No training event stands alone. For maximum impact, each learning resource, event, and activity should integrate into a larger, more comprehensive experience.

But how do learning professionals, who have a multitude of traditional models in their toolkit, adapt their approaches to support this evolution?

Has your experience in Learning and Development changed in the last 10 years? Without a doubt!

Learners expect relevant information provided as soon as they need it. We turn to Google, rather than a three-day training course when we encounter challenges or changes in our daily lives.

Should you add “content strategist” to your modern learning repertoire? Learning and Development practitioners hear about emerging trends and “mission-critical” professional development regularly.

New design methodologies, exciting EdTech options, cutting edge learner engagement approaches pop up on a daily basis, all claiming to cure common training challenges.

However the idea of including one more responsibility to an already full roster of responsibility likely won’t wind up on the top of your to-do list.

The training landscape constantly changes. For example, you could spend an hour a day researching emerging learning technologies and by the end of the week, you’d still be coming across new options.

Keeping up with the evolution can feel like a full-time job.

How do instructional designers and decision makers sort through the noise and generate the best possible results? By going back to basics, especially communication.

Picture it: someone at a networking event asks you to describe your job.

What words come to mind? If you answered “fun!” first, count yourself among the lucky few.

Most of us take our professional responsibilities seriously and seek out opportunities that challenge us. However, pursuing our serious dreams often results in roles that fundamentally lack fun.

As we deal with more demands on our time and new generations join the workforce, engaging learners and helping them become successful at their jobs becomes more and more challenging.

When trying to create training that sticks, expert Lou Russell overcomes modern workforce obstacles by focusing on three elements: fun, fast, and flexible. 

Ask your senior leadership what they believe most impacts the business’ performance, and you’ll likely get a variety of answers. “Corporate culture!” one might say. Perhaps operational efficiency or improved training come to mind.

Expert Marjorie Derven believes that one oft-overlooked initiative can make all the difference: Diversity & Inclusion (D&I).

Behavior change is the holy grail of training. Learning and Development practitioners strive to impact business outcomes by improving the skills of our audience.

Performance improvement grows out of learners truly understanding content and successfully applying it back on the job.

Global organizations are the norm now. The boundaries constraining corporate success and competition no longer fall along state, national, or continental borders.

Growth, as demonstrated by companies like Amazon, Apple, and more, has no limit.

When was the last time you had fun during a mandated training event?

This loaded question plagues instructional designers and facilitators alike. Stakeholders know that training impacts overall organizational performance, making upskilling employees a high-stakes game.