If 2024 was the year of AI, 2025 will be the year of transformation. Industries, people, and workplaces are increasingly integrating AI-enabled technologies into their everyday operations. Training and Development (T&D) is no exception. Below, we explore key AI technologies transforming T&D and how they contribute to a more effective learning environment.

Following an instructional design model is the best way to ensure that everything is included in training for effective knowledge transfer. ADDIE is an acronym that stands for Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation – the elements of a training class you must encounter with each class you design.

Over the past year, I've spoken with many classes about the shift toward remote work, which is increasingly becoming permanent. Companies are taking different approaches: some have completely ended remote work, requiring employees to return to the office full-time, while others have fully embraced remote work with flexible "essential hours" and virtual communication. As remote work remains popular, it's important to ensure that employee learning adapts to this new...

There are specific fundamentals that may contribute to the success of training courses and the overall impact your learning strategy is having on employees. Since one of my favorite thought leaders is Stephen Covey, I will borrow one of his “7 habits” to begin our exploration of the fundamentals of training. That habit is number two on his list and it is “Begin with The End in Mind.” To that I say, let us explore the effectiveness of evaluations.

A few years back, the company I was working for at the time expanded their sales division and promoted one of our best inside sales representatives to manager. Her first hire was a server from a well-known restaurant in the area. As I facilitated her orientation, I was fascinated with the idea that this could work. Afterall, she had no business to business or outside sales experience. She had, at that point, never held a corporate job, working for the last few years as a server. How would...

Google defines succession planning as a business strategy companies use to pass leadership roles down to another employee or group of employees. Given the youngest baby boomers are expected to begin retiring in 2031, seven short years from now, companies should begin the process of preparing the next generation of leadership. A seismic shift will begin to take place. Will your company be prepared to seamlessly continue strategic action? Only if you begin soon. This article though, is not...

No one likes to waste time.  If there is anything we’ve all learned from the Covid-19 crisis, it is that time is very valuable, and in business, that means MONEY.  It also may shock some of you to know that even training professionals don’t like wasting time.  We look for ways in which we can train your employees as fast as possible with the best results possible.  This, for us in the industry, is called Knowledge Transfer.  In other words, how do we make...

Everyone is talking about AI! Artificial intelligence is changing our landscape on every level. In the training world, facilitators are starting to rely on its benefits. Here is your cautionary warning and some things to look out for when using AI for training:

Have you ever heard these words? “Picture it, Sicily, 1919…” or “Back in St. Olaf, we…” Those phrases made a whole generation laugh and still entertain us today on the television show, Golden Girls, which ran from 1987-1992 on NBC.

It’s a new year, start it off with FUN in your training classroom!  Any learning professional will tell you that the most effective way to transfer learning in the classroom is through an activity.  No number of cute graphics on the PowerPoint or how many jumping jacks a trainer can do to start the class (this is an actual thing), will make the learning stick like a fun game.  There’s a term for this and that term is “GAMIFICATION.”  Sounds cool...

Alas, 2024 is here and usually that means resolutions.  I am a firm believer in building habits so that resolutions and goal setting can happen throughout the year, not just for the turn of the year.  Depending on how your 2023 turned out, it’s probable you have goals for your teams for 2024.  Make sure one of those goals is training.  Here are three reasons why:

Before you say there is no such a thing as the holiday blues, I have had it, and it is serious. I am a person that loves the holidays, particularly, the ones in December. Every year I see the play “A Christmas Carol” at the Meadowbrook Theater near the university in Rochester. I eat dinner in downtown Rochester with the friends I have made from my years of working and traveling. I stop by Toyology and pick up some gifts for my nieces and nephews or the family I adopted, and I end...

This is part three of a series about the elements of a presentation that should be included for the three types of learners.  Previously, we covered auditory learners (those who learn by hearing) and visual learners (those who learn by visual elements).  Kinesthetic learners, also known as tactile learners, thrive when they can actively participate and engage in the learning process. These learners benefit from hands-on activities and physical movement to help them understand and...

Learning how your employees learn could be the best use of your time yet.  By understanding the three learning styles, leaders can maximize effectiveness not only in training but also business in general.  There are three types of learners: Visual, Auditory, and Kinesthetic.  In a previous article, I shared with you a learner who was so Auditory, she knitted a whole Teddy Bear in our 4-week class and was almost perfect on her exams.  It was this inspiring situation that...

Do you know if your team needs training?  A training analysis involves a systematic process of gathering information and assessing various factors to determine the training needs of individuals or a group of employees in an organization. Here are three key components typically involved in a training analysis: