Great Work Everyone! Here's an Avocado for your Efforts!

Do you regularly give out candy as a reward during your F2F training sessions? Well, you're not doing your learners any favors. Instead put out piles of beans, eggs, fish, berries and, ok, dark chocolate.

In this fascinating article (and quick read) by Jeremy Teitelbaum, he challenges us to think about our "tried and true" methods of delivering training and learning, using what we know from 25 years of brain research. Suggestions include:

Stop forcing people to multitask.

He cites research by Stanford University which determined that even when people claim they are multi-tasking, they really are not processing more than one piece of information at once.

Feed the mind to teach the mind.

The author makes an interesting point: In recent years physical fitness training has included the mind and the way it thinks about fitness, body image, health, eating habits and the like; but the opposite hasn't proven true. Nobody training the mind thinks about what the body needs to enable the mind to be successful. Hmmmm

You are unique - just like everyone else.

Brain research focuses on generalizations based on small samples of "brains." This might cause us to categorize people, types of learning, or personality factors.

Hard and Soft Skills Aren't as Important as Emotion

All learning has an emotional component - something most of us in training simply ignore as we 'get down to business.'

Brain Matters: Interview with Margie Meacham

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An interview with the author: Margie Meacham

What motivated you to write this book?

I was really inspired by my clients. They were frustrated that so many articles about neuroscience didn't really provide actionable advice. They wanted something that would give them practical ways to apply neuroscience to their roles as learning professionals. After looking in vain for such a resource, I decide to write one for them.I

f you could distill your message down to just one - what would it be?

Every person alive has an amazing potential for growth and change. All we have to do is harness the power of our amazing brains. 

How can trainers use this book to assist them in the work that they do?

There are two ways to read the book. You could read it the usual way, from cover to cover, or you could open it to the chapter that is most important to you at the time. The book is divided into different topics that are applicable to adult learners in the workplace, so you can turn to a specific chapter and get the information you need. I've also included references at the end of each chapter for those who want to dig deeper.

Do you have a personal motto that you live by?

My personal motto is "Survive and thrive to stay alive." It reminds me that our brains are built for survival, which explains why they work the way they do. In order to thrive, we need to remember this survival imperative and use our brains to the fullest to continue to thrive and stay alive.

Don't Touch That Stove! It's Hot!

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For 25+ years now, we have been a knowledge economy; yet we use training methodologies designed for the industrial age. Much of what we attempt to accomplish in workplace training requires thinking, reasoning, and decision-making skills.

When we teach soft-skills we are teaching reasoning and decision making. When we teach financial management we are teaching thinking and reasoning skills. When we teach how to operate a piece of equipment we are teaching thinking and decision-making skills.

There really is no skill - hard or soft- addressed by workplace training, that does not include the underpinnings of reasoning, decision making and thinking. Yet most training is fixated on the "what" and "how to," and does not include the "why," "when," or "what if?"

For true learning to occur, people need to experience the content in some way. This is often a difficult task when you are teaching a concept and not a physical skill AND it is not easy to achieve in a short time period (8 hours or 4 hours or absolutely NOT in a 20 minute eLearning "course").T

he onus is on us (trainers) to create learning environments which maximize the experiential aspect of how individuals learn. A perfect example is teaching your child to stay away from a hot stove. We've all given the "instruction" (and been the recipient of same) -

• Don't touch! It's hot!

• Stay away, you'll get burned!

• Be careful! That's dangerous!

And yet, inevitably, every one of us does touch the stove; and THAT is when reasoning and decision making kick in. Although we understand the concepts of "dangerous" and "hurt," the actual experience of touching the stove is the time when all of those words and concepts gel together and create meaning. From that point on, we are fully capable of assessing the dangers of a hot kitchen appliance and changing our behavior accordingly (AND we can extrapolate it to other appliances like a grill or a teapot)

.In the workplace, these same types of outcomes need to be achieved through creating learning experiences that enable the reasoning and decision-making skills of our participants to kick in. As stated earlier, this is not easy to achieve and it is usually never quick; however it is always the longest-lasting of lessons.

If you'd like to brainstorm or discuss with us the methodologies behind enhancing learning through experiential learning, give us a call or download our whitepaper on thinking skills.

Taking the ME out of SME

In the design work that we do at The Training Doctor, we are more often than not working with Subject Matter Experts (SMEs).Subject Matter Experts are crucial for us to design technically accurate training processes as well as understanding what an expert in a role must be able to do.

Very often these same Subject Matter Experts then become the facilitators of the training because the content is so technical or proprietary. One of the consistent struggles of the SME is recognizing the right perspective. We once heard a SME described as a person who is captivated by "the cool" and the "unique." So, in other words, when training a class of newbies, they might talk about a situation that happened in 2007 that was a real anomaly, but would never happen again. The problem is - a newbie doesn't know that this is non-essential information.

So, one of the practices we have to teach and enforce with Subject Matter Expert facilitators is that the course is not about them. It's not about showing off their expertise or focusing on the topics that are stimulating to them.

What's important is to get a Subject Matter Expert to recognize that when they are acting in the role of facilitator or trainer, the learning is not "all about SME," their focus should be on the learner and what the learner needs to know to be successful on the job.

You're Probably Wondering Why I Invited You To This Training

As our newsletter subscribers know, one of the services The Training Doctor provides is "Training Triage," that is, helping companies to redesign training they already have in place, but which doesn't hit the mark, for some reason.

One of our more recent projects highlighted one of the more typical situations we encounter: there was not much point for the trainees to be there. It was a three-hour class - delivered online - which was strictly lectured. This approach violated a number of learning principles - both general, classroom principles, and more specifically, online learning principles.

One of the easiest ways to determine if you are designing a quality learning experience is simply to ask yourself: What is the audience doing during this class? If the answer is "nothing," then you really have not designed a class at all!

One of the wonderful things about technology is that it freed us from having to bring people together to simply transmit information. We now have the ability to create e-Learning, podcasts or videos which allow for self-study.

So, if your audience is truly doing nothing during your class time, then you need to take "classtime" out of the equation. Look to an alternative means of relaying your content. The adult learning principle that was violated in the course that we were assessing as that it was strictly lectured and there was no purpose to having the learners gathered together. The online learning principle that was violated was that live and online learning should be reserved for those topics which truly benefit from having "minds together."

The benefit of bringing people together is to achieve more creative ideas and benefit from the collaboration and synergy which results from having many thoughts on one topic. A simple question to answer, but a hard objective to achieve: What is the audience doing during this class?

Grow Your Own Pilot!

Many organizations have realized that in order to be successful they simply haveto "grow their own" skilled workforce. It is impossible to buy, borrow or stealthe skills they need from their competitors or the population in general.  Oneimpressive example of this is Jet Blue Airlines, who announced, in November, thatthey would begin training their own pilots. The current "source" of new pilots isaviation school or the military. Jet Blue is being quite proactive in this endeavorbecause they see a pilot shortage looming as the older generation retires. It isprojected that the training will take four years. Quite an investment! The AirLine Pilots Association - North America's largest pilot union - says "this is notan effective way to secure qualified aviators." HUH? If you're thinking of a careerchange, check it out: http://www.futurebluepilots.com

Reading Teaches Thinking Skills

There is no argument that technology has donewondrous things for us over the years. My carlasts longer, my food cooks quicker and I cancall anywhere in the world for pennies if notfor free.One argument that some will make is thattechnology (the web) has also made us smarterdue to our ability to find vast quantities ofinformation - far more than one could find in their local library or - horrors - confinedto one tome.  And isn't more always better?Another argument is that technology allows us to retrieve information at lighteningspeeds. Have a question or concern? Look it up. Think you might have malaria? Aquick web-search returns 10 very authoritative sources of information about thedisease.A third argument is that this vast "library" of information, available at ourfingertips, allows us to learn from entities we would never have heard of or hadaccess to in the past. How else would we have learned of the Handbook of MusicalDevelopment published by Oxford University Press?These are all very compelling - and true - arguments... to a degree.The "pro" pundits overlook the fact that having information and making meaning fromthat information are very different. There is also the risk of interpreting opinionas fact and limiting one's "research" to the first answer that is returned or theone that seems most popular (because everybody thinks this way).The Training Doctor is challenging organizations to get back to basics. Readingfor comprehension is a basic, yet seldom-used skill.Being able to read critically instead of skimming for factoids requires one to assessthe words that are used, the logic of the argument, or the validity of one opinionover another.The skills of logic, reasoning, extrapolation, and synthesis are critical to runningbusinesses, yet we rarely, if ever, teach or encourage people to learn these skillsthrough our L+D efforts. (If you have an example of a curriculum that DOES teachthese skills - please send it along!)After purposeful and thought-provoking reading assignments, we need to ask Socraticquestions (see article #1) such as, Do you agree with the validity of this argument/premise? Why or why not? How does this compare to this other author / theory? Howcan you incorporate this new information into your day-to-day responsibilities?What are the risks (or rewards) of ignoring this information?  What economic,societal, or technological impacts could change this premise?The possibilities for stretching people's thinking abilities are endless.  But don'tbe overwhelmed. Let's just start with this one: Assign purposeful reading assignmentsas part of your L+D curriculums and begin to require learners to truly think aboutwhat they are reading.

Workplace Loner? You're not alone!

• More than half of Americans (52%) prefer working individually.
• Despite the trend toward more collaborative work teams, only a third (33%) of those surveyed voluntarily want to work that way.
• One-tenth (9%) prefer to work one-on-one with a supervisor or boss.
• Younger Americans believe that they will spend no more than seven years working in their current industry and no more than six years with their current company

Source: "Finn Futures" research conducted online of 1,000 American adults nationwide, November 8 - 17, 2015

Fired for Adult Learning?!

College professor fired for using Adult Learning

Principles: Black Mountain college opened in 1933 in the middle of the Great Depression. It was formed as an institution to be led by educators, not administrators. One of the founders was a professor who had been fired from Rollin's College, in FL, because he embraced the Socratic method of teaching by asking questions that caused his learners to think, rather than following a standard curriculum. Another founder and fellow professor at Rollins quit his post over the firing of the first professor. Together they vowed their college would follow a liberals arts curriculum and produce critical thinkers.

Workplace Training Trends for 2016

Training Industry's winter quarterly publication has a "futuristic" article examining the following workplace training trends they have identified for 2016:

• A growing number of technologies or apps will help to "boost" transfer of learning from the classroom to on-the-job (aka performance support)

• Continued research into neuroscience to enhance learning outcomes and breaking the 'paradigms' of classroom and online training

• Curated learning allows the learner to identify and partake in the training they deem appropriate for themselves

• Properly preparing SMEs to be instructors in order to get the best information from the most-qualified authorities

• Video will be the dominant approach to mobile learning delivery

• Corporate training organizations will continue to use independent training professionals instead of carrying fixed staff for variable activities (like ISD) YAY!

Speaking at Training2016 This Week

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The Training Doctor will be speaking at Training2016 in Orlando FL this week on Tuesday February 16 and Wednesday February 17th.

Tuesday the topic is Moving Your Classroom Training to Live and Online (21 Keys) and Wednesday the topic is Adult Learning Theory in 60 Minutes or Less

Please stop in and say hello if you will be in attendance!

Resources for Graphics to Enhance Your Instructional Design Efforts

Well-designed instruction is quite reliant on well-designed visual representation (in our humble opinion). Given that premise, here are some excellent resources for you to check out:

123rd.com - royalty free photos and music/sound effects. You must pay, but very affordable. (This is our preferred site).

Morguefile.com - completely free photos. Lots of great nature scenes; not business oriented but great for backgrounds or accents.

Pixabay.com - photos, illustrations and vector graphics. You are able to browse by category such as Business or Industry. Completely free.

eLearningArt.com - is very unique for two reasons: 1 - you can download  "character packs" which are anywhere from 50 - 75 photos of one individual in many poses. Super helpful when you want a consistent character in your learning, and 2 - "cut out people" which provides thousands of photos of just people - no backgrounds.

Training Design Basics, by Saul Carlinger - Interview with the author

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An interview with our friend and colleague Saul Carlinger, on the publishing of the 2nd edition of his book  Training Design Basics (ATD) 

What motivated you to write this book?

The motivations behind the two editions differed a lot. ATD (then ASTD) asked me to write the first edition. Although I was flattered, I had my concerns. First, I had just finished Designing e-Learning and was concerned about too much overlap between the books: both were about instructional design. But the distinction between the two was clear: one focused solely on e-learning and the other focused on more traditional forms of training-classroom and workbook-based programs, both of which were still dominant at the time.

My second concern was more fundamental; with so many books on the market about instructional design, what could I add? But as I looked at most textbooks, I realized that most focused on analysis, writing objectives, and evaluation. Those are all important, but I remember from my own time as an instructional designer that the majority of the work is focused on design and development. I covered analysis, objectives, and evaluation, but decided to emphasize the daily reality of most instructional designers: design and development.

Fast forward to 2011. Designing e-Learning was increasingly out of date, so I contacted ASTD to see if they would be interested in a revision. At the time, they had not made a long-term decision about that particular series of books on e-learning, but said they were looking for someone to write a book on informal learning. That interested me because I had explored that topic for my dissertation. Within 90 minutes, I had an outline for the book that would eventually become Informal Learning Basics: not the book I had planned to write when I called my editor but one I was delighted to write.

When that book was published, I suggested revising Training Design Basics and expanding its scope to include all training media, including e-learning. So the second edition of Training Design Basics is essentially a single book that updates both Training Design Basics and Designing e-Learning.

Part of the motivation was practical. The only way to integrate e-learning into the mainstream is to treat its design along the design of other types of programs. I also wanted to update Training Design Basics to address issues that arose when I used it in the classroom.

In addition, I wanted to address a general misunderstanding about ADDIE in this edition: that it is a linear one-size-fits-all process. Part of that is addressed in language about ADDIE (each part is described as an activity rather than a step in a process). Part of that is addressed by describing how the "full" approach is adjusted for revisions and lower-impact projects.

If you could distill your message down to just one - what would it be?

Given that my publisher always has to cut sizeable chunks of my original manuscripts to meet page limits, the real issue is whether I'm capable of distilling my message. (ATD's wonderful editors make this a learning experience more than anything else and the resulting versions are much tighter, stronger, and focused than the originals.)

But I'll try: Effective instructional design is problem solving. The better that trainers define the problem up-front and the tighter the alignment among the objectives, assessment of learning, and the course material, the more likely that designated learners will be able to develop the intended skills with the materials prepared for the learners.

How can business/ HR / training use this book to assist them in the work that they do?  

Use this book to guide a training project. For example, suppose someone is starting their first training project or trying to improve their design technique. Read the first three chapters before starting a needs assessment. Then use the book to complete an entire chapter, reading one chapter at a time and using the worksheets at the ends of the chapters to apply the content in their work.

Do you have a personal motto that you live by (related to your book)?

Focus!

You can learn more about the book at Saul's website: https://designingelearning.wordpress.com/

The Demise of Thinking Skills

In addition to a lack of work experience, the younger generations have learned what they do know in two primary ways: through rote memorization and by searching for information that they need, in the moment. While these practices are certainly useful in the knowledge economy, they do not begin to build the ability to extrapolate meaning or action from that knowledge and apply it in the real world to inform decision making, influence and performance.

In the past, there has been a gradual ascent into leadership positions in the "second half" of one's career; often after years of experience which contributes to a broad and "expert" level of performance. Malcolm Gladwell coined the "10,000 Hour Rule" to explain this path toward mastery in any field. However, the expectations of younger workers for advancement, along with the simple fact that today's leaders will have soon retired, makes it likely that many Gen Y/Millennials will be promoted to management and leadership positions before they have the skills, knowledge and experiences to be fully prepared for success at that level.

We simply do not have the luxury to wait 10,000 hours for the next generation of leaders to develop the thinking skills required to lead organizations in the 21st century. When development time is short, every missed opportunity to "grow a leader" is a costly business mistake.

(This is an excerpt from our recently published white paper: Teaching Thinking: Solving Tomorrow's Impending Leadership Crisis, Today.  You can download a copy by clicking on the News and Resources Link in the top menu bar.]  

Where is your Training GPS Leading?

GPS football player

There is an individual in our workplace who is 100% reliant on their GPS to get them places - even if they have been to that place numerous times in the past.

This "phenomenon" is caused by the fact that when information is readily available to you, you don't have to commit it to memory or learn it. In some instances, this is a wise approach. You don't need to remember what is in your refrigerator - just open the door and remind yourself. You don't need to learn how to complete your taxes when there are step-by-step guides available online (the GPS of taxes, if you will).

But, in other cases, being completely reliant on prompts is counter-productive and potentially dangerous. Sadly, there is more than one example of a person who followed their GPS to doom (go ahead, we'll wait while you Google "GPS Fail"). And, alarmingly, the GPS example is akin to what is happening in our companies today. How often have you heard (or said!)  Hmmm. I  don't know, give me one second, I'll Google it.

Google and "generic" or "universal" information is just one part of the equation, however. A readily available "smartphone" enables workers to have instant access to information they need to do their jobs - either from that universal fount of information, or from a company-supplied portal. In some arenas this is known as mLearning (an abbreviation of mobile-learning) - however, simply putting the word "learning" in the title doesn't magically turn it in to learning.  It should more accurately be called: mInformation

Just like the driver who is dependent on their GPS, an employee who is dependent on a resource to provide them with information to do their jobs, will be consistently dependent on that device. They will never grow their skills, or experience, or capabilities because they will never put any of their own independent thought in to the work. They will be 100% reliant on prompts.

True learning is dependent on experience, experimentation, practice, reflection, and an internalized understanding of not only what and how to do something, but why it is done the way it is. True skill and mastery comes from having internalized the rationale or thinking that underpins a process.

Imagine a football coach who is reliant on robotic prompts to call the next play. Come to think of it, the coach wouldn't be necessary would he? The prompts could be transmitted to the players through their helmets. They would be completely focused on their job, and their position, without having to take in to account the environment around them (e.g. other players, both on their team and against), the score / clock, their proximity to the end-zone, etc.  While in some respects, this might lead to a very accurate game, you would have players who never had to learn the sport, the rules, the strategy. They simply would follow the information they were provided, whether accurate or not.

A Filter is Required"whether accurate or not," is an important point. If you know nothing about a topic, and suddenly you are presented with a "how to," it seems perfectly reasonable to you. Why? Because you have no critical thought through which to filter the information. Especially in the workplace, where decisions are made quickly and can have far-reaching effects, it is imperative to have perspective on a topic or process, and not rely on a quickly-received “answer.”

For worker and workplace success, it is important that we teach people to think more thoroughly, to ask questions, to look for more than one answer, and to be able to make judgements about the information they receive.