Check out this article: “Yikes, Training Spending up 9.5%”. So exciting! This post highlights the trend of organizations realizing their best competitive advantage is investing in and growing their intellectual capital — building skills and knowledge internally and taking advantage of informal learning. It has become increasingly evident that agile and innovative companies attract and retain talent able to learn, change, grow and engage in a continuous learning or continuous improvement environment. Aren’t they the same, or at the least, complimentary concepts?
This means that although investment in learning (informal and formal) has increased, there needs to be effective learning materials and coaches to provide that key learning transfer. So, folks out there with larger than usual learning and development budgets, consider wisely how it is spent. Take the time to discuss outcomes and links to organizational goals prior to determining a learning solution. Life Cycle Institute makes it a first priority to help the client determine the reasons for and outcomes of a learning investment. This is important, because the development need could be something other than training!
Contact us to find out more about how we can help you determine how to best develop your true assets — your people!
It is starting to feel a lot like Christmas. Put up the tree this weekend, stockings are hung over the fireplace and Christmas carols fill the airwaves. This is all good and cheery, but what really makes it feel like Christmas is trying to memorize 15 songs for our Singing Christmas Tree this year (including Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus – did I mention from memory???), scheduling travel to see family, and Christmas shopping for my wife and three girls, including a 15-year-old who thinks that “Any new car would be fine, I am easy to please” is helpful Christmas advice. Needing something to cheer me up, I turn on “The Grinch” and realize two things:1) deep down, part of me secretly empathizes with him; and 2) there is an important change message in the story.
I just read an interview by TED’s Ben Lillie with Rory Sutherland, the advertising genius who has an affinity for the new science of behavioral economics. The interview goes in a few different directions, with Sutherland’s strong opinions and striking insights throughout; however, what stood out to me were his thoughts around large-scale projects falling prey to valuing one perspective or channel of thought over another.
He used an example from two industries: advertising and transportation. When an ad pitch is made, it is normally “sold” to a group of highly rational thinkers before it is realized; however, when a plan for a high-speed railway is proposed, there are not too many people asking for the plan to be presented before a group of highly creative (a.k.a. crazy) stakeholders to see if it can be improved.
Sutherland’s examples made me think of a learning design and development project. When developing a learning product, designers often work with subject matter experts (SMEs) to ensure technical accuracy. The learning product must tie to a goal of the business (e.g. the “rational” thinkers) and must achieve results in the sponsor’s estimation. To have the most successful learning product, wouldn’t it seem important to listen to each perspective and try to find a balance between them? To listen to the creative, heed the engineer’s expertise and keep an eye on the financier’s targets and goals.
Interesting insight from an interview that had nothing outright to do with learning, but that is connected due to it’s focus on getting things done and on the “good application of human intelligence.”
The American Society for Training and Development’s (ASTD) annual international conference is one of the largest gatherings of learning and development professionals in the world.
ASTD’s 2012 conference will be held May 6-9th in Denver, Colorado, and the LCE’s Life Cycle Institute has been asked to present a conference workshop. The workshop is titled SMEs are from Mars, Instructional Designers are from Venus, and takes a closer look at how learning designers and content experts can work together more effectively and appreciate what each partner brings to the design and development table.
Session attendees will have an interactive session where they are given a chance to experiment with techniques to facilitate a productive SME/designer relationship and use practical tools that can be applied as soon as your next learning project arises.
Please join us at the conference, held May 6th-9th, 2012 in Denver, Colorado. More information on the session to come as the conference dates approach.
You can be forgiven if you don’t recognize Arnold Vosloo’s name. In fact, you have to be a bit of a movie buff to have a chance at this one – and by movie buff, I mean you don’t leave the theater until the credits display Key Grip or you know what C.S.A. stands for. For the non-buffs, Arnold is the actor who played the character ‘Imhotep’ in the 1999 movie “The Mummy” (i.e., he played the mummy). In the category of “Best Portrayal of a Resurrected Supporting Actor or Actress” (not yet a category, but under consideration) Arnold is an Oscar shoe-in. He is also a brilliant change agent.
In ‘Alice in Wonderland’, we know the White Rabbit as eternally behind schedule and skittishly hyperactive. What is easily overlooked is his firm grasp of the subtle intricacies of effective change management – for example, when he offhandedly advises Alice:
“Don’t just do something, stand there!”
Although this statement initially appears counterintuitive – after all, much of formal change management is getting individuals to actually do things differently – the change will only be effective when the right people do the right things. Read the rest of this entry »
The notification came out in an announcement over the company loudspeaker and a celebratory message from LCE’s president, Bob Fei. LCE has been named a “Best Place to Work” in South Carolina! This year LCE placed the #3 company — the highest honor we’ve had on this prestigious list.
We are proud to have our headquarters in Charleston, South Carolina, and the fact that our own employees voted us into this honor speaks to our culture.
Here is a link to the article that announces our 3rd place mention. If you would like to see our current job openings to join Team LCE, please look here. We are looking for talent to join our ranks.
I like to read Elliott Masie’s Learning TRENDS newsletter. Mr. Masie always has something thought provoking to say, and normally reports on the cutting edge of what’s happening in the learning and development world.
This week was no different. Masie wrote about “nano” coaching or mentoring and peaked my interest. This style of coaching or mentoring is a quick, almost twitter-like approach to making an impact. A quick phone call (3 minutes) to ask about particular progress, an email with a reminder or motivational cue, an IM to stimulate thought. For Masie, the results of targeted nano-coaching have been tangible.
Take a look at Masie’s article on nano-coaching and let me know what you think. So much of our world today is focused on maximum value at impact. Maybe nano-coaching is the way to go?
Scott Franklin represented Life Cycle Engineering and the Life Cycle Institute at this year’s Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) conference. In a recap of his conference workshop, Scott shares three elements critical to a successful change initiative. Take a look at the video below:
Well-known as a cowboy, humorist and actor, Will Rogers had a special way with words, preceding Yogi Berra in pioneering the field of creative linguistic logic. William Penn Adair Rogers was one of the most revered public figures in the early 1900s and much of his popularity was due to his tremendous understanding of and connection with people. As a keen student of human nature, he unsurprisingly identified a fundamental key to successful change in his statement:
“It isn’t what we don’t know that gives us trouble; it’s what we know that ain’t so.”
The IMPACT blog is written by Life Cycle Institute learning professionals. Our blog is meant to stimulate conversation and encourage discovery about effective leadership, the process of learning and how people grow through change.
