It’s 2010 and as is tradition we start the new year off with New Year’s resolutions. While you may argue that it’s insane to make unrealistic resolutions in January just because we did it last year, but its fun. If you don’t think so, ignore this blog entry. If you do, then here are my Ten for 2010.

1. Security – There will be more and more hacks, malware, attacks and breakdowns than ever before. Prepare yourself and an IT training plan for your organization in how to deal with it. Once it happens, it’s too late. My December blog entry was all about the IT threats predications over the next ten years and how will you be trained on or perhaps be providing the training for these threats. This is one area in which the Boy Scout motto of “Be Prepared” applies to our profession.
2. Specialization – Prepare yourself to become a specialist at something in the IT training field. A content developer, a distance learning expert or even an educational gamer guru. Anything, just like doctors and lawyers are specialists in certain areas of their profession, so can you set yourself apart in the IT training field
3. Socialize yourself – Wiki, Blog, Tweet and/or Digg. Get your name, opinions, and work out for others to see. It’s not as painful as you think and shows a commitment to the profession.
4. Make a list, check it twice – What are the top 10 IT Training problems you need to solve this year. Create a roadmap for the year (and follow it!)
5. Make IT Training a competitive difference – Understand what can make training a competitive advantage for your company and then tell anyone that will listen. Spend time learning about why training is an essential function and the next round of staff reductions perhaps training won’t be the first to get hit. 
6. Make at least one bad process better – Take one current process that is bad and make it better. It could be how you track students learning, how you budget, how you create content or even how you choose what to train on. Take one process a month if you are really eager but take at least one this year. 
7. Reacquaint with your vendors – Many times we find ourselves dealing with the same vendors for IT Training only because we used them in the past. Spend time with them to insure they are still the right fit. Check out trainingindustry.com and their top training vendor lists to insure that your vendors have what these top vendors have and insure you are getting the best IT training for your enterprise. 
8. Get Certified – Either get certified yourself or champion a program to help others do it. Either way, certification is the IT training standard and the more you have a personal understanding of it the better IT training professional you will be.
9. Make yourself relevant – Be able to answer the question your CEO may ask you. Why are you relevant? Create a personal elevator speech that details in 30 seconds what an IT trainer does and why it’s a critical role in your company. Once you create it, start riding the elevators in hope that you get a chance to use it. 
10. Get/Stay healthy, Happy and live life to the fullest - O.K., I had to throw in at least one that has nothing to do with IT Training. This is just a good resolution to have
    

All in all, resolutions are about identifying something in life that needs attention, committing to change it and executing that change for the better. As always, I look forward to your continued feedback and feel free to contact me anytime at bob.austin@itlearnblog.com