Agile as a way of working and organizing team activities has spread from software development to other aspects of work and business, from sales management to project management and most points in between, including learning and development (L&D). From my perspective, it’s gotten well out of hand. In software development, agile demonstrates its worth by […]
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I’m frustrated! As a Michigander, I hear a lot about the state’s infrastructure and the extensive work needed to improve it. There are crumbling roads, deficient bridges, and congestion plaguing our streets and highways. But what’s really frustrating me are the problems I see with the state of the learning and development (L&D) infrastructure. How […]
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During my recent trip to Phuket, Thailand, I noticed how a handful of global brands had penetrated deeply into remote areas of the island. It made me think: What is it about brands that makes people remember their product? Can learning professionals model some of the tactics used by brands to help employees remember important […]
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If you haven’t attended a virtual instructor-led-training (VILT), sign up for one now! As learning and development professionals, having some VILT knowledge and experience will increase your tool set and give you an opportunity to show your organization how to embrace this cost-effective, flexible, and efficient way to train many learners in diverse locations. I’m […]
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“I’m as mad as hell, and I’m not going to take this anymore!” Remember that iconic catch phrase from the 1976 movie Network? Howard Beale (played by Peter Finch) was commenting on modern American society, but it’s been running through the back of my mind lately — about formal training in the workplace. OK, I […]
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Gamification continues to be a growing trend — in a long list of trends — in the learning industry. The thing is, gamification isn’t all that new. Gamification techniques (or more simply gaming techniques) such as countdowns, discovery, points, and levels, have been used for many years to engage learners and transfer knowledge and skills. […]
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Tonight after a long day at work, it’s likely that the last thing you want to do is go home and prepare a fabulous meal. Honestly, after a day of mind-numbing meetings, 150 emails, and your manager leaning on you for that presentation, who has the energy for that? It’s more likely you’ll stop at […]
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I’m sure this has happened to all of us at one time or another when taking an e-learning course. You sit in front of your computer, coffee in hand, and unconsciously click through each screen without giving the content a second thought. You just want to get to the end and check off on your […]
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You’ve heard all the hype about the latest technological cure for what ails training: augmented, virtual, or mixed reality. Sure, I’d be the first to agree that mobile learning with augmented reality could be truly revolutionary in the workplace, a fact that visionaries in our industry have been talking about for the last six or […]
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Growing up, my dad’s memorable tale of his father, my Grandpa Schirmacher, has inspired me throughout my life. As a Mounted Marine, my grandpa rode a horse while serving in the United States Marine Corps. During his career, he was stationed on the then-island nation of Hawaii (before it became the 50th state). Grandpa Schirmacher, […]
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