Experimentation and Innovation Should Be Continuous in Your Training Program

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Your learning and development process is critical to your long-term success as an organization. Every business experiences the ebbs and flows of changing talent and market demands, but it is the companies who are invested in growing and improving their offerings to keep pace with the desires of their customers who are able to succeed. A chief concern in the development of your training program should be encouraging experimentation and innovation.

Are You Using Microblogging as an Effective Learning Technology Tool?

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Your employees are often the single greatest training resource available for new hires. But sometimes, it’s hard to get that one-on-one facetime that is so critical to helping people learn the ropes. Even team members who have been around for a while can benefit from the crowd-sourced information available from a larger group of compatriots. Here’s how internal microblogging can tap into that well of information and how it serves as an excelent learning technology tool.

How Can You Use L&D for Ongoing Employee Training?

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Today’s hiring managers are fighting against an obstacle that has plagued the recruiting process for years, the skills gap. College graduates and even experienced professionals are lacking the latest skills and training that is required to meet the quickly changing demands of their employers. This is a very real problem that even big-name employers like Microsoft and Google are struggling with on a daily basis.

Working Effectively as a Virtual Consultant

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Working at home requires self-discipline and organization. Set up a separate, dedicated workspace away from distractions. People who have been teleworking for a long time recommend that you establish boundaries between your personal and business lives.

Are MOOCs for You?

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You, like many businesses, may find yourself in the situation where budget is tight for investing in training and development programs. But you also know that failing to increase your knowledge base (and that of your team) can drag your company down in a competitive business landscape. Luckily, there is a wealth of information available online that is easy to access and reasonably inexpensive (often even free).

Input Social Media Into Your L&D

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Social Media integration can be a real game-changer when it comes to staying ahead with your learning & development efforts. The flexibility and unique learning opportunities offered through social channels can be surprisingly effective. You might not immediately think that social media is a valuable way for your trainees to spend their time, but in today’s modern and highly mobile workforce, a new perspective on L&D might be just the spark you need to fan the fire of innovation. Here are four ways you can incorporate social media into your programs for real results.

Where Are You?  Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing, or Adjourning?

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Bruce Tuckman is known for producing the single most quoted models of group development way back in the 1960s. But what held true then still has importance to team models today. Learning about these different stages and where your team fits into the grand scheme of things will help you work and grow together as a single unit. Here are the basics.

Creating a Learning Culture in Your Organization

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Many organizations consider themselves a learning culture because they offer in-house training or allow employees to seek professional development outside the company. But cultivating a learning culture in an organization is more than simply offering more opportunities for training—it requires a real investigation of company values and processes.

Ready for Generation “Next”?

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Your current team will not be your “forever team.” Co-workers, colleagues, and even supervisors come and go with time. It’s important to recognize that even though your team might seem mission critical, there will inevitably come a time when you have to dive into the talent pool and select some more eager workers to help you do business. Are you ready to onboard, nurture, and let the next generation of talent drive your success? Here are a few things you should know about the latest additions to the job market.

Hiring L&D Professionals: A Gamified Guide

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Molding your company into a learning organiztion has become increasingly important as the value of expert talent rises. Download our gamified guide on hiring L&D professionals and learn:

What About the 10-80-10? Principle a Reflection on Leaders Delegating

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John Maxwell, a business and leadership guru, advises leaders in companies to come up with a delegation plan that works for them. He suggests the 10-80-10 rule.  Plenty of leaders wonder why is it so hard to delegate. Understanding where you should be “hands-on” and where you should back off is key to the success of your projects and your team, as well. Here are a few thoughts on how the 10-80-10 principle can help you delegate more effectively.

7 Key Differences Between Managers and Leaders

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Many human resources experts say that they are searching for leaders rather than managers these days. Why is that? Aren’t leaders and managers basically the same thing? Not really. In a book excerpted in the Wall Street Journal, Alan Murray explains that while leadership and management often go hand-in-hand, today’s knowledge economy requires the inspiration and purpose-driven vision that can only come from true leaders, not just efficiency-focused managers.