Hybrid work can make it harder to get to know your teammates as people. You can’t stop by their desk to chit chat or take a seat next to them in the lunchroom. Remote meetings don’t allow for much casual conversation. People can’t step aside and connect without talking to the entire group. This can make things awkward or slow down the entire meeting. Plus, getting straight down to business can make the gathering feel less human. One way to overcome this remote work challenge and find a sense of balance between team community and productivity is to use kickstart questions. These light, fun ques ..read more

Remote work is reality – in every region and every industry. What was once a limited option/benefit is now the way work gets done. However, this doesn’t mean everyone knows how to do it well – yet. Most remote work practices focus on one thing: productivity – making sure people can get as much done from afar as they previously did in the office. This mindset overlooks two other critical considerations for remote workers: Wellness. Remote work can negatively impact a person’s physical and psychological well being when not properly considered. For example, people may unwittingly adopt more stat ..read more

Thought leaders, journalist and managers are playing ping pong with the concept of remote work all over social media. CEOs are sweating the potential loss of creativity and culture if people stay remote. Employees are threatening to walk if they’re forced to endure a daily commute. And yet most organizations haven’t nailed down their plans for how to move forward when the opportunity for group work settings return.   This debate will continue into 2022 as organizations iterate their business models to catch up with prevailing economic realities. Regardless of their ultimate decisions, tea ..read more

L&D is still debating microlearning. It’s real! It’s just hype. It works! It’s utter nonsense. People want it! They don’t even know what it is. I get polarized responses when I ask L&D pros around the world about microlearning. Some praise the impact microlearning has already had in their businesses. Others sneer at the mention of the term and immediately dismiss the concept. Honestly, why can’t we figure this one out as a community, take advantage of what is proven to work, dump the rest and move on to the next important conversation? Well … We’ve done a poor job defining it. What is ..read more

How is workplace learning evolving? Which strategies and tactics are making an impact? Which proven practices should I consider introducing within my learning ecosystem? We reflect on these questions at the end of each year as we update the LearnGeek Hype Cycle. Inspired by the Garner version, this brief, common sense report is our attempt to close the gap between “thought leadership” and workplace reality. We leverage industry research, literature reviews, practitioner conversations and practical experience to chart the progress of the 20 most-discussed topics in L&D. The January 2021 Hyp ..read more

This is my 100th published content piece for the year. That’s a lot for me. Some would say its too much … I reclaimed the time I typically spent traveling to share stories and insights through a variety of channels. I reported on the changes taking place on the frontline through the Axonify Blog and The 80 Percent Podcast. I shared my personal experiences as an L&D pro on Learning Solutions Magazine. I worked with publications like TD Magazine, Training Industry, SHRM, Training & Development Magazine, Retail TouchPoints, Chief Learning Officer and Training Magazine to explore topics li ..read more

Every company needs a curator. This is because every company … and I mean EVERY company … struggles with enabling the rapid, consistent and meaningful flow of workplace knowledge. This foundational problem manifests in a variety of ways. Employees waste inordinate amounts of time trying to find the answers to simple problems, even if they have access to collaboration tools like email and MS Teams. Knowledge vanishes when veteran employees leave. The wisdom and experience that powers everyday decision-making rarely transforms into explicit knowledge that can be shared. Top performers have a ha ..read more

Every December, wordsmiths select a single term to define the past 365 days of human experience. It’s an attempt to summarize the most widely-discussed topics and events that impacted people around the world in new and unique ways. Oxford Languages picked “climate emergency” for 2019. Merriam-Webster went with “they.” Dictionary.com: “existential.” We’ve talked about (and acted on) a lot of important things in 2020. Racism. Social justice. Equality. Healthcare. Climate change. Democracy. Misinformation. As expected, most wordsmiths leaned in the same direction for this year’s selection: “pand ..read more

Training Magazine recently published their 2020 Training Industry Report. This graph stood out … According to the survey, only 6% of organizations are using artificial intelligence to deliver training. 89% stated they are not using AI. 5% aren’t sure. Hmmmmm … Almost everyone has an LMS. One quarter of companies have figured out audio-only training. One in ten has implemented VR despite the logistical challenges and content development costs. But only 6% are using AI? That doesn’t sound right. When does L&D consider themselves to be “officially” using AI? Which personas within workplace ..read more

Hybrid work can make it harder to get to know your teammates as people. You can’t stop by their desk to chit chat or take a seat next to them in the lunchroom. Remote meetings don’t allow for much casual conversation. People can’t step aside and connect without talking to the entire group. This can make things awkward or slow down the entire meeting. Plus, getting straight down to business can make the gathering feel less human. One way to overcome this remote work challenge and find a sense of balance between team community and productivity is to use kickstart questions. These light, fun ques ..read more