Training Industry Magazine - Winter 2014 - (Page 9)

GUEST EDITOR M E E T I N G TO DAY ' S LEARNING CONSUMERS WHERE THEY ARE Consumer habits have changed. Gone are the days when shopping required a bricksand-mortar chase around town, when mustwatch TV influenced our weekly schedule, and when word-of-mouth was literal. Today's consumers expect to order what they want, when they want, from where they want - to be entertained by whom they choose, on any device, at their uninterrupted convenience - and to comment in real-time about anything, broadcast their thoughts to everyone, and count virtual "likes" and "karma" as validation of their genius. Executive development is not immune to these changes. We should be selectively incorporating emerging consumer behaviors into our learning and development (L&D) offerings so as not to potentially disenfranchise generations of would-be learners. While not all solutions befit every situation, let's take a look at a few "hashtagtrending" opportunities in executive development. WE SHOULD BE INCORPORATING CONSUMER BEHAVIORS INTO L&D OFFERINGS. INCREASED SOCIAL CONNECTIVITY Whether attending an online webinar, completing a self-paced e-learning course or sitting in a traditional classroom, participant conversations about content relevance and quality erupt. Providing (or joining) a social platform for learners to gather, connect and share impressions affords executive development teams insight and opportunity to influence the narrative. We have all grown accustomed to rating our experiences with retailers, restaurants, hotels and service providers, and trusting reviews as directionally correct. As educators, our - D E R E K HA N N ignorance to that consumer-provided data is not bliss - it is missed opportunity. ACTIVE AUDIENCE RESPONSE SYSTEMS A capable facilitator can sense when he has lost the room and a good facilitator can shift gears to re-engage his audience. A truly admired facilitator knows how to respond moment-by-moment to consumer cues and adjust effortlessly and seamlessly. Gauging audience response has moved beyond a show of hands or post-program smile sheets. The better audience response system (ARS) platforms showcase datadriven engagement meters with real-time information and re-direction options. Bring your own device (BYOD) IOS-agnostic apps can empower every participant with an active voice - we just have to be open to listening. DISCUSSION-DRIVEN COLLABORATION Leaving the onus for learning on the individual participant is a recipe for disaster. In this era of blame-storming, matrix management, team-defined deliverables and everyone-deserves-a-trophy-just-forshowing-up pandering, discussion-driven collaboration is an educator's best tool. Beyond individual participant commentary and engagement lies the opportunity to harness the true value of an executive education event - translating the "what" being taught into the "how" for participants. Transparent team discussions drive mutual accountability and a shared reckoning for action. The use of discussion-driven collaboration forces individual contributions into the sanitizing light of day. As a learner, disappointing yourself or the facilitator remains private - failing your learning team is very public. TRAINING INDUSTRY MAGAZINE - WINTER2014 I WWW.TRAININGINDUSTRY.COM/MAGAZINE INCREASED ACCOMMODATION Today's consumers demand and expect that solutions be tailored to their unique needs. If planning a classroom event, insist on a complete meeting package (CMP) - the last thing any learning team should be solving for is why a participant can't get a special meal at 2 a.m. For online events, assume the worst possible permutation of technology and build to that lowest common denominator - for the one participant who couldn't access the streaming video will be the loudest. For every media have a failsafe, every plan a back-up, and every predictably unpredictable contingency a known resource to solve for it. Our consumer habits have changed. By executive development being tuned in via social networks, remaining in touch via ARS, embracing team-driven accountability, and demonstrating an unflinching flexibility and willingness to accommodate without hesitation, we enable ourselves to focus on the business at hand - providing participants with the skills, knowledge and abilities to define, drive and deliver the corporate strategy. THIS ISSUE'S GUEST EDITOR Derek Hann is senior vice president of executive development at Citi. He has more than 20 years of assessment, development, planning and facilitating change experience. Derek has partnered with global leaders from Philips, GE, Alcoa and Heineken, and brings a balance of business acumen, organizational savvy and interpersonal sensitivity to his craft. Email Derek. 9 http://www.trainingindustry.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Training Industry Magazine - Winter 2014

Tracking Trends
Table of Contents
Guest Editor: Meeting Today's Learning Consumers Where They Are
Facilitating Change
How Smart Leaders Squash Employee Entitlement
The Reskilling of Design
Responsive Design and Learning Solutions
Women, Leadership and Emotional Intelligence
Key Trends for 2014: Shifting to Business-Centric Learning
The Promise of Badges for Learning and Development
The Business Leader's Bottom Line: Aligning Learning with Organizational Needs
Raising the Bar: The Impact of Sales Training on Effective Customer Engagement
The Language of Measurement: When to Assess, Evalutate and Test
Casebook: Combined Insurance: Ensuring Efficient Sales Training via Mobile Learning
The Challenge of Workplace Re-entry After Training
The Learning Shift: From Event to Process
What's Online
Company News

Training Industry Magazine - Winter 2014