data into strategic
decisions. The five-day course will be
held August 5-10, 2018, on the
Stanford campus. The application
period is open until June 22, 2018.
8 | M A RC H /A P R I L 2 0 1 8 training
FRONT-LINE MANAGEMENT 101
2018 Leader Resolution #2: Trust AND Verify
By Ashley Prisant Lesko, Ph.D.
Being a manager means protecting your
team from certain interactions from
above—removing red tape so they can
get their jobs done. Each employee on
your team was hired to do something
specific for the company. Give them
latitude to do so—and trust they under-
stand and support the business.
As a mid-level manager at a large
company, I once found out that
the business was being sold…from
an online news article. The senior
leaders of the company did not trust
their managers enough to share the
information. As a result, the facts
emerged through other sources.
My peers and I were confused and
>> BeBop Sensors, Inc., a leader in
smart fabric sensor technology, unveiled
the one-size-fits-all Forte Data Glove,
which incorporates haptics, wireless
technology, and accurate rapid sensing
for gaming and augmented and virtual
reality.
>> SMK-Link Electronics, owner of
Gyration and a subsidiary of SMK
Electronics Corporation U.S.A., launched
a new Gyration input device: the Air
Mouse Presenter. Powered by Gyration’s
motion-sensing technology, Air Mouse
Presenter is both a PowerPoint remote
control and an “in air” handheld mouse–
enabling presentations and computer
control from anywhere in the room, plus
clickable access to hyperlinks and other
interactive elements within slides.
>> Zoom.ai, a chat-based productivity
solution, announced the integration of its
AI-driven automation platform with
Microsoft Teams and Office 365. Users
disappointed. Why not trust us with
the information—when they trusted
us to run the company?
As a manager, it can be hard to
trust your people. You may feel you
can accomplish tasks faster and/or
better. Instead, you need to lead…
and develop your team. Give them a
chance to make a mistake—it helps
them learn. Don’t forget, however, to
verify their information. Trust them
by communicating clearly what you
need. If they don’t get it right, make
a resolution to find out why: It could
have been a misunderstanding on
either side. Resolve to find out and
trust your team.
now have access to AI-powered
productivity tools, in-depth insights, and
data stored in the cloud all in a single
interface.
>> Pinsight, a global talent
management software-as-a-service
company, released its new Leader
Readiness Platform, which allows
companies to develop, evaluate, and
track employees’ leadership skills every
day. The platform is built around virtual
simulations and customized daily
exercises delivered by smartphone app.
>> Time to Know, a provider of next-
generation education technology
solutions, launched T2K Echo, the
company’s new blended learning
technology solution. T2K Echo is an
active learning environment featuring
social engagement and human
interaction for the learner while providing
an array of actionable insights and
analytics for the trainer.
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 Our line of leadership tools focus on
understanding, preparing, and developing your
talent to achieve organizational success whether
it’s a company-wide change, an individual’s
influence style, or effective decision-making.

Change Influence DecisionMaking

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Tools and Solutions at mhs.com/talent
 soapbox

Training and Talent

Development Regain Momentum
Scientific knowledge and technological change are progressing at an ever-
increasing pace. Today, lifelong learning is essential for career success and
advancement. BY EDWARD E. GORDON, PH.D.

F
or the last 50 years, I have been actively The U.S. Chamber of Commerce estimates a
engaged in workforce development as a loss of $26,000 per vacant job in profit or pro-
provider, researcher, consultant, and au- ductivity for a business. This represents an
thor. It has been a wild ride since 1968! Now we overall $234 billion loss to the U.S. economy.
are at another major tipping point on this journey. The massive U.S. demographic shift and the
Training magazine’s 2017 Training Industry Re- increasing educational demands caused by the
port (Training, November/December 2017) showed introduction of advanced technologies across
that U.S. businesses made an unprecedented $23 every business sector will continue to energize
billion increase in worker training in the last year. more business investments in worker training. If
Total expenditures rose from $70.6 billion to $93.6 this high level of investment is not sustained, it is
Edward E. Gordon,
billion or 32.5 percent. This is by far the largest likely job vacancies may rise from today’s 9 mil-
annual increase reported since 1985. Since 2011, lion to 14 million by 2022.
Ph.D., is president
business investment in training and development
and founder of
grew by more than 50 percent. (See chart.) THE BUSINESS CYCLE
Imperial Consulting
OF TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT
Corporation. He EXPENDITURE CHANGE Between 1966 and 1988, training and work-
is the author of Decade ($Billions) In $B Percent place education underwent a fundamental shift.
“Future Jobs: Solving 1980s $25.6 to $45.5 +$20 +78% Computer-assisted training, which first was
the Employment introduced in “learning labs,” became the busi-
1990s $43.2 to $62.5 +$19.3 +45%
and Skills Crisis” ness response for addressing the need to reskill
(Praeger, 2018 new 20000s $54.0 to $52.8 -$1.8 -7% employees. But during the early 1980s, many or-
paperback edition) 2011-2017 $59.2 to $93.6 +$33.9 +56.7% ganizations began to recognize the limitations
and many other labor Source: Training magazine Training
of stand-alone computerized training. A human
studies on the U.S. Industry Reports 1985-2017 trainer was needed to guide, coach, and motivate
individualized learning. Management response
workforce. Visit www.
With more than 9 million vacant jobs across the to training proposals began to shift away from:
imperialcorp.com for
U.S. economy, companies are beginning to radical- “What do you think this business is—a school?”
more information.
ly rethink their investments in worker training and Gradually, larger organizations began establish-
education. The first paragraph of the December 8, ing Training departments that offered in-house
instruction using training designers and profes-
sional trainers. During the 1980s, U.S. businesses
In 2018, we are returning expanded their training investments by 78 per-
to a training cycle similar cent to more than $45 billion. (See chart.)
By 1990, the workplace learning revolution
to those of the 1980s was popularized by Peter Senge’s seminal book,
“The Fifth Discipline.” American senior man-
or the early phase of the agement began to embrace investing in their
industrial revolution. human capital—corporate universities prolif-
erated and “lifelong learning” and the “learning
organization” became business buzzwords. By
2017, issue of the Kiplinger Letter stated: “Busi- the decade’s end, training expenditures had in-
nesses are turning to a new strategy: train the creased 37 percent to more than $63 billion.
workers they need themselves.” However, by the mid-1990s, a dramatic policy

10 | MARCH/APRIL 2018 training www.trainingmag.com

shift gained momentum. Best-seller “Work- businesses to once again expand employee train-
place 2000” by Joseph Boyett and Henry Conn ing and development and cooperate in programs
advocated shifting the responsibility for em- that prepare people with the skills needed in to-
ployee development back to the individual day’s job market. Apprenticeships, “boot camps,”
worker. People were “empowered” to figure and “earn while you learn” programs are gaining
out what new knowledge they needed and told increasing business support.
to go out and get it. This fit in with an ac-
celerated management focus on short-term WHAT’S NEXT
financial results. Businesses sought to raise In 2018, we seem to be experiencing a return to
quarterly profits through mergers and acqui- a training cycle similar to those of the 1980s or
sitions and aggressive cost cutting, including the early phase of the industrial revolution when
expanding automation to reduce
staff and slashing training budgets.
Short-term profit enhancement re- Retraining adult workers and better
quired eliminating all non-essential
business operations. Non-core func-
preparing more of our students
tions could be outsourced, including for the job market will require an
Training departments.
As more powerful computer instruc- even greater effort than in past
tion programs appeared, management
embraced e-learning because it elim-
eras. Computerization and robotics
inated training staff and classrooms, are disrupting the job market,
and increased employee time on the
job. Another appealing feature was that especially shrinking the demand
it enabled employees to access learn-
ing whenever they wanted it. An added
for manual labor. Some type of
incentive was that e-learning software post-secondary education and
and hardware could be capitalized as an
equipment investment. Over the next training is increasingly necessary
15 years, this business training game
plan gained popularity across the U.S.
to earn a middle-class wage.
By the end of the first decade of the new
millennium, companies had cut their overall ex- agricultural workers flooded into the cities from
penditures on employee training by 7 percent. the farms or from overseas as immigrants—
However, research began to appear that a critical need to update the skills of the U.S.
questioned the effectiveness of stand-alone workforce. Retraining adult workers and bet-
e-learning. While it worked well for self-driven, ter preparing more of our students for the job
highly motivated, well-educated employees, market will require an even greater effort than
studies showed that only about 10 percent of the in past eras. Computerization and robotics are
workforce successfully completed pure e-learning disrupting the job market, especially shrink-
programs. Also, it was found to be less useful ing the demand for manual labor. Some type
for training aimed at changing human behav- of post-secondary education and training is in-
ior, such as supervisory or interpersonal skills creasingly necessary to earn a middle-class wage.
training, teambuilding, or some types of sales Brain power is superseding muscle power.
training. Psychological studies indicate that the America’s wealth is built around a knowledge-
social component of learning is extremely im- based economy. Scientific knowledge and
portant for most adult learners. Thus, blended technological change are progressing at an
learning gained momentum as it enabled train- ever-increasing pace. Innovation requires utiliz-
ees to try out their new skills and obtain coaching ing technological advances to produce new goods
from a professional trainer. Ideally, it marries and services. Lifelong learning is now essential
the best e-learning and virtual reality programs for career success and advancement. A new era
with higher-quality classroom training. of continuous learning has arrived. It will only
Beginning in 2011, the business profit loss gen- grow in importance as 21st century workplaces
erated by accelerating job vacancies has spurred continue to be transformed. Q t

www.trainingmag.com training MARCH/APRIL 2018 | 11

 soapbox

10 Reasons Videos
and Visual Content
Optimize Onboarding
Instructional videos, charts, and graphics improve memory
retention; help foster creativity; eliminate recurring questions;
and save time. BY MATT PIERCE

T
he first few days at a new job often are a good first impression, too.
called “orientation,” and with good rea- Videos and other visual content can be a cure
son. It’s a time when new employees learn for most of these onboarding ills. Visual content
the lay of the land, including the company’s core addresses several challenging parts of the on-
values, the systems they will use every day, and boarding experience, making the process more
where the restrooms are located. Without a good fruitful and less stressful for everyone involved.
“map,” this onboarding process can be bewil- Instructional videos, charts, and graphics im-
dering. Even worse, your company can create a prove memory retention; help foster creativity;
bad first impression. eliminate recurring questions; and save time.
Unfortunately, many companies treat But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Here are 10 rea-
onboarding as an afterthought. When an orga- sons videos and other visual content can help your
Matt Pierce is
nization comprises 100; 1,000; or even 10,000 organization optimize its onboarding process—and
Learning & Video
people—sometimes spread across several states even benefit your existing employees.
ambassador at
1. Visual content helps your employees
TechSmith Corp., a retain what they learn: Visual content is
visual communica- The first few days at a new job efficient and effective. While research sug-
tion company that
empowers people to
is a time when new employees gests that the average worker remembers
just 30 percent of what he or she read (http://
create remarkable learn the lay of the land, creately.com/blog/how-to-increase-work-
content to share place-productivity/), a combination of text
knowledge and infor-
including the company’s core and images can increase information re-
mation. A graduate of values, the systems they will tention and comprehension by 50 percent.
What’s more, the human brain can process
Indiana University’s
School of Educa- use every day, and where the visuals at astonishing speeds: up to 60,000
times faster than the same information
tion’s Department of restrooms are located. Without conveyed by text (http://creately.com/blog/
Instructional Systems
Technology, Pierce a good “map,” this onboarding how-to-increase-workplace-productivity/).
2. Visual content helps employees learn
has more than 10 process can be bewildering. and review things on their own time:
years of experience Many new employees join the workforce
working in Learning Even worse, your company can right out of school. These younger work-
and Development
with a focus on visual
create a bad first impression. ers already know and use visual learning
tools. A growing number of high schools
instruction. He has and universities use videos and other
directly managed the or continents—important on-the-job instruction forms of interactive visual content as part of the
training, user assis-
can be hard to obtain. New employees may not core coursework. Students expect these kinds of
know the appropriate contact for certain ques- learning aids, and they appreciate that this type
tance, video, and other
tions. They simply may be too embarrassed to of content helps them absorb information quickly
teams for TechSmith.
ask other questions. After all, they want to make and efficiently at any time.

12 | MARCH/APRIL 2018 training www.trainingmag.com

 3. Visual content can address common questions
without disruption: Start developing ideas for
videos, infographics, and other visual content by
considering the question, “When I started, what
do I wish someone had told me?” The first weeks
on the job aren’t just stressful for new employees.
Long-time staffers often get inundated by ques-
tions on how to use tools or who to contact for
certain things. Ask your “go-to” people about
the questions they field regularly from new em-
ployees. These will make great topics for your
first visual explainers—and your staff will be
thankful for the effort.
4. Visual content lets you get creative with tutori-
als: Don’t be afraid to have fun or get experimental
with your visual content. At TechSmith, we have
an espresso machine that’s a bit complicated to use.
So we made a video about how to use the machine.
We also put a little QR code on the espresso ma-
chine, so people could walk up to it, scan the QR
code, and then watch a video about how to use it.
It’s a fun little idea that could have helpful applica-
tions around the workplace. Contextual videos can
explain how to reorder supplies, replace the print-
er toner, add participants to a conference call, you
name it.
5. Videos convey much more than just
information: Video captures a whole lot more than
the words being said. It even captures more than
the sound, the expressions, and the emotions of the
person delivering your message. Video also conveys
your company’s spirit and culture. Do the people
on camera look happy to be there, and are they ex-
cited to be delivering your company’s message? It’s
important for new employees to see enthusiasm,
especially during their first week.
6. Videos are effective for distributed teams: If
a CEO wants to deliver important messages and
define corporate values to new hires, time of ac-
cess can be a challenge. An introductory video
from the leadership team can help make that
personal connection while accommodating busy
schedules. Plus, introductory and tutorial videos
are readily accessible across time zones and re-
mote workforces. The easy distribution of online
video can be a tremendous benefit for many or-
ganizations, large and small.
7. Video can show your organization in a natural way:
For global organizations or companies with an ar-
ray of regional offices, videos are a way to show
employees in their everyday work environments.
Whether these videos are shot in the C-suite, the
field, or thousands of miles away, new employees
gain a greater sense of context and an opportu-
nity to see your organization at work. It can be
www.trainingmag.com
a great way to show—rather than tell—the most
important aspects of your culture. Celebrate your
values by showing them in action.
8. Visual content is a collaborative and creative
effort: Once employees have a chance to review vi-
sual materials, ask them for feedback about the
experience. You’ll gain insight on whether the
messages were clear, whether they have further
questions about the subject matter, and whether
Videos and other visual content can
be a cure for most onboarding ills.
Visual content addresses several
challenging parts of the onboarding
experience, making the process
more fruitful and less stressful for
everyone involved. In fact, the human
brain can process visuals up to
60,000 times faster than the same
information conveyed by text alone.
any production issues detracted from the content.
9. Videos are easy to create with today’s
technology: These days, almost everyone has a
capable high-definition video camera in their
pocket. A smartphone is all you need to get start-
ed, and a low barrier to entry translates to a world
of opportunity. Don’t worry about shooting an
Oscar-worthy video on your first try. Just be cre-
ative and be open to improvements. The ease and
low cost of smartphone videos offer another key
benefit: Updating your videos with new content is
easy and inexpensive.
10. The more videos you make, the better they’ll
get: Even with a smartphone, you can shoot
professional-looking videos. This may not happen
right away, but it’s important to keep trying. As
you gain experience, you can improve your videos
with simple framing adjustments, lighting tech-
niques, and steadying your camera with a rig or
tripod. Once you master the fundamentals with
a smartphone, you’ll be more comfortable using
a higher-end camera, a three-point lighting kit,
and an external microphone. Those aren’t nec-
essarily the first things you should invest in, but
experimenting with a smartphone can help get
you there. Qt
training MARCH/APRIL 2018 | 13
 soapbox

Take the Mystery Out

of Marketing Your
Learning Function
You already have all it takes to be a great marketer of training. You just need
to fine-tune your focus on knowing your audience and building relationships
throughout your organization. BY MELISSA SMITH AND MARIA CHILCOTE

M
arketing is one of those business skills that a single manager’s request, we jump into action.
appear to have eluded many of us in the We begin an assessment to determine whether or
Learning and Development (L&D) field. not the non-performance is a training issue. We
It’s one more thing to do. It’s a bit mystical. And use tools such as performance analysis, target
besides, who has the time? population analysis, goal analysis, task analy-
The reality is we already possess all of the skills sis, etc., to help separate the training needs from
necessary to be good marketers! We just need to the organizational or environmental issues that
Melissa Smith and fine-tune our focus a bit because at the heart of are preventing desired performance. We partner
Maria Chilcote, marketing are two basic strategies: with management throughout this process not
managing partners of 1. Know your target audience only to learn from them but also to educate them
The Training Clinic, 2. Build relationships throughout the about the root causes and possible solutions for
have combined
organization non-performance. In other words, we help them
That’s it! move beyond “training” as the only answer when
60-plus years of expe-
Well, there is a bit more. Let’s take a look at what addressing performance needs.
rience in the Learning
we inherently do as L&D professionals and how we Tweaks we can make…
and Development field. can easily tweak this to up our marketing game. Compared to what we currently do, taking a
Their core business of marketing approach to know our target
training trainers and audience is a more proactive one.
managers in all When marketing the L&D Although there are people in the orga-
aspects of the L&D nization who approach us (or come to
ecosystem has function, when making sure us when their pants are on fire) to “fix”
provided them with a the organization knows who performance problems, there are many
others in the organization who don’t
first-hand look at the
impacts and chal- we are and what we can do know what we can do for them. In fact,
we probably never cross their mind when
lenges of meeting for them, we need champions performance problems arise.
the varied training
and performance of training! To reach these folks, we need to dig a bit
deeper. We need to make sure they know
needs throughout the who we are before they know they need
organization. They are Remember, the objective is to have our marketing us. Their situation is a frustrating one. They have
passionate about maxi- efforts be seamless with what we do every day. As a performance problem but don’t know what to do,
mizing performance you’ll see, we really are accidental marketers! so they try and solve it on their own. And the out-
through collaboration, come is sometimes not a pretty one!
sharing, and growing KNOW YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE So we need to discover the goals and aspirations
across the industry What we currently do… of these folks, as well as their headaches and pain
as illustrated by their As instructional designers and facilitators, we points. For example, an IT department may seek
motto, “We are all on constantly are assessing our audience and deter- to decrease the number of calls to the help desk
this journey together!”
mining their training needs. Whether the request and the amount of times they retrain on systems
for training is initiated by upper management or or processes. Their headaches and pain points

14 | MARCH/APRIL 2018 training www.trainingmag.com

might include an uptick in the number of calls
and staff complaints about how boring and in-
effective the training delivered by their subject
matter experts (SMEs) is.
Once you know their goals/aspirations and
headaches/pain points, you can partner with them
to help determine the best approach to reach the
desired performance. Again, this is a more proac-
tive approach versus waiting for them to come to
you. It takes planning and strategizing on your
part, as well as inserting yourself into their world
to create these opportunities.
BUILD RELATIONSHIPS
THROUGHOUT THE ORGANIZATION
What we currently do…
Through the very nature of what we do, we con-
stantly are building relationships throughout the
organization. We work alongside management
when assessing, developing, and delivering train-
ing and performance interventions. We provide
SMEs with facilitation skills so they can train
more effectively. We solicit C-suite executives to
help to kick off performance improvement initia-
tives. We coach supervisors so they can reinforce
training back on the job.
Tweaks we can make…
All of the above is necessary for the effective im-
plementation of training and other performance
improvement initiatives. We need sponsors, men-
tors, and supporters of interventions to implement
them effectively. However, when marketing the
L&D function, when making sure the organiza-
tion knows who we are and what we can do for
them, we need champions of training! Champions
of training will go out of their way to advocate our
L&D efforts and market on our behalf throughout
the organization because they have experienced
the value firsthand.
How do we create these champions? Essentially,
we have to assertively insert ourselves into their
world and showcase our stuff. Here are some ideas
we (and others) have used with great success:
1. Attend managers’ meetings. Someone from
your L&D department should be represented
at managers’ meetings. Not invited? Ask, beg,
or just show up. We’re serious. Remember, we
said, “Assertively insert.” Once they see the val-
ue you can add to their process, they’ll ask you
back. While there, ask performance-based ques-
tions and see how you can help them reach their
business objectives. Also, take the opportunity
to showcase the achievements you’ve had with
other departments with similar challenges. For
www.trainingmag.com
example, helping the finance department im-
plement a new onboarding program resulted in
new hires getting up to speed and contributing
to productivity 50 percent faster than before.
2. Stay in touch with the business. Go to lunch
or grab a walking break with a manager from a
different department every week. Find out what’s
going on and how you can help. How is business?
Take the opportunity to
showcase the achievements
you’ve had with other
departments with similar
challenges. For example,
helping the finance department
implement a new onboarding
program resulted in new
hires getting up to speed and
contributing to productivity
50 percent faster than before.
What is getting in the way? How long has this been
going on? What do they think is the cause? Then,
to really contribute and create multiple champi-
ons, pull back and start looking for organizational
behavioral trends.
3. Be the guide on the side. If you see an ex-
ecutive struggling with meeting facilitation
or presentation skills or even a “PowerPoint of
Doom,” offer to help but do so discretely. You
don’t need to take center stage. Once they expe-
rience the results of your coaching, you can rest
assured you have a champion for life.
4. Create recognition programs for those managers
who are “doing it right” when it comes to support-
ing the development of their people. Publish names
(with pictures) in your virtual and print media,
have C-suite execs issue certificates of recognition,
or hold a pop-up recognition party to celebrate.
See? You already have all it takes to be a great
marketer of training. With just a few tweaks to
what you already are doing, you’ll be amazing. By
reaching out and getting to know your various au-
diences and cultivating and growing champions
of training, you are well on your way to having
your own internal marketing “social media.” Q t
training MARCH/APRIL 2018 | 15
 how-to
Manage Training Projects
Project management is a critical skill for the training profession.
It enables us to create the solutions so critical to the success of
the organizations we support. BY ROSS TARTELL, PH.D.
I
n 2015, Training magazine published an article
about the importance of project management as
DElNEDOUTCOMESWITHSUPPORTAND
part of a trainer’s responsibilities. In that article,
Wolters Kluwer Global Vice President of Talent
Development Katie McSporran noted, “Wheth-
er the initial request is for a needs assessment,
training/talent strategy, training program/curri-
cula, implementation support, and/or performance
consulting, project management is a fundamental
competency for scoping and planning the work,
Ross Tartell, Ph.D., gaining alignment on approach and commitments,
is currently adjunct and managing expectations” (https://trainingmag.
associate professor com/trgmag-article/accidental-training-manager).
of Psychology and Things haven’t changed since 2015. Great ex-
Education at Colum- ecution saves time and money—and increases
bia University. Dr. performance. Here’s how it’s done:
The typical training project has four steps con-
Tartell also consults
nected by feedback loops that help you recalibrate
in the areas of learn-
any of the previous steps:
ing and development,
talent planning, and
organization develop-
ment. He received his
M.B.A. in Manage-
ment and his Ph.D. PLAN
in Social Psychology Good up-front planning ensures that the project
from Columbia Uni- is focused on a realistic solution and defines the
versity. He formerly boundaries of the effort, minimizing the “scope
served as Technical creep” that is a common pitfall. The planning phase
must answer the following questions:
Training and
s What is the project rationale? What prob-
Communications
lem or opportunity will the effort resolve
Manager – North
or achieve? What are the project goals/
America at GE deliverables? Are the deliverables to provide
Capital Real Estate. information, give a recommendation, or
implement a solution?
s Who is the client/sponsor? Who gives ap-
proval and what is the approval process? Who
are the stakeholders affected by this project?
s When does the project need to be finished?
What is the sequence of project steps and mile-
stones that create the project plan and calendar?
s What resources, such as people, budget, and
other assets (e.g., meeting space, technology,
outside expertise), are needed to ensure success?
Planning stage outcomes are:
s )DENTIlCATIONANDAGREEMENTONTHE to the success of the organizations we support. Q
16 | MARCH/APRIL 2018 training
resources, logistics, and project plan
s 7ELL
buy-in from key project stakeholders
s !PPROVALTOPROCEED
INITIATE
Now you’ll need to create the implementation team,
with guidance from the sponsor. Great teams have
the necessary technical competence, or access to the
specialized knowledge, to move the project ahead. In
addition, team members need organizational per-
mission to dedicate the required time, and must have
the motivation and teamwork skills to work together.
The second step is team chartering and launch.
The project team needs to understand and com-
mit to the project goals, team roles, and the rules
governing how to work together. Common tools
used in this phase are the GRPI Model (Goals,
Roles, Processes, and Interpersonal Relationships)
to help diagnose issues affecting team performance,
and the RACI Chart (Responsibility, Authority,
Consulted, Informed) to clarify roles and decision-
making responsibilities. (Visit www.trainingmag.com
for my How-To articles on these topics.)
This stage also includes any needed revision of the
project plan, based on feedback gathered during
team creation and project launch.
IMPLEMENT
There are three keys to success in this stage. First, an
operating rhythm helps the team know when they
will meet, how to conduct meetings, and what they
will do to execute the plan. Second, contingency
planning keeps critical milestones under control
when inevitable problems arise. Third, stakeholder
analysis enables the Training professional to focus
communications and manage politics.
WRAP-UP AND EVALUATE
Conduct a project briefing with the project spon-
sor and client to review the project purpose,
outcomes, follow-on actions, and lessons learned.
Also reallocate remaining resources and inform
key stakeholders of the final project status.
Project management is a critical skill for the train-
ing profession. It enables us to create the solutions key
tt
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October 8 (pm) – 10
McCormick Place West
Chicago, IL
Co-Located Events:
Innovations
“I was really grateful to have
such an exciting experience
meeting my peers in other
organizations as well as
experts in the field. The
connections I made have
already made an impact to
the work I do and the learning
professional I am.”
Kristie Mubarak, Senior Training
Analyst, Whirlpool Corporation
www.OnlineLearningConference.com
“The speakers are there solely
to impart their knowledge
and experience, not to give
you an infomercial about
their company or product.
I was able to immediately
use the skills and practices
that were discussed and
demonstrated. It was a great
individualized adult learning
experience.”
Anthony DiMartini, Sr. Training
Specialist, MKS Instruments
Training’s
fall event is
back in Chicago!
“This was my first time
attending Training’s
conference and I was
impressed with all the
presenters. It’s such a great
conference, not just for the
tips and industry updates, but
for conceptual background on
how to teach information to
learners and have them retain
what they’ve learned.”
Ashley Berry, Paralegal Specialist,
Nationwide Insurance Company
world view
Focus on Singapore
Western trainers will find Singapore welcoming to outside professionals,
but local customs and social structures should be respected for training
to be effective. BY LILY KELLY-RADFORD, PH.D.
S
ingapore is a choice assignment for
Western Learning professionals for sev-
eral reasons. The democratic city-state
enjoys mild equatorial weather, and the
business climate is welcoming to Western profes-
sionals and academics. The cultural experience
on the ground is rich and varied with a global
outlook. English is the common language of com-
merce. It’s an easy place to feel safe as a foreigner.
Singapore’s leadership is committed to making
Lily Kelly-Radford, the city a center of the Asia-Pacific region, recruit-
Ph.D., is a psychologist, ing talent from within the region to work in one of
executive coach, and the most affluent economies in the world.
leadership development Learning, with an eye on meritocracy in the
consultant. She is a workplace, is highly valued. As the nation’s econ-
partner in Executive
omy currently is slowing down, organizations and
personnel are eager to stay competitive. Singapore
Development Group.
may not lead in innovation, but it does set the pace
in terms of business processes and attracting talent
to stay at the top of its game in tourism, refining,
retail, and technology.
That said, there are inconsistencies in the
workplace—e.g., leadership is still male dominated—
that affect training and development. Westerners
who have become used to flat corporate structures
will notice elements of hierarchy that keep the C-suite
aloof from the rank-and-file. “Skip interviews” in
which employees meet with their boss’ bosses, now
Singapore may not lead in innovation,
but it does set the pace in terms of
business processes and attracting talent
to stay at the top of its game in tourism,
refining, retail, and technology.
common in the U.S., are not practiced here.
Singapore professionals value Western trade, but
don’t expect any special deference to your aca-
demic credentials just because they’re American
or European. There is a sense of pride and a pref-
erence for the region’s own universities.
The blend of private, publicly traded, and
18 | MARCH/APRIL 2018 training
government-owned organizations is significantly
different than in the U.S. Government work often
has higher status and salaries than commercial
enterprises. Singapore’s airline is government
owned, and there are many hybrid, semi-national
enterprises. But entrepreneurial principles also are
valued, even in state-led organizations.
CULTURAL CONSIDERATIONS
Cultural diversity is evident throughout
Singapore, but the Chinese family structure
prevails in many ways. Students often live in multi-
generational and physically smaller homes. Prop-
erty in the crowded city is expensive. Commutes
in heavy traffic to less expensive housing can affect
promptness and cause training start time delays.
When Skyping from New York at 9 a.m., it’s good
to be mindful that it is 9 p.m. for a Singapore pro-
fessional who possibly is calling in from a house or
apartment with elder relatives and young children
who may be sleeping. While Asians often speak in
softer tones than their Western colleagues, don’t
confuse a working father’s quiet presence as “not
speaking up.” He’s probably just mindful of his
kids’ bedtime.
Multi-generational living has advantages as child-
care usually is managed with the help of older
family members. This can be a big advantage for
women professionals in Asia.
CUSTOMS THAT COUNT
Sharing—housing, domestic duties, food,
etc.—is a dynamic unique from the West
that affects the routines of the office and is
highly observable in the custom of eating
groups, which are strong social “real-
ity testing” groups that provide belonging
and social support.
As a foreigner, you may be brown bag-
ging at your desk—if not enjoying a solo spree on
any street of amazing restaurants—but you prob-
ably won’t be invited to a group. Eating groups are
from three to seven colleagues who go out every
day over the years and provide both support for
one another and also a break from the office. You
must be invited to a group based on common
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connections such as your university or job function. arrival and departure times for personal/
The eating group is a source of informal informa- domestic realities, commutes, and multi-genera-
tion exchange that keeps participants in the know. It’s tional living arrangements.
an important feature of networking, and people look t
Bring “your A game.” Your classes will be highly
forward to it. It’s an egalitarian custom with no group educated and motivated. You will be valued for
leader, just a consensus of texts about
where to go. Everyone in a group has
the same status or pay grade. If you
advance to management, you’re ex-
The blend of private, publicly traded,
pected to leave the group and lunch and government-owned organizations
with your new peers.
It’s a custom that provides a lot of is significantly different than in the U.S.
positive reinforcement and social
validation, but the downside is the
Government work often has higher status
lack of diversity and the potential for and salaries than commercial enterprises.
cliques to form.
For a trainer, it’s unpopular to orga-
nize working lunches, but there’s an opportunity to good performance more than your credentials.
challenge a class to collaborate outside their eating sDon’t be complacent. Singapore is so Western in
group cohorts in various learning exercises. many ways that you might be lulled into doing
things like you do at the home office. Effective
SUGGESTIONS FOR SUCCESS trainers need to push themselves out of their
sDon’t just adjust your time zone; adjust your timing. comfort zones to engage with the diverse and
Remember that you will need to accommodate prevalent cultures.

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www.trainingmag.com training MARCH/APRIL 2018 | 19

world view
Focus on Slovakia
Training programs that run from two days to a week are popular in
Slovakia. The most requested topics are: technical training, sales and
marketing, and customer service. BY DR. NEIL ORKIN
lovakia, with a population of more
S than 5.4 million, is a central European
country that borders Poland, Ukraine,
Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Aus-
tria. This country was created 25 years ago when
Czechoslovakia separated into two: the Czech
Republic and Slovakia. Like its neighbor, the
Czech Republic, Slovakia has been able to make
the transition from a communist system to a
capitalist one in record time. A great benefit for
Dr. Neil Orkin is organizations that want to do business in Slova-
president of Global kia is that it is part of the European Union, a free
Training Systems. His trade, duty-free market consisting of more than
organization prepares 500 million consumers.
corporate professionals Slovakia has a diversified economy. Currently,
for global business organizations here manufacture and export cars,
heavy machinery, metals, food products, phar-
success. For more
maceuticals, textiles, chemicals, and electrical
information, visit www.
products in large numbers. It historically has
globaltrainingsystems.
been known and lauded for a strong agricultural
com. sector. It has a modern telecommunications sys-
tem. The Slovakian government has welcomed
foreign involvement through legal reforms and
policies that encourage direct investment.
In spite of the many economic challenges
Europe has faced in recent years, Slovakia has ex-
perienced some of the most consistent economic
growth of all the countries that belong to the Eu-
ropean Union. It has benefited from the diversity
of it economy and the skills of its people. Slova-
kia has a literacy rate of 99 percent. Education
is free, even at the college and university level.
THE STATE OF TRAINING
Most of the companies in Slovakia are located in
the capital city of Bratislava, which has a popu-
lation of approximately 440,000. Much of the
country’s corporate training is conducted on-
site in a dedicated training room at the office or
in a manufacturing facility.
Similar to the training conducted by its
neighbors, especially the Czech Republic, most
training programs in Slovakia are short and
focused. Programs that run from two days to
a week are popular. The most requested topics
are: technical training, sales and marketing, and
customer service.
20 | MARCH/APRIL 2018 training
TRAINING TIPS
s In Slovakia, trainers are expected to lecture. If you
do not begin your training by doing this, your
participants may lose respect for you. Your train-
ing participants will defer to you, and treat you,
their trainer, as an expert they can learn from.
t
Age and job title are respected. Do not call a
trainee by his or her first name unless asked.
t
“Small talk” should be minimized when inter-
acting with your trainees. Do not talk about
religion, politics, or family life if you want to
connect with your trainees.
t
Silence is valued in this culture. Your partici-
pants want to hear what you have to say, and
learn from you. They will not challenge you.
They may be quiet if they disagree with your
point of view. It often is felt that challenging
the trainer is disrespectful, and harmful to the
training environment. Do not take classroom
silence as a sign your training is not going well.
t
English is not spoken widely in Slovakia. It is
likely you will need to translate your training
materials into Slovak. Hiring a trainer who
is fluent in this language, and then training
him or her on the outcomes expected will be
critical to successful knowledge transfer and
learning. Concurrently, a key training project
will involve training select management and
staff in “Workplace English.” Many global
organizations have had great success by pro-
viding “English Language Coaching” to a core
group of professionals in their company. After
this initial rollout, interested professionals are
offered small group training in “Workplace
English.” This language training is highly de-
sired in Slovakia. Your company will quickly
be able to generate significant returns on its
training dollar. In addition, it will position
your company as the “place to work.” This
training program will attract top professionals
from throughout the country, and serve as a
valuable recruitment and retention tool.
t
Slovakia has a group-oriented culture. Training
participants do not want to be singled out. They
may fear making an error in front of their peers.
When praising or providing constructive feed-
back, always include the group. Q t
www.trainingmag.com
 Partners
in Learning
Collaborating with the right internal partners
within your organization can make the difference
between reaching learning goals and falling short.
BY MARGERY WEINSTEIN

W
hen your company tasks its leaders to reach a corpo-
rate goal, such as moving products to market faster or
reaching out more effectively to Millennial consumers,
what is the Learning team’s role? Your goals are nearly
always tied to that of the company’s other departments, with everyone
working to serve the company-wide initiative. It only makes sense to look
for internal partners to build support for the programs you create. Savvy
Learning groups have a process in place to ensure they reach out to others
across the company to build support for the work they do.

Stakeholder Support
At Training Top 125er Choice Hotels, after initiatives are identified, the Learning
team gathers specific feedback from those who will be the target audience for the
learning opportunities, explains Director of Learning & Development Karyn Ed-
wards. As an example, she points to when the company’s Leadership Foundations

22 | MARCH/APRIL 2018 training www.trainingmag.com

 Program, designed for new managers, along with two addi-
tional learning tracks, was launched in 2017. “To develop the
curriculum, focus groups were held with managers to deter-
mine which needs they felt were most important to cover,”
she says. “Talent review data also was analyzed to determine
what themes existed in the competencies that needed to be
developed. The courses and descriptions were shared with
the stakeholders to ensure we were meeting the desired areas
of development.”
Key stakeholders include the company’s executive team.
For instance, Choice leaders are engaged in the review and
approval of participants in the Emerging Leaders Program
(ELP), where high-potential employees are nominated by
their leader or peers to participate. Once the initial vetting
is complete, Choice’s Human Resources executive team
reviews the nominees.
Noting an example of executive stakeholder involve-
www.trainingmag.com
ment, Edwards points to the company’s Ascending Leaders
Program (ALP), which is supported by direct participation
of senior leaders and executives. A list of high-potential
directors/senior directors is presented to the executive team
with the request to identify 16 participants to go through
the program. “Our executives take an active role, by teach-
ing select portions of our Ascending Leadership Program;
they participate on panels, and actively participate in the
associated projects that are a core part of the program,”
she says.
Sometimes the best way to get executive support is to make
them sponsors of the programs. Training Top 125er Colora-
do Springs Utilities does just that. “As part of our corporate
university model, we use sponsors and executive sponsors for
our key programs,” says Workforce Development Manager
Renee Adams. An example of this is the company’s Leader
Connections five-track leader development program. “One
training MARCH/APRIL 2018 | 23
Partners in Learning
of our company’s officers and two general managers serve says Tara Wiedeman, senior director, Education and Orga-
as executive sponsors. One of the executive sponsors always nizational Development, who notes that the Learning team
kicks off the opening cohort for each program track,” Adams also works with the organization’s Communication depart-
explains. “Executive sponsors assist with marketing the pro- ment to help develop the communication plan around the
grams, provide the keynote speech at the annual leadership new learning initiative. “We also may work with other de-
program graduation celebration, and promote the success of partments based on the needs of the project/initiative, from
program participants.” the biggest to the smallest details,” she says. “The continu-
At Training Top 125er Carilion Clinic, there is always an um can range from working with our senior executive team
effort to involve all those affected by the training that is to working with our materials management team to help
created. “We often are working with departments that are determine the logistics related to initiatives, such as supply,
affected by the initiative, as well as those who may partici- form name, and number.”
pate in workflows or new processes as part of the initiative,”
Formalize the Process
Some companies find that gaining internal
Interactive Video Breaks Down Silos at PG&E support is easier if there is a set process in
By Kevin M. Reyes, Expert Instructional Designer, and Dave Curtis, Manager, place. Training Top 125er BB&T University
Leadership and Employee Development, PG&E has developed a request process that lever-
To keep pace with the transformational change happening in industries like ours, ages SharePoint and an InfoPath form. “Any
employees need always-on access to information that accelerates their skills and associate can submit a request, but we part-
expertise. At Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), we’ve found that new ner with members of senior leadership to
video technology is helping teams develop critical business knowledge, con- prioritize the request in order to align with
necting disparate business units, and even deepening employees’ connection to strategic objectives,” says Learning Archi-
our company’s mission. tecture Manager Debi Wayne. “In all cases,
As one of the largest combined natural gas and electric energy companies requests are analyzed (root cause and gap)
in the U.S., we have more than 20,000 employees working together to deliver and prioritized.”
some of the nation’s cleanest energy to nearly 16 million people in Northern A methodical process is used when a pro-
and Central California. And because we’re part of the nation’s critical infra- gram is launched and created. For instance, a
structure, safety is paramount, so we set a high bar for knowledge on core major strategic initiative for the company re-
topics across every job function, from power line worker to finance executive. lated to a new commercial lending platform,
Passive training videos or animated slides isn’t enough. called AFSVision, recently was introduced.
In late 2017, our PG&E Learning and Development team debuted the 2.0 This was a multi-year project, and BB&T
version of Knowledge Connect, an online learning ecosystem hosting more than University was involved since inception.
65 e-learning videos and other performance support tools. With 80 percent of This included the following functions:
the content video based, the portal provides six learning channels categorized s $EVELOPING A HIGH
LEVEL TRAINING PLAN TO
by company competencies and key business drivers, and curated in alignment include expenditure
with our company’s mission, vision, and culture. s 0RESENTING THE PLAN TO PROJECT STAKE-
By using an interactive video platform (HapYak, www.hapyak.com), which holders, including members of senior
adds HTML overlays to online video, PG&E Knowledge Connect was able to leadership and executive management
make video content address the expectations, competency, and accountability s 3ERVING ON THE CHANGE MANAGEMENT COM-
of all employees, whether individual contributor or director level. Such shared, mittee and assisting with the awareness
yet personally relevant, content further breaks down traditional silos where campaign communication plan
information trickles down.
Interactivity made it possible for our academy team to quantify knowledge, Leverage Expertise of Others
capture feedback, and tailor the dialogue at all levels. By adding quizzes at the Training Top 125er CarMax relies heavily on
end of e-learning courses, we obtained Level 1 data on whether learners gained the expertise and experiences of its associ-
knowledge, if they liked the content, and if they would recommend it to others. ates to develop technical, competency, and
We insert surveys into videos asking what additional topics employees would leadership training. Chief Human Resources
like to see on Knowledge Connect. Officer Diane Cafritz shares, “At CarMax,
Interactivity also enabled branching, or “choose your own adventure” features we believe our associates are our best asset
—where a viewer selects from among several content options—and hot spots, and differentiator for the company. When it
where the video links to outside content for those who want additional comes to training, we leverage our associates
drill-down. for ideas and execution of new programs.”
Across disparate business units and job roles, employees preferred the inter- CarMax Learning teams regularly seek
activity compared to passive video, and our team valued how using interactivity out top-performing associates in the field
enabled viewers to guide their own depth of learning. to discover the exact behaviors that have
led to their exceptional performance. Once

24 | MARCH/APRIL 2018 training www.trainingmag.com

identified, CarMax crafts programming around these behav-
iors so other associates can benefit from their peers’ success.
CarMax even asks associates to write content, or be featured

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in training videos or articles, to share their keys to success.
According to Cafritz, “not only does this process result in ef-
fective training, it also empowers our associates and provides

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unique development opportunities.”
Cafritz also remarks on how the Talent Management group


works closely with business leaders and the HR strategy team
to measure the effectiveness of its programs. “Prior to any
new pilot, we work with the business to select the right way

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work and adjust based on the data and feedback before roll-
ing it out to the entire organization.”


At Training Top 125er Buckman Laboratories, associ-

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ates from outside the Learning team become a key part of
most of the programs that are created. “We are fortunate
that Buckman associates are highly involved in their per-
sonal learning,” says Learning Effectiveness Analyst Lauren
Warren. Buckman does not have full-time trainers; instead,
its subject matter experts (SMEs) double as trainers and
treat this as a complementary addition to their full-time
roles. “The benefit of this is managers and leadership are in-
timately familiar with the current state of training, as well
as a desired future state per market trends,” says Warren.
For example, a sales manager in Europe noticed there was a
need for up-skilling novice associates more than the current
global training provided. This manager then worked with
Buckman’s Human Resources team to identify a program
that filled this gap. “When our team received the business
case and budget, we set a schedule to review and potentially
replicate the process globally if performance metrics indi-
cated improvements in our new hires,” she says.
Use a Steering Committee to Get on Track
Training Top 125er Cartus recently used a steering commit-
tee to generate support from, and serve, learners. The steering
committee comprised a group of employees who speak di-
rectly with customers of the Learning team. “We found that
although we were delivering training for their new hires, we
weren’t in communication with management after that,” says
Vice President of Global Learning and Development Patricia
Small. “The result was that management would approach
Learning with an ‘emergency’ training need they felt was
mandatory for all of their employees. Because of the percep-
tion of criticality, we didn’t have time to properly vet the need,
and had to design and deliver based on their request.”
To avoid last-minute “emergency” requests, and make sure
the best learning was always delivered, Cartus organized a
committee that included various levels of the department
the training was being developed for. Meeting monthly, the
committee’s goal was to discuss:
1. What business goals they were trying to accomplish
2. What gaps they perceived in their ability to achieve
their goals
www.trainingmag.com
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“The conversations not only brought up training needs,
but also surfaced process improvement needs (which then
were submitted to a group that handles those) and man-
agement gaps,” says Small. “The conversations helped
to educate the Learning group on actual training needs
that then could be prioritized and planned for, as well as
educated the business group on the difference between a
training need and something their management group had
to address.”
The use of the steering committee proved so effective that
it set the stage for an ongoing dialogue. “The relationship
with the group has strengthened, to the point where we don’t
need to have the formal steering committee anymore,” Small
notes. “Instead, we’ve included Learning representatives in
existing key meetings where these conversations occur as
part of everyday business.”
Another organization that found it useful to create a
committee to help keep learning on track is Training Top
125er BayCare, a hospital system in Tampa Bay, FL. In
2016, the Learning team created the Talent Advisory Coun-
cil (TAC), says Instructional Technologist, Organizational
Development & Learning Nancy Sawayda. This council is a
cross-section of all levels and roles within the leadership of
the system, with approximately 30 representatives from both
corporate and clinical environments. The charter of this
group is to provide insight and oversight into any large-scale
talent management initiative. It weighs in on the modality of
the training, helps prioritize and/or identify the target audi-
ence, and helps determine how success will be measured and
communicated.
“Many members of this council are also active in the roll-out
and facilitation of the trainings, and are instrumental in our
marketing and socialization of these efforts,” Sawayda says.
“This council is co-chaired by the director of Organizational
Development & Learning and the director of Talent Acquisi-
tion. Each member is asked to serve a one-year term, at which
point they can re-up for the next year if they choose.” Q
t
training MARCH/APRIL 2018 | 25
 Crafting a
Holistic
Approach
toLearning
Companies are finding that learners increasingly
benefit from courses that are offered in many different
ways, partly for convenience, and more importantly,
for knowledge retention. BY MARGERY WEINSTEIN
O
rganizations today are struggling
to figure out how to create a well-
rounded, all-inclusive approach
to learning that appeals to multiple gener-
ations of learners and makes the learning
stick. An ideal holistic approach to learn-
ing might include:
s Innovative learning through a blend of tra-
ditional classroom, virtual classroom, and
Web-based (on-demand) modalities, as well
as performance support through multimedia,
mobile-accessible digital assets.
s Everyday learning through job experiences,
feedback and coaching, and peer-to-peer social
collaboration, as well as by training engagement
managers and performance managers on effec-
tive coaching and feedback.
s Independent learning, where Learning and Devel-
opment (L&D) encourages professionals to take
responsibility for their ongoing development.
Many companies today offer both recorded
and live e-learning, and many of those same
companies offer learning live in a traditional,
off line classroom environment. But how many
offer the same course in both modalities, as
well as make the content for the course avail-
able on learners’ mobile devices?
Companies are finding that learners increasingly
26 | MARCH/APRIL 2018 training
benefit from courses that are offered in many
different ways, partly for convenience, and more
importantly, for knowledge retention. Presenting
the content in more than one form gives learners
more of an opportunity to assimilate the content.
Offline, Online, and Beyond
Some companies find that courses that start by
being delivered in a traditional, live format can
be augmented by additional online content and
technological support. Training Top 125er Bank-
ers Life and Casualty has found it useful to do
just that, says Director of Learning Management
Mike Catania, who points out that the compa-
ny’s mostly field-based workforce benefits from
a multifaceted approach. He points to the com-
pany’s Life Certification Program (LCP) as an
example. “This was a live classroom-based train-
ing program we transitioned into a virtual format
with some live post-session field support. This
program is 11 sessions, spanning 11 weeks, with a
new topic of focus each week,” he says.
Focus group respondents spoke highly of
LCP, reporting that it was a “phenomenal” and
“must-have” training, with 96 percent report-
ing in surveys that they will be able to apply the
knowledge and skills learned in LCP to selling
life insurance in their business.
The classroom-based elements alone of Bankers
www.trainingmag.com
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www.trainingmag.com training MARCH/APRIL 2018 | 27

Crafting a Holistic Approach to Learning
In addition, courses often have a coaching dimension, such
as Ken Blanchard’s Coaching Essentials, which Muentzer de-
scribes as “a part of our Emerging Leaders Program focusing
on newer high-potential managers. They have peer-to-peer
informal coaching sessions included in this program, as well.”
The company also offers the coaching program, Firm Foun-
dations, to its branch managers. “Professional coaching is
offered through an outside organization, LIMRA. The inter-
nal management and leadership team gives a group coaching
session, while peer-to-peer coaching is going on within their
study groups,” Muentzer says.
Multi-Part, Multifaceted
Courses that are sweeping in scope give companies an op-
portunity to offer the learning in many different ways. One
example is Training Top 125er ArcBest’s Leadership Series.
“This comprehensive leadership training program is designed
to develop leaders at all stages of their careers, and help us meet
our strategic goal of improving employee engagement,” says
Jason Turner, vice president of Talent and Growth Initiatives
at ArcBest. “The program emphasizes retaining our high-
potential employees and boosting leadership bench strength,
while also demonstrating and promoting our core values.”
The 10-part series was designed and implemented by
the ArcBest Training group, and consists of the following
instructor-led classes:
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off each of these instructor-led classes. Instructors lead par-
ticipants through discussions about the topic, and then have
them engage in exercises and/or role-plays to reinforce the
content. These 10 leadership classes are presented in two-
and-a-half-hour sessions, taught over a 10-month period.
“We utilize pre- and post-course assignments to supple-
ment the material covered in the class,” explains ArcBest
Senior Training Manager Bradly Truitt. “We also created an
online cohort within our talent management system, where
the participants and graduates of the Leadership Series can
share best practices and engage in peer-to-peer learning.”
Truitt notes that the Leadership Series is taught to leaders
and future leaders from all of ArcBest’s subsidiaries, and
classes are customized for each audience.
!RC"EST ALSO TAKES A MULTIFACETED APPROACH TO MEASURING
the results of its training. “We utilize several different types
of metrics to measure the effectiveness of our training class-
es,” says Truitt. “These include: revenue and tonnage growth,
employee engagement scores, employee retention rates, inter-
nal promotions, and post-class surveys.”
!NOTHER COMPANY THAT TAKES A MULTIFACETED APPROACH TO
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ment, where a systematic approach to diagnosing, designing,
and delivering learning ensures each course is tailored to the
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assessments, and Webinars. The representative spends a day
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with providers,” says Fullowan.

28 | MARCH/APRIL 2018 training www.trainingmag.com

 Phase 2: This one- to two-week initial training helps Another company that uses a different blend of learning
representatives prepare for application of day-to-day modalities depending on the course is Training Top 125er
sales experiences. “Participants learn through trainer-led Assurant, Inc. “We look for ways to maximize learning by
workshops, role-play simulation exercises, knowledge assess- thoughtfully choosing the appropriate way to learn. Class-
ments, and evening assignments,” she notes. room-based elements often are reserved for education that
Phase 3: Continuous learning begins as early as one requires dialogue and collaboration, practice, and/or culture-
month after Phase 2, and encompasses Kirkpatrick Level 3 building,” says Vice President of Global Learning and Talent
evaluation. “Reps are immersed in instructor-led Webinars Development Kimberly Kavala.
focusing on application of skills, knowledge, and behaviors One example is Assurant’s people-leader program called
relevant to daily tasks. Surveys and roundtable discussions Experience 2.0. “It is an intensive learning program for all
are designed to gather feedback to gauge their learning, and leaders, from the front-line to the director level. We aim to
to continue providing relevant training,” says Fullowan. deepen our leaders’ knowledge of key leadership processes,
The process wraps up with Kirkpatrick Level 4 evaluation. mindsets, and skills that will help foster a culture of engage-
“Through the ‘Transfer Matrix’ with the rep, direct man- ment, growth, and performance,” says Kavala, who explains
ager, and trainer, results are measured before, during, and that learners begin by completing an e-learning course that
after each time period, which reflects employee engagement, introduces key concepts, and then spend three days in class.
morale, and productivity,” says Fullowan. To stay sharp following their classroom experience, learn-
ers can access related resources at any time on MyLearning,
Blended to Reinforce Learning Assurant’s learning management system.
A key to a holistic approach to learning is effectively blending a “The classroom portion is important, not only for the
variety of elements. Training Top 125er Arrow Electronics tries practice time in a safe environment,” says Kavala, “but also
to do that in all of its offerings, says Learning and Development, because it instills common language and behaviors, and
Business Coaching, and Consultant ReLita Clarke. “Class- establishes a network of peers who support the learning long
room-based elements that are within some of our programs after they leave the classroom.” Qt
include discussion questions that reinforce an
objective, or important topic, and activities
such as group discussions and role-plays that REKINDLE CONNECTIONS
By Bill John, President and Founder, Odyssey Teams Inc.
engage our learners to comprehend a concept
(https://odysseyteams.com/)
in the classroom,” Clarke explains. “In addi-
tion, all students have the option to print the If the term, “holistic,” brings to mind incense, candles, and the faint air of mysti-
class materials, including PowerPoint presen- cism, you’re not alone. However, when it comes to the corporate world, a holistic
tations, handouts, and blank assessments, so approach is critical to successful training, learning, and team collaboration. Here are
they can continue to test their skills.” three realistic and applicable tips to keep in mind when planning your next session:
The organization also offers on-demand op- 1. USE AUTHENTIC TASKS TO ENGAGE TEAM MEMBERS. Nothing gets eyes rolling like
tions. “Many of the courses are geared toward an inauthentic role-playing game or a scenario that is far removed from partici-
soft skills, such as time management, e-mail pants’ reality. Instead, introduce activities that mimic the situations your team
etiquette, communication, and leadership encounters on a daily basis. If it’s meaningful, it will motivate and resonate.
skills. This allows employees to enhance their 2. FOCUS ON BUILDING KNOWLEDGE VS. REPRODUCING FACTS AND OPINIONS. While
skills or gain insight into a topic they haven’t having an employee who can parrot page 5 of the company handbook may stroke an
yet explored,” Clarke says. “The ability to executive ego, being surrounded by “yes men” weakens corporate decision-making.
continually develop knowledge around ev- Fostering opportunities for team members to constantly learn increases collective criti-
eryday skills to perform their job successfully cal thinking, challenges the status quo, and boosts tolerance of other viewpoints.
results in well-rounded employees who can 3. CONTINUALLY ENCOURAGE LEARNERS TO DEVELOP AND APPLY UNDERSTANDING.
assist in meeting company goals.” Although this may sound obvious, think of how many times you’ve completed a
The key, Clarke notes, is that it’s a blend workshop or professional development session feeling empowered by a new skill or
of learning opportunities, rather than just knowledge, only to file it away forever. Without application, both soft and hard skills
one or two, and the blend differs depending fade. If you’ve invested in training or continuing education for your team, offer encour-
on the course. “Not all classes incorporate agement and opportunities to apply that understanding whenever possible.
all three classroom elements. We may have It’s a new year and an optimum time to rekindle the connections among the
different engagement components, such as members of your team. By providing them with opportunities to both engage
videos or materials from an online resource. with real tasks that build knowledge and apply that understanding together,
A course on business professionalism, for ex- you’ll be taking an important step toward a more connected, motivated,
ample, may have an instructor-led course and engaged, and ultimately happier team. As Jim Goodnight, co-founder and CEO
a follow-up on-demand course a few weeks of SAS said, “Treat employees like they make a difference. And they will…”
later to assess their knowledge.”

www.trainingmag.com training MARCH/APRIL 2018 | 29

Adapting to
Adaptive Learning
Adaptive learning enables
an individualized, contextual
approach that focuses on
what learners need and
directs instructors to where
they are most needed.
BY GAIL DUTTON
O
rganizations hold up Amazon’s cus-
tomer experience as the Holy Grail
for adaptive learning, but relatively
few have developed a similar expe-
rience for their employees. Adaptive
learning is an educational method that uses interac-
tive teaching devices and orchestrates the allocation
of human and mediated resources according to the
unique needs of each learner.
Integrating adaptive learning is more of a cultural challenge
than a technological issue. Like anything new, it can seem
threatening to trainers and learners alike, who fear the re-
moval of experts from the classroom. But contrary to those
fears, adaptive learning enables an individualized, contextual
approach that focuses on what learners need and directs instruc-
tors to where they are most needed. It also provides a new data
stream that Learning and Development (L&D) professionals
30 | MARCH/APRIL 2018 training
can analyze to improve their own courses.
However, before adaptive learning can be deployed effective-
ly, three myths must be overcome.
Myth 1: Adaptive learning
is always computer-based
Adaptive training at Parexel, a global contract research organi-
zation, relies on close interactions with L&D and with learners’
supervisors. Currently, Parexel only uses adaptive learning to
train the clinical research associates (CRAs) who monitor
clinical trials to ensure that trial protocols are followed and
that documentation is appropriate and up to date. Approxi-
mately 60 percent of CRA training is online and 40 percent is
face to face. Eventually, it will be rolled out to other learners.
“The CRAs usually have scientific backgrounds, but we must
provide training regarding regulatory requirements that vary
country by country,” as well as trial protocols that vary accord-
ing to the pharmaceutical product and the trial sponsor, says
Albert Siu, Ph.D., corporate VP, L&D, Parexel. Some conflict
www.trainingmag.com

resolutions skills are included, he says, to help CRAs hone the
skills needed to contradict physicians. “For us, time is of the
essence, so adaptive learning is very important.”
Parexel first identifies CRAs’ strengths and weaknesses
through simulations, on-the-job observations, analysis of
their reports, and online and face-to-face training. “These
methods triangulate a certain level of competency, which we
correlate to a set of training requirements,” Dr. Siu says.
Myth 2: Adaptive learning
replaces instructors
At the University of Wisconsin – Extension, reassuring pro-
fessors that they aren’t being replaced by artificial intelligence
(AI) is among the first steps in online curriculum development.
“Online, adaptive learning is hard to sell to faculty accustomed
to being in the classroom, as well as to students,” admits Ryan
Anderson, director of Instructional Design and Development.
Anderson’s team counters their concerns, explaining,
“we’re actually helping professors have more sophisticated
www.trainingmag.com
interactions with students by automating the basic ones.” In his
experience, that means designing extension courses in ways that
provide extra materials, examples, and problem sets to students
who need them. “Students still have access to an instructor,” An-
derson emphasizes, “and the instructors have access to students’
tests, so they can identify where individuals are experiencing
problems and work with them to overcome those problems.”
Myth 3: AI eliminates training
Computer-based adaptive learning that uses artificial intelli-
gence algorithms doesn’t eliminate the need for training, but
it can eliminate the need to train employees to use certain
applications by providing just-in-time help.
“Training isn’t about teaching employees to use applica-
tions, but about making them productive,” says Amir Farhi,
VP of Strategic Development at WalkMe. Therefore, WalkMe
developed a transparent layer that sits atop any underlying
digital application like ADP or Workday to deliver just-in-
time information. The application uses machine learning to
deliver help based on users’ history with the application and
the content on their screen. Consequently, experienced users
don’t see the basic information that new users see and appli-
cation training classes are minimized.
“The application constantly measures what happens to the
user—for example, how long they take to access certain proce-
dures, where they get stuck, how they get help, etc.,” he adds, so
L&D professionals can adjust resources accordingly.
Streamline Existing Processes
“Adaptive learning uses a broad array of teaching and learning
techniques and technologies. Implementing it is far more subtle
and challenging than simply deploying tools or techniques,”
Dr. Siu says. Before integrating this approach into a course, Dr.
Siu recommends streamlining the processes that are associ-
ated with the learnings. By tagging, organizing, delivering, and
measuring learning and levels of competencies relative to a set
of requirements, he says, “you’ll be better off afterward because
you’ll be more informed about what you need.”
Think Holistically
Expanding one’s frame of reference is integral to successful
adaptive learning curricula. “What makes adaptive learning
work isn’t technique, but mindset,” Dr. Siu says. “For ex-
ample, people often look at challenges as technical problems,
but, in reality, they’re often adaptive problems. Seeing the dif-
ferences requires the ability to look at the whole system and
understand the issues.” Then, with this holistic understand-
ing, L&D professionals can consider effective technologies to
address those issues.
“Think big, but act small,” he advises, by breaking big
challenges into small steps. At Parexel, he designs the over-
arching plan and determines how changes will be made
within courses. His local L&D team spots trends and de-
termines which adjustments are needed, while the actual
adjustments are offshored.
training MARCH/APRIL 2018 | 31
Adapting to Adaptive Learning
Integrating adaptive learning into the development program
requires collaboration from many constituencies, Dr. Siu
stresses. For example, business leaders must be engaged early
and must see the benefits. “Therefore, form a close partner-
ship with the business units,” he advises. “Adaptive learning
can’t be developed alone.”
“You also need strong governance around how you en-
gage others to make collaborative decisions and position the
learning agenda for the company,” Dr. Siu says. He’s worked
with five companies during his career and is convinced that
a centralized L&D organization provides the most effective
governance. “Decentralized learning only develops certain
pockets of the company, and hybrid L&D organizations be-
come political.”
Use Your LMS
At the University of Wisconsin – Extension, Anderson uses
assistive technology and intelligent agents to deliver an
adaptive experience. “We use a learning management system
(LMS) called Desire to Learn (D2L). Our courses are based
on a student’s performance, so instructors may choose to
release or withhold information to facilitate success.”
Intelligent agents help professors have closer contact with
students by setting up the LMS for alerts. “If a student
hasn’t logged into the system for a certain number of days,
or isn’t progressing, you can use an LMS alert to reach out
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An event designed for learning
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32 | MARCH/APRIL 2018 training
to him or her,” Anderson elaborates. “It’s a small thing, but
it offers a big benefit.”
The challenge, he says, is in asking faculty members who
are used to being in charge to trust the system and to spend
their efforts determining where and why students fall short of
attaining certain scores.
In terms of integrating adaptive learning into the L&D func-
tion, “step back,” Anderson says. “You probably can leverage
some things you’re doing already. Before buying new software,
understand how you will use it on a fundamental level. Iden-
tify what you want to achieve before investigating technology.
The LMS, for example, has a lot of data on student behavior
that can be aggregated.”
That data can inform curriculum design by identifying the
zone of proximal development—the peak performance level
a student can reach without additional help, which, thus,
identifies where extra materials (such as presenting the same
material in a different way, showing real-world applications,
various contexts, and in different formats) may help him or
her master the material.
“Particularly in courses where students progress at their
own pace, an adaptive learning approach can be very helpful,”
Anderson says. Right now, adaptive learning is geared toward
hard skills with definitive answers. In the next few years, he
predicts advancements in AI will help adaptive learning to
become common for soft skills instruction, too.
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 CHOOSING
THE RIGHT
AGILE STRATEGY
The key element, which all Agile frameworks boast,
is that whatever method you use supports the development
of multiple iterations and constant evaluations in a
short timeframe. BY GAIL DUTTON

34 | MARCH/APRIL 2018 training www.trainingmag.com

A
gile project development methodology has be-
come fashionable these days. Leaders watched
what it did first for product development and
then for software development. They soon
realized the principles of cooperative develop-
ment, many iterations, and short design cycles could be applied
throughout business regardless of application or industry.
For leaders today, the question isn’t whether to use Agile, but
which Agile method to choose.
Methods Are More Alike Than Not
All Agile methods are based on the Agile Manifesto. The
Agile Manifesto specifies multiple iterations, small teams,
short timelines, constant validation, and inspections before
iterations. This approach can be applied to many things, from
software development to learning, points out Alex Lopes,
clinical professor and director of the Technology Consult-
ing Workshop for Operations & Decision Technologies at
Indiana University.
Built-for-purpose adaptions have resulted in multiple Agile
flavors. SCRUM, Kanban, Lean development, and Dynamic
System Development Model (DSDM) frameworks, for ex-
ample, focus on project management. The Crystal Methods
framework streamlines communications within the develop-
ment team, while Extreme Programming (XP) aids software
development and code validation.
Of all the recognized Agile frameworks, Lopes favors SCRUM.
“It’s flexible and has processes that are good for project man-
agement, but what sets SCRUM apart and makes it powerful is
its supplementary approaches,” he says. SAFE, for example, is
a scalable version that breaks large projects into small-
er sections for development. “This method is used by
Deloitte and Ernst & Young, among others,” he notes.
Scott Ambler, senior consultant for Scott Ambler +
Associates, prefers Kanban because of its clear work-
flow visualization. “Having said that, it doesn’t really
matter which version of Agile you use,” Ambler notes.
“The primary concept of Agile is collaboration and
incremental, evolutionary advances. Therefore, my ad-
vice is to use a blended approach that fits your situation.
Strict adherence to formal frameworks works for the
situations for which they were designed, but if you’re
not in that situation, you need to think things through.
Do what makes sense for you.”
Verizon’s Hybrid Approach
Verizon used a hybrid Agile approach to develop its
OPT Groom construction maintenance training
program for new workers who maintain telecom-
munications equipment (notably, telephone pole
replacement) throughout the northeastern U.S. “We
started with a blank slate and broke the project into 24
www.trainingmag.com
manageable chunks. One week later, the new pro-
gram was ready to deploy and students arrived
one month afterward,” says Michael Sunderman,
executive director of Verizon Learning & Devel-
opment. “Development would have taken eons
using sequential methods.”
The hybrid Agile approach Sunderman and
his team used combined elements from multiple
Agile frameworks to develop an efficient meth-
odology for this particular project. Basically, it
included sprints from SCRUM for iterative development and
workflow visualization from Kanban.
Before development started, Sunderman assembled every
piece of hardware and equipment the learners would work
with in the field—chainsaws, construction clamps, pole pull-
ers, etc. This ensured course developers could see and handle
the equipment themselves. Importantly, developers performed
their work together, working in one 4,000-square-foot room
for five consecutive days.
Next he assembled the right people. “I brought about
40 people from L&D (including video production and
graphics designers), along with safety experts, outside plant op-
erations workers and supervisors, fleet operations managers…
anyone who had a say in how this was done.” The L&D ex-
perts worked in teams of two, consulting with subject matter
experts (SMEs) as needed.
“After 24 hours, the teams made their initial presentations,”
Sunderman says. “After 48 hours, they delivered prototypes.
If their section taught people to operate a chainsaw, for ex-
ample, that team would go out to see firsthand what lesson it
was trying to get across and perhaps film the experience.” That
hands-on experience and immediate access to SMEs helped
ensure L&D team members had command of the technical
Before developing the OPT Groom construction maintenance
training program, the Verizon L&D team assembled every piece of
hardware and equipment the learners would work with in the field—
chainsaws, construction clamps, pole pullers, etc. This ensured
course developers could see and handle the equipment themselves.
training MARCH/APRIL 2018 | 35
CHOOSING THE RIGHT AGILE STRATEGY
terms and also enabled rapid course corrections from the oth-
er disciplines in the room.
Daily presentations enhanced continuity from module to
module, too. What stood out most, Sunderman says, was

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ations and feedback. “A SME might say, ‘Here’s how to do
this,’ but the Safety department would say, ‘No,’ and show
a different method. Together, they’d develop a safe solution

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that worked in the real world.”
The last 30 minutes of each day was devoted to preparing for
tomorrow. This involving planning for any adjustments and
ensuring each team had the time and tools it needed.

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Throughout the week-long development cycle, the project


manager used a Kanban board to track workflow. “That way,
we knew which team would be ready next for a particular
SME or for a review,” Sunderman says.
One of Sunderman’s lessons learned is to pay attention

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mon template, you’ll save yourself work on the back end,” he
says. This will help the modules flow together. He also ad-

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vises considering which devices learners will use to view the
content. The construction maintenance team worked from
tablets in the field, so that was the technology platform the
development team used.
For any Agile approach to work optimally, have the right
people on site. “Some SMEs want to phone in comments. That
only works if they’re ready at the moment they’re needed and
have good video access,” Sunderman says. Otherwise, reviews
take longer and the creative spark wanes.
In addition to SMEs and the L&D team, he also advises
having a strong flow manager on site. This person’s role is to
keep the development teams on track and coax the groups
that want to do more—and there’s always one, he says—to
share their work.
Throughout the week-long development cycle of
Verizon’s OPT Groom construction maintenance
training program, the project manager used a
Kanban board to track workflow.
36 | MARCH/APRIL 2018 training
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Preparing the Agile Mindset
“The biggest issue for any Agile approach is the mental
preparation of the company,” Lopes says. This involves a
willingness to change, and to trade a certain amount of bu-
reaucracy for rapid, responsive development.
Transitioning from a sequential waterfall approach to Agile
can be challenging, particularly for project managers, Ambler
adds. “They like predictability, but Agile is very flexible.” To
embrace the rapid iterations such flexibility enables, they must
be able to sever themselves from the overburden of bureaucracy.
Some find this threatening, he says.
To help with the transition, Lopes advises defining the early
requirements thoroughly while maintaining flexibility
for them to evolve as the understanding of the project,
market conditions, or priorities change. Developing the
requirements just before each new iteration allows the
project to evolve despite changing circumstances. “The
main principle is to embrace change,” Lopes stresses.
Ultimately, the choice of an Agile framework is less
important than the use of one. When making your se-
lection, choose a framework that seems to fit your goals.
Then modify it as needed, blending the best aspects of
multiple methods, as well as best practices and your
own experience. When you do this, you will have an
Agile framework that’s effective and efficient for your
specific needs. The key element, which all Agile frame-
works boast, is that whatever method you use supports
the development of multiple iterations and constant
evaluations in a short timeframe. Qt
For more information on Agile methods, read the Training Top 10
Hall of Fame white paper, “Turning on a Dime with Agile Learning
Design,” at: http://whitepapers.lakewoodmediagroup.net/
content/turning-dime-agile-learning-design
www.trainingmag.com
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 5Ways
In-House L&D Pros
Can Become More
Entrepreneurial
By prioritizing your internal clients’
needs, wants, and demands, you
can position yourself as
an indispensable in-house
training professional.
BY SCOTT McKINNEY

he 21st century work- In the face of shorter job tenures and increased outsourcing, how can

T force is becoming more
temporary and fluid:
Forbes predicts that 34
percent of workers will
freelance by 2020, and 91 percent
of Millennials expect to stay in a
job for less than three years.
internal Learning and Development (L&D) professionals stay valuable
and competitive? Here are five tips from external training consultants
for how to remain indispensable to your internal training clients.
1. See yourself as an internal consultant, rather than as an
employee. Develop the mental traits of a successful entrepre-
neur, advises Dr. Richard MacKinnon, occupational psychologist and
managing director at WorkLifePsych. Focus on maximizing the benefit
you bring to your internal clients, while minimizing your use of time,
money, or other company resources. “The easier thing for L&D pros

38 | MARCH/APRIL 2018 training www.trainingmag.com

is to adjust their mindset,” Dr. MacKinnon says. “It doesn’t
require a formal change to their job or responsibilities.”
Employees think of their job like a checklist: Show up, fin-
ish the tasks in their job description, then clock out when it’s
done. This is not enough in today’s world. It’s better to start
seeing your job description as a starting point or guideline
for your role in your organization, but focus on the needs,
wants, and desires of other departments. A good way to start
acting like an internal consultant is to quit being an order
taker, and start becoming proactive.
2. Ask questions and seek out problems, instead
of simply taking orders. It’s tempting to simply de-
liver on requests other departments make, but in order to
become like an internal consultant, you’ll need to be more
proactive in handling orders. “The line manager often sends
a first request for training, and there is
always a pressure to go with that, but
it’s better to ask questions,” says Dr.
MacKinnon. “Ask, ‘Why?’ See if you
Start seeing your job
can find a solution that is better. It’s description as a starting point
more useful to ask what problems we’re
trying to solve, over simply taking an
or guideline for your role in
order for a training.” your organization, but focus
Instead of waiting for orders, go a step on the needs, wants, and
further and actively seek out pain points
your clients face. “You need to provide
desires of other departments.
programs that are relevant to what your
internal clients struggle with,” says
Dan Markin, leadership consultant and CEO at The Dan
Markin Company. “When I market to a client, I’m trying to
demonstrate my relevance and my expertise. Internal L&D
professionals need to do the same thing.”
Start by asking about pain points your clients experience.
Try to find solutions to problems you can help them with,
then outline a training program specifically addressed to
these. Use checkpoints that address each issue, then interact
with the internal client as you develop the training program
so you can customize it—in real time—for their needs.
“This allows you to build a program in a timeframe that’s
current—then sell it back to the internal client,” Markin
says. Reiterate the issues you uncovered, and show how your
program addresses each pain point.
3. Build credibility by being a good role model.
Have you ever delivered a training program, only to
be telling your coworkers to do things you don’t do yourself?
One of Markin’s key advantages, in his opinion, is that his
trainees only know him in the context of the training: They
don’t see him every day and know him in that context, so
they can focus on the actual content of the training.
“It’s a little harder for internal consultants because their clients
interact with them every day and form an opinion,” Markin
says. “The advantage I have as an outside consultant is they only
know me in the context of the training.” If your internal clients
have a good opinion of you, it will help your training, but if, for
example, you are a customer service trainer, and you talk about
being responsive, but other departments e-mail you 500 times
and get no response, it makes it hard to stay credible.
www.trainingmag.com
This applies to a variety of behaviors, not just responsiveness.
Conflict management, ethics, anything that allows a person
to form a negative opinion can hinder his or her training,
says Markin. The solution? Make sure your behaviors out-
side of the training context are congruent with what you
want to convey to your internal clients.
4. Look outside your industry for new paradigms.
Companies spent an estimated $93.6 billion on train-
ing in 2017, according to Training magazine’s 2017 Training
Industry Report, yet only 30 percent of these initiatives re-
turned a positive ROI, according to Jason Forrest, CEO and
chief culture officer of Forrest Performance Group, an Inc.
5000 fastest-growing company two years in a row. The solu-
tion? “When a Training department has a problem, don’t look
at what other training organizations are doing,” Forrest
says. “Instead, ask yourself what other industry has been in
this situation, and how did they handle it?”
He notes that his company is part of the 30 percent
that are succeeding because he didn’t study other train-
ing methods that are failing. Rather, he studied models
that are working, such as the 12-step behavioral change
program for alcohol abuse, and coaching strategies from
the world’s greatest sports coaches. He then used these as
models for his own training programs.
5. Take full ownership of training outcomes. Many
trainers make the mistake of thinking some employ-
ees are going to get it, some won’t, and some aren’t capable
of getting it. “They can’t think that way,” Forrest says. “It’s
important for trainees to see that it’s up to them to figure out
how to help the students get it. Trainers should see everyone as
being enough.”
As an external trainer with monthly contracts open to
cancellation, Forrest has to perform consistently to avoid
being fired. If his team does not perform, or delivers irrel-
evant training, his clients won’t pay for it. Internal trainers
can follow the same lead by taking full ownership of out-
comes from every learner. “The company does not need
training for the sake of training,” Forrest says. “They need
training to achieve the outcomes they desire, to fulfill their
overall mission.”
By prioritizing your internal clients’ needs, wants, and de-
mands, and adopting the habits of successful entrepreneurs,
you, too, can position yourself for a successful career as an
in-house training professional.
training MARCH/APRIL 2018 | 39
GOLD SHOW SPONSORS DRUM KICKOFF SPONSOR INNOVATIONS IN TRAINING SPONSORS

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TOP 125 BLACK-TIE GALA SPONSORS

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 TRAINING
TRAINING 2018 WRAP-UP
2017 SHOW
Attendees drew energy from the blue waters SHOW
of San Diego Harbor and made their own
waves during the keynote session (below).
WRAP-UP

Training
in Hotlanta
The Training 2018 Conference & Expo ignites participants’ passion
for learning and making connections. BY LORRI FREIFELD

A
few days of rain did not dampen the enthusiasm of the 2,000
Learning and Development (L&D) professionals who attended the
Training 2018 Conference & Expo held February 12-14 in Atlanta.
Indeed, the passion for learning burned brighter than the sun ever could.
From the fierce competition during the Not-So-Trivial Pursuit
Opening Reception to the hands-on Training Technology Test Kitchen
demos, Sewa Beats drum
session, Lightning Shares, and
Second City Works improv
workouts, attendees gave it
their all. They gained insights
from five game-changing
keynoters, including a special
creative performance by dance
troupe Pilobolus (see p. 42 for
keynote quotes). They
increased their knowledge and skills in
100-plus breakout sessions, 11 certificate
programs, 16 hands-on clinics, and 23
sponsored sessions. They found out
about the latest and greatest products
and services from nearly 100 exhibitors in
the Expo Hall. Last but not least, Training
2018 featured a brand new leadership
track and another full-day special event in
partnership with Duke Corporate Education, then continued on for
two more days with the Innovations in Training event.
Keynoter and Jeopardy! champ Bob Harris shared his secret for
retaining copious amounts of knowledge (think review, renew, and
reward). Hopefully, Training 2018 attendees will spread those tips
and others gained at the event throughout their organizations and
keep the learning fires burning hotter than ever.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY PATRICE ARGANT

www.trainingmag.com training MARCH/APRIL 2018 | 41
TRAINING 2018
KEYNOTE “Like manyy organizational
QUOTES employees, dancers are
SHOW WRAP-UP trained for compliance,
conformity, and precision.
Butt we actuallyy are more
intere
rested in curiosity,
empathy, and agility.”
—Itamar Kubovy, Executive
Producer, Pilobolus

Attendees kicked
off the first keynote
session with a wave.

“We are att the dawn

off the second age of
audio Audio is good
audio.
att th
three thi
things iin
particular: narrative,
“Our data is connected to honestt emotion,
the people around us. The and empathy.”
question is: Howw do you —Alex Blumberg, CEO and
Co-Founder, Gimlett Media
gett people to consider their
relationship with their data?”
—Mimi Onuoha, New w Media
Artistt and Researcher

“The mostt beautiful

wayy to connectt with
someone is to show
them yourK
Ke scars.”
Keynote
eyynnnote
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emc
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“Your brain is always on Record, —Jayy Williams,
An
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beettwe
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weeen
die.”—Bob Harris, Author, “Prisoner of ssp
pe eaakke
speakers. ersrs.
Trebekistan: A Decade in Jeopardy!”

42 | MARCH/APRIL 2018 training www.trainingmag.com

 TRAINING 2018
These attendees earned first place
in the trivia contest, proving once
LEARNING
LLE
EARNING
again that Training Matters! MOMENTS
M OMENTS
MEENTS
SSHOW
SH
HHOOW
OW WRAP-UP
WRAP-
RAPP-- UUPP
RA

Attendees at the Not-So-Trivial

Pursuit Opening Reception
show their Gangnam Style.

Dance troupe Pilobolus

performs “Transformation” Drummers from
and then flips to the front of Sewa Beats lead
the screen (right) to show attendees down to
attendees how it’s done. the Expo Floor.
It’s all about the booths as
attendees hit the Expo Floor to
find out about the latest training
products and services.

An attendee takes a
Warming up the crowd for virtual reality spin in the
some Second City Works Training Technology
improv at the Expo Stage. Test Kitchen.
These attendees are Lunch is the perfect time
on the same page to compare notes and
when it comes to make new connections.
books on training.

Training Top 10 Hall

of Famers Debra Fine
(Capital BlueCross),
Candace Haynes
(PwC), and Catherine A view from the
Rickelman (IBM) take simulator cockpit
the stage for a Town at Delta during
Hall on Leadership. Innovations in Training.

www.trainingmag.com training MARCH/APRIL 2018 | 43

TRAINING 2018
BP/OTI & ETL
AWARD WINNERS
SHOW WRAP-UP

BP/OTI & ETL AWARD WINNERS

Training recognized innovative and successful
learning and development programs and
practices utilized by the 2018 Training Top
125 winners. Best Practice and Outstanding
Training Initiative winners received crystal awards
during a ceremony on the Expo Stage and were
congratulated by Training Top 10 Hall of Famers
Robin Renschen of McCarthy Building Companies
and Stacia Thompson of Keller Williams Realty.
The winners are:
BEST PRACTICES Anthem Inc. for Flipped Edward Jones for
Anthem Inc.: Flipped Classroom Strategy Classroom Strategy Insurance Partnership
Edward Jones: Insurance Partnership
Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company:
My Health Learning Initiative
Smith & Nephew: Integrity Selling
WellSpan Health: New Employee Orientation
OUTSTANDING TRAINING INITIATIVES
Best Buy: In-Home Advisor
Hagerty: Automotive Enthusiast Certification
Iron Mountain: Driver Growth and Revenue
Program
Pacific Gas & Electric: Becker Valve Operator
3-D Simulator
Wequassett Resort and Golf Club: Star Coach Nationwide Mutual Insurance
Company for My Health Smith & Nephew
Learning Initiative for Integrity Selling

Hagerty for
WellSpan Health Automotive Iron Mountain for
for New Employee Best Buy for Enthusiast Driver Growth and
Orientation In-Home Advisor Certification Revenue Program

2017 Emerging Training Leaders Fourteen of the 25 2017 Emerging Training

Pacific Gas & Electric
for Becker Valve
Operator 3-D Simulator
Leaders attended an awards ceremony held on the Expo Stage. The Emerging Training
Leader awards program highlights training professionals who are relatively new to the
Wequassett Resort field (minimum of two years and maximum of 10 years) and who have demonstrated
and Golf Club for exceptional leadership skills, business savvy, and training instincts. To read about the
Star Coach winners, visit: http://bit.ly/2017ETL

44 | MARCH/APRIL 2018 training www.trainingmag.com

 TRAINING 2018
TRAINING TOP
125 GALA
SHOW WRAP-UP
THE BIG REVEAL
The 2018 Training Top 125 rankings were unmasked
during the Masquerade Ball held February 12 during the
Training 2018 Conference & Expo at the Georgia World
Congress Center in Atlanta, GA.
Attended by nearly 600 Training Top 125 representa-
tives and Training Top 10 Hall of Famers, the black-tie
gala was sponsored by Brella Learning (which produced
the gala), Pelucida (crystal award provider), Seiko (official
timekeeper and provider of keepsake watches and the
commemorative clock for the No. 1 winner), and the
Training Top 10 Hall of Fame. A special performance by
dance troupe Pilobolus wowed the crowd.
Leading Real Estate Companies of the World nabbed
the No. 1 listing on the 2018 Training Top 125. New York
Community Bancorp and BNSF Railway Company retained Putting the
their spots, No. 2 and No. 4, respectively. Sonic mask in
masquerade.
Automotive moved up to No. 3. Dollar General Corpora-
tion rounded out the Top 5 for the first time. Some 31 Crystal Top
new companies broke into the Top 125 this year. 125 awards
During the gala, Training inducted Blue Cross Blue Shield add sparkle to
the gala.
of Michigan and Keller Williams Realty, Inc., into the Training
Top 10 Hall of Fame after they ranked in the Top 10 of the
Training Top 125 companies for four consecutive years.
Earlier in the day, Training Top 125 Best Practices and
Outstanding Training Initiative award winners received
crystal trophies during a ceremony on the Expo Stage
(see opposite page).

Two organizations, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan An air of intrigue pervades
and Keller Williams Realty, Inc. (bottom), are inducted the ballroom right before the
into the Training Top 10 Hall of Fame. Masquerade Ball begins.

Training Top 10 Hall of Famers raise their glasses

in a toast to the 2018 Top 125 winners.

www.trainingmag.com training MARCH/APRIL 2018 | 45

TRAINING 2018
TRAINING TOP
125 GALA
SHOW
SSH
HOOW
HOWW WRAP-UP

Top 125ers enjoy

drinks during the Top 125ers
cocktail hour before move to the music
the rankings are of The After Party
revealed. Experience.

A Top 125er at this

table rocks her mask.

Dance troupe
Pilobolus shows
the results of its
training with this
artistic performance.

Paying homage to the

Training Top 125 award,
proof of months of hard work.

46 | MARCH/APRIL 2018 training www.trainingmag.com

 TRAINING 2018
TRAINING TOP
125
25 GGALA
12 ALA
SHOW
SHO
OOW
W WRAP-UP
WRRAAP-UP

Dollar General BNSF Railway

Corporation breaks into stays on track
the Top 5 at No. 5. at No. 4.

Sonic Automotive, New York Community

Inc., accelerates Bancorp, Inc., takes
into the No. 3 slot. the No. 2 spot.

Leading Real Estate Representatives of Sanofi (China)

Companies of the Investment Co., LTD., traveled from China
World notches No. 1, to receive their Top 125 award from
earning a keepsake Training Publisher Mike Murrell and
clock from Seiko. Editor Lorri Freifeld (right).

www.trainingmag.com training MARCH/APRIL 2018 | 47

L&D Best Practices
STRATEGIES
FOR SUCCESS
Training magazine taps 2018 Training Top 125 winners and Top
10 Hall of Famers to provide their learning and development best
practices in each issue. Here, we look at how Penn Station East
Coast Subs drafts a training program and how Windham Professionals
creates employee satisfaction.
The Fundamentals of Drafting a Training Program
By Lance Vaught, Vice President, Operations, Penn Station East Coast Subs
T
oday’s competitive work environment has made hiring
more difficult than ever. As a result, developing and
implementing an effective training program is more
important than ever. It is critical to train employees
correctly the first time around, and a well-designed and specifi-
cally followed training program is key in achieving that goal.
Create a Training Identity
Creating a training program requires thought, patience, and
measurement to ensure the program is working. It should be
proactive and carry the goals of the organization throughout
all parts of the business. Once you have created your train-
ing program’s identity, you can focus on the fundamentals
and specifics of the program.
While each position or department should have a unique set
of training materials, the fundamentals of the learning process
should be the same throughout the training program. Training
is a conditioning process, so consistency is key. For example,
at Penn Station, everything the Operations and Training depart-
ment produces uses the same style and tools—down to specific
details such as consistent use of brand vernacular, font, spacing,
and margins. This way, once learners adapt to our style, we
don’t have to reteach them how to learn with each initiative. Our
approach to training is the same no matter if it is food prep for
a new hourly employee or management skills for a managing
owner. Consistency in all areas of training is paramount.
Analyze Relevant Information
Often when designing training programs, trainers want to
cover too much information for the task at hand. Only include
48 | MARCH/APRIL 2018 training
information that is relevant to each task. Information overload
—particularly information that doesn’t allow the trainee to
be successful—simply gets in the way of effective training.
Don’t waste time on information that is not applicable to the
current training initiative. Instead, narrowly focus on informa-
tion that is relevant to the specific tasks the employees will be
responsible for. We take the approach of creating a series of
modules that introduce the trainee to compacted information
pieces that are quickly read or observed and easily retained.
Decide How to Deliver Information
Before creating any materials or tests, you must decide the
best way to deliver the information to trainees. Using multiple
methods can help ensure you are effectively communicating.
It is important to accommodate the different ways people
learn to help all employees succeed. Some trainees are visual,
while others simply want it explained verbally. There is no
one-size-fits-all when it comes to training employees.
For example, Penn Station’s training program has evolved to
a more holistic approach in the last few years as our trainees’
preferred learning style has evolved. Penn Station uses differ-
ent materials and methods for training so all learning styles
are accommodated. Employees read from the operations
manual, practice with a supervisor, and watch videos. Using
multiple strategies is the best way to reach all trainees, but it
is critical to ensure the message is consistent throughout the
different training materials.
Delivering information also should be a process. Instead
of a fire hose method where you drown a new employee in
information and expect 100 percent retention, use a sprinkler
www.trainingmag.com
method. Constantly water employees with information over
the course of the training program, allowing them time to
absorb it. Information retention increases by 90 percent if
an employee is exposed to the same idea or initiative three
times over a 30-day period, so the sprinkler method is much
more effective.
Follow Up to Make Sure
Information Is Retained
Without evaluating performance, you will have no way of
knowing if your training program is successful. Similar to
using multiple teaching styles to deliver the information,
multiple testing methods will make sure all employees have
a chance to show they have retained the information. For
example, Penn Station uses written tests and live demonstra-
tions to evaluate employees.
Testing also should be different than it is in school. Instead of
simply requiring a passing grade or looking to see how much
learners know, you need to know what—specifically—learners
do not know. If they didn’t retain some information, it needs
to be positioned differently or they need to be retrained. If one
area is commonly missed, look back at how you are presenting
the information or the way the question on the test is asked.
A common mistake in creating a training program is disregard-
ing feedback. Broaden your expectations and make sure you
are open minded in assessing the program itself. Sometimes
instead of being a problem with the learner, a policy is written
unclearly, information isn’t positioned in a way that is easy to
retain, or a question is written poorly.
Constantly Evaluate Your Program
Once a training program is in place, it needs to be constantly
studied. Just as your business is always changing, your
training program will need to change, too. For example, Penn
Creating Employee Satisfaction
By Tracy L. Ward, Senior Director, Talent Engagement, Windham Professionals
W
e all define employee engagement and
workplace happiness differently. Career
growth and mobility, employee apprecia-
tion and recognition, environment, culture,
professional development, and pay all factor into employee
satisfaction and retention. At Windham Professionals, a
leading customer care and accounts receivable manage-
ment company, this quest for more engaged and even
happier employees led to the creation of our most popular
employee engagement initiative: Dream Maker. This
www.trainingmag.com
Station assesses the information we are passing on to see
if there is new information trainees need. If the business
model changes in some way, we draft new questions to test
employees on that new information.
Don’t let the program stagnate, but also don’t update it just
for the sake of updating it. When Penn Station first created
our training program, we were constantly updating it in an
effort to maintain relevance. Over time, we learned that it
is much more effective to roll out all of your changes at the
same time once a year unless something critical comes up.
This way, employees know when to expect updates and the
adjustments don’t become white noise.
Results from Establishing a Training Program
Since Penn Station has implemented its training program,
we are constantly evaluating it to make sure it is effective,
and our results show success. Our managing owner and
general manager training programs prepare candidates for all
aspects of the business through a three- or four-week course
and two-day certification process. Since implementing the
program, restaurants with a certified managing owner or
general manager have seen sales growth of more than 15
percent. Penn Station also saw a 2.1 percent improvement in
final exam scores for these programs.
In addition, the onboarding part of Penn Station’s training
program has been updated to include print media, electronic
media, video, and gamification strategies. It has reduced
turnover levels on both management and hourly employee
tiers, which average 18 percent below industry standards.
Training often is viewed as an expense instead of an invest-
ment, but a well-trained employee is a great investment.
Creating an effective training program is a time-consuming
process, but it benefits all aspects of the business to be
successful at training.
voluntary six-month financial coaching program provides the
tools, resources, and experts to educate employees on how
to spend and save their money more wisely while helping
them reach their financial goals.
Not only does the program show employees that Windham
cares, but the benefits of financial security have the potential
to positively impact employee retention and productivity. With
fewer personal burdens to carry into work, account specialists
who participate in Dream Maker may be more focused on job
performance.
training MARCH/APRIL 2018 | 49
L&D Best Practices
Small Pilot Leads to Increased
Performance for Employees
In August 2015, Windham launched Dream Maker as a pilot
program in our Hendersonville, TN, office, which included 38
voluntary participants who were all account specialists. As
the pilot progressed, not only did the participants seem more
energized and motivated, but also less worried about their
finances and achieving their financial goals, allowing them to
focus more at work. By feeling more secure with their own
finances, participants reported they could discuss consumers’
financial accounts with more confidence.
Along with this positivity, we began to see improved perfor-
mance and decreased attrition. Performance bonuses tripled
for 78 percent of the participants during the six-month pilot.
Some 71 percent of pilot participants also saw an increase
in accomplishing critical tasks that help them meet or exceed
pre-set goals. These accomplishments can allow for bonus,
as well. Combined, these results are indicators that partici-
pating employees are better situated to assist consumers.
Establishing the Program Company-wide
The results justified the expansion of the program to all four
Windham locations by February 2016. Since that time, the
program has had 138 participants, with 93 of them graduat-
ing. Graduates of the program have become ambassadors,
increasing the popularity of the program to the point where
there is now a waiting list to join the next cycle. The rate of
employee retention for Dream Maker participants has grown to
nearly 70 percent.
How Dream Maker Works
The program is rigorous and multifaceted. Participants volunteer
and are selected based on identified internal eligibility require-
ments such as employee tenure of at least 90 days. Participants
are accepted from account specialist to senior director level.
Each participant is assigned a financial coach who provides
guidance around budget management, credit management,
interest rates, components of credit scoring, and strategies for
saving. This coach also helps employees set SMART (Specific,
Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-bound) financial
goals. Goal progress is reviewed bi-weekly in one-to-one
sessions with the counselor, and next steps are laid out. Partici-
pants also must complete a minimum of two financial education
modules via Financial Avenue, an online financial education
platform, to reinforce the concepts of making well-informed
financial decisions and the importance of thinking ahead, as well
as building self-confidence.
Lessons Learned
As with any new program, reflecting back can lead to some
thoughts for improvements. One of the biggest hurdles faced
50 | MARCH/APRIL 2018 training
was getting buy-in from employees. It sometimes can be dif-
ficult to share their personal goals and current situations with
the financial coach, as it’s not always easy to admit when
you need help, especially when it comes to finances, so it’s
understandable that many initially were skeptical about the
program’s intent and outcomes.
The program is designed to communicate results to
employees both during and after the program with a recogni-
tion ceremony at month three and a graduation celebration
that affords them the opportunity to share their lessons
learned and successes. Advertising the successes with real
numbers have helped skeptics see value. When someone just
like you has increased their credit score to 800 or paid down
their debt in a matter of months, you definitely start to ask
yourself, “Why not me?”
With two years of Dream Maker success under our belt, we
offer advice for companies seeking to create a similar program:
First, outline the key components of success that you know
are essential for your employees’ financial wellness and
schedule orientation sessions to educate them on expecta-
tions. Customize the program to fit your employee base.
Second, onboard a certified financial coach independent of
the company to ensure accurate information and counseling
for participants. Having an expert on hand also will increase
employees’ confidence in the program. Be sure to allow and
encourage participants to spend some time with the program
at work, as well, not only for completing coursework and
meeting with the coach, but for celebrations, too.
Finally, leadership support is a must. When employees are
supported by their managers and site leaders, it increases
motivation and follow through to achieve those big results
you and your employees want.
Results
In 2016, eight Dream Maker participants received promo-
tions. Over the last year, seven employees purchased new
homes during the program or shortly thereafter, and more
than 20 employees increased their credit scores above 700,
with three of them attaining 800. Other accomplishments
from the program range from eliminating or paying down debt
to lowering interest rates on loans to increasing savings and
establishing emergency funds.
The positive impact on day-to-day job soft skills should not
be discounted. To succeed at Dream Maker, participants have
to set clear goals, create the steps to success, and follow
through on the plan. We’re showing employees how to hold
themselves accountable and persist when things get difficult.
Heading into 2018, Dream Maker plans to welcome ap-
proximately 50 new participants, and Windham continues to
evolve the program in conjunction with employees’ needs and
financial goals. Qtt
www.trainingmag.com
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 OUTSTANDING
TRAINING INITIATIVES
Each year Training magazine requires all Training Top 10 Hall of Famers to submit an
Outstanding Training Initiative that is shared with our readers in a print issue. Here are
the details of Capital BlueCross’ Consultative Training with Insights and PwC’s Project
Management Foundations for Assurance adaptive e-learning.
Capital BlueCross: Consultative
Training with Insights
S
ales training and sales effectiveness has become
a cornerstone of Capital BlueCross’ strategy to
increase revenues and drive efficiency. In 2015,
the volatile health-care marketplace made it clear
that Capital BlueCross needed to overhaul its sales ap-
proach in order to thrive. Brands that remain static are at
risk of becoming irrelevant or stagnated.
The organization’s new sales strategy reflects a paradigm
shift from a commodity-centric approach to a customer-
centric approach that has transformed what customers
previously knew as a health plan into a health experience.
Program Details
In crafting the new Consultative Training with Insights
program, Capital BlueCross used various assessments to
obtain feedback on the organization’s current climate on
sales techniques (individual skill sets) and performance/
effectiveness (organizational factors) that affect sales
performance. The assessment process included:
t
Sales Approach Assessment: Assessed how the sales
team currently is selling and what techniques they are
using, as well as determined the new/future focus sales
reps need to be using to successfully meet organizational
goals.
t
Sales Performance “Health Check” Assessment:
Focused on the sales organization’s effectiveness in nine
areas with each topic or skill ranked by the degree of
importance to the success of the sales organization.
Based upon the final results and analysis, Capital BlueCross
identified Richardson as the right partner to build the core
fundamentals of its new sales approach. To date, the training
has primarily been instructor-led, with a mix of pre- and post-
52 | MARCH/APRIL 2018 training
online assessments and mobile reinforcement post-training.
The training was delivered to 200-plus employees across
all sales segments within Capital BlueCross (Commercial,
Medicare, Individual, Retail, and Ancillary). Sales leaders also
participated in the training in conjunction with their teams.
During the first year, sales teams participated in a two-day
Consultative Selling Skills with Insights program to build
better dialogue skills and half-day Negotiation (Closing
the Deal) and full-day Sales Presentations workshops to
reinforce core selling skills. To supplement the fundamental
skill development, Capital BlueCross developed a sales
and sales management process to build accountability in
alignment with salesforce.com. These processes provided
the organization with verifiable outcomes supporting funnel
management and coaching dialogues.
In year two, Capital BlueCross introduced the two-day
High Performance Selling session to help teams link dialogue
skills, sales process, and opportunity strategies in their
day-to-day activities, and the high-level half-day workshop,
Consultative Negotiations, to enhance capabilities.
This year, Capital BlueCross will roll out a blended learning
platform to sustain the learning strategy, keep sellers en-
gaged in the field, and transition to a level of mastery. There
will be a combination of gamification, video-based learning
scenarios, and social elements that will help sales reps feel
confident in applying new behaviors immediately in the field.
Reinforcement of the training includes online assessments,
Richardson QuickCheck (a mobile reinforcement tool),
team huddles and insight meetings, coaching sessions, and
quarterly skill reinforcement (based on assessment results,
leaders select topics to present as “leader as teacher”
sessions).
www.trainingmag.com
 Results t
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www.trainingmag.com training MARCH/APRIL 2018 | 53

 best practices
Micro-Aggressions and
Phubbing in the Age of FoMO
Neal Goodman,
Ph.D., is president
of Global Dynamics,
Inc., a training
and development
firm specializing in
globalization, cultural
MAILSDURINGA
intelligence, effective
virtual workplaces,
and diversity and
inclusion. He can
be reached at
305.682.7883 and
at ngoodman@global-
dynamics.com. For
more information, visit
Phubbing (phone snubbing) has been identified as one of the most common forms
of unconscious bias in today’s workplace and society due to the fear of missing out
on important information from our social networks. BY NEAL GOODMAN, PH.D.
T
he need for diversity training focusing
on overt forms of bias in the workplace
has almost been eliminated due to so-
cial pressure and legal statute. The focus
of diversity training now has turned to systemic
organizational processes and social interactions.
Micro-aggressions, a form of unconscious bias, re-
main a significant problem that directly influences
employee engagement, morale, and retention.
Diversity training now is focusing on how to
eliminate micro-aggressions at work (https://www.
fastcompany.com/3068670/how-to-shut-down-
microagressions-at-work).
One particular form of micro-aggressions,
phubbing (phone snubbing), has been identi-
fied as one of the most common and insidious
forms of unconscious bias. Phubbing increasing-
ly has become a social issue in today’s workplace
and society due to FoMO (the fear of missing out
on important information from our social net-
works). Training programs that address these
current issues effectively can improve a sense of
belonging and inclusion, especially for those who
may already feel disrespected, powerless, and dis-
engaged at work.
Chances are good that everyone has observed
micro-aggressions at work. Micro-aggressions
gender, disability, sexual orientation, ethnicity,
or appearance. They are deeply rooted in the sub-
conscious, so much so that the offender may not
even be aware of the bias or its expression. Micro-
aggressions can take the form of body language,
tone of voice, facial expressions, or word choice.
EXAMPLES OF MICRO-
AGGRESSIONS AT WORK
s #ONSTANTLYINTERRUPTINGSOMEONEWHILETHEY
are speaking
s -ISTAKENLYLEAVINGNAMESOFFALIST
s 2EFERRINGTOSOMEONEBYTHEWRONGNAME
s 2EPEATEDLYMISPRONOUNCINGSOMEONESNAME
or misspelling it
s ,EAVINGSOMEONEOUTOFADISCUSSIONORA
project
s 2EADINGSENDINGE
conversation
s ,OOKINGATYOURWATCHWHENSOMEONEIS
speaking
s .OTINTRODUCINGSOMEONEINAMEETING
s !VOIDINGEYECONTACT
s 2OLLINGYOUREYES
s #UTTINGDOWNIDEASBEFORETHEYCANBE
entertained
s #HANGEINBODYPOSTUREBODYLANGUAGE
are barely noticeable tiny expressions of a deep- s #HANGEINVOICEPITCHVOLUMEORRATE
http://www.global-
dynamics.com.
Micro-aggressions, a form of
unconscious bias, remain a
significant problem that directly
influences employee engagement,
morale, and retention.
seated (and often, unintentional) bias against
someone else based on something that is core
to their identity, such as their race, religion, age,
54 | M A RC H /A P R I L 2 0 1 8 training
s&AKEMASKEDORFORCEDSMILES
Have you ever approached your
manager and he or she addresses you
while looking at his or her cell phone?
How does it feel? What can the im-
pact be, especially when it seems to
be one more example of disrespect
you are feeling? Drop by drop, each
micro-aggression adds up.
!NY ONE SLIGHT MAY SEEM MI-
nor, but since small imbalances
and disadvantages accrue, they can have major
consequences in terms of an employee’s feel-
ing of belonging. The cumulative impact of
www.trainingmag.com
micro-aggressions on groups who already feel
ignored, disrespected, and powerless can be sub-
stantial. As one attendee in a micro-aggressions
class explained, “Mountains are molehills piled
on top of each other.”
PHUBBING AND ITS CONSEQUENCES
A major scientific study on phubbing describes
the growth of this trend and its consequences
at work and socially (http://www.sciencedirect.
com/science/article/pii/S0747563216303454). In
another study, titled “Put Down Your Phone
and Listen to Me: How boss phubbing under-
mines the psychological conditions necessary
for employee engagement,” Baylor Universi-
ty professors James A. Roberts and Meredith
E. David report that as a result of “boss phub-
bing,” employees expressed less trust in their
manager. Phubbed employees were less likely to
feel they could trust their “supervisor to keep
the promises he or she makes” or trust their
“supervisor will treat them fairly.” This lack of
trust led phubbed individuals to be less psycho-
logically available to perform their jobs since
they felt they did not have adequate managerial
support, tools, or information.
This study demonstrates that a phubbed em-
ployee’s psychological safety also is
imperiled by such behavior. These em-
ployees were less confident that they
could reveal their true selves without
Those who suffer from micro-
fear of negatively affecting their sense of aggressions often suffer in silence,
self-worth, job security, or career path.
Furthermore, phubbed employees were while those who commit the
less satisfied with opportunities avail-
able for their advancement and less loyal
micro-aggressions may have no
and proud of their organization overall. idea they are being disrespectful.
The end result of micro-aggressions
and phubbing is lower levels of job
satisfaction and self-reported job performance.
Boss-phubbed employees rated their job perfor-
mance lower than fellow employees who reported
lower levels of boss phubbing.
FOMO, GENERATIONAL,
AND GENDER DIFFERENCES
FoMO, which includes the fears, worries, and anx-
ieties people may have in relation to being in (or
out of) touch with the events, experiences, and
conversations happening across their extended so-
cial circles has been found to be associated with
persistent mobile phone overuse. Generational
differences in mobile phone overuse contribute to
different norms in phubbing and feelings of being
www.trainingmag.com
excluded at work. Additionally, men differ from
women in that they view phone call interruptions
as more appropriate in virtually all environments.
This male/female dynamic exacerbates any exist-
ing inequity between male bosses and their female
peers or subordinates.
HOW TRAINING REDUCES
MICRO-AGGRESSIONS AND PHUBBING
Awareness is the only way to reduce and
prevent phubbing and other forms of
micro-aggressions. We often are unaware of our
micro-aggressions, even though those we of-
fend can be very conscious of the situation. Due
to inequities of power, those who suffer from
micro-aggressions often suffer in silence, while
those who commit the micro-aggressions may
have no idea they are being disrespectful.
Training in a safe environment with a sensitive
and experienced facilitator can result in quick,
impactful results and many “aha moments.”
Such training, which should be done in person,
brings the unconscious to the conscious level
for all.
The most effective training approach com-
bines assessments, group discussions, videos,
and simulations. The simulations and follow-
up discussions are particularly useful if you have
several levels of employees in the same room
who represent the diversity of the workforce.
Participants can practice how to respond to
micro-aggressions directed at them and others,
while those committing micro-aggressions learn
to become more mindful, and practice how to ask
for forgiveness and learn from their mistakes. Iron-
ically, the mobile phone—which has improved
communication—has become a ubiquitous tool for
exclusion, as well.
Please share your experiences and insights re-
garding micro-aggressions and phubbing with me at
ngoodman@global-dynamics.com for possible use in
a follow-up column. Q
t
training MARCH/APRIL 2018 | 55
 learning matters

Navigating Complexity:
It’s NOT Complicated
When navigating complexity, leaders need to reframe what they see,
rewire how they think, and reconfigure what they do. BY TONY O’DRISCOLL

A
s the connectedness and complexity of
an organization’s operating environment
increases exponentially, its ability to accu-
rately predict outcomes and anticipate disruptive
shifts plummets precipitously.
In navigating today’s volatile, uncertain, and
ambiguous world, organizations find themselves vac-
illating between complicated and complex operating
contexts. Many end up plunging into the chasm that
lies between them, resulting in their demise.
Tony O’Driscoll is global
head of DukeCE Labs, COMPLICATED CHALK AND COMPLEX CHEESE
whose purpose is to In complicated operating contexts, the connec-
discover what’s next for
tion between cause and effect is knowable. Decision
trees of possible outcomes can be identified, risks
leadership development
and probabilities around these outcomes can be
by experimenting with
calculated, and contingency plans for each path can
new methodologies, be predetermined, controlled, and de-risked.
approaches, and In complex operating contexts, the relationship
technologies to uncover between cause and effect cannot be predeter-
where leverage lies in mined. Both outcomes themselves and the paths
building the leadership to get there are emergent and cannot be controlled
system capabilities and de-risked ahead of time.
required to survive and In short, they are completely different. Complicat-
thrive in an increasingly edness is like chalk, while complexity is like cheese.
complex world. As leaders navigate between complicated and com-
plex operating contexts, they must recognize which
side of the chasm they are operating on and apply
the leadership response required for that context.
Navigating the Complexity Chasm
,OW
In complicated operating contexts, leadership fo-
cuses on action path analysis, risk optimization,
and control. To succeed, leaders must counteract
their desire to over-analyze, avoid placing too much
stock in the advice of subject matter experts, and
overcome the blindness of their own biases.
Leaders seeking to navigate complex operating
contexts must unlearn the lessons of experience
they acquired in successfully navigating com-
plicated ones. Complex operating contexts are
unordered, unpredictable, and uncontrollable.
They consist of polarities to be navigated, not
problems to be solved, and they require a much
more agile and adaptive leadership response.
To lead in a complex operating context, leaders
must sense, learn, and respond; track assumptions
and unknowns; identify patterns; develop insights;
and discover high-leverage progression paths.
REFRAME, REWIRE, AND RECONFIGURE
To avoid peril in navigating the complexity chasm,
leaders must reframe what they see, rewire how they
think, and reconfigure what they do.
Leaders must reframe what they see by adopt-
ing a beginner’s mindset. Before answering a given
question, leaders must engage others in question-
ing the question itself and synthesize the multiple
diverse perspectives into a holistic appreciation for
what is happening.
Leaders must rewire how they think by ensur-
ing that every perceived mistake is reframed as
an opportunity to learn and adapt. Tolerance for

making mistakes and resilience in recovering from

them is core to sense making.
Environmental Certainty

Leaders must reconfigure what they do by cho-

COMPLEX
reographing actions and interactions between the
s5NKNOWABLE
s5NORDERED
informal network and the formal hierarchy that
s5NPREDICTABLE mobilizes and synchronizes discretionary effort
s5NCONTROLLABLE around a particular progression path.
COMPLICATED
So when it comes to navigating complexity, al-
s+NOWABLE
s/RDERED
ways remember that it is not complicated!
s0REDICTABLE Author’s Note: I’d like to thank the students of the Mak-
ing Sense of Complexity Course in the Adaptive Strategic
(IGH

s#ONTROLLABLE
Execution Program at Duke for contributing their insights
(IGH Outcome Predictability ,OW to this article.

56 | MARCH/APRIL 2018 training www.trainingmag.com

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The Emotional Future
of Instructional Design
More than hearing, I want to feel what my learners are
feeling. For me, empathy is the key to designing better
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58 | MARCH/APRIL 2018 training
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leadership experience in
transformational learning
and development approaches. A pioneer in
online learning, she is an Adobe Education
/HDGHU&HUWLÀHG/HDUQLQJ(QYLURQPHQW
Architect, STC Fellow, performance
storyteller, avid angler, aviation enthusiast,
and currently training to be a private pilot.
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 trainer talk
Taking Training (and Results)
to the Next Level
Training measurement helps us get rid of “scrap learning”—learning that is
delivered but never used. BY BOB PIKE, CPLP FELLOW, CSP, CPAE
W
hat does it take to be a master trainer?
For close to five decades now, I have
been training trainers in more than 25
countries. In all that time, my focus has been on
helping people get results from their training. So
to me, the answer to how to be a master trainer is
to get results from your training—each and every
time it is delivered, in whatever form it is delivered.
So the question becomes: How do you get bet-
ter results? It starts by being willing to honestly
Bob Pike, CSP, CPLP look at where you and your training programs
FELLOW, CPAE- are right now. Answer this question: How do you
Speakers Hall of currently measure the results of your training?
Fame, is known as the Do you use Kirkpatrick’s Four Levels of Eval-
“trainer’s trainer.” He is
uation? Do you use each of the four levels
consistently? If not, why not? According to ATD
the author of more than
research, 93 percent of organizations regular-
30 books, including
ly use Level 1 (which I call “Did they like it?”),
“Creative Training
typically end-of-course evaluations.
Techniques Handbook” Only 27 percent of organizations use Level 2—
and his newest book, “Did they learn it?”—which most often involves
“The Master Trainer’s a test of some sort. However, if you don’t pre-
Handbook.” You can test, then your post-test really isn’t valid because
follow him on Twitter you’re assuming that all the knowledge and skills
and Facebook using a participant has are learned within the train-
bobpikectt. ing itself—which would be nearly impossible for
adults who normally bring a significant amount
of prior knowledge, skill, and experience to the
classroom.
For the sake of this brief article, I won’t drill
down further; the numbers drop significantly
for Levels 3 and 4—“Did they use it?” and “Did
it make a difference to the organization?” Suffice
to say, if you don’t measure it, you can’t celebrate
it. If you want to improve your results, you have
to rigorously measure your results.
ELIMINATING SCRAP LEARNING
There’s another reason measurement is impor-
tant: It helps us get rid of “scrap learning.” Put
simply, it is learning delivered that never gets
used. Various studies across multiple organiza-
tions have put scrap learning at 45 to 85 percent
of the learning delivered! So does your scrap
learning number matter? Absolutely! Because if you
60 | MARCH/APRIL 2018 training
know the number, you can do something about it.
There are at least 15 things that cause scrap
learning. Here are six of them:
1. Training isn’t the solution. How often do we
thoroughly examine systems, policies and pro-
cedures, recruitment, placement, and coaching
as possibilities for solving performance prob-
lems? Training as a solution costs the most time
and money—especially if it doesn’t solve the
performance problems.
2. Poor manager engagement. When managers
pay no attention to whom they select for training
and how they support their use of what they’ve
learned after, scrap learning soars.
3. Content chunks are too large. When I start
working with a new client, we find the average
content chunk is 45 to 65 minutes. The ideal
content chunk is 20 minutes or less.
4. No revisiting strategy. Many instructors
review, but few revisit. Review is when the
instructor covers the content again (and par-
ticipants stop listening because they’ve already
heard it). Revisit is when participants look at key
content chunks themselves—this drives reten-
tion and increases energy.
5. No transfer strategy. Transfer doesn’t happen
by accident; it happens by plan. There are things
that must happen before, during, and after
training to reduce scrap learning—and maxi-
mize on-the-job use of knowledge and skills.
How do managers in your organization current-
ly prepare people to attend training? How do you
equip managers to have a pre-training conversa-
tion with participants to maximize their focus
and involvement during the class? How much
reflection time do you provide during class so
participants can develop action plans for apply-
ing the knowledge and skills back on the job?
These are just a few considerations.
6. No action plan. If participants don’t plan for
how they’ll use what they’ve learned back on the
job after the class, chances are they won’t have
time to develop a plan once they are back at work.
Until next time—continue to add value and
make a difference.
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 talent tips
Maximizing Learning
at Work Holistically
Making the most of the learning we should be experiencing within the
workplace requires looking at learning as a whole—from the organization’s
perspective right down to the individual’s needs. BY ROY SAUNDERSON
W
hat did you learn at work today?
Sometimes that seems like a tough
question to reflect on and answer. It is
difficult to realize that learning should be hap-
pening on an ongoing basis. Too often, we think
learning only occurs in a classroom or through
some online-delivered learning content.
Learning should not always be about theo-
retical approaches and trying to integrate new
knowledge and skills into our workday. Learning
Roy Saunderson is should be happening in the real world each and
author of “GIVING every day at work, home, and play.
the Real Recognition Maximizing the learning we should be expe-
Way” and Chief riencing within the workplace requires looking
Learning Officer at
at learning as a whole—from the organization’s
perspective right down to the individual’s needs.
Rideau Recognition
Let’s explore this topic through two categorical
Solutions. His
lenses and with some questions you can use to
consulting and learning
evaluate learning in your own organization.
skills focus on helping
companies “give real LEARNING NEEDS OF THE ORGANIZATION
recognition the right 1. What are the overall learning objectives and
way wherever they expectations from the company? Most formal
are.” For recognition educational courses have established specific, be-
insights, visit: http:// havioral learning objectives. From these criteria,
AuthenticRecognition. learners and organizational leaders can evalu-
com. For more ate an individual’s skills and knowledge and the
information, e-mail him
instructor’s effectiveness.
However, other than possible performance
at RoySaunderson@
development needs, rarely does leadership artic-
Rideau.com or visit
ulate what the organization expects from learners
www.Rideau.com.
going into a learning experience or what they
will do with what they’ve learned afterward.
Leaders need to provide more of a strategic fo-
cus of what the company needs employees to
be learning. That way, employees can decide
if their personal interests mesh with what the
company needs.
2. Is the learning aligned with the strategic goals
and organizational culture? Most often, learning
comes from an individual motivation or need.
What if those desires were meshed with the com-
pany’s strategic goals, so you could feel your
learning would make a difference?
62 | MARCH/APRIL 2018 training
Let’s look at the learning programs we spon-
sor as an organization and ask how they enable
a participant’s ability to reinforce the living
of our values. Sometimes we need to develop
conflict resolution skills and collaboration, so
we can have those hard conversations that iden-
tify neglected problems and lead to innovative
solutions.
3. How is learning synchronized with the job
design and work expectations? Typically, many of
the training and learning programs we send peo-
ple to address compliance needs or required new
skills. What we also should be doing is sculpt-
ing the career path with employees so learning
is preparing them for future job demands and
potential.
Many employees share how their jobs have
evolved over time, along with the nature of the
work itself. But they often are not being trained
to do these new tasks well. Improving the quality
and effectiveness of the work through appropriate
learning can help employees be more productive.
4. What are the talent and performance manage-
ment requirements? We keep hearing about the
challenges of finding skilled and prepared people
to fill positions. The greatest resource strength
comes from within your own organization. Map
out your talent acquisition needs and see if you
can’t develop the people you already have with
the right learning content.
The same goes for developing people following
performance management reviews. Natural de-
velopment needs can be identified through these
reviews and signed off on as an employee’s learn-
ing plan over the next year or so.
LEARNING NEEDS OF THE INDIVIDUAL
1. What does the employee want to learn? You might
think you know your employees. But ask them what
they would like to learn and you might be surprised.
Consider some learning opportunities as pure
recognition of the individual’s contributions.
Certain subjects might appeal to several of your
employees. When you identify this for a few of
www.trainingmag.com
your employees, it might merit creating a group-
learning situation.
2. Is delivery of the learning at the pace and style
they prefer? Ever been in a course where you wish
the instructor would finish already? We need
to do a better job of assessing each employee’s
learning preferences. Armed with this knowl-
edge, you can assist employees with finding the
desired learning content delivered the right way
just as they would like it.
Some people will do better with in-class in-
struction and require some follow-up and
homework. Others are self-motivated, indepen-
dent learners who like and can navigate online
e-learning programs without difficulty.
3. What are the rewards or benefit for taking
this learning? You can’t ignore the “what’s in it
for me?” motivation of the learner in taking se-
lected learning programs. There will be personal
benefits for doing so, of course. But where will
this learning program take this employee along
his or her career path? It could elevate chances of
promotion or taking on new job responsibilities.
By making learning a part of the organization-
al psyche, peers will look favorably upon their
colleagues acquiring knowledge and skills that fit
their needs. Learning should be an inclusive rath-
er than exclusive experience. This allows friends at
work to encourage one another to keep learning.
4. How are employees encouraged and rec-
ognized for completing the learning? It goes far
beyond the certificate of completion. What
about setting some personal learning goals
shared with your manager before attending the
learning program? Then you can share a report
and the outcomes of your goals with your man-
ager afterward.
With permission, managers can highlight
employees’ attendance at the learning opportu-
nity at a staff or team meeting. Consider inviting
them to give a lunch-and-learn session on what
they learned or write a review to be shared with
team members.
When a company provides supervisory or
management programs and leadership curricu-
la, we tend to think of the learning opportunities
given to the employees. We must turn this idea
around and allow employees to teach us what
they’ve learned formally and informally on the
job, so we can all progress and grow. Qt

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 last word

Me First Doesn’t Work

Great leaders, great parents, great partners, great friends, and
great organizations all have one thing in common: They are
contributors—and a better world is created because of their
existence. BY DAVID MCNALLY

O ne of the great ironies of life, and what might

be a stroke of metaphysical genius, is that
lasting success in any endeavor requires that
we put ourselves, our own wants and needs, second
in line. There is only one exception and that is giving
priority to, and paying attention to, our physical,
emotional, and spiritual well-being.
Much has been written both in support and
David McNally is critical of the “Law of Attraction.” I have no ar-
an internationally gument with its intent; however, I have learned
acclaimed business there is a principal that supersedes any other
speaker and the author when it comes to “attracting” success. It is called
The Principle of Contribution. Successful people
of the best-selling
understand the principle as follows: “Before
books, “Mark Of An
crops can be reaped, seeds must be sown; before
Eagle—How Your Life
profits can be reaped, problems must be solved;
Changes the World,” before love can be reaped, love must be shown.”
“Even Eagles Need In a world that is being transformed at break-
a Push,” and “The neck speed, The Principle of Contribution has
Eagle’s Secret,” among never changed—its truth is timeless. Contribu-
others. For more tion is the invisible thread woven into the very
information, visit: fabric of the universe.
www.davidmcnally. Contribution is also the magic word for under-
com standing how to achieve what we want for our
lives. If we want a successful career, we must
discover ways to maximize our contribution to
the organization we work for and the people we
serve. If we seek rich relationships, we look to
how we can contribute to enriching the lives of
our loved ones, our friends, and our colleagues.
What businesses have you as a loyal customer?
Those that consistently contribute value to you.
What businesses fail? Those that fail to contribute.
job?” My counsel is straightforward:
“Keep in mind that no individual or or-
ganization wants to ‘give’ you a job, but
there are many organizations looking
for people who will contribute to their
success. Your first task is to discover an
organization to which you would make
that level of commitment.”
Also, keep in mind that job descrip-
tions define tasks and responsibilities. They do
not define contribution and yet that is what you
ultimately are measured by.
Life is at its very best when people are com-
mitted to contributing to each other. We love to
work in a team where our gifts are appreciated,
and our contribution is valued. We love to be
with friends who accept, encourage, and listen
to us. We love to dine in restaurants where not
only the food is delicious, but also where the staff
contribute to an exceptional dining experience.
We love to go to concerts where the musicians lift
our spirits and move our souls.
Wherever you look, the evidence is clear—
great leaders, great parents, great partners,
great friends, and great organizations all have
one thing in common: They are contributors—
and a better world is created because of their
existence.
Each of us will define and measure success in
our own way, but no matter your choice, if you
are to succeed, you must understand that your
rewards in life are connected to the contribution
you make.
Here are two questions to assess the contribu-
tion only you can make:
What friendships or relationships mean the most
to you? Those that contribute value in ways that are
important to you. Who are the people who are uni-
versally most admired? Those who make the most of
their lives and contribute to the betterment of all.
CONTRIBUTING TO EACH OTHER
When I am asked to speak to college students,
an inevitable question is: “How can I get a good
64 | MARCH/APRIL 2018 training
s(OWDO)WANTMYFAMILYFRIENDSAND
colleagues to remember me?
s7HATDO)WANTTOBEREMEMBEREDFOR
As I note in my book, “Mark Of An Eagle—
How Your Life Changes the World (Calumet
Editions), the lesson is this: “The difference
between luck and good fortune is that the first
is arbitrary and the latter a consequence of
contribution.” Q t
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Scenario-Based eLearning
Design Certificate
Ray Jimenez, Author,
Scenario-Based Learning: Using
Stories to Engage eLearners
Learn the step-by-step process of
designing and developing scenario-based
eLearning programs that heightens eLearners
engagement and learning. This highly interactive program
focuses on raising the level of engagement of eLearning
courses and practical steps to control costs. This hands-
on course provides opportunities to apply ideas in your
projects immediately. This certificate focuses on effective
and cost-effective design and development — practical
and useful, not theories or software use.
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eLearners.
This certificate program is designed for subject matter
experts who are responsible for implementing scenario
eLearning; instructional designers who must convert
content or create highly engaging eLearning; designers
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involvement of their eLearning courses and managers
and leaders who must lead and manage design and
development of scenario-based eLearning courses.
Early-Bird Rate 30+ days prior to course start date: $645
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3 ONLINE SESSIONS STARTING APRIL 5
OR AUGUST 7, 2018
Instructional Design Certificate:
Performance-Based and Results-Focused
Tom Welsh, Senior Instructional
Designer, Darryl L. Sink & Associates, Inc.;
Professor at California State University,
Chico, specializing in instructional design,
web design, and eLearning development.
He has developed instructional products for
pharmaceuticals, finance, retail, semiconductor,
telecommunications, waste management, and medical
instruments manufacturing.
This interactive certificate uses real world, practical
examples to explore each phase of the instructional
design process and shows you how to apply them in
your project. You’ll work on your own eLearning or
instructor-led project and learn just what you need
to produce a highly effective end product. You’ll
examine the business and individual needs for your
training program, how to accommodate adult learners,
instructional strategies to meet your goals, and more.
You will receive numerous job aids and examples to
hit the ground running.
BONUS! You’ll receive a 101-page participant guide
containing job aids, examples, worksheets and key points
for you to use as you design and develop your courses.
You will have the opportunity to submit your project work
during the certificate program for feedback by your
instructor.
This certificate is designed for those on the front-line
of designing, developing, writing, and delivering training
through instructor-led, eLearning, and blended methods.
Early-Bird Rate 30+ days prior to course start date: $845
Registration within 30 days of course start date: $995
4 ONLINE SESSIONS STARTING APRIL 11
OR SEPTEMBER 5, 2018
Training Coordinator Certificate:
A Consulting Approach to
Coordinating the Training Function
Lead Presenter: Maria Chilcote,
Managing Partner, The Training Clinic
Lead Presenter: Adrienne Kirkeby,
Senior Instructor, The Training Clinic
Take a consulting approach to coordinate
and administer training more efficiently
and effectively! You'll learn how to develop
a training plan, be active — not reactive,
and maintain management support for
training. You’ll explore how to hire
consultants; coach and develop subject matter experts as
trainers; set up a resource center; market and administer
a registration system; and schedule training (along with
facilities and materials coordination). You’ll learn skills to
help you better clarify your role in your organization;
transition to an internal consulting approach and partner
with internal customers; diagnose problems within your
organization and put together a proactive plan to address
them; identify what good training looks like so you can
be a wise consumer of training products and services;
easily develop and maintain training resources; manage
training enrollment, record keeping, and follow-up and
create effective training schedules.
BONUS! You can earn 1.9 CEUs by successfully
completing this certificate.
This certificate is designed for training coordinators,
administrators and instructors who coordinate a training
function for an organization or business unit, or those
interested in becoming more efficient and effective.
Early-Bird Rate 30+ days prior to course start date: $1,145
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4 SESSIONS STARTING APRIL 16, 2018
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Designing eLearning with
Captivate Certificate
Joe Ganci, President, eLearningJoe
This certificate takes you through the
process of building a course for both
desktop and mobile and provides you
with the knowledge and hands-on
practice you need to build and edit excellent eLearning
lessons from scratch using Adobe Captivate. eLearning
tools expert Joe Ganci will share his 35 years of
innovative design and development experience to take
you from Captivate basics to advanced techniques.
Through demonstration and take-home exercises that
will be compliant with SCORM- and xAPI (Tin Can). Your
course will work both on desktop and on mobile devices.
*This course will use the latest version of Captivate. You
may use prior versions of Captivate; however, there will
be a few features that you will not be able to access if
you are using an older version.
BONUS ITEMS! You’ll receive a step-by-step guide and
all the media files to accomplish your homework
assignment, and in the process practice what you
learned in class; a private, 30-minute follow-up
session with Joe to check your homework and address
your Captivate and eLearning questions; and access to
Joe’s expertise via email to address questions on course
materials. For additional details on the bonuses, see
www.TrainingLiveAndOnline.com.
This certificate is designed for eLearning developers
who wish to learn Captivate to create eLearning;
instructional designers who need to know what Captivate
can accomplish; and managers who need to accurately
estimate course development time and cost.
Early-Bird Rate 30+ days prior to course start date: $845
Registration within 30 days of course start date: $995
1 ONLINE SESSION STARTING MAY 7
OR OCTOBER 15, 2018
Articulate Storyline Fundamentals
“I started from zero, never
having opened the program
before. I can now confidently
start and finish a project!”
Hollie Thomas
Instructional Designer/Facilitator,
Arise Virtual Solutions
Project Management for Learning
Professionals Certificate:
Reduce the Rework
Lynn Lewis, Learning Facilitator,
Russell Martin and Associates,
a Moser Consulting company
If you leave your desk every day
frustrated by what you’ve accomplished
and what’s left to be done, this is the content you’ve
been waiting for! Learn how to juggle your projects and
get more done with less rework. Whether working on
online or live course development, LMS implementation,
or new process design, this certificate will teach you a
simple, minimal process with techniques to get more
done with less help. You’ll learn how to start a project
correctly, build a simple and flexible project schedule,
manage the insanity of your projects, end a project, and
improve your own project management strength through
quick post-project reviews. This program will provide you
with tools that will work with software you already have,
completely consistent with the guidelines set by the
Project Management Institute (PMI).
Bring your gnarliest project with you. You will
complete this certificate with your project ready to
roll, a great network, and a job aid to use for the next
successful project.
BONUSES! You will also receive a quick technique job
aid to help you remember what you’ve learned and show
others how to get better at project management back at
the office. You will earn eight (8) Project Management
Institute (PMI) Professional Development Units
(PDUs) when you successfully complete this certificate.
This certificate program is designed for anyone
interested in doing more with less.
Early-Bird Rate 30+ days prior to course start date: $845
Registration within 30 days of course start date: $995
4 ONLINE SESSIONS STARTING MAY 9
OR OCTOBER 17, 2018
NEW Online Virtual Trainer Certificate
Kassy LaBorie, Principal Consultant,
Kassy LaBorie Consulting, LLC
Live Online (virtual instructor-led) training
has become a standard for learning teams
all over the world. Virtual classroom
technology enables learning and development teams to
reach all audiences, at any time of the day, with just a
simple internet connection. But let’s face it, learning to
engage your audience using this type of technology is an
immense challenge. It requires a unique skill set that
combines using virtual presentation, facilitation, and
design techniques with technical knowledge to skillfully
deliver online learning events.
This certificate helps you to identify, develop, and
practice the necessary skills to become savvy virtual
trainers. The certificate also addresses what is required
to be properly prepared to deliver online, what you need
to do adjust your individual beliefs around online learning,
and how your organization can begin to make the shifts
necessary to support a virtual learning culture.
You should come prepared with an idea for a future live
online event. You will complete a project related to that
event, and prepare to deliver an excerpt from it in the last
session for peer and instructor feedback.
BONUS ITEMS! Receive a participant guide containing
job aids (including The Virtual Trainer’s Competency
Model and a 4-Step Virtual Activity Design Process);
examples and platform checklists to help navigate
various live online platforms (WebEx, Zoom, Adobe
Connect and GotoTraining); and key points to remember
for you to use as you design, develop, deliver, and
support your live online courses.
This certificate program is designed for those who
desire to build the skills necessary to design, develop,
deliver, and support live online or virtual instructor led
training strategies.
Early-Bird Rate 30+ days prior to course start date: $845
Registration within 30 days of course start date: $995
4 ONLINE SESSIONS STARTING MAY 14
OR OCTOBER 15, 2018
Developing Small Bites
Learning Certificate
Ray Jimenez, Author, 3-Minute
e-Learning, Scenario-Based Learning:
Using Stories to Engage e-Learners and
Do-it-Yourself e-Learning: 100 Ways to
Simplify Design and Development.
Systems architect for Vignettes Learning
and Training Magazine Network.
Learners and managers are demanding more effective
and efficient learning times due to rapidly changing
topics, on-the-job performance needs, an abundance of
mobile learning tools and faster and more reliable
Internet connections. This interactive certificate invites
you to “rethink” and “invigorate” the design of your
current content for faster development and easier
learning suited for those who are on-the-move, on-the-
job and connected with mobile technologies. You’ll
examine the methods of micro-learning content design
and delivery that facilitates quick transfer of knowledge
and application.
This is not a software course. This certificate is not
about authoring and mobile software. It focuses on
content development, design and delivery. The course
will focus on eLearning and performance support
systems rather than classroom training.
BONUS ITEMS! You will receive a FREE copy of Ray’s
book 3-Minute eLearning: Micro-Learning Design and
Development. You’ll also receive 15 models for micro-
learning: live demos and examples that you may
download and own as part of your in-house references.
This certificate is designed for subject matter experts,
training designers, and eLearning designers and
developers. Note: This certificate focuses on eLearning
and performance support systems rather than classroom
training.
Early-Bird Rate 30+ days prior to course start date: $645
Registration within 30 days of course start date: $795
3 ONLINE SESSIONS STARTING JUNE 5
OR OCTOBER 2, 1018
Scenario-Based eLearning Design
“All sessions were highly
interactive and thought
provoking. Ray’s keen wit
and insight to designing
interactive stories is great.
Thanks for helping me grow
professionally!”
— Alanda Carter, Instructional Designer,
Williams
Training Manager Certificate:
Managing the Training Function
for Bottom-Line Results
Lead Presenter: Melissa A. Smith,
Managing Partner, The Training Clinic
Lead Presenter: Linda Ernst, Senior
Instructor, The Training Clinic
Guest Presenter: Maria Chilcote,
Managing Partner, The Training Clinic
With the right practices, any training
program can accelerate performance,
while delivering economic benefits. In this
certificate program, you’ll find out how
by gaining in-depth focus and practical
methods on managing the entire scope of
your organization’s training effort. You will
examine practical ways, sound
techniques, and proven ideas to manage your
organization’s training and yield tangible, bottom-
line results.
BONUS! You’ll receive the Training Manager’s Tool Kit
which contains a Training Department Benchmarking
Tool, 100-point Classroom Instructor Skills Inventory, and
a Performance Improvement Plan Template. PLUS you
can earn up to 1.9 CEUs when you successfully complete
this certificate.
Early-Bird Rate 30+ days prior to course start date: $1,145
Registration within 30 days of course start date: $1,295
4 ONLINE SESSIONS STARTING OCTOBER 10, 2018
You will receive a
professionally
produced Certificate
of Completion
signed by your
instructor and
suitable for framing.
Visit www.TrainingLiveAndOnline.com
for full Certificate descriptions.
 L
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Articulate Storyline
Fundamentals Certificate
To keep pace with today’s fast-moving world, training
organizations are increasingly including the use of more
technology — especially eLearning. Articulate Storyline is
an eLearning authoring tool built from the ground up with
the goal of making the process of designing, developing,
and implementing eLearning faster, easier, and more
affordable. Using an intuitive interface, Articulate Storyline
is easy enough for novices to learn quickly and powerful
enough for advanced developers to build highly
sophisticated and interactive eLearning. With its easy to
use features (no programming required) and robust
capabilities, Storyline lets you focus on what’s most
important: delivering more effective and appealing
eLearning that saves your organization time and money.
BONUS ITEMS! This is the only Articulate Storyline
course offering you:
· Dozens of free Storyline source files
for self-paced learning.
· Detailed step-by-step exercises for
hands-on practice.
· Custom Course Template
· Custom Interactions Template
· Instruction blended with practical design
and development guidance from an award-
winning eLearning developer with many years
of industry experience.
This certificate program is designed for
non-programmers who wish to learn basic to
intermediate authoring features of Articulate Storyline.
A basic understanding of computing concepts is
required. A basic understanding of eLearning is helpful.
Managers may also benefit from seeing the creation
and development process so they may more accurately
estimate course development time and cost. Already
have basic Articulate Storyline experience? Consider
registering for our “Articulate Storyline for Next Level
Design Certificate.”
Early-Bird Rate 30+ days prior to course start date: $945
Registration within 30 days of course start date: $1,095
4 ONLINE SESSIONS STARTING MARCH 13,
MAY 8, JULY 17 OR OCTOBER 30, 2018
Visit www.TrainingLiveAndOnline.com for full Certificate descriptions.
Articulate Storyline for
Next Level Design Certificate
Ready to take your Articulate Storyline skills to the next
level? This certificate program builds upon your basic
Storyline knowledge by providing you with the hands-on
practice needed to move beyond “out of the box”
development and into building more advanced
interactions. We'll explore the development of custom
interactivity leveraging Conditional Triggers, Custom
Object States, Master Slide Layers, Variable Programming
and more that will provide you with tons of tips and tricks
you can immediately apply to your own projects.
BONUS ITEMS! This is the only Articulate Storyline
course offering you:
· A focus on interaction design using Storyline’s
features in smart, creative new ways.
· Dozens of free Storyline source files
for self-paced learning.
· Detailed step-by-step exercises for
self-paced learning.
· Custom Course Template
· Custom Interactions Template
· Instruction blended with practical design and
development guidance from an award-winning
eLearning developer with many years of industry
experience.
The certificate is designed for those who are familiar
with the basic features of Storyline such as story view,
scenes, slides, layers, triggers, the timeline, importing
assets, and creating simple quizzes and interactions.
Are you new to Articulate Storyline? We recommend
that you complete the “Articulate Storyline
Fundamentals Certificate” prior to registering for
this program.
Early-Bird Rate 30+ days prior to course start date: $945
Registration within 30 days of course start date: $1,095
4 ONLINE SESSIONS STARTING APRIL 10,
JUNE 5, AUGUST 21 OR DECEMBER 4, 2018
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Chief NuggetHead, NuggetHead Studioz
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