The training manager described multiple interactions between the field reps and the customer. I immediately saw the connection between training engineers in customer relationship building and the business goal of increasing sales. Unfortunately, the training manager did not make that connection.
Read MoreDisengaged Employees Are Dangerous to Your Team Health
Fifty-one percent of the workforce just shows up. Their disengagement from their work suggests they mark time while there, largely neutral toward what they do and the organization’s goals. Wondering what you can do about them?
Read MoreFour Lessons in Good Training Design I Learned from My Kindergartner
Tantrums in corporate classrooms may look a little different than a kindergartner's tantrum, a tantrum is a tantrum and should be avoided at all costs. Here are four lessons that I learned from these five-year-old besties.
Read MoreShow It, Don't Say It! An Interactive Post
A picture is worth a thousand words is true in training, as well. In this post, you get the opportunity to compare a static table with an interactive graphic. Trust me, there's no comparison!
Read MoreSaving the World from Ineffective Training, One Organization at a Time!
Two years ago, John enlisted our help to redesign a series of existing courses, which he recently described as “still the most interactive and engaging courses in the catalog.” But that was just the beginning of the relationship between this client and Gillespie Associates.
Read MoreNew Hire Orientation: From Dead Bore to We Want More!
Training systems are often designed to shovel every possible bit of knowledge into a new employee’s head with the expectation that they’ll be able to apply that knowledge on the job. Does a new employee need to know everything on Day or Week 1? No. They don’t even need a fraction of that. And the knowledge they do need has to support their performance in the moment.
Read MoreDeep Dive: Budgeting for Your Organization’s Training Needs
It’s that time of year again—budget season. A time of evaluating, strategizing, planning, and allocating. Organizations have to anticipate what kind of spend they will have, and hopefully a decent portion of that spend will go toward training and development initiatives.
Read MoreWhat You Forgot to Ask Your Last Training Development Vendor
When you hired a training development vendor, you thought you asked all the right questions: What delivery methods do they offer? What is their experience? Can they meet our needs on time and on budget? What do my colleagues say about them?
The vendor delivered content and experiences beyond your expectations, and the participants loved it. Employees and managers alike responded with glowing feedback.
A few months later, you approached the C-suite with a request for more funds for another round of this well-received training.
And the answer came back: a resounding “no.”
Read MoreHow Much Technology Does an Instructional Designer Have To Master?
Today’s job descriptions for instructional designers (IDs) require the following: Basic HTML and Flash programming familiarity. Solid knowledge of course development software and at least one LMS. Visual design skills (Dreamweaver, Photoshop, Illustrator).
Whatever happened to the good old interviewing, storyboarding, or writing skills? Is the pure instructional designer role a thing of the past? Exactly how much technology does an ID need to master in order to be a “good” ID?
Read MoreChange Management is More Than a Written Plan
“Change? We won’t be doing any of that, it’s way too hard!” Over the past 20-plus years of helping organizations change strategies and cultures, I have not heard this statement said out loud. Yet I can guarantee you that at some point in the change process, every CEO has had this thought! I see it showing up in the form of excuses to a variety of suggestions. For instance I will ask, “How will you make sure the breakthrough mindset will stick beyond the workshops?” I get back: “I realize we could do more, but look, we just spent all this time and money on these workshops. I will make sure my leaders support this mindset. We’re all set—thanks.”
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