Training Industry Blog

As the author of a book on virtual instruction, “Virtual Presentations that Work” 1, I have an obvious bias. Having said that, though, I am a pragmatist. There are going to be times when virtual training would not be the best way to go. There are definitely circumstances that call for the tried-and-true technique of in-person training. Here is a breakdown of times when you should consider virtual instruction, and times when you should not.

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Last month, my blog post introduced the seven levers of change. A quick review: two levers deal with making sure everyone knows about the change, two are about handling resistance and gaining expertise, and three focus on fostering an environment that supports an organizational change. Taken together, the levers are the key elements of a practical program for successful change management.

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When I was asked to do research on the status of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) and how any of the Act’s latest developments may have impacted community colleges, I considered it a relatively easy assignment. But then I started to look closely into the WIA and discovered that I would need some help with interpreting what’s been going on under the WIA banner and where things may or may not be heading.

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I tend to think this might be the most important question in the training industry: What are you doing to keep the talent you’re investing in?

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OK, I’m going to ask a question, but you have to promise me you won’t answer. This direct question is the first thing I’ve asked you that I don’t want any input on. Feel free to comment on any other aspect of this blog, except this direct question: Who makes the better business leader: Men or Women?

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In my work with various client organizations and others, a re-occurring question raised (usually by senior leaders or owners) is the ‘difference between effective leaders’. In fact, it is not uncommon for current generation emerging and younger leaders to view older leaders as less effective than expected. We’ve found that is often due to younger leaders’ focus on leadership success versus effectiveness. So what’s the difference and why is it important? Successful leaders (and people), regardless of age,

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As a Lieutenant General in the US Army (Ret), I am proud to say I served my country for more than 35 years; 10 of those as a General Officer leading both enlisted and civilian resources. My experiences taught me many lessons; not only from how to deal with life and death scenarios of sending troops into battle, but how to get the highest level of performance from a team that had mission critical attached to everything they did.

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In my day-to-day work as an education writer, researcher and publisher, I have the great pleasure and honor of talking with and interviewing some very interesting and highly knowledgeable people. Such conversations are like getting a quick crash course on relevant and timely topics. I liken these talks to getting free deposits in my personal knowledge bank.

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I came to a painful conclusion the other day: Since Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn now all by and large have corporate seals of approval, I need a new time-wasting software. What’s the point of hanging out on Twitter if you’re actually working, right?

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Why do content developers confuse teaching people to analyze business problems or generate meaningful reports with using sophisticated computer applications or new equipment? You can’t just give someone the ingredients and hope that will bake a good cake.

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