Make the Moment!

2011-02-08T13:55:00.000-05:00

A valentine to the creative class: "If you tell one person to bring you a dozen roses you’ll probably get a dozen roses. If you tell a dozen people to bring you one rose you probably won’t get any." Anon.

2011-01-26T23:40:00.002-05:00

"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take." Wayne Gretzky A couple in their 30's were recently discussing end-of-world scenarios at a bar. Global instability. Emerging threats. The loss of America's pre-eminence. The scope of change makes them uneasy. I remember feeling the same way during the oil embargo of the 70's. In college, we were told

2011-01-18T09:19:00.006-05:00

Values, Needs and Relationships Last night I attended a meeting to plan a community-wide appeal - petitioning neighbors to support a new zoning overlay. At stake: a positive, arts-based initiative that most people will support at face value. The goal is significant - two-thirds must support the initiative - yet very achievable. During the meeting, one well-intentioned and passionate volunteer

2011-01-12T07:25:00.013-05:00

Creative Thinking, 2011-style Here's a great comment by Michigan Govenor Rick Snyder, a former Gateway Computer executive and venture capitalist, made during his visit to the Detroit Auto Show. “It is companies, it is innovators, it is entrepreneurs that are going to create a better future for Michigan,” Snyder said. “We are committed …to creating the very best environment in the world to

2011-01-09T12:35:00.017-05:00

App-y New Year! Fresh off the holidays, it's time to take a look at one trend that is re-shaping the way we create and distribute learning: mobile apps. Recently, I championed the use of a really cool smartphone app (Qrank) to fully engage employees - and customers! - in content related to organizational development. Although the client is - self-proclaimed - still living in Learning 1.0, they

2010-11-23T13:10:00.005-05:00

This Thanksgiving: thankful to be learning. Last month, I decided to enroll in a creative writing class at the professor’s invitation. My instructor, Anda Peterson, is also a member of my writing group. Our small team, affectionately known as the Prose Posse, consisted of accomplished academics and journalists. I was the only technical writer in the bunch–the odd man out. Writing mostly for

2010-10-07T14:02:00.000-04:00

Creating an Atmosphere of Collaboration Improv teaches us to work with anything we are given (a prop, a line, an opportunity, a rejection, a bad economy…). No matter what it is, your FIRST answer is always yes. I want to use television as a metaphor for work. IMPROV: Whose Line Is It Anyway is an improvisational television show - a great example of working with anything and having fun doing it.

2010-09-28T13:54:00.002-04:00

Forming a Great First ImpressionEvery Chef knows that how the food looks is as important as how it tastes.LIkewise, you may be prepared to sell a service, but does your customer see preparation in your delivery? Or, does your customer see a wreck of a website or a nervous person sitting in front of them.In Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking, Malcom Gladwell confirms years of research

2010-09-15T13:38:00.000-04:00

First Impressions MatterOne day, the banquet manager at a resort hotel at a very big theme park in Orlando took his crew of dishwashers to the banquet hall. Spread before them was an immense sea of tables, flowers and decorations for a lavish wedding dinner. The manager asked his dishwashers to imagine the same scene, but only with dirty dishes. "It wouldn't matter if we spent all week on the

2010-09-14T09:28:00.016-04:00

BE "PASSIONATELY PRESENT" by Kristine Forster Is it just me, or do you have days when when the thought of tackling all those emails and RSS feeds seems like an overwhelmingly daunting task? Over my cup of coffee and slightly burnt cinnamon and brown sugar pop tart this morning (mmm - breakfast of champions), I energetically attacked said mountain of rss feeds that, I am remiss to say, I

2010-09-02T11:19:00.000-04:00

Burn the Old ManualStill using paper manuals to teach your leaders? If traditional leadership and career tracks are anachronistic, then the traditional leadership curriculum is also dead. Hold a funeral. The only thing sustaining those traditional approaches to leadership development is... traditional thinking. Consider this: public school systems are starting to compensate teachers for student

2010-09-01T12:08:00.003-04:00

The Horizon Report: emerging technologies and how they will impact learning. A great read that highlights six emerging technologies or practices that are likely to enter mainstream use on campuses within the next one to five years. The report presents critical trends and challenges that will affect teaching and learning over the same time frame.Visit www.educause.edu/eli for a copy of this

2010-08-25T13:33:00.001-04:00

Listening to the Service ExperienceCreating a great sales effort begins by hiring people that have the raw ability to learn and to: * fully understand products or services * effectively deliver presentations fearlessly and consistently * care about their customer's experience by listening and learning. How? Here are a few ways to listen and learn:Live Chat Eliminate phone tag and offer service on

2010-08-24T21:06:00.008-04:00

Celebrating (and taming) My Inner Control Freak contributed by Kristine Forster I have a bit of really exciting news to share – along with a personal revelation. Ok … first, the revelation. Although I'm a fun-loving, happy person, I am also a ‘type A’ personality. To be completely transparent, the phrase “control freak” was once used to describe my approach to work. Ouch. That's the kind of

2010-08-18T13:25:00.002-04:00

Learning About Commitment, the hard wayMy first job out of college was with IBM. After training, I was assigned to small business (underscore) and office products. Our area was affectionately known around the office as the "THUMP' district: tattoos, hustlers, undercover, mob, pimps.I could not imagine any of my potential clients on the south side of town using a typewriter for something remotely

2010-08-12T14:50:00.000-04:00

Does Online Instruction Work?from an article in HUMAN RESOURCE EXECUTIVE ONLINEby Peter CapelliStudies that look at the effectiveness of online training, compared to classroom-based learning, offer some conflicting results. Online training seems to be more effective for older, motivated students, while the classroom works best for younger low-achievers. There are some lessons HR leaders can take

2010-08-05T10:37:00.000-04:00

Walking the TalkI hit the streets everyday, for one hour, regardless of where I find myself. When I travel it’s usually for a client, so the people and places I meet are part of the environment – the client’s audience and community. I like to see their town from a dog’s point of view - walking into local spaces and meeting people I might not see as I ride by or fly over the city.By walking, I

2010-08-04T08:45:00.009-04:00

Dan Pink, on learning and motivation from his book, Drive: "Human beings have an innate drive to be autonomous, self-determined and connected to one another. And when that drive is liberated, people achieve more and live richer lives.""The opposite of autonomy is control. And since they sit at different poles of the behavioral compass, they point us to different destinations. Control leads to

2010-07-30T10:58:00.005-04:00

The fish rots from the head down. My grandfather died when I was very young, yet I remember a handful of comments he made to me. I remember one in particular, as we left a store where a manager had been rude to us. I must have said something about it because my grandfather's plain spoken response was: Son, the fish rots from the head down. It sounded funny to me, so I remembered it. But now I

2010-07-29T07:42:00.003-04:00

Leading Change "It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better.The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but

2010-07-28T13:39:00.004-04:00

4 Common LMS Implementation Challenges: (I've learned a few lessons - the hard way - from implementing multiple LMS solutions...)Issue #1: Failing to visualize, plan and document for leadership the expected ROI, Operations Impact Success Metrics with all constituent groups. Recommendation: Collaborate with business units to define requirements and desired outcomes, first. Map the implementation

2010-07-23T09:01:00.003-04:00

Who is my city? (with a nod to Richard Florida) I have been working with leaders from my city, posing the same question during my conversations: how do we define this city? Personally, I'd like to think I live in the Creative Capital of Florida–a city characterized by working artists and creative industries–but that has yet to be determined. On a recent trip to Scotland, my partner and I enjoyed

2010-07-21T13:56:00.003-04:00

How to hit "send" on your customer's buttonDuring a visit to my local Publix, I counted 6 employees texting as they walked around the store, like zombies searching for brains online. Unbelievable. I came back with more than lettuce and bread. I brought home a lesson I learned from Disney, and other service giants.Dear Publix: rows of neatly stacked containers do not make "shopping a pleasure",

2010-07-21T12:03:00.003-04:00

Why? Why are some people and organizations more innovative than others? Why do some command greater loyalty from customers and employees? Even among the successful, why are so few able to repeat their successes, over and over?Any organization can explain what it does; some can explain how they do it; but very few can clearly articulate why. Why is not money or profit-- those are always results.

2010-07-21T01:13:00.002-04:00

12 Coolest New InventionsFrom a car without a gas pedal to a light powered by a water bottle to, yes, the best mousetrap ever, view the latest, brilliant, best-designed products in the world as chosen by the Industrial Designers Society of America.

2010-07-18T10:53:00.000-04:00

The Unvarnished Truth? Now there are sites where you can rate the people you know, rather than organizations, products or corporate brands. The concept is not new (ikarma.com, unvarnished.com, Jerk.com) but Unvarnished has integrated tightly with Facebook to attract the largest pool of reviewers possible. This lets people who, supposedly, have worked with someone, post reviews about that

2010-07-16T11:59:00.004-04:00

AuthenticityThe solution to your next, big challenge might not be found within your organization, but within your community. That's where we learn how a mother creates a healthy menu on limited funds, or a farmer makes more efficient use of solar cells, or a teenager designs a better shoe...Our challenge? Finding those people. Defining the actions that make them different. Sharing the learning.

2010-07-15T15:41:00.007-04:00

The end of publishing?( learning?... or other concern for next generation here:_____ )Thanks for sharing this nifty palindrome, Will.

2010-07-14T10:48:00.003-04:00

Leadership Lessons: Tips to remember when things go wrongsome thoughts on lessons I have learned, prompted by an article from Bnet.comRelax, you can't control other people’s actions. Your job is to define a vision and expectations and provide the resources to help people achieve goals. Great leaders understand the rule of equifinality (multiple paths - including small failures - can lead to the

2010-07-13T12:08:00.006-04:00

More tips on social learning through collaboration...from a white paper released today. Although written at an enterprise level, the tips can be extrapolated for learning and talent development. Here are some highlights and factoids I took away (and will begin to digest) and some you may find useful: • Roughly 53% of the 79 million adult women in the United States who use the Internet participate

2010-07-09T11:43:00.001-04:00

Warren Buffett: on the best advice he ever received"The power of unconditional love. I mean, there is no power on earth like unconditional love. And I think that if you offered that to your child, I mean, you’re 90 percent of the way home. There may be days when you don’t feel like it — it’s not uncritical love; that’s a different animal — but to know you can always come back, that is huge in

2010-07-09T08:46:00.006-04:00

A $5 success storyFood for thought... Why isn't every great idea that generates positive change an immediate success? What does it take for others to adopt a new behavior? When we see a successful project or person, do we appreciate the string of failures (or rejection) leading up to it? In 2004, Stuart Frankel owned two small sandwich shops at a hospital. He came up with an idea to sell his

2010-07-08T10:00:00.002-04:00

Moments with McDadeThought of the Day: When you're in a hotel trying to get your coffee ready and catch a cab at the same time... never open the tab on that little creamer when it's facing your suit. Ditto yogurt lids.Debi McDade is a performance consultant for a Fortune 500 company. She is a guest contributor and shares her experiences from the lighter side of the road we all travel together.

2010-07-07T22:44:00.010-04:00

Social Learning: the human experienceI ran across this online and it immediately resonated with me: "An important facet of learning within a social context is social proof. Simply stated, when someone just like me does something, I’m more likely to try it myself."The first person to deviate from the norm is a leader: someone doing something risky (yet positive) that eventually attracts another

2010-07-07T12:30:00.006-04:00

Attention Deficit Nation?One more study that seems to suggest we have shifted from an experience economy (one that requires a certain degree of engagement to appreciate) to an attention economy (one that relies of increasing efforts to capture consumer attention for every engagement/experience).Social learning (with leaders and followers) requires a significant amount of energy expended in an "

2010-07-07T09:51:00.006-04:00

Moments with McDade!My name is Debi McDade, and I travel the world - waaayyy too much. But, that makes for great experiences, and lots of stories to tell.I meet many people everyday, from airport agents to harried hotel clerks to small children with no locks on their lips. Some people I like are hot-roasted nuts (especially the kids). Others are just plain nuts. ("Will you be my friend?" mmmm,

2010-07-07T08:19:00.005-04:00

Here's an interesting heads-up on future employment demographics (note: training impact) from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics - Employment Projections: 2008-2018 Summary The number of persons age 55 years + in the labor force is expected to increase by 12.0 million, or 43.0 percent, during the 2008-2018 period The labor force in 2018 will be more diverse (Asian workers +29.8%, Hispanics +

2010-07-07T08:10:00.002-04:00

The 63rd Annual Roasterium Why? Because it's hot out there! Date: Thursday, July 8 Time: 6:30PM Where: The Globe Coffee Lounge, downtown St. Pete Food and Drinks: special menu items, plus $3 specials on beer and wine Cost: Free and open to everybody donations to benefit the Literacy Council of St. Petersburg The original Roasterium was a gathering of 500 outdoor writers on July 8,

2010-07-06T22:39:00.003-04:00

Here's a great case for why we need new thinking and business leadership with vision, by Yves Smith (Naked Capitalism) and Rob Parenteau, the head of a global financial advisory firm and the editor of The Richebächer Letter. IMHO, simply selling all the apples on the table while neglecting the tree is a recipe for disaster, not a better pie. Here is an excerpt of their case: "Over the past

2010-07-03T09:58:00.003-04:00

My Experience Scorecard Here are three simple questions to pinpoint learning / leadership opportunities, with a focus on the customer experience: 1. Where is the best customer experience to be found in this organization? (learning, leadership, sales, service, or some other operational area) 2. What seems to be the source of these unexpectedly great experiences? (one individual, a particular

2010-07-01T11:26:00.001-04:00

Authentic, Action Oriented and AccountableWilliam D. Green, CEO of Anderson Consulting, states the organization’s role succinctly when he tells his clients their focus should be less on an emerging leaders’ litany of accomplishments and more on the employee’s character, the way they respond to experiences and if they approach these opportunities with a confident work ethic. Anderson measures a

2010-06-30T11:05:00.000-04:00

Passionate learners, better performers. Think about someone learning more about their hobby, like gardening, cooking or bicycle repair. That person is not simply flipping through a manual. They are sponging up the knowledge they need, applying it immediately, and retaining it for life. They become more passionate about the topic as their comprehension grows. Over time, they discover new ways

2010-06-29T11:12:00.000-04:00

A Rising Demand for Emerging LeadersThe IBM Global Human Capital study surveyed over 400 companies in 40 countries across North America, Asia and Europe. The findings? A lack of focus on leadership development means companies are increasingly unable to plan for the skills needed to remain competitive. As the baby boom leadership retires, many companies will discover a generation’s worth of

2010-06-29T10:55:00.002-04:00

Characters, Challenges and Cliff-hangers: What Toy Story 3 can teach us about learningDid you see the movie? I double-dog dare you to tell everyone you did not get a lump in your throat as Andy prepared to leave home, or when the toys faced an uncertain future near the end. Those moments are examples of great storytelling. Creative writing is a major part of great storytelling, like peas and

2010-06-28T10:42:00.000-04:00

6 Ways to Improve the Learning Experience, Today1. Get Married!You've spent a lot of time courting each other, get married already! The faster new-hires connect knowledge to performance, the faster they learn how to do things the “right” way. Give them a real assignment and let them spend their orientation (honeymoon) phase asking intelligent questions that will really help them. Place them in

2010-06-26T12:05:00.008-04:00

Flyer, Driver, Walker: what kind of leadership journey are you on? It's summer, and I found myself thinking about life and leadership in terms of travel, along with some remarks I have heard over the years. Flyers: Leading by Proxy“We have seagull leadership – they fly into town, shit on our heads, then fly away.” VP of market operationsMany people own stock. I do too. Every now and then,

2010-06-25T13:04:00.002-04:00

Not Your Grandfather's Career PathRemember the traditional notion of a career ladder? Traditionally, a person began their career in an entry-level job, then moved into team or local management, then on to regional management, and ended their career in C-Level or executive leadership. This required an employer-employee agreement. Two-way loyalty that, at most organizations, is outmoded or gone.

2010-06-25T11:21:00.003-04:00

10 Questions to Ask Emerging Leaders Gather your high-potential employees together–those employees you have identified as future and emerging leaders–and ask them what they need in order to succeed. Do it now, before they leave.Here are some questions I might ask your emerging leaders: 1. How do you define success (visualize it five years from now...)? 2. What are the biggest

2010-06-25T10:17:00.001-04:00

“Advertising is a tax you pay for being unremarkable.” Robert StephensFounder of the Geek Squad

2010-06-23T08:00:00.009-04:00

Engage your Customers Through Learning Moments Very few customers walk into a grocery store prepared for class when they shop for cheese. Not many people look up “pest control” companies online expecting to learn about mice, when they need an exterminator. (Get it: mice, cheese?). But both of those scenarios is an opportunity for your team to engage customers in learning

2010-06-22T15:35:00.003-04:00

Every Customer Interaction is A Learning MomentIt’s easy to forget that education is part of every sale. From planning a dream vacation to selecting a cardiologist, every consumer learns about your products or services before, during and after the sale.Some companies sell items that require education on the spot, such as a one-day only discount, or certain ingredient or a unique process that

2010-06-21T14:05:00.005-04:00

Your boss’ boss wants you to succeed. Your boss’ boss wants you to succeed. Maybe your boss’ boss’ boss. Regardless, there is someone lurking in your organization who is hell-bent on your success. You just have to find him or her. Come to this person–your ultimate champion–with a pronouncement that you have just created additional revenue and you will most likely get a giant pat on the

2010-06-18T13:16:00.008-04:00

The Learning MomentWho hasn't taken a few hundred of classes, workshops, or training courses throughout their life? Comeon... make sure you include kindergarten!Besides knowing that the wheels on the bus do indeed go 'round and 'round, you probably remember a thimble full of what your teachers actually taught in class. I feel lucky if I get through a day remembering the

2010-06-18T10:39:00.007-04:00

"A calling may be postponed, avoided, intermittently missed. It may also possess you completely. Whatever; eventually it will call you out. It makes its claim." James Hillman The Soul's Code Many years ago, I moved to Tallahassee, Florida with every intention of becoming a lawyer. After two years working for a law firm and passing the LSAT, I had

2010-06-14T13:42:00.002-04:00

5 Quick Ways to Ruinthe Learning Experience I confess. I'm feeling a little snarky today.I was reading an article about one organization's challenges and thought I would lay them out as "what not to do" guide. Evidently, this company had not analyzed its behavior to see what you and I might clearly see, patterns of behavior that belong on the "don't" list...Close Your Eyes

2010-05-24T11:48:00.000-04:00

Reconnecting the DisconnectedI recently visited San Diego to speak at a conference. San Diego is a charming and dynamic city. Perched by the Pacific Ocean, it is a delightful patchwork of old neighborhoods, with homes and offices surrounded by parks, ocean waters, clear skies and consistently perfect weather. From most locations, it’s a quick ride west to the seashore where you can enjoy some of

2010-05-22T13:45:00.000-04:00

Engaged Customers Buy Experiences… and then buy againSelling products effectively involves learning about customers, learning background information on the products, and then putting that information together to educate customers. What the staff says -- through words, tone of voice, body language and overall energy -- speaks volumes to the customer.Let's start selling the experience, instead of

2010-05-11T13:00:00.001-04:00

More Like a Guild, Less Like a FactoryI had an interesting conversation with a good friend yesterday. Jim’s organization has a well-deserved reputation as one of the leading design firms in the Southeast.Businesses that rely on construction were especially hard hit during the recession. His firm was no exception, yet they managed to maintain most of their clients as a result of superior quality

2010-05-09T13:38:00.001-04:00

10 Questions to Ask Your Learners Creating a great learning experience begins with a systems approach to course design - looking for ways to structure the total learning experience (before, during and after an interaction). Ask your audience these basic questions to quickly spot some opportunities: 1. How did you hear about this training? What were your expectations?

2010-04-30T11:39:00.001-04:00

Somewhere Between Theory and Reality“Drill, baby, drill.”Don M., Englewood, FloridaLetter to the Editor, Sarasota Herald-TribuneIn October 2008, I happened to drive past a crowd gathered on a downtown street in Sarasota, Florida. The held a variety of signs calling for the opening of Florida’s coasts, to within 3 miles of the beaches. Drill Baby, Drill went their chant. We all know about the

2010-04-23T14:08:00.000-04:00

Some Ongoing Research A variety of companies from four major industries (healthcare, retail, insurance and automotive) told us that leading organizations (those that create great experiences for their clients or end-users) clearly define the customer experience and seek to fulfill it creatively, hold their leaders and employees accountable for that experience, and then

2010-03-03T15:09:00.003-05:00

(based on a true story…)You’re part of a 8,000-strong employee organization, and are responsible for creating the new: ü leadership development program ü a yearly update to a sales compliance manual ü selecting and implementing a Learning Management System (LMS) You have a budget of $15,000, no staff, 3 months, and limited access to subject matter experts that are often too

2010-02-21T15:23:00.000-05:00

Experience Is Our TeacherI don’t know about you, but I work with adults. Adults respond both intellectually and with their emotions to a learning moment.This means most communication, and specifically education, has to engage adults on both a cognitive and emotional level. For now, I will assume you create learning for a variety of audiences and clients (both internal and

2010-01-19T14:37:00.000-05:00

The Learning Experience Matters!Let’s pretend I could magically place an educator into your organization that was focused completely on Making the Moment for your students.You wouldn’t need an awe-inspiring office or training center. Your employees would feel GREAT!Students will ask where you found the new trainer. They will remember how good they felt, they will feel more engaged, they might

2010-01-03T13:27:00.002-05:00

Faces & PlacesYour choices determine whether your employees learn faster, easier and more frequently. We are wired to remember people and places. You can use those assets to your advantage. Most organizations can't afford to build their campus beside a beautiful mountain stream or tropical bay. But they can afford to hire, train and promote great people. The quality of your

2009-12-18T13:13:00.000-05:00

“Never ask a barber whether you need a haircut.” Warren Buffett CEO, Berkshire Hathaway The Barber Says You Need a Haircut I firmly believe, whether through formal curriculum, mentoring programs, “edu-tainment”, informal web safaris, water cooler group discussions and any other of a number of ways, education is at the heart of a vibrant community and

2009-10-18T12:52:00.003-04:00

The Outsourced Experience Comes Home Recently, a friend of mine flew to Beijing to visit her son. A recent graduate of M.I.T., he chose to work there and was highly recruited to assist with the design and development of battery technologies. China is investing billions in battery technology and, through companies like Build Your Dreams and more than thirty other automotive

2009-10-04T12:42:00.000-04:00

Service Experience ScorecardHere's 4-question checklist to begin dialog regarding the customer service experience: 1. Does our organization clearly define typical customer challenges (experience) so employees can anticipate them? In general, my team knows the type of experiences our typical (customer/audience/member) craves, and the reasons why. We clearly know why your customers prefer the

2009-09-28T13:06:00.002-04:00

Why The Moments Matter I primarily teach and present workshops to corporate audiences. A lot of people immediately understand why great interactions matter, especially in an era when customers can share their experience almost as it happens. Your customers make decisions based on their emotional responses to your brand, your service, your team. Period.Regardless, I still

2009-09-07T12:30:00.000-04:00

Okay, so the experience matters. Now what?It's time to turn that cash register into a (Superman) cape: Define the experience your audience wants. Measure the experience they (not employees) say you deliver. Use these experiences to inspire others. The goal for you and your team is to:Define customer challenges, and then the experience(s) employees can create (during any

2009-08-22T09:57:00.000-04:00

A Great Moment is Also a Service Experience It takes quite a team of people to bring a new life into the world – a newborn is a an overwhelmingly awesome moment for a husband and wife. But what about the nurses, baby supply retailers, doctors, technologists, florists and relatives that participated in the big event? Their is a hidden mountain of individuals that conspire (

2009-07-18T09:49:00.000-04:00

Make the Moment A few years back, a client asked me to create some material for their new-hire training program. Since they were in Australia, they asked me to fly out, spend some time on the ground–have a walkabout, and then begin my work. It was my first flight across the Pacific, and you should also be aware this took place before 9/11/2001.My Qantas flight from

2009-07-17T12:39:00.001-04:00

We Can’t Fake It Anymore In business, staging or controlling an experience requires a storefront or website with a team of employees as the performers and leadership directing it all. The audience sits in breathless anticipation, waiting to be dazzled.Cue: action! And…what happened? Where did everybody go?Today, social media platforms are the latest stage. Fans, customers

2009-06-03T11:34:00.002-04:00

Experiences make us happier than possessions Ryan Howell, assistant professor of psychology at San Francisco State University, presented the findings of a study that looked at people enrolled at San Francisco State University, with an average age of about 25. Participants answered questions about a recent purchase -- either material or experiential -- they personally made in

2009-04-09T10:27:00.000-04:00

A World Community ExperienceThere are no borders or boundaries in the Experience Nation. In fact, I recently found myself passionately supportive of a one-man outfit in England that produced the best design software I had ever used. And then he sold his company (I am truly happy for him) although the product now sucks (how truly stupid of the new owner). I didn’t care

2009-03-05T08:18:00.000-05:00

The Experience Generation Speaking about his 2005 book, “Blink”, the author, Malcom Gladwell remains fascinated by the “smallest components of our everyday lives--with the content and origin of those instantaneous impressions and conclusions that bubble up whenever we meet a new person, or confront a complex situation, or have to make a decision under conditions of stress.

2009-02-25T09:13:00.000-05:00

three thoughts this morning: 1. InstinctUAL decisions (rapid decisions based on previous experiences) take precedence over those that are planned through logic or reason. 2. Social Media is creatING a personal experience in an otherwise impersonal medium.3. The sun is shining and my gut tells me I need a break from the internet. I'm still human. : > )

2009-02-14T14:54:00.000-05:00

You Grip a Spear By the Handle Social anthropologists study patterns in human behavior and trends that we create through that behavior. They keep their eyes forward; they observe the edge of the trend, the "tip of the spear". But what about those of us who make the donuts - the people who work everyday to help change the organization and bring the rest of us closer to that

2009-01-18T09:10:00.002-05:00

What is / will be the next intersection of education, creativity and community development? As Barack Obama takes office, I wonder how a variety of funding and initiatives across siloed governmental departments could possibly be connected to create the kind of outcomes that can radically change the way we work, learn and interact.

2008-07-29T17:28:00.003-04:00

Free and nifty development tools thrown around in workshop discussions:Wirecast (video capture and cleanup)Pagesucker (grab anything and tag it)CAM StudioAudacity (audio recording & editing)Percourse (web development)Fullshot (screen capture)Tiddly Wiki (easy wiki creation)...and these, provided by the LDS Church:

2008-07-29T11:14:00.002-04:00

A photo from DevCon by Mark.

2008-07-29T09:56:00.005-04:00

Here's the key nugget from my July keynote presentation: as learners and the web evolve, how do our strategies and tactics evolve with them? The LMS is dead, long live the LMS.Here's an image of how the web may (or may not) evolve. From Web 1.0 to 4.0 and a more artificial intelligent agent.My thoughts: our current approach to the Internet is akin to monks trying to track all printed material

2008-07-29T09:39:00.003-04:00

At DevCon 2008, I facilitated a workshop where about 67 of us tried to nail down specific challenges in creating the type of work we want to do, and opportunities for working around them. I asked everyone to focus on the first of 4 parts to successful projects: the global project strategy.Here are some project Challenges and Opportunities we discovered through our C.O.P.E. strategy session:

2008-06-01T10:21:00.001-04:00

Go Bold and Leave the Rest Behind!Course design is a balancing act between proven instructional techniques, content designed to be on-target with the audience, and delivery that facilitates effective learning and performance, with irrelevant material left behind. We also need an approach that can set the stage for more powerful learning moments within every topic / online event.Basic thought here

2008-05-25T10:03:00.002-04:00

We all know that e-Learning combines internet technology with adult learning principles and problem-solving methodology. As e-learning has gained a reputation for enhancing learner competency and knowledge, and in many cases task performance, the resulting positive changes in worker behavior and improved job performance enable us to expand our us of online resources.Recognizing the enormity of

2008-05-04T08:57:00.006-04:00

I occasionally write satire for a local magazine. I wanted to post one of them here... Debtor NationRecently flipping through the mail, I opened Time Magazine to read an article regarding the sad state of real estate and the ballooning mortgage crisis (yawn). Suddenly the article tossed out the hard-to-believe fact the over 60% of our population is in debt. Really?The article nattered on about

2008-05-01T16:53:00.004-04:00

Okay, I am a beer guy and I miss the occasional Caffreys. Blame Coors. They bought this delightful brew and stopped importing it. Long live the bitter!

2008-04-23T08:12:00.000-04:00

Web 3.0, and beyond!Just as I was getting used to sticky applications that can be placed within XML (think Widgets), I am now wrestling with the concept of "sticky" students. It only makes sense. I was having a discussion with Garin Hess of Rapid Intake and explaining to him how inadequate current LMS technology seems. LMS and LCMS systems want the training function and student to orbit their

2008-04-18T08:53:00.000-04:00

We only live in tents on Adobe's front lawn... and sometimes life in pixeltown just isn't pretty...

2008-04-17T11:02:00.000-04:00

A great visualization of e-learning by udutu.com - overlay Bloom's taxonomy and you have a general guide to the complexity of learning design.

2008-04-16T09:03:00.000-04:00

Thanks to our friends at e-Learning Guild for another successful event! The theme this year seemed to be distance collaboration and advancing the art of interactivity. Collaboration, and the tools required to do so effectively, is truly a pressing issue... I'll be curious to see what pops up at DevCon this summer...

2008-04-01T03:00:00.000-04:00

Heaven will be mostly free, but the ads will be hell.It took me years to figure out what I wanted to be when I grew up. I always knew that Indian Princess was not an option and, although born on the same day as George Washington, American Revolutionary Patriot was out as well.Fast-forward about 35 years to the day I realized I had a modicum of talent as a writer. Jump another four years until my

2008-02-28T07:43:00.000-05:00

Course Maps: still a great tool for IDs and their clients. There has been discussion of ditching Course Maps for rapid e-learning projects. I can see why. It makes sense if it is an internal project, or derivative of previous work. However, I am still a fan. I am a big advocate of using them with 1) new clients, 2) complex learning paths, 3) branching interactions, or 4) when you simply need to

2008-02-19T07:55:00.001-05:00

Creative versus Innovative versus DerivativeLots of people talk about creating or providing "innovative" solutions. Few people create absolutely new ideas. Some actually innovate. Many more simply provide derivative products (copies of copies...).We are living in an age when songs composed of samples from older songs are considered "new". People craft movies from "borrowed" art and wholesale

2008-02-11T23:00:00.000-05:00

Training 2008 - what a great conference this was!Training 2008 is a nice-size combination of thought leaders, practical application, and strategic dialogue. Everything from HPI leaders like Judy Hale, researchers like Bryan Chapman, to corporate training presentations and vendor demonstrations.One insight I had: the number of organizations and people who are new to (or just starting) e-learning.

2007-12-26T08:46:00.000-05:00

Watching an episode of Frontline, I was turned onto Kiva and just became a micro-lender. Very cool set of business ethics (501c3, 100% of donations go directly to recipients, etc.) and life-changing business model. Check it out and get involved!

2007-12-25T11:49:00.000-05:00

Happy Holidays, and many returns?I in a lull now, between my partner's kids opening gifts (mostly hits, few misses!) and neighbors ambling by for evening cocktails. Just time to squeeze in a thought based on an article in the Philadelphia Inquirer."There's a big gap between how two generations view customer service", the story begins. In short, the two generations, a Boomer population raised on

2007-12-21T09:20:00.000-05:00

My first date with Patti...For the most part, I consider myself to be a "self-taught" instructional designer. Sure, I have a Masters and a certificate in Instructional Design, but for the most part, the tools and techniques I use have been discovered through trial and error. This morning I explored Patti Shank's website (www.learningpeaks.com) for the very first time. She is someone I have seen

2007-12-20T11:10:00.000-05:00

I am in the process of trying to organize some tools for my client engagement team (ranging from sales to designers to LMS implementation staff). Here are the basic recurring themes that I find myself addressing with multiple clients and multiple projects. Hint to Russ: create some reference material... maybe I’ll get this into a wiki so others on my team can edit/post as well.What will our

2006-11-07T13:16:00.000-05:00

In Learning Circuits, the November Big Question is: "Are our models (ISD, ADDIE, HPT, etc.) relevant in the future?"My answer: absolutely yes.Although it is a timely question, it is one we have already answered, and often forget that we have.These days, conversations around "learning" remind me of a public aquarium. The curator brings food to one tank and the fish begin to eat, oblivious to