Mandatory safety training programs run the gamut, from repulsive (remember Red Asphalt in Drivers' Ed?) to funny, to boring. But more often than not, it's the latter. But they needn't — and shouldn't — be that way. After all, we're talking about workers' safety, right? What could be more important? The fact is, though,
Read moreSales is a tough nut to crack — some people seem to get it, while others always lag behind, struggling to keep their numbers up. And teaching it to a newbie? It can feel practically impossible. Worn-out cliches and advice about sizing up the situation, or looking for a way in don’t always get you...
Read moreIt’s about the time of year that we used to get all worked up about grades and cramming for finals. But if you thought taking tests was hard — how about writing them? We know that quizzes play an important role in workplace training, helping people clarify, pull out, and retain important bits of information, and...
Read moreSchool's out for the summer, and that means eager college interns are flooding into the slowly-but-slowly-maybe-rebounding job market.
Read moreIt's indispensable, it's maddening. It's revolutionary, it's boring. It's every training designer's best friend and worst enemy — PowerPoint. Love it or hate it, PowerPoint is one of the most commonly used tools for corporate trainers. But, as is the case with any such tool, its value lies in how its used. With that in
Read moreImagine an Angry Birds for teaching sales training. Or a Super Mario Bros. for employee on-boarding. The Sims for sexual harassment compliance training.
Read moreThe difference between a great customer interaction and a bad one was, in many cases, as simple as a smile. That's what Sears Home Services, the $2.7 billion arm of the nationwide retail chain responsible for customers' in-home installations and repairs, found after a full performance analysis of its field service technicians. In fact, the things
Read moreOn Friday, the Daily Mindflash hosted yet another #TrainChat on Twitter, in which we posed the question: What skills do learning and development pros need now? Mindflash contributor and L&D pro Bill Cushard helped guide our discussion. Here's a recap of the discussion that followed (please excuse the Twitter-ese grammar).
Read moreOn Friday, we hosted our weekly Twitter #TrainChat with Mindflash blogger and training expert David Kelly, to discuss his recent article on how “social learning” and “social media” differ, and how they can work together. We've condensed the responses into a sort of linear narrative. Please excuse any Twitter-ese grammar.
Read moreWe usually think of doodling on your legal pad during a long presentation as a way to stay sane. But it may be even more beneficial than that.
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