Reflecting your company’s DEI values in training content is an important step toward realizing the long-term benefits of a successful DEI initiative. To understand that importance, you must know the answers to a few questions. What is DEI? Why is the reflection of DEI values in training content important? How can you know if your training content reflects your company’s DEI values? What is DEI? DEI is the acronym for diversity, equity, and inclusion. It is the abbreviation used when discussing “a conceptual framework that promotes the fair treatment and full participation of all people, espe ..read more

What challenges do companies face regarding employee mental health after the pandemic? The upheaval caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has forced changes in most areas of our lives and how we carry out our day-to-day business. Mental health issues in our post-covid workforce have been exposed and demand to be addressed. It would be more realistic to question what challenges don’t exist after the pandemic. Employers must accept that caring for the mental health of their employees is the way of the future. Companies are now challenged with an unprecedented need to focus on employee mental health. H ..read more

Unless you’ve lived under a rock for the past two years, it should be no surprise the COVID-19 pandemic has forced companies to make adjustments to ensure continued success. “Pivot” has become an overused buzzword and an increasingly critical approach for businesses to stay profitable, much less afloat. Granted, we have seen many benefits in the post-COVID remote workforce and new ways of getting work done. We’ve also learned valuable lessons, as Patty McCord explains in her Ted Talk, 4 Lessons the Pandemic Taught Us About Work, Life and Balance. We understand the separation between family an ..read more

How can we create a culture in which our employees value training? “People love to say, “Give a man a fish, and he’ll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish, and he’ll eat for a lifetime.” What they don’t say is, “And it would be nice if you gave him a fishing rod.” That’s the part of the analogy that’s missing.” ― Trevor Noah, Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood While self-sufficiency has its place and is commendable, the part missing in many web-based and classroom training programs is the ability to cultivate meaning and purpose. It’s not enough to merely teach a skil ..read more

Steak! When it’s grilled to perfection, it looks and smells wonderful! But have you ever taken too big of a bite and found yourself chewing and chewing. You literally bit off more than you could chew, and no matter what you did, the food simply wouldn’t go down. Rewind and try again, this time taking smaller bites. If you can swallow what you’re eating, digestion goes smoother, your hunger is satisfied, and overall, it is a much more enjoyable experience. Just as it is easier for your stomach to digest a reduced portion of food, your brain learns more readily when information is presented in s ..read more

Do you remember what learning was like when you were in high school and college? Teachers would give you assignments and then point you in the right direction. In general, you believed what your instructors told you, without question. You tackled each subject so that you could meet all the requirements for graduation, but you may not have realized that what you were studying could actually have value in your future. Oftentimes, English, Math, and Science classes just seemed like a colossal waste of time. Right? But with age comes greater wisdom and maturity. If an adult wants to take a course ..read more

Instructional designers are superheroes when it comes to merging learning principles with graphic design. To achieve your superhero status, make sure that you know how to apply these 12 instructional design basics. Cater to a Specific Audience If a seafood fanatic wanted to describe how delicious lobster is, who would be the perfect audience? The person who doesn’t like seafood or their fellow seafood lover? Whether they choose to persuade someone to try lobster or to share their pleasurable experience with other fanatics will depend on the audience they want to reach. The words they choose ..read more

“If you aim at nothing, you will hit it every time.” This famous quote by Zig Ziglar, legendary author, salesman, and motivational speaker, speaks volumes when it comes to employee training and development. What goals and expectations do you have in place for your training program? How do you measure success within your employee training and development system? Not having a training strategy hinders you from measuring how well your team performs and keeps you from accurately gauging customer satisfaction levels. On the other hand, a well-planned starting line will carry you through to a solid ..read more

Businesses can depend on properly trained employees to deliver high-quality performance and create increased revenue. With that being said, prioritizing professional development training strategies with an enterprising perspective will result in positive trends in your long-term profit margin. Whether you go with on-the-job, instructor-led, online training, or a hybrid approach, an effective learning and development program will directly affect your bottom line. How can a company increase revenue with the right employee training? Safety Training Simply put, safety training in a business is cos ..read more

There are obvious advantages to being young — health, energy, stamina, flexibility, and being able to process and take action quickly are just a few. While some companies are bent on hiring younger adults, there are obvious advantages of hiring older employees. Wisdom, life experience, a broader perspective, and the tendency to process without rushing are common qualities found in the older population. We face a crucial challenge as we bring on older personnel to consider how learning changes as we age. Incorporating an aging workforce into your employee training and development program is the ..read more