The Business Insider

The Age of Outrageous Ideas

By Jack B. Rochester, Managing Editor

A remark attributed to the great French philosopher Voltaire goes something like this: "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." It seems a fitting phrase for the plethora of views of our modern world, economic systems, ways of life, etcetera: think of a problem or issue and somebody's written an article, blog, or book on how to correct it.

The latest entry is Joshua Cooper Ramo, weighing in with his first book, The Age of the Unthinkable. Ramo, a former editor at Time [a magazine - remember?] and currently employed by Kissinger Associates [yes, that Kissinger], gives us a great read and much to think about regarding aspects of the world and its systems that we can do next to nothing about.

Books of this seem to be proliferating. They're reviewed in the New York Times Book Review, The New Yorker, and at the book's Amazon Web page. Who reads them? Or even parts of them? Why do publishers think we'll buy them?

How about you - what book of outrageous ideas are you reading, and why? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Cheers,
Jack

The Double Whammy of Layoffs...Losing Income and Friends

Like many of you, I appreciate coffee (especially Peet's Coffee, sorry Starbucks I was loyal for a long time), thus I visit my local Peet's coffee shop on a regular basis. Since the beginning of the year, I've noticed the number of people in the local coffee shop has increased exponentially. Recently, I concluded that as layoff's have increased, so has the traffic in the local coffee shops.

I hadn't really given my random coffee shop observation much thought until I read Catherine Bergart's article in the New York Times on Sunday, May 17th titled "Losing the Income, And the Camaraderie." Ms. Bergart's article discusses her realization that not only did she lose her income with her most recent layoff, but she lost the day-to-day camaraderie of her Friends at work and she lost her third place.

Ms. Bergart references social psychologist Ray Oldenburg's book, The Great Good Place, which discusses the social and psychological importance of having a first, second, and third place. Mr. Oldenburg designates home as the first place, work as the second place, and a neutral, comfortable environment (like coffee shops, cafes, bookstores) as the third place. Mr. Oldenburg makes the argument that in America we have lost our sense of place and community. He further argues that for America to become a less fragmented nation, we need a greater sense of place and community to satisfy our cultural loneliness. In Ms. Bergart's case she discusses the loss of not only her second place (work), but her third place as well. For her, work fulfilled both of these important places in her life and therefore she has suffered doubly.

Now my over-crowded coffee shop makes sense. People are gathering in these neutral, comfortable environments to satisfy their third place needs. Where is your third place?

Until Next Time, Shanna

Shanna R. Teel is the founder and CEO of Dr. Shanna Teel & Company, Inc., a leadership and human capital management consulting firm. She has worked more than 15 years as a talent and performance management consultant, executive coach, and facilitator of adult learning.Shanna

Image Credits:

Coffee with heart: http://greenoptions.com/files/683/Coffee_Lover.jpg 

Micro-Training: What Is It, and Is It Effective?

By Shanna R. Teel, Contributing Editor

To see a World in a Grain of Sand
And a Heaven in a Wild Flower,
Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand 
And Eternity in an hour. 
- William Blake

Is micro-training the next generation of training and development? Micro-training is training delivered by subject matter experts, in short segments. These segments can range from 3 to 20 minutes in duration and can be delivered in person, or online via webcasts, podcasts, or through e-learning platforms. The purported benefits of micro-training include:

• Cost savings

• Increased learning (vs. information overload of traditional training courses)

• Catering to the new generation of learner

• Keeping learning and development on the strategic agenda during hard economic times (because it's cheaper)

• Supporting informal learning

As I understand micro-training in a online environment, subject matter experts record several short videos offering a truncated, or micro, version of their training. Participants would log on to a designated Web site (internally hosted or online) at their leisure to take the required and elective training courses as needed. The overarching benefit here is that large organizations can pay as they go (or get a volume discount) which could result in the training modules being as affordable as $1.99 per person. Yes, a $1.99 per person! Sounds incredibly cost-effective.

My question to you: Will micro-training work? Would you buy it as an internal learning and development or HR professional? And, will learning actually take place?

Besides cost-savings, what is the value proposition for micro-training?

Please let me know, and thanks!

Shanna

Shanna R. Teel is the founder and CEO of Dr. Shanna Teel & Company, Inc., a leadership and human capital management consulting firm. She has worked more than 15 years as a talent and performance management consultant, executive coach, and facilitator of adult learning.

No Post Today for Training & Development

See you next week!

Shanna

To Spend or Not to Spend: Virtual World Development

By Shanna R. Teel, Contributing Editor

With the ever-present pressures of cost-cutting in training & development budgets, I'm curious about how companies are focusing more on technology-related training & development solutions as a way to save money. Over the last few months I've heard of several large corporations going "virtual" with their T&D. In some cases - for example IBM - this means they are spending millions of dollars on developing their own virtual worlds and related training modules (i.e., compliance training) and in other cases there seems to be a renewed or continued use of e-learning. 

Nonetheless, there is a buzz again around technology-related T&D solutions and less in-person, workshop-based programs. In theory, I like technology-related solutions as an effective way to train people across regional boundaries, thereby reducing travel costs and the environmental impact of global or regionally dispersed teams. However, I am perplexed about the purported cost savings aspect of these "virtual" solutions.

There is a good article in the May issue of The Chief Learning Officer Magazine, "A Second Look at Second Life," by Steve Mahaley. He describes the benefits of virtual world training, the different types of learning experiences (guided tours, immersive team building, business simulations), and the interactive nature of second life training. But I do wish Mahaley had  gone deeper into the actual costs of using virtual worlds in T&D.

I'm not so sure that the actual costs of virtual training will yield cost savings for organizations.  And I've had a hard time finding software companies and/or second life training organizations that gave me any real data on the actual development costs and subsequent ROI. I worry that the pendulum is swinging once again to technology products under the guise of cost-effectiveness, but in reality the costs are substantially more when you add up development, implementation, upgrades, etc.

The Second Life software company recently conducted a survey demonstrating that 76% of  the respondents who implemented immersive training simulations as a training tool had modest to good results; 93% of respondents felt that these immersive programs were better than other types of traditional training programs.

I can't vouch for the validity of this data, but it is interesting nonetheless; time will tell tell how effective these types of training programs are from the perspectives of quality, knowledge retention, and cost.

I welcome your input on the cost-saving aspects of virtual training programs and second life/immersive training methodologies.

Until next time,
Shanna

Why Teams Don't Work

By Shanna R. Teel, Contributing Editor

Teamwork is great, and then again it's not so great. In the U.S. there is a commonly held assumption that working in teams produces better results. This assumption is being challenged by research by Richard Hackman at Harvard University. Teams have often been thought of a safe hubs where individuals can feel supported, creative and productive. However, Hackman's research shows that teams often underperform to their potential.

To perform well, teams need to be set up carefully and have a compelling direction versus being thrown together on an ad-hoc basis to fulfill some organizational objective. However, the reality is that teams often are not well conceived and often lack clarity in goal, role, and performance objectives.

In Hackman's latest book, Leading Teams, he discussed five basic conditions that leaders must create in order to build effective, high-performing teams. These are:

1. Teams must be real. People have to know who is on the team and who is not.

2. Teams need a compelling direction. Members need to know, and agree on, what they are supposed to be doing together. A clearly articulated agenda cannot be over-communicated.

3. Teams need enabling structures. Teams that have poorly designed tasks, unstated norms of conduct, and the wrong team members get into trouble as they try to execute.

4. Teams need a supportive organization. This includes the rewards and information systems that help facilitate teamwork and high performance.

5. Teams need expert coaching on group process at the beginning, middle, and end of a team project. Most coaching tends to be on an individual level, so group coaching is essential.

To learn more about Hackman's research on "Why Teams Don't Work" read his article in the latest Harvard Business Review.

Enjoy your weekend!

Shanna

Shanna R. Teel is the founder and CEO of Dr. Shanna Teel & Company, Inc., a leadership and human capital management consulting firm. She has worked more than 15 years as a talent and performance management consultant, executive coach, and facilitator of adult learning.

Learning and Training Using Sixth Sense Technology

By Shanna R. Teel, Contributing Editor

Picture this: a Web cam, mini-projector, and battery pack worn comfortably around your neck. This is a new, innovative technology developed by Pranav Mistry out of MIT called Immersive or Sixth Sense Technology that allows the user to have access to the World Wide Web while simultaneously interacting with the physical world.

Hard to picture? Here's an example: You go to the supermarket to pick up a few household items. As you browse the numerous cleaning products you wonder, "Which of these products are packaged with biodegradable materials?" It is likely that you will not spend the time to do a Google search on your iPhone or Blackberry as you stand in the aisle. But using this new sixth-sense technology would allow you to  scan the product(s) you are viewing and instantaneously view Web-based information about their features. This technology will allow users to interact with their physical world while learning from their virtual world. It makes information instantly accessible and integrates learning and development as a regular part of everyday activities. How great is that?

 

Although not ready for market, sixth-sense technology will add a new dimension to learning, both formal or informal. On an informal basis, end users will be able to ask questions about products, the physical world, nature, etc., and receive answers immediately. In formal training and development, this technology can be used in the T&D industry to cater to "the new learner." This new learner, sometimes referred to as  the "Net" generation learner, is an individual born and raised on technology who may not benefit or be comfortable learning from traditional teaching methods.

Although Pranav's Sixth Sense Technology is still in development, I believe it will have a wide-ranging target market both in industry and with everyday consumers. I'm excited to see how innovative technologies such as this will change the world of training and development.

Until next time,
Shanna

Shanna R. Teel is the founder and CEO of Dr. Shanna Teel & Company, Inc., a leadership and human capital management consulting firm. She has worked more than 15 years as a talent and performance management consultant, executive coach, and facilitator of adult learning.

Customer Appreciation and The Law of Reciprocity

By Shanna R. Teel, Contributing Editor

I had a nice customer-appreciation moment the other day when I received a thank-you letter from a local plumbing company I had used recently for some home repairs. The letter was not a generic "thank you for your business" letter; rather it was a personal letter thanking me for paying my bill on time. They wanted to acknowledge my conscientiousness. This was the first time I've received a specific thank-you from a service provider, and I was impressed. And guess what, next time I need a plumber I will call them. They not only met my expectations with the service they delivered, but they have guaranteed another "sale" in the future because of one small act of appreciation. 

Having been shown appreciation, I was inspired to demonstrate my appreciation for some of my clients. Some call this The Law of Reciprocity. As world-famous marketer Mike Glaspie wrote, "It's all about reciprocity or the giving away of something valuable without expectation of reward.... It is an insanely profitable law when you understand it." 

So, what are you doing to show appreciation for your current customers or clients? Here are five useful tips for customer appreciation. 

"Feeling appreciated is one of the most important needs that people have. When you share with someone your appreciation and gratitude, they will not forget you. Appreciation will return to you many times," says Steve Brunkhorst. You can read more inspirational quotes on appreciation here.

Until next week,
Shanna

Shanna R. Teel is the founder and CEO of Dr. Shanna Teel & Company, Inc., a leadership and human capital management consulting firm. She has worked more than 15 years as a talent and performance management consultant, executive coach, and facilitator of adult learning.

When Were You Last Outside Your Comfort Zone?

By Shanna R. Teel, Contributing Editor

Do you ever intentionally take yourself out of your comfort zone? I did, just a few weeks ago. I had the opportunity to go on a 10-day rafting trip down the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon with an amazing group of friends and colleagues. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that I had to say yes to, and an opportunity that took me way outside my comfort zone.

Needless to say, and as you can see by this photograph, the experience was fun, full of adventure, and deeply transformational. 

As part of my T&D coaching practice, I ask my clients to constantly challenge themselves to do things that take themselves out of their comfort zone, so for me this trip was an effort to hold myself accountable to the same standards that I teach in leadership development. Although the trip was first conceived simply for fun, it turned into a real experiential learning event and opportunity.

Experiential learning simply is gaining knowledge through experiences, then reflecting on them in a meaningful way that maximizes learning. Experiential learning can also be termed experiential education, action learning, service learning, or cooperative learning. 

Are you incorporating experiential and action learning in your training & development department development programs? Action learning is similar to experiential learning, but it also has a distinct and robust methodology that is highly valuable to teams in organizations. Action learning is an active process that aids teams to solve real organizational issues in real time. It is not a case study approach to learning. When action learning projects are conceived, managed, and well executed, they are an extremely valuable addition to leadership development programs.  

Read more about action learning and "Closing the Loop between Learning and Impact" in the Wharton@Work Newsletter. 

See if you can't create an experiential learning event for yourself or those around you this weekend.

Shanna

Shanna R. Teel is the founder and CEO of Dr. Shanna Teel & Company, Inc., a leadership and human capital management consulting firm. She has worked more than 15 years as a talent and performance management consultant, executive coach, and facilitator of adult learning.

Free Webinar on the Massachusetts Economic Stimulus Plan

By Tim Rosa, Publisher

Want to learn how to get a piece of the economic stimulus pie in Massachusetts? I've been trying to find this out for months with little success. So, I'm excited to tell you about a free webinar on April 9, 10-11am ET: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/427332122. The title of the session is "American Recovery and Reinvestment Act: Understanding Opportunities for Massachusetts", co-sponsored by Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources and the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center.

This is the only public forum in Massachusetts I've seen on this subject. So, if you want to get in the know, this is the best way to find out.

—Tim Rosa