As we head into 2010 we have some exciting news to share with you: New Learning Playbook was honored to be listed on the Digital Learning People blog as one of the top 50 blogs focusing on learning, technology and business. See all the 50 blogs here.
A big thank you to all our readers for following us, including us in your RSS feed, and contributing your comments!
We had a huge response to our last question: what are the five words you would use to describe corporate learning in 2010? I am including just three of them and I want to thank everyone who took the time to contribute their responses, thoughts and feedback.
If you want to continue the dialogue on Five words To Describe Corporate Learning in 2010, please register for this webinar organized by CLO Magazine and sponsored by Blackboard. The webinar is on Thursday February 25th at 2:00 pm EST. You can register here.
Jonas Stalder, Managing Director, BTS Norway, had this to say about the five words to describe corporate learning in 2010:
1. Link between corporate strategy, behaviorial change and learning points
2. Experiential based instead of lecturing
3. Results-focus to efficiently secure and measure business impact
4. In depth customization to what is relevant and actionable on the job instead of “off the shelf”
5. Blended/Connected solutions that are integrative with learners’ role in the organization so they can see the big picture impact of their learning outcomes not just the impact on their tea or their business unit silo
Thanks Jonas!
Shawna Ferguson, Associate Director Diversty and Talent Development at Genzyme Corporation shared her point of view on what she will be focusing on in 2010:
1. Practical Application
2. Blended Solutions
3. Global Perspectives
4. Behavioral Change Agent
5. Accountable (ROI)
Thanks Shawna!
Finally, Luanne Stevenson, Training Consultant and Business Coach based in San Francisco, created five R’s for us to consider as we head into 2010:
Five R’s of Corporate Learning in 2010
1. Responsible
2. Relevant to the business
3. Respectful of learner’s time
4. Results oriented
5. Reliable across geographies and cultures
Thanks Luanne!
Three themes emerged from these comments and scores of others as our readers thought about what they will focus on in 2010. They were:
Business relevance first, CLO second
Learning professionals have re-discovered the power of setting up an advisory board of senior business people to prioritize the strategic business issues that corporate training must address in the coming year. Companies like Cigna, Deloitte, and Cerner Corporation rely on their Advisory Boards to keep them focused on what matters most to the CEO and C-level executives.
Fun, engaging and experiential learning
Video games for corporate learning are seeing increased interest among companies that attract and develop Millennials. While the military has been using video games for training since the 1980s, now a growing number of companies including my favorite ice cream store: Cold Stone Creamery, to Cisco Systems Inc., and Canon Inc. are creating video games to hook young, media-savvy employees. These games provide a fun and engaging way to teach employees such complex skills as resource management, collaboration, critical thinking, and tolerance for failure. Look for more of this in the coming decade.
Global perspective
The growth for many companies is outside of USA. Case in point: At GE Healthcare (GEHC) more than 50 percent of its revenues and 50 percent of its employees come from outside the United States. So it’s no surprise that according to Bob Cancalosi, CLO of GEHC, one of the ten leadership characteristics for a global leader is being cultural agile, or being able to leverage the unique skills of all global cultures within the organization. This translates into developing a global perspective when thinking about the range of solutions to address business challenges.
Let’s continue to discuss here where you will focus your efforts in 2010!
Cheers
Jeanne Meister
[tags]Corporate Learning, Genzyme, BTS, GE, Global Training, GEHC, Cigna, Cerner Corporation, Deloitte[/tags]
Very good feedback. What it doesn’t say though, is if there is any budget available to do any of this? That is the question I think that is still out there. How will this get done? As I’ve talked to clients and other organizations, budgets continue to be very tight and squeezed more, even for highly successful, highly touted programs. Organizations take longer times to make decisions about spending money on business-relevant topics. More approvals are necessary. There in fact may be a seismic shift going on in the learning world – a shift that even a recovered economy won’t bring back. So relevance to the business – that’s a given. Money to do it? That’s a different thought altogether.
First of all I agree with all three quoted responses. That is how we plan our corporate learning plans – every year, including 2010.
Our “secret” for getting relevant funds – is that we have always delivered on our promises to our business partners. They decide want they want (in business terms) from the money they invest in our training programs… we translate that into learning initiatives that help achieve the desired results.
We always talk business with them (how many new customers, how much money do you expect to earn, customer satisfaction and retention levels will raise to…, etc.)
I think that because we have long term relationships with leading people on the business side, with proven results – that is the key to our ability to get the funds we ask for.