Thought leadership needs to be seen and demonstrated not just at the individual layer but at the organizational layer. One component of that is conducting fundamental research to better the industry. Another component is having the employees share this content in a helpful, not salesy way while building trust in their ecosystem. The individuals in your team need to work together and be in-sync and their goals. Nirvana is to be recognized by your clients and the industry as a thought partne...

In today's world where an organization's prospect has access to more information about the industry, key firms within that industry, and customer testimonials of those using products and services from companies in the industry, how can any organization stand out? In some industries, buyers have conducted 75 percent of their research on the Internet prior to talking to any firms to make their purchasing decisions. How do you make sure that you are not only at the table, but have a strong se...

42 Rules of Driving Success with Books (2nd Edition) will help you appreciate the ease of creation and the depth of value a book (or series of books) can create for your business. Whether you write the book yourself, have your clients/partners provide content, or have it ghostwritten, being the author of a book makes you an expert and being the expert gets you business. By reading this book, you will be informed and inspired by the stories and lessons of 40 other professionals that benefit...

Instructional designers understand how people learn best. Their expertise is deployed to build learning experiences that enable rapid and deep absorption of new knowledge or assimilation of previously-absorbed facts. Traditional instructional design (ID), however, tends to go only half of the way because it emphasizes placing the instructor in the drivers seat. Now, in #SUCCESSFUL CORPORATE LEARNING tweet Book03: Instructional Design for Todays Professionals (*#SCL tweet Book03*),...

In our modern, often volatile economy, we can no longer expect permanent or long term employment with any one employer. Today's worker has, on average, multiple jobs and even multiple careers. Layoffs, terminations, and pink slips are so universal that they are now euphemistically called downsizing or rightsizing. But whatever the label, the process is no easier to deal with--not for the employee whose services are being terminated nor for the organization and executives who initiate the term...

Until very recently, virtually all corporate trainers and instructional designers followed the traditional route to training--they identified their organizations' needs and then prepared and delivered formal event-based programs that were primarily classroom or e-learning based. Several learning professionals still take this way, even though they probably realize it cannot survive much longer. In a fast-paced corporate environment, where customer needs evolve rapidly and competitors bear down...

The phrase communities of practice is relatively new; the concept and its utility is not. Simply put, a community of practice is a learning community. When people realize that they can benefit from sharing their knowledge, experience and insights with like-minded and similarly-motivated people, the seed for a community of practice gets planted. E-learning communities, continuing education groups, cooperative education groups and apprenticeship programs are all, in some form or fashion,...

Every organization, large or small, expends time and resources in training its partners, vendors, and customers. This is only natural, since it is in the best interest of any organization that its product or service be optimally deployed or consumed. When the value and utility of a company's offering becomes fully appreciated by all stakeholders, then the road to success in marketing and selling becomes that much smoother. In spite of this being common knowledge, training efforts are often le...

The idea of soliciting input, whether from customers, associates or the general public, is hardly new. Yet crowdsourcing (the soliciting of collective wisdom) is a relatively new term which has quickly become an important business concept. The spike in the ability to crowdsource, driven by web technologies, has enabled the concept to assume center stage in business strategy. A strong ability to tap into the collective intelligence of the public, or a well-defined segment of the public, enable...

The speed of data collection, an increase in the volume and complexity of data, the pressure to be innovative and adaptable, and the need to learn and share across geographic and corporate boundaries are just a few of the factors that make managing knowledge central to any organizations success today. Knowledge creates the capacity for effective action, and making that knowledge flow in a way that supports organizational learning is a key component, perhaps the most vital asset, for a learnin...

Have you ever left a class or training program excited about what you learned, only to realize a month later that you have applied little of it back on the job? As a training manager have you ever invested significant dollars and resources to carefully design and deploy a training program only to see little or no shift in individual behavior or culture afterwards? Even when your students passed the knowledge tests and you are certain learning occurred?As learning professionals, we ...

Driving Foot Traffic is a compilation of AhaMessages™ from six thought leaders. In this digital era, where online shopping has gained popularity as people find it more convenient to shop from the comfort of their homes, there's a key question that arises: Is there still a need to drive foot traffic to a physical location? The quick answer is yes!Physical locations allow businesses to provide real, face-to-face customer experiences that drive loyalty and make the customer w...