Shortly after this year’s Super Bowl, this statistical analysis began making its way around the Internet:
As a Buffalo Bills’ fan, I appreciated it.
As a training professional, it served as a very good reminder that numbers can be very deceiving.
So how do we make the best business case for training and professional development? Numbers can be helpful… if we use the right ones. Continue reading
The menus on conference web pages often have a tab that leads you to information on how to convince your boss to send you to their conference. I have never had to sell the value of a training conference to my superiors, but I do understand that it is important to get as much out of these very expensive experiences.
Learning Solutions is coming in a few short weeks, and as I finish preparations for my session on Harnessing the Power of the Narrative, I am working to focus my goals in attending this training conference. As a first-timer at Learning Solutions, I want to dive in with a clear set of objectives. Continue reading
Last fall I had an opportunity to deliver a pair of presentation skills sessions at the Arkansas Early Childhood Association Annual Conference in Little Rock. Everyone I encountered during the few days that I was in Arkansas showed me an amazing time, the session participants were engaged throughout, and then I got on a plane and returned home. What did the participants do with the concepts I’d taught?
Recently, I exchanged a few messages with one of the conference organizers – Michelle Pounds – and was amazed to hear how they had extended the learning from my sessions. It can serve as a model for how organizations can get the most out of their investment in sending people to a conference, maximizing the possibility that the learning is applied in the real world. Following is a brief description of what Michelle and her team did to keep the learning going, written in Michelle’s words: Continue reading
Last week, I was asked to help facilitate a training for a group of volunteers. The training was scheduled after hours to accommodate work schedules, and our presentation was scheduled to start at 8:00 PM. The primary facilitator sent me her four talking points and asked me if I had last minute training activity ideas. Little did she know, I train like a champion! I have hundreds of blog posts at my disposal that are full of icebreakers, training activities, and debriefs that can cover just about any talking point. And guess what, you do too! Continue reading
You’ve been asked to give a presentation and it’s time to begin mapping out your thoughts.
I’ve observed this exact scenario play out with presenters in small nonprofits and enormous Fortune 500 companies, and I’ve noticed a trend that makes my heart sink. Continue reading
I view conferences as an important part of professional development and networking. I come home from conferences excited to try the new things I learned about in the industry and do my best to keep up with individuals who I met during social events.
This spring, I have the opportunity to speak at Learning Solutions in Orlando and at ATD ICE in San Diego. When I applied for each conference, Continue reading
I had a discussion about the book Quiet Power by Susan Cain with my daughters’ ballet teacher early this week. This book is a follow up to Cain’s powerful book Quiet, which takes a look at being an introvert in a world that favors extroverts. Quiet Power is a look at the secret strengths of introverted kids. Cain sees extroverts as people who are energized by the external world and introverts as people who are energized more by their internal world. Continue reading
When I was younger, I used to love Valentine’s Day. I loved decorating a cereal box with construction paper to serve as my “mailbox”, and I certainly loved seeing the different Valentines that got dropped into my box. I’d hope for one with Star Wars or G.I. Joe… though I also loved the ones with puns and jokes… and the best ones came with blow pops or Skittles attached.
Every once in a while, in an office, I’ll find a fun Valentine sitting on my computer when I come back from a meeting or perhaps some team will have gotten organized and left a Valentine in everyone’s mailbox in the mailroom. Getting a Valentine still makes me smile.
If they still make you smile, today’s blog might serve to help spread cheer and smiles around your office this Valentine’s Day. Below are five training-themed Valentines Continue reading
I am an instructional designer and a facilitator, I am a presenter.
My sister is a director at a sustainable energy non-profit, she is a presenter.
My husband is a Civil Engineer for the department of transportation, he is a presenter.
The difference between my job and the other two I mentioned is Continue reading
Last week I was sitting in church and I was struck by how the homily held my attention from start to finish. In the homily, the speaker compared the teaching style of Jesus to other rabbis and holy men of his day.
As I listened, I grabbed a pen and found a donation envelope in the back of the pew in order to jot down a few notes. I knew this homily was blog-worthy.
Whether you believe Jesus was The Messiah, just another prophet, just some guy who lived two thousand years ago or just some character made up in a book that a lot of other people find important, the fact is that the teaching style that was attributed to him was very, very different than what was considered normal.
There’s a lot of value for learning and development professionals to take a look around at how they apply their craft and ask: what would Jesus do? Continue reading