Gillespie Associates announced today the launch of Gillespie Nimble, a comprehensive training program to reduce the cost and increase effectiveness of training for key workforce skill sets.
Read moreIf You’re Going to Waste Their Time, Let Them Sleep
As a consultant/instructional designer, I’ve developed some internal rules about how to design learning for adults. My first two rules often act as an internal STOP sign: “Wait! Stop! Make sure the solution is complying with your first two rules!”
- Don’t waste their time.
- Keep them awake.
Stop Virtually Useless Virtual Training
12:55 pm: The session starts at 1:00 pm Eastern to allow participation from multiple time zones. I received initial and reminder invitations and completed my pre-work. I have my New Hire Participant Guide in hand and log in. I’m ready.
I listen to the facilitator and producer chit chat. No problem, I’m a bit early; I’ll just work on my email and a couple of other assignments while I wait to get started.
Read moreBoosting the Bottom Line Through Effective Training Design
A telecom giant was losing 25% of its customer base per year. When customers’ promotional offers ended, they’d call to cancel service. The call center agents either processed the call as a routine cancellation, or offered a substitute promotion. When that discount ended customers canceled yet again, and the vicious cycle continued.
Read moreOh no! Not a role play!
Do you ever get this reaction when suggesting a role play? After a classroom training pilot, we asked sales reps what was their least favorite part of the training. The answer came back quickly and decisively: role plays! Next, we asked which part of training would help them most in the field. This answer came back slowly and reluctantly: role plays.
Read moreWhy Strategic Onboarding Just Makes Sense
As I sat across the table at the small diner with a good friend I was surprised to learn that he had just left the company he joined 9 months earlier. The obvious question was: “What went wrong?”
Read moreToday is a Good Day to Die: What Klingon Wisdom Teaches Us about Talent Development
Quite often, developing the best, most engaging, learner-focused development tools can be a battle. Who better to prepare us than the ever battle-ready warriors, the Klingons?
Heghlu’meH QaQ jajvam Today is a good day to die.
Read moreAn Argument for Memory Aids: An Interactive Post
This weekend my four-year-old daughter and I were learning about the solar system and she wanted to learn all the names of the planets in order from closest to farthest from the sun. Sometimes, there is information that just needs to be memorized.
When we develop training, we often neglect to think of easy ways to help people memorize. Usually, we try to incorporate any information that needs to be remembered into a job aid or other resource. But we can also create easy ways to help our learners learn.
Read moreHow I Hire an Instructional Designer
I had just asked the young man sitting opposite me in the interview to tell me about his approach to e-learning. He looked wide-eyed and suggested: “E-learning. That’s something you do with templates isn’t it?” This turned out to be one of the shortest interviews I had ever conducted. After suggesting some resources to help him in his development, I politely terminated the conversation.
Read moreTranslating Your SME's Tech-Speak
A while ago, I was working on an incredibly complex training project. It involved training on processes and requirements used for contract setup and delivery. The audience consisted of hundreds of employees in a Fortune 500 company.
What made the project so complex was the sheer number of subject matter experts involved. Whereas I was used to working with maybe four or five at the most, this project required the input and approval of no fewer than 13 SMEs. There was no overlap – each was responsible for a distinct business unit, and brought unique content to the table. And some were C-level, meaning their time was at a premium.
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