The final review-subject should be “The Customer Support Review” —an activity that many of you don’t realize is even possible. After all, customer support shows its pretty or ugly head sometime after the sale. And, in many ways, that’s true. Some vendors regard their customer support activities only from a cost control standpoint. They believe that a customer support function is nothing but an expense item. So, they try to put roadblocks...
The third step in your buying process should be “The Review of the Media Used.” Confucius is credited with the following: “I hear and I forget, I see and I remember, I do and I understand.” So it is with modern media training. While the “doing” is mostly vicarious, the learning results are close to ideal. But, only if the programs you are evaluating for purchase are based on multisensory media (full-motion...
The second step in the buying process should be a “Readability Review.” Ever hear of the Flesch-Kincaid readability tests? There are two of them: The Flesch Reading Easiness and the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level tests. They use the same core measures: word length and sentence length. It’s the latter test that should concern you when making a training purchase decision. National studies agree that close to half of our workforce does not read...
One of the problems in blog-writing is that some of the most important ideas are written about once and then never seen again. Such is the case with our “buying process” discussion, which first appeared three years ago. So, because it is such an important subject — and, because I will be out of the country for the next two weeks, here are the salient steps (with up-to-date revisions) you should undertake...
Occasionally, within a short span of time, one encounters both encouraging and discouraging news — almost simultaneously. And so, within the past week, it has been with me. The “good” was very, very good, as it addresses most positive results in increased reading activity — an activity that normally does not supply us with much good news these days. Cecilia Kang’s recent article in The Washington Post, “Survey finds e-reader devices fuel...
Volkswagen recently announced their plans to conduct a nationwide search for industrial workers that specialize in the areas they now hold 1,000 job openings for in their Chattanooga plant. The search will consist of national online and print advertising to announce the positions available. Some of these specialty positions include maintenance technicians, logistic supervisors and manufacturing engineers, among others. The German auto manufacturer is looking to hire most new plant employees from...
Bringing technology training to those families that cannot afford home computers and/or internet access should be a goal for all communities. The success-example that I am most familiar with is the program pioneered by the DeKalb County (Georgia) School System more than a decade ago. The success of their Family Technology Resource Centers (FTRC’s) is unparalleled and has even gotten the attention of the Smithsonian Institution. The Family Technology Resource Centers were...
John D. Sutter, a CNN communication technologist as well as a science and innovation contributor, has posted: “Sir Ken Robinson says that our education system works like a factory. It is based on models of mass production and conformity that actually prevent kids from finding their passions and succeeding. . . . Instead of trying to mass-produce children who are good at taking tests and memorizing things, schools should emphasize personal development....
In the Winter 2010 issue of “Training Industry Quarterly,” an article entitled, “2010’s Top Training Technology Trends” by David Mallon discussed the next decade of the E-Learning evolution. His ideas remain as prescient today as they did eighteen months ago. “The lengthy page-turner is out. In its place is a next generation of e-learning, including: short video vignettes or audio podcasts followed by interactive assessments; pre-recorded virtual classroom sessions; scenario-based learning, 3-D...
It seems evident enough that engaged employees are more likely to work harder, be more loyal and exude greater passion towards their job and the business they work for. This holds true in the industrial fields along with all other business types. In fact, a 2011 survey by the Society for Human Resource Management reported that nearly 70% of HR professionals agreed that engagement is one of the top human resource challenges....
Rich multi-sensory media — designed for learning — has been with us for more than three decades. Interactive Laser Videodisc (IVD), CD-ROM, DVD, and even interactive videotape were the pioneering technologies. Today, it seems that we’ve centered on E-Learning as the multi-sensory delivery medium of choice. And, yet, E-Learning is singularly failing to deliver on the promise so brilliantly achieved by these earlier multi-sensory technologies. The ultimate positive results of effective training...
Following up on this past Thursday’s blog, we’re now ready to address the second “killer” mistake. In many ways, the arguments are similar to the one’s we made last week — only this time the fatal mistake comes, initially, from a trusted employee or customer. It often originates when an educator or a trainer listens to a respected colleague, who expresses some idea that — on the surface — has validity. Or,...
Today and next Tuesday we are going to look at the two “fatal mistakes” corporate training departments and training vendors make. And, “fatal” is not an exaggeration when discussing the many otherwise technology-smart people who come up with exciting ideas but drown in their own ocean of misguided premises. I cannot begin to enumerate the number of great concepts and brilliant adaptations of technology that I have seen fail. For example, someone...
According to the Association for Manufacturing Technology, U.S. manufacturing technology orders totaled a whopping $401.69 million in January. The number was reportedly down by 26.5 percent from December’s orders but has increased 8.4 percent when compared to the $370 million reported in January of last year. Experts reportedly expected order totals to come in much lower than they did during the first month of the year. This year’s consistent increase thus far...