Clarity Learning & Development Blog
Perspectives on the continuous evolution of workplace training, learning and leadership development.
Continuous Learning for L&D Professionals
We’re all doing more with less nowadays, and sometimes we forget to take care of our own professional development. A smarter strategy is to weave our professional development into our daily routines as much as possible. Here are some ideas on how to make personal learning a habit.
Read More »
April 11, 2013
12 Reasons to Support Teleworking
The recent announcement by Yahoo!’s CEO Marissa Mayer to curb teleworking has sparked a heated debate online about the pros and cons of telework. According to the TeleworkResearchNetwork.com, there were 3.1 million teleworkers in the U.S. in 2011, and by 2016, that number is expected to reach 4.9 million. Larger companies (Yahoo! notwithstanding) are more likely to allow telecommuting than smaller ones.
Read More »
March 18, 2013
Designing Information
Edward Tufte fans and design lovers, listen up. You’re going to want to add Joel Katz’s new book, Designing Information: Human Factors and Common Sense in Information Design, to your wish list. Katz, an information designer who teaches at The University of the Arts and Philadelphia University, has assembled a visual feast of information design do’s and don’ts that are useful for those of us who communicate for a living.
Read More »
March 6, 2013
Book Review: Content Strategy for Mobile
Did you know that by 2015, more Americans will access the Internet through mobile devices than through desktop computers? This prediction by the International Data Corporation underscores the importance of getting content right for mobile devices.
Read More »
January 22, 2013
Everything You’ve Ever Wanted to Know About Tin Can (But Were Afraid to Ask)
Lately there’s been a lot of talk about Tin Can and how this API (application programming interface) will revolutionize how we access information and how we learn. We asked Andy Whitaker, Tin Can API Strategist of Rustici Software, to explain exactly what Tin Can API is and how it can benefit Learning and Development professionals. Although the questions are geared toward applications for L&D, there are also implications for Technical Documentation.
Read More »
January 22, 2013
Launching the Start-Up of You
I recently read, The Start-Up of You, by Reid Hoffman and Ben Casnocha. Hoffman, the cofounder and chairman of LinkedIn, suggests you think of yourself as “an entrepreneur of your career.”
The reason for the new way of thinking, he explains, is because there’s been a seismic shift in the job market:
For the past 60 years, the job market worked like an escalator. After graduating from college, you landed a job at a firm such as IBM or GE and were groomed and mentored there.
Read More »
November 26, 2012
Year’s End: Time for a Career Tune-Up
Many L&D professionals shine at helping others in their career development, but true to the saying, “the cobbler’s children have no shoes,” they tend to neglect their own development. The ultimate captain of your career is you, and Reid Hoffman, cofounder and chairman of LinkedIn, suggests you think of yourself as “an entrepreneur of your career.” Reid recently wrote The Start-Up of You with Ben Casnocha.
Read More »
November 20, 2012
Poor Writing Is No Laughing Matter
The title of Lynne Truss’ runaway bestseller Eats, Shoots and Leaves (Gotham Books, 2003) illustrates the impact of a wayward comma:
A panda walks into a café. He orders a sandwich, eats it, then draws a gun and fires two shots into the air.
“Why?” asks the confused waiter, as the panda makes towards the exit. The panda produces a badly punctuated wildlife manual and tosses it over his shoulder.
“I’m a panda,” he says, at the door. “Look it up.”
The waiter turns to the relevant entry and, sure enough, finds an explanation.
“Panda. Large black-and-white bear-like mammal, native to China. Eats, shoots and leaves.”
Read More »
November 20, 2012
Habits of Mind
Why do we do what we do, over and over? New York Times business reporter Charles Duhigg was curious about how we form habits and how we might circumvent these patterns, and so he researched and wrote, The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business. The book examines science’s new understanding of the neurology of habit formation and how this research plays out in real world examples.
Read More »
October 17, 2012
How to Create an Online Portfolio
You may not be currently looking for a job, but it never hurts to have an up-to-date online portfolio of your work. And if your work samples are gathering dust in a folder somewhere, all the more reason to get your expertise displayed electronically.
Read More »
October 17, 2012
Top 10 Infographics for L&D
[feat-img-left] Infographics—they’re everywhere. From uncovering sugar consumption in the U.S. to revealing the psychology of colors; infographics run the gamut of subject matter. So what
Read More »
September 23, 2012
The Beauty of Infographics
Infographics have been growing in popularity recently and it’s almost impossible to go a day without seeing a new one. As learning professionals, we’re aware of the effectiveness that visuals add to learning design, but how about including infographics in our designs as a compelling way to convey data and otherwise dry information?
Read More »
September 19, 2012
Categories
Contact Clarity
For over 30 years, we’ve managed projects touching every element of learning and talent development.