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Make Plans Now to Attend ATDChi’s 2017 Holiday and Volunteer Recognition Party 

By Susan Camberis

Editor, Training Today

 

As we approach the end of 2017, it is a natural time to reflect and celebrate our chapter’s accomplishments and our wonderful volunteers.

 

One way we do this at ATDChi is through our annual Holiday and Volunteer Recognition Party. This year’s celebration will take place on Thursday, December 7 from 5:30 – 8:30 PM at the gorgeous Schreiber Center at Loyola University’s Water Tower Campus in downtown Chicago!

 

If you’re new to ATDChi, the Holiday Party is an excellent way to meet other members in a relaxed and festive atmosphere. The evening begins with an hour of vibrant conversation, welcoming newcomers and greeting long-time colleagues. We’ll then sit down to a delectable plated 3-course dinner while continuing to exchange thoughts and socializing in a more intimate gathering. Over dessert, we will collectively applaud those who continue to advance our great chapter year after year.

Be there to experience the excitement of two honorable awards presentations: ATDChi's Volunteer of the Year and The Dr. Deborah Colky awards. 

 

To learn more and register, visit https://atdchi.org/event-2661545. To take advantage of early registration, register on or before November 24.

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Explore the CPLP: Should It Be in Your Career Plan? | March 16 Event Recap  

By Susan Camberis

Editor, Training Today

 

Certification can be a valuable way to build and validate your skills as a TD professional. But with numerous options and limited time, knowing which option is right for you and where is start can be a challenge.

 

ATDChi’s March meeting demystified certification through a lively discussion moderated by Bill Cupuro, ATDChi’s Certified Professional in Learning and Performance (CPLP) Director.

 

Bill earned the CPLP in 2011 and believes certification has helped him in his work as a Sales Trainer with Flexera. “Before the CPLP, I didn’t think in the same way,” said Bill. “I have a seat at the table now. I don’t just ask about learning objectives; I ask more questions about the business.”  

 

Bill and the panel discussed three certification options, depending on level of professional experience and desired time commitment.

 

For new TD professionals, ATDChi’s Workplace Learning & Performance Institute, or WLPI, is a time- and cost-effective option. WLPI is typically held two times each year (spring and fall), and time commitment is limited to seven Saturdays. ATDChi members can attend one session for $250 or the full institute for $1,000.   For more information, visit ATDChi’s WLPI page at: https://atdchi.org/WLPI

 

The ATD Certification Institute’s newest offering is the Associate Professional in Talent Development, or APTD. The APTD is designed for beginner to intermediate TD professionals and will cover three Areas of Expertise, or AOEs. The APTD will be offered for the first time this fall. For more information, visit: www.td.org.

 

The CPLP is the highest-level certification for Talent Development professionals. Also offered through the ATD Certification Institute (ATD CI), it is fast becoming a more common requirement for Training Managers. According to ATD, there are currently 4,000 job postings that list CPLP certification as desirable or required, far more than the 2,500 professionals currently certified globally.

 

Different from a Masters degree, the CPLP measures competency in ten AOEs ranging from Instructional Design and Training Delivery to Coaching and Integrated Talent Management. It can be thought of as a “Swiss Army Knife”, because of the breadth of experience it provides. Certified professionals are essentially ready to “hit the ground running.” The CPLP requires five years of full-time professional work in TD.

 

Panelist and ATDChi’s Director of Alliance Relations, Anthony Dudek, started his career in engineering and became an “accidental trainer”. He received his CPLP in 2015.

 

Anthony feels the CPLP has been especially helpful with his work in Human Performance Improvement and Organizational Effectiveness. Anthony took the CPLP because he wanted to move up in TD profession. “I’ve been an educator for most of my 30-year career. For me, [taking the CPLP] was about learning. It was sheer learning. I found the body of knowledge compelling, so it wasn’t a chore,” according to Anthony.

 

According to ATD CI, more than 80% of CPLPs report that the additional credential has advanced their careers, and greater than 85% of CPLPs report that it has given them an advantage.

 

The CPLP consists of two exams:

  • The first is a three-hour “Knowledge” exam consisting of 150 questions and covering all ten 10 AOEs. The exam is 75% traditional multiple choice and 25% “testlet” (multiple choice questions with scenarios).   The first exam must be passed with a 70% correct score or better in order to take the second.
  • The second exam is a three-hour “Skills Application” designed to test one’s ability to apply skills to real-world scenarios. It consists of 100 questions, includes four scenarios, and covers three AOEs (Instructional Design, Training Delivery, and Managing Learning Programs).

 

Jann Iacco, panelist and former ATDChi Board Member, decided to pursue the CPLP when her company announced organizational changes. Just in case she needed to differentiate herself in a competitive job market, she wanted to give herself an edge. The CPLP has proven valuable in her role as an eLearning and Training Specialist at Crate & Barrel, even though Jann didn’t end up needing to enter the job market at that time. According to Jann, “I am much more confident when I’m talking about something I’m going to design or build.” Once the CPLP was complete, Jann also felt she had a seat at the table.

 

Taking the CPLP requires both financial resources and time to prepare.

 

In terms of financial commitment, most will spend about $2,000 between test fees, materials and preparation. The testing fee for both exams is $900 for ATD members; non-members will pay $1,200. Fees include exam score reports, certificate and lapel pin.

 

Exam preparation costs vary. The ATD Learning System costs $300 for ATD members, $400 for non-members. Individual ATD chapters run study groups; costs vary by chapter. ATD also offers in-person, live online, and self-paced study options. Cost is $995 for ATD members; non-member cost is $1,295.

 

Former ATDChi President and improv comedian turned trainer, Matt Elwell, completed his CPLP in 2009. To prepare for the CPLP, Matt participated in a local study group that met once a month for two hours. Matt felt that the accountability and energy of the regular, in-person meetings was really helpful. He also worked independently to complete one ATD Learning System AOE book every few weeks.

 

ATD generally suggests that candidates plan for an eight-month timeline, from start to finish.

 

After successfully completing their exams, CPLPs re-certify every three years.

 

You can take a practice exam and review ATD CI’s CPLP Certification Handbook at: www.td.org/cplp. The next ATD CI Knowledge exam window will take place from October 7 – October 28, 2017. The application deadline is August 23, 2017.

 

For follow-up questions or to learn more about local ATDChi resources for CPLPs, contact Bill Cupuro at cupuro@hotmail.com.

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Accounting Came Alive for Learning and Development Professionals at ATDChi | February 16 Event Recap  

Accounting Came Alive for Learning and Development Professionals at ATDChi | February 16 Event Recap   | ATDChi News | Scoop.it
By Anatasia Widmer 
VP, Programming, ATDChi 

ATDChi had yet another successful networking event and clinic in February when Mark Robilliard from Color Accounting International presented quick and easy-to-follow instructions on how to read organizational financial statements and how to convert financial information into a business story. Color Accounting International is a publishing company and training provider, which develops and distributes the Color Accounting learning system. The system uses a graphical representation of the Balance Sheet and Income Statement - the BaSIS Framework™ - to present financial information. “Seeing” how accounting works makes it much easier to understand. Color Accounting International also emphasizes language: it defines important concepts with simple words that make sense. 

The beauty of this particular event was the fact that it allowed us to learn a skill and gain knowledge outside of our immediate professional scope. However, it is a skill that affords us a seat at the table with decision makers. Here are a few key messages from Mark’s presentation: 

• We often confuse equity with assets. As a result, some business owners fail to see themselves as separate entities from their companies. It is important that we see equity as an obligation to the owner when we look at our business from the company’s point of view, and not the owner. 

• Income generates value, but it is NOT a value on its own. 

• Generated equity becomes a profit; it is the “good” obligation to owners that the business wants to grow. 

• We often overlook the intangible assets – such as employees’ knowledge, experience, or service. These intangible assets are the ones whose value needs to be clearly seen, estimated, measured and communicated to by the L&D professionals at the table. 

Overall, this session was an eye-opening experience. We looked at the structure of organizations and their finances from the position of a stakeholder, which many of us in the L&D profession may not necessarily realize we hold. Mark Robilliard was diligent in making sure we understood and remembered the key financial language. We now can appropriately utilize the key concepts in conversations about finances with the decision makers in our organizations. 

Mark’s fantastic presentation was accompanied by great catering services provided by our new partner Loyola University Water Tower Campus, located in the gorgeous historical Water Tower district of Downtown Chicago.
 
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Game On at Sears | ATDChi Road Show Recap | May 12, 2016

By Susan Camberis
Editor, Training Today, ATDChi

ATDChi’s first Road Show event of 2016 showcased Sears Holding Corporation’s (SHC’s) efforts to up their learning and performance game. 

Featuring Dr. Frank Nguyen (Vice President of Learning), Dr. Kami Hanson (Senior Manager, Learning Program Office), Meir Kornfeld (Director of Product Innovation) and Craig Tanner (Manager of Learning Strategy and Innovation), the Sears team shared their experiences and challenged attendees to think differently about gamification. 

Gamification refers to using scores, medals and badges to support learning and performance management. According to Frank Nguyen, gamification at SHC began about two and a half years ago. The original kernel of the idea stemmed from how to best support SHC as an omni-channel retailer. The team started by using gamification for compliance training.

Here are 6 game-changing takeaways: 

1. Think like a game designer. Sears uses a game-designing framework called “MDA” to think through and communicate the purpose of learning games, according to Kami Hanson. “M” refers to “Mechanics” – how a designer builds a game. Mechanics include points, levels, leaderboards, badges and missions. “D” refers to “Dynamics” or choices made within a game, including pacing and reward schedules. “A” refers to “Aesthetics” or how users experience a game. What kind of emotional response is the designer aiming for: curiosity, surprise, satisfaction, delight, trust, envy, pride or connection? To learn more about the framework, see related research by Hunicke, LeBlanc and Zubeck (2004). 

2. Offer a game for every gamer. SHC’s workforce is diverse: 200K+ associates ranging in age from age 16 to 80; full-time and part-time; mostly-U.S. based. According to Kami Hanson, not everyone is motivated by a “leaderboard.” You want something for everyone. Hanson and team shared a variety of games they’ve developed, including “Financial Service Pursuit” (a nostalgic, electronic board game) and “Master Seller” (a pop-culture game with rounds and judges). 

3. Make everyday a learning game. Sears has integrated gamification into every aspect of learning. “Segno” is SHC’s open-learning platform and LMS, according to Craig Tanner. As learners explore content, they earn points. A learner can improve his or her “SegnoScore” by engaging in continuous learning and demonstrating expertise. Bronze, silver, and gold medals recognize increasing levels of expertise in SHC competencies.  Badges recognize focused learning accomplishments. A “SegnoCode” can be assigned to anything, from a compliance poster to a webinar. 

4. Gamify performance. Sears has taken gamification to the next level by integrating gaming into performance management and reputation. According to Meir Kornfeld, “SegnoReputation” makes it easy for users to understand what contributes to their reputation. A SegnoReputation score can vary between 0 and 800 (800 means you’re hitting all key metrics related to your position). SegnoReputation creates accountability, akin to a credit score, and associates can see how their performance is trending over time. 

5. Help everyone get in the game. It’s hard to move leaders from compliance-based to learning-based thinking. In addition to making sure that senior leaders understand the difference between “training” and “learning,” talent leaders should educate middle managers and operational leaders about the business case and benefits of gamification. 

6. Before you get your game on, understand your organization's readiness. According to Frank Nguyen, the associate audience at Sears is approximately 85% Millennials. This combined with a start-up mentality, sales-focus and a desire to connect associate and customer knowledge, made the decision to gamify learning and performance at Sears easier. Before you design a gamification strategy, consider your organization’s readiness, culture and demographics. 

Segno has become a competitive advantage at Sears. All training is now done during slow times and is completely self-driven, so associate engagement is very high. Sears no longer schedules people off the floor, and associates use kiosks to complete all training. 

Gamification has also helped SHC achieve one of their key talent development goals of enabling a career path for anyone in the company. 

Ready to up your learning and performance game?  Start by thinking differently about gamification.
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10 Free (or Cheap) Tools to Make Your eLearning Amazing with Jackie Zahn - Event Recap

10 Free (or Cheap) Tools to Make Your eLearning Amazing with Jackie Zahn - Event Recap | ATDChi News | Scoop.it

10 Free (or Cheap) Tools to Make Your eLearning Amazing - Event Recap
By Joie Marshall, Editor/Curator, Training Today

Event Date: November 19, 2015

Organization: ATDChi

 

As usual, Jackie Zahn impressed the room with her robust list of free and cheap tools we can use when design and developing eLearning courses. To keep things simple, the list is below.

 1. Prezi

Jackie used Prezi to display her “slides.”

2. Piktochart

Free (or low cost for premium features) tool to create infographics.

Jackie recommended we use this for eLearning course templates as well. Cool idea!

3. SnagIt / Jing / Camtasia

Many of us are already familiar with SnagIt. Jing is the free version.

Camtasia was the tool of the night (in my opinion). Jackie frequently mentioned how Camtasia can be used to capture anything to then use or add to eLearning. She even recommended using Camtasia to record short demos of your work to use as a portfolio. Another awesome idea!

4. Webcam

Jackie showed the group an inexpensive webcam (about $50).

5. YouTube

Jackie raved about YouTube, stating that more and more organizations are loosening their restrictions on this site. You can upload videos and set the viewing to private allowing only select people to access the video.

6. Audacity / Snowball microphone

Audacity is a tool that helps edit audio files.

Jackie showed us her blue snowball microphone. She shared that this microphone has been the best one she’s used. It has settings on the back for different types of recording (no background noise, background included, etc.).

7. Wondershare

This tool allows you to convert video files (I believe audio too) into other formats. This is needed due to certain eLearning development tools will not allow certain video files to import. Inexpensive at $40.

8. EasyPrompter

When working with a client that needs to read a script for a recorded video, EasyPrompter is a free tool that eases the process. Simply enter in the words that will be spoken and the application shows the text like a prompter for the speaker.

9. PowToon

Animation tool. Jackie shared it’s a little challenging to use.

10. VideoScribe

Another animation tool demonstrated at the session.

Jackie recommended to watch this application’s company – Sparkol. She has seen some cool products from them.

 

Jackie is the ever-giving L&D professional, always providing valuable information on how we can do our work better, and cheaper too. Check out Jackie’s website at: www.jackiezahn.com 

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ATDChi NEWS Chicago eLearning & Technology Showcase 2015 Event Recap

Chicago eLearning & Technology Showcase 2015 Event Recap

Recap provided by Joie Marshall, Training Today Editor

Organizations: ATDChi, Chicago ISP, and STC Chicago

Date: August 18, 2015

 

Just last week, many local L&D practitioners came together to share information, learn new things, and network with others. As it has been in past years, the Chicago eLearning & Technology Showcase (CETS) was a robust event.

 

Held in the heart of Chicago at Northwestern University’s School of Law, volunteers from three professional organizations came together to plan, organize, and deliver a high-quality event. ATDChi, Chicago ISPI, and STC Chicago once again delivered a “cutting-edge exploration of new media and interactive elearning tools.” In its eighth year, this year’s event did not disappoint.

 

To kick things off, Trish Uhl from Owl’s Ledge LLC, inspired us to take ownership of our own professional development in her key-note aptly titled “Trigger Your Transformation: 5 Steps for Getting Your Professional Development on Track and Keeping Up with Evolving Learning Tech.” Trish provided us helpful steps to identify our path to further our own professional growth, instead of passively allowing that path to be created for us, or worse – a missed opportunity. Trish identified key competencies and supportive models to use that can help us make conscious choices to further our own development. It’s our own professional future; we should own it.

 

As in the past eight years, CETS was filled with engaging sessions across various tracts (design, strategy, learning technologies, and development). Some of the sessions available included:

- Cheap & Easy Instructional Characters for eLearning

- Why Does Tin Can/xAPI Matter & How Do I get Started?

- Supercharging eLearning Design

- Leveraging Technology for Learning & Doing

- Starting with Questions First: Using the Latest Brain Science to Build Adaptive eLearning That Increases Retention

To see a full list of the conference’s sessions, go to: http://chicagoelearningshowcase.com/

 

As in years before, the conference presented opportune times for participants to engage with exhibitors and the host organizations for more details.

 

One new session format included in this year’s event was the Learning Spark. Learning Sparks, inspired by the Chicago Ignite presentation format, were short five-minute presentations on a specific topic. Learning Spark presenters prepared 20 slides and set them to auto-advance at 15-second intervals. This new format at CETS offered up a wide variety of presentation topics that ranged from “Cheap & Cheerful eLearning,” “To Gamify or Not? What Corporate Learning Experts Should Know,” “Engaging Millennials,” among others. Learning Sparks were challenging to deliver, but the inaugural group of presenters did a fantastic job.

 

Another great add to this year’s CETS was the Showcase Mobile App. This little application was simple to download and even easier to use right away. The Showcase Mobile App allowed participants to review session and speaker information, complete polls, learn about exhibitors and host organizations, and post to Twitter. Check out the Twitter back-channel by searching #CETS15. Also, the app allowed attendees to quickly complete a session evaluation within the app. Talk about effective and efficient!

 

Thank you to the many volunteers who offered up their talents, expertise, and time to deliver this value-added event once again!

 

For a one-day, local event, the 2015 Chicago eLearning Technology Showcase offered a huge impact for the registration fee. It surely is the must-attend event in the Chicagoland area for anyone involved in eLearning.

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9 ATDChi members to speak at 2015 Chicagoland eLearning & Technology Showcase

9 ATDChi members to speak at 2015 Chicagoland eLearning & Technology Showcase | ATDChi News | Scoop.it

Nine ATDChi members are among the 33 speakers slated to present at the 2015 Chicagoland eLearning & Technology Showcase (http://www.chicagoelearningshowcase.com/index.html), to be held Tuesday, August 18, at Northwestern University’s Chicago Campus.

 

Trish Uhl, a past president of ATDChi, has been tapped to deliver the keynote speech. The title of her presentation is: "Trigger Your Transformation: 5 Steps for Getting Your Professional Development on Track & Keeping Up with Evolving Learning Tech.”

 

Four other ATDChi members have been selected to present at the showcase:

·         Ralph Gaillard (Captivating Today’s Learners in the Online Classroom)

·         Dennis Glenn (The Path to Mastery Using Serious Games)

·         Shannon Tipton (The 21st Century Learning Toolbox)

·         Sue Weller (Cheap & Easy Instructional Characters for eLearning)

 

In addition, four ATDChi members will present “Learning Sparks,” short TED-style talks:

·         Jackie Bauer (Why Managers & Learners Dread eLearning)

·         Jann Iaco (Cheap & Cheerful eLearning)

·         Adam Kirby (Ugh, #Millennials. Amirite?)

·         Joie Marshall (We’re the Servants, Not the Masters)

 

CETS is co-hosted by ATDChi, Chicago ISPI, and STC Chicago.

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ATDChi May 12, 2015 Roadshow Event Recap

ATDChi May 12, 2015 Roadshow Event Recap | ATDChi News | Scoop.it

Lurie Children’s Hospital Roadshow - Event Recap, May 12, 2015

Recap provided by Meighan Newhouse, VP Membership

Organization: ATDChi
Event Date: 

 

Those of us who attended the ATD Leader’s Conference in Arlington, VA last fall walked away very excited about the same idea: The Road Show. The concept is simple yet brilliant; the local chapter partners with a local business to gain “insider access” to their training department. The benefit to the business is exposure to the area’s best learning professionals, and the benefit to the attendees is exposure to different ways of thinking and executing in the profession.

 

ATDChi premiered our first Roadshow with Lurie Children’s Hospital last night, and I think it’s safe to say that it was a smashing success.

 

Over 40 professionals joined us at Lurie’s, where they began the evening with an insider’s tour of the gorgeous facility, which opened in its new Loop location in June 2012. Team members from various departments at the hospital led the tours. Later in the evening, we learned more about these team members who were comprised of a cross-functional project team.

 

After their tour, attendees networked in the bright Conference Center. The room, located on the 11th floor of the building, provided stunning 180-degree views of the city and Lake Michigan. Heavy hors d'oeuvres and an open bar were the perfect addition to this part of the evening.

 

ATDChi’s President, Greg Owen-Boeger, kicked off the program by welcoming our participants, as well as the event’s sponsor, Silk Road (http://www.silkroad.com/). After brief introductions, the main event began.

 

Led by Diana Halfer and Julia Hooper from the Lurie’s learning team, The Fishbowl brought our tour leaders together into their cross-functional team to share with the participants a project on which they have been working. This project concept will be presented to executive staff in July, and the team was looking for event participants to provide feedback. They thoroughly and deliberately shared the background, business needs, and approach. At three distinct points in the discussion, the team “froze” and the participants were able to ask questions. Questions were used both for clarification as well as to challenge the team to think of anything that may be missing to help them prepare for their July presentation.

 

After an incredibly robust discussion from nearly all of the participants, the evening closed with several giveaways and a promise to hold another of these Roadshows, and soon (July 16th, 2015 to be exact).

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ATDChi Thursday March 19, 2015 Event Recap

ATDChi Thursday March 19, 2015 Event Recap

Recap provided by Tamara Lewis, ATDChi, Director of Alliance Relations

 

Organization: ATDChi

Event: Skills Seminar: "Dinner with Thiagi"

Date: Thursday, March 19, 2015

 

Thiagi’s wonderful sense of humor and improv skills supplied ATDChi members and guests an engaging, fun-filled dinner event.  After his two-day workshop, Thiagi started his talk Thursday evening by demonstrating a card trick involving a “psychic” member of the audience. He did this without an actual deck of cards. We were amazed when another well know ATDChi member stood up and presented the final card. It was a great way to start his engaging talk.

 

He then gave each table an opportunity to come up with questions to ask him. He described his listening to the questions as a needs analysis. The questions were as follows:

1.  How do get an adult to perform when they don’t want to?

2.  When will our profession become obsolete?

3.  How did you really do that trick?

4.  Is ADDIE dead?

5.  What is the one best practice for doing rapid design?

6.  Where is the direction of training headed?

7.  Will MOOCs make a college degree obsolete?

8.  How do you make non-learning professionals understand what we do?

 

With never ending wit and intelligence, Thiagi answered each question. Yes, he even explained the card game!  There was also a question concerning what we can do when a client says they need a learning solution, but they really need a cultural solution. He replied that culture takes five generations to change. If you can accelerate it, it’s not cultural training.

 

Here are some key takeaways from the evening:

> Trust your participants

> Let the inmates run the asylum

> He’s into an Agile model. He also called it the mashed potatoes model

> Design in front of people – mash the design and the delivery 

 

The evening wrapped up with a raffle for a copy of Thiagi’s book and an opportunity to take photos and speak to Thiagi.

 

I think it’s safe to say that Thiagi’s talk brought us to our feet, opened our eyes, turned us completely around, and touched our hearts.  In other words, an evening that was entertaining and well spent.

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Tamara’s Takeaways | CODIC January 10, 2015 event

Recap by Tamara Lewis, ATDChi Director of Alliance Relations and CETS Liaison

 

As ATDChi’s Director of Alliance Relations, I will be visiting the Alliance organizations each month and using this column to report back on my takeaways after my visits.  If you aren’t aware of the Alliance, please refer to the end of this post and please consider taking advantage the Alliance discount offered to you as an ATDChi member.

 

On Saturday, January 10, 2015, I had the pleasure of attending CODIC’s event, High-Performance Teams and Change.

 

Angie Keister, an Organization Effectiveness Manager at Allstate Insurance Company and PhD in Organization Development presented the research for her paper, “Thriving Teams and Change Agility: Leveraging a Collective State to Create Organization Agility”.

 

Angie defined thriving as “a psychological state in which individuals experience both a sense of vitality and a sense of learning at work.”  She went on to explain how change doesn’t create thriving but it’s possible to have a thriving team during change.  She also presented a definition and some research about attunement, a capability that enables us to be aware of our individual state of being.  Her advice was to focus on attunement first, before focusing on the team’s tasks.

 

She took us through her PhD research propositions and evidence:

High thriving teams see thriving as a result of the team, rely on individual team member strengths to get work done, and create new knowledge together through creativity and innovation. High thriving teams see challenge and opportunity in change and respond intuitively. High thriving teams are more attuned to the team and can identify thriving in multiple ways which are the results of our work, the way we work, the feeling of working together, and the way we think.

 

A lot of discussion was had about this last point, especially its usage.  In order to determine if a team is thriving, one can ask questions such as “how are we doing” and “what are we learning as a team”.  At this point, Angie had us break into pairs to do an exercise called Synergenesis.  The exercise was a chance to illustrate some of what we had been learning during the session.  After some discussion of the exercise, Angie provided some insights to foster a thriving team environment.  These insights included increasing the following: decision making discretion, broad information sharing, civility, and performance feedback.

 

It was a great summary to the learning Angie’s audience experienced that morning.  This event was time well spent.  Participants agreed that the information could be put to use immediately in their workplaces.  I look forward to upcoming CODIC events.

 

About CODIC:
The Community of Organization Development in Chicagoland is an organization dedicated to the exploration, development and dissemination of organization development (OD) knowledge, information and wisdom and is based at Benedictine University in Lisle, Illinois.

For more information, go to: http://codic.us/home

 

About the Alliance:
The Chicago Alliance is comprised of professionals groups in Chicago related to human development in the workplace.  The Chicago Alliance organizations offer discounts for their events to other Alliance members.  

For more information, go to: 

https://thechicagoalliance.wordpress.com/

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Introducing ATDChi by Greg Owen-Boger, 2015 President, ATDChi

Introducing ATDChi by Greg Owen-Boger, 2015 President, ATDChi | ATDChi News | Scoop.it

Did you hear the news? In May, ASTD changed its name to the Association for Talent Development (ATD) in order to broaden the organization’s scope and to better reflect the nature of our evolving industry.

 

Over the next few weeks CCASTD will be doing the same. One of the first things you will notice is the transition to our new name: the Association for Talent Development, Chicagoland Chapter (ATDChi). We’ll also begin rolling out our new brand identity beginning with our new chapter logo. The plan is to be completely transitioned by January 1, 2015.

 

What’s Not Changing?

While our name may be changing, the ATDChi’s board of directors wants to assure you the local programming, networking, and services you have come to value and enjoy through the chapter will not change, nor will the chapter’s mission and vision. If anything, we have renewed energy and will work tirelessly to maintain or improve the quality of our services. Like national ATD, training and development will remain at the core of our chapter, and we pledge our service and commitment to you is stronger than ever.

 

We will continue to keep you abreast of our change, and look forward to having you join us on this journey; together, we are creating a world that works better!

 

For more information and to review ATD’s new name and announcement materials, please visit www.astdnews.org.

 

A Special Thank You

Thank you to the following ATDChi Enablement Committee members for their help during this transition:

Joe TotaAdam KirbyJenny MassoniJoie MarshallKen PhillipsMary ChannonMatt ElwellSue Weller

 

All the best,

 

Greg Owen-Boger

2015 President, ATDChi

ATDChi Enablement Committee Chair

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Innovations and Applications in Learning and Development | June 13, 2017 Event Recap 

Innovations and Applications in Learning and Development | June 13, 2017 Event Recap  | ATDChi News | Scoop.it

Ana Widmer and Pamela Meyer engaged in conversation.

 

By Mary Hauser

ATDChi Student Ambassador

 

ATDChi’s Learning and Networking event and DePaul’s School for New Learning Graduates’ showcase on June 13 was a great opportunity for someone new to the field of Talent Development to learn more about the field from student projects and from experienced professionals in the Chicago area.

 

The evening started off with refreshments, as we were invited to engage with and view three graduating MAEA (Master of Arts in Educating Adults) students’ applied inquiry projects. The projects centered on topics such as the neuroscience of learning, applied adult learning theories, and disability training. Projects were based on applied research conducted by the students in their own work environments in conjunction with classes they were taking. It was enlightening to see how what is learned in the classroom can be directly applied in “real life”, especially learning theories, which can be quite abstract until put into practice. With each project, one could see how the students’ knowledge developed as they put research into practice – directly and immediately impacting their respective work environments.

 

A very informative panel discussion followed the student presentations. Panelists included: Sarah Vetter, Education Coordinator, Division of Rehabilitative Services with Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago; Barbara Lewis, HR Manager at John Wiley & Sons; Marcus Potter, Senior Training Consultant, Curriculum Design with CVS Caremark; and Gloria Batey, Practice Area Director, Organizational Change Management/Training with the William Everett Group and Community Learning Leader. Below are some key takeaways from the discussion:

 

  • Our learners impact the next generation of learners: What and how we train our learners affects how they train their learners.  If we do a good job of training the trainer, the quality of their training will be of high quality, too, which translates into overall better results.
  • Traditional learning is not working: learning practitioners are moving away from content-focused to learner-focused sessions, where they see the most transfer and retention of knowledge. Practitioners are also moving away from PowerPoint type training.
  • It’s essential to get out of one’s comfort zone and be open to what is new, and what works.
  • In this day and age, many courses already are in existence, and there is no need to recreate the wheel. Instead of asking “What can I create?” instead ask “What can I make better?”
  • Knowledge manager roles are becoming more popular.

 

The discussion then turned to innovations important to the TD field. According to the panelists, they’re seeing new innovation happening around the following topics:

  • Curation
  • Neuroscience
  • Mindfulness of the company’s expectation of your role: Always be aware of what is expected of your performance and outcomes of your work from your boss, coworkers and your teammates and work to meet those expectations.
  • Time & Distance learning: Online learning can be dynamic and innovative when thought and good design go into it.
  • Proving ROI to a company and stakeholders.
  • Success Case Model: having the ability to see the overall business impact.

 

The last part of the event included networking with other students, program faculty, professionals and recruiters from local organizations. I was able to learn more about what skills recruiters are seeking in new graduates, what skills I might need to work on to make myself more marketable, and what types of organizations I might be interested in working with in the future.

 

I walked away inspired to learn and do more, and I look forward to future ATDChi learning and networking events.

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How to Achieve Learning Agility and Performance Support in a Rapidly Changing World | April 6 Event Recap  

How to Achieve Learning Agility and Performance Support in a Rapidly Changing World | April 6 Event Recap   | ATDChi News | Scoop.it

By Susan Camberis

Editor, Training Today

 

ATDChi’s April Networking Dinner featured an industry briefing by ATDChi’s silver sponsor, Assima.

 

Assima helps organizations realize greater value from enterprise application implementations. Using their unique “ThinClone” technology, Assima creates virtual, training environments where users can learn while their systems are being built - allowing them to “hit the ground running” at go-live.  

 

Here are 5 key take-aways from the evening’s discussion:

 

  1. Define Learning Agility. ATDChi’s Certified Professional in Learning and Performance (CPLP) Director, Bill Cupuro, shared a useful definition for learning agility during the group discussion – “Just in time, just enough, just for me.” Thanks, Bill, for a great working definition we can all put into action.
  2. Ask two powerful questions to improve performance support. As TD professionals, we know that training is not always the answer. When designing performance support, it’s important to think about performance support from the user’s point of view: In what circumstances does the user get stuck? How will the user apply what they’re learning back at their job?
  3. Design learning analytics to drive a results-driven culture. TD professionals need to constantly be asking: What’s the story we’re trying to tell with data and analytics?
  4. Every business is a people business. Assima reflected that regardless of business purpose, every business today is really a people business.  
  5. Become a value creation function. When learning agility and performance support are successfully combined, TD can begin to move from being a cost center to being a value creation center.

 

Today’s TD professionals need to be as agile as the learners we collectively serve.

 

Focusing on the key take-aways above can help all of us get better at performance support.

 

April’s Networking dinner was held at Loyola University’s beautiful Water Tower Campus - Schreiber Center. This location is a “must-see” and will be the venue for ATDChi’s annual holiday party this December 7th.

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Build and Manage Successful Relationships with SMEs Using Joie Marshall’s Guide | October 20 Event Recap

By Anastasia Widmer 
Director, Event Management, ATDChi 

An informative presentation and discussion, which validates one’s ideas, doubts, and approaches and provides answers to important questions, is a recipe for a productive professional development event. ATDChi is proud to offer these kinds of events on a regular basis, and last month’s networking event, which included a state-of-the-art presentation and facilitated discussion by Joie Marshall, was no exception. 

We all know that a great training session is one that is not only challenging, but also encouraging for the learners, and even therapeutic in a way. Joie Marshall, Learning Solutions Manager at Caveo Learning, not only shared some great insights on how to tackle often-uneasy relationships with SMEs, but also made sure everyone in the room had a chance to share their success stories. She created an atmosphere in which everyone was comfortable asking questions, voicing their uncertainties, and seeking help with their challenges building working relationships with their SMEs. Both the questions asked and the answers generated by the speaker and the participants created a tremendous opportunity for everyone to learn from the best practices. The materials shared by the presenter made me think outside of the box and encouraged new approaches to deal with challenges at work. The session was broken down into three parts, each of which discussed one of the pillars of how to build and manage collaborative relationships with SMEs. In short, according to Joie Marshall, the three pillars for successful SME relationships are: 

1.  Being a guide for a SME by providing direction, identifying timing and setting up a list of common expectations; 

2.  Being adaptable to a SME’s needs by and working on constant improvement of communication with your SME; and 

3.  Being helpful to a SME by practicing patience and exercising problem solving skills. 

The key to Joie’s approach is to see your role in the process of developing training as one of service to others. She encouraged participants to stop and reflect as much as possible by constantly asking the question: “What can I do to get my SME on board with the process?” This approach reflects a deep understanding what successful communication requires: Communication should be less about us and more about others - their needs, their perceptions, and their expectations. Joie reminded us once again about the importance of developing good listening and self-awareness skills, if we want to build strong collaborative relationships with our SMEs. Clarification seemed to be a central element in each of Joie’s three pillars for better SME relationships. 

In summary, the session was rich with new knowledge, ideas, and approaches to tackle the challenges we all face in the process of developing a new training and getting SMEs on board with the process. It was a great professional development event that left me with renewed confidence and a greater understanding of how to be successful in building training that can transform an organization while helping people grow and prosper. Moreover, it reinforced the feeling that we have a community of great people in ATDChi, a great network of professionals, who are there to support each other by sharing their own expertise and insights.
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ATDChi | What Learners Need to Succeed | January 14th Event Recap

ATDChi | What Learners Need to Succeed | January 14th Event Recap | ATDChi News | Scoop.it

By Susan Camberis

Event Date:  Thursday, January 14, 2016

Organization:  ATDChi

 

ATDChi’s 2016 Kick-off event gave attendees a new perspective on a familiar topic:  learning agility. 

 

The evening featured three local learning leaders.  Pamela Meyer, Ph.D. (@pmeyerphd), author of the new book, The Agility Shift, and Catherine Marienau, Ph.D., co-author of forthcoming book, Facilitating Learning with the Adult Brain in Mind, joined from DePaul’s School of New Learning & Center to Advance Education for Adults (‪@SNLDePaul‪).  Kathryn Wozniak, Ph.D., Assistant Professor and Graduate Program Leader of Instructional Design and Technology at Concordia University Chicago also joined the panel.  ATDChi’s 2016 President, Matt Elwell, CPLP moderated the discussion. 

 

“Significant disruption and change in role require learning agility,” according to Dr. Pamela Meyer.  Learning agility includes both learning in action (learning “on our feet”) and transferable learning (which derives from training and prior life experience).  Learning agility is especially important when you consider that research has shown that fewer than 30% of high performers have the potential to succeed in broader, senior-level, critical positions. 

 

Here are 7 ideas to enhance learning agility in your organization:

 

1.  Use a blended approach.  Dr. Wozniak’s doctoral research asked 120 participants what type of learning they preferred (classroom, online, or a blended approach) – a question she also posed to kick-off event attendees.  Today’s learners prefer a blended approach, and what they really need to succeed is help managing and curating information.  Learners also desire regular, meaningful evaluation (feedback).

 

2.  Think about thinking.  Based on her research, Dr. Wozniak developed a model grounded in the idea of metacognition, or thinking about thinking.   She used the Metacognitive Awareness Inventory.  Here’s a link where you can learn more: https://www.harford.edu/~/media/PDF/Student-Services/Tutoring/Metacognition%20Awareness%20Inventory.ashx

 

3.  Activate the “curious brain”.  Recent neuroscience research suggests that we’re taxing learners’ brains.  “Our brains want to be efficient, fast, and right,” according to Dr. Catherine Marienau.   When given a choice between the familiar and the unknown, our brains will seek the familiar.  As talent developers, we want people to choose new ways of doing things, but this requires support.  “Applaud accomplishments, and withhold judgments,” according to Dr. Marienau.  We all have our favorite ways to think.  What we’re striving for with training is to active the “curious brain,” the part of the brain that is open to new possibilities. 

 

4.  Engage the C-Suite with data.  According to Dr. Wozniak, one way to engage senior leaders is using data to show how learning improves efficiency and effectiveness.  Look for ways to involve leaders with the learning agenda through direct experience, and tie learning agility to organizational agility – the ability to respond to the unexpected and unplanned.   

 

5.  Build organizational agility with the “relational web.”  As described in her recent book, The Agility Shift (www.TheAgilityShift.com), the relational web is the space people create with their colleagues that allows for organizational agility.  The relational web is:  responsive, resilient, resourceful, reflective, and relevant.  It takes advantage of the fact that 70-80% of learning is informal.  Given this, TD professionals should seek to create more opportunities for intentional informal learning.

 

6.  Give learners time to process.  “I think we know the best practices to make the brain more curious,” according to Dr. Catherine Marienau.  "We do not learn without other people.”  We need to make sure we’re giving people time to process, and to question. 

 

7.  Help learners make meaning.  “We’re all listening to the same channel: WIIFM (What’s In It For Me),” according to Dr. Pamela Meyer.  We need to be able to make meaning from what we’re learning.  As a TD professional, don’t assume that learning will be applied in the way you anticipate.  Instead, design learning activities for adaptive responses.  

 

The kick-off event was an exciting start to what is sure to be a great year for ATDChi.   

 

If you’d like to learn more about the latest thinking in learning agility, watch for upcoming learning opportunities from DePaul’s Learning Innovation Institute: http://caeacommcon.ning.com/page/innovation-institute

ATDChi Training Today's insight:

How did we do capturing key insights from this event?  What else did you take away?  

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ATDChi | Lou Russell Project Management Events - Recap

ATDChi | Lou Russell Project Management Events - Recap | ATDChi News | Scoop.it

Lou Russell - Project Management events - Recap

Project Management can be FUN and more PRODUCTIVE!

By Jann Iaco, Director of CPLP, Event Management

Organization: ATDChi

Event dates: September 23rd and 24th, 2015

 

Thanks to ATDChi for bringing the “Queen” to Chicago!  Queen and CEO, Lou Russell that is of Russell Martin Associates. ATDChi offered two opportunities to see Lou. One was a dinner meeting followed by an all day workshop.  I was fortunate to have attended both. The all day workshop affirmed my hope and prayers that there is a better way to tackle project management in the Learning and Development industry. 

 

Over the past 10 years I’ve attended two different project management classes. Those classes were dry, boring, where PM software reigned, and the human factor was eliminated. Control freaks need only apply!  Lou’s approach is totally the opposite …delivered with a sense of humor and over 30 years of experience her approach strikes a realistic balance and strengthens your ability to properly manage the resources. For me, one of the big “aha” moments was getting clarity around the start of a project. We’ve all been in ‘launch meetings’ where they range from social ‘meet and greets’ to already dissecting the ‘plan.’ I learned that the first step is to define and an important component of that is making sure everyone of your stakeholders understands the “why.”  So often the context of what a project is about is missing because everyone just wants to know the ‘plan.’ They just want the milestones they need to hit.  Lou suggests that a project manager should spend some time on the project charter. And I learned that that the project charter can be updated at any time! Wow! I had come to believe that was etched in stone.

 

My second “aha” moment came when Lou took us through a terrific exercise in defining the scope diagram. Sure, you can use some fancy software, but nothing comes more to life than post-it notes on a piece of flip chart paper screaming at you that your inputs and outputs don’t align. And fine tuning the scope can be a breeze. Just add or eliminate a post-it!  Seeing the whole project like that was music to this visual learner’s ears and eyes!

 

All hail the Queen!  Thank you Lou Russell!

 

For more information on upcoming ATDChi events http://www.atdchi.org/

And for more about Lou Russell www.russellmartin.com

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ATDChi - Dr. Deb Colky Student Award Previous Award Recipients

ATDChi - Dr. Deb Colky Student Award Previous Award Recipients | ATDChi News | Scoop.it

2015 will be the eighth year that the Dr. Deborah Colky Student Award recognizes a student who demonstrates excellent potential in the Workplace Learning and Performance profession.

 

Award recipients historically exhibit many of Deb’s qualities, including enthusiasm and patience that encourages personal growth and skill development of those around them. In addition, the committee is interested in applicants who are:

- Effective and efficient practitioners

- Passionate about organization development

- People-centric

- Humanistic

 

Read about each past recipient of this distinguished award and how winning the award impacted their careers.

 

The deadline for applications for this year is November 13, 2015.

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ATDChi Thursday, June 25, 2015 Event Recap

ATDChi Thursday, June 25, 2015 Event Recap

Recap provided by Mary Channon, ATDChi, Director of Website Management

 

Organization:  ATDChi and DePaul School for New Learning

Event: Creating and Sustaining a Thriving Career in Learning and Development Networking Event and Panel Discussion

Date: Thursday, June 25, 2015

 

ATDChi’s recent SOLD-OUT networking event, Creating & Sustaining a Thriving Career in Learning & Development, proved to be yet another engaging evening for adult learning professionals.  Co-Hosted with DePaul’s School for New Learning’s Center to Advance Education for Adults, the event featured a graduate showcase, job fair, networking, and panel discussion – a very full and exciting affair!

The evening started and ended with the graduate showcase for students in the Master of Arts in Educating Adults program.  The exhibits covered a wide range of Applied Inquiry Topics, many focusing on developing, piloting, and evaluating adult learning programs for very specific audiences and goals, for example: Mentors for Nonviolent Women Offenders, and Parents of Elementary School Aged Children Committing to Learning Foreign Languages.  Impressive to say the least, right?   Attendees were encouraged to engage the students in discussion about their chosen topics.

 

During the showcase, a job fair featuring learning and development organizations – including The Cara Group, Caveo Learning, Walgreens, and United Way of Metropolitan Chicago - offered attendees an opportunity to explore new career possibilities while networking.

 

When the networking hour ended, the evening was far from over, as the Panel Discussion, moderated by DePaul’s Catherine Marienau, Ph. D. and featuring ATDChi’s very own Jann Iaco, CPLP, began.  Panelists offered advice on entering the Talent Development field and gave practical tips for keeping a seat at the table once there.  Panelists answered questions from the audience, citing real-world solutions they have personally applied to make an impact on Learning & Development within their own organizations.

 

From a marketing perspective, the most interesting part of the evening was our attempt to live-stream the event.  Adam Kirby VP of Marketing, hosted ATDChi’s first ever livestream of the event using the mobile Periscope app, in conjunction with Twitter.  We hope to do this again and have more participants next time.

 

Another successful event co-hosted with DePaul’s School for New Learning’s Center (http://snl.depaul.edu/Pages/default.aspx) to Advance Education for Adults – we look forward to more events like this in the coming years!

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ATDChi Wednesday, April 29, 2015 Webinar Recap

ATDChi Wednesday, April 29, 2015 Webinar Recap | ATDChi News | Scoop.it

ATDChi Wednesday, April 29, 2015 Webinar Recap

Recap provided by Joie Marshall, ATDChi, Training Today Editor

 

Organization:  ATDChi

Event:  How to Effectively Select, Organize, and Evaluate Webinar Content

Date:  Wednesday, April 29, 2015

 

Patti Schutte provided an interactive and robust webinar for attendees on Wednesday, April 29th. Schutte’s webinar “How to Effectively Select, Organize and Evaluate Webinar Content” highlighted tips and techniques for transferring live training content to a webinar. 

 

Prior to the start of the webinar, attendees received an email with a link to download a helpful handout that would be referenced during the webinar. I downloaded and printed the handout but had low expectations for “using” it during the webinar. When Schutte started the webinar, she connected the audience to the handout and pointedly stated that we would use the handout during the session. She was right! To my delight, I continually scribbled notes and ideas all over my three-page handout. You can see my handout in the image.

 

The success of the handout was due to Schutte’s direction and continual redirection to the handout. The bigger impact, in my opinion, was the way the handout was formatted. Schutte took traditional guided notetaking techniques and structured the handout as a road map for the content that was shared. Throughout the webinar, I collected nuggets of information as I completed sentences and filled in blanks with key terms and concepts that were shared. This all spurred me to continue my notes by jotting down ideas that I plan to use in the future.

 

Outside of the handout, Schutte shared helpful details for generating and collecting ideas, narrowing content, and organizing and structuring topics. She even shared criteria for how to effectively use slides and handouts, and the purpose of each.

 

All in all, this webinar was one of the most interactive virtual sessions I have participated in quite some time. I am certain I will use the concepts and ideas generated when I deliver a webinar in the future.

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ATDChi February 2015 Event Recap

ATDChi Thursday February 2015 Event Recap

Recap provided by Joie Marshall, ATDChi, Training Today Editor.

 

Organization: ATDChi

Event: Skills Seminar: "ROI Icebreakers" with Matt Elwell (ATDChi's Pres-Elect)

Date: Thursday, February 19, 2015

 

Despite the frigid temperatures, ATDChi's skills seminar, "ROI Icebreakers," with Matt Elwell was well attended.  

 

Right off the bat, Matt had us engaged, interacting, and breaking the ice with others. Each attendee was provided an assignment and number which connected us with other team members. Once I found my team, we jumped right into the exercise and completed our assignment - and got to know each other too! 

 

The assignment opened the door for us to dialog about terrible icebreakers. Some words and phrases that were shared:

- too personal

- irrelevant

- overly complicated

- disconnected

- and even ... weird

In all the conversation about what we disliked about icebreakers, the room quickly established a framework for what icebreakers should entail. In fact, Pamela Meyer from the DePaul School for New Learning added that we started "building a learning community from the moment we arrived." L&D professionals love this stuff! 


Matt then gave us permission to do icebreakers knowing that sometimes we feel "self-indulgent" when we design them into our training events. With that said, he also referenced Mel Silberman's "Active Training" (p. 53), when he directed us to three important goals: 

- Team building

- On-the-spot assessment

- Immediate learning involvement

We used a micro case study to align to each of the above items. 


Then Matt started to walk us through how to demonstrate the value - ROI - of icebreakers by identifying three key elements.

1. Time: Resource demands; What should that resource be earning us?

2. Prevention: What risks are associated with counter-productive elements that may be present?

3. Enablement: What would allow more learners to convert more of the training resource to performance more efficiently? 


As we learned to understand where value could be identified, we used some simple calculations to show the ROI of icebreakers in relation to the training event they initiate. Basically, the value is calculated in relation to the time the icebreaker takes and the cost of the overall program. 


Matt cautioned us that our clients will look to spend their money in the most effective way (in their eyes) possible, in order to get the desired end result. We should help those decision-makers with those choices by providing them useful information. 


Throughout the evening, helpful nuggets were shared related to icebreakers, in general. A few are listed here:

- Don't call them icebreakers. (Lauren Ford, ATDChi's VP of Communications, suggested "lid-openers.")

- Talk about icebreakers as if they are part of the learning event, not a separate element.

- Make sure they are relevant - to the training content and the learners.


It was a robust event. Thanks to Matt for facilitating the engaging activities and lively discussions. 


A very BIG THANK YOU to DePaul's School for New Learning for your partnership and the space for the event. 


We look forward to seeing you in March with Thiagi! Check our website for details on all our upcoming events.http://www.atdchi.org/

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ATDChi January 15, 2015 Event Recap

Recap by Lauren Ford, ATDChi V.P. of Communications, and Joie Marshall, ATDChi Training Today Editor

 

Organization: ATDChi

Event: Networking Dinner & Panel Discussion: Earning L&D a Seat at the Decision-Making Table

Date: Thursday, January 15, 2015

 

To kick-off the event, Greg Own-Boger, ATDChi 2015 President, provided us a brief State-of-the-Chapter report. This report gave us a quick synopsis of ATDChi in relation to the rebranding, membership numbers (>452), our healthy financial status, and the exciting things planned for 2015. The path for 2015 is all about making ATDChi a "best in class" organization. 

 

Greg then introduced the panel participants for the evening:

>> Pamela Meyer, Ph.D., Director of the Center to Advance Education for Adults and DePaul University School for New Learning. Pamela is also a speaker, consultant and author of "From Workplace to Playspace: Innovating, Learning and Changing Through Dynamic Engagement."

>> Barry Altland, Author and thought leader at Head and Hands Engagement Collective, and Past President of ATD, Central Florida Chapter.

>> Terri Pearce, SPHR, Executive V.P. Human Resources at HSBC North America and board member of ATD National.

>> Deb Pastors, MS, MOB, President of Education Development Growth Enterprises, and Past President of CCASTD.

What an impressive group of L&D professionals to gain insight from!

 

Greg then handed the microphone over to the moderator for the evening, Dale Ludwig, Ph.D., President of Turpin Communication. Dale led a robust discussion on the all-too-familiar topic of "How do we as L&D professionals gain a seat at the decision-making table?" Below is a recap of a few of the questions posed, and the responses from the panel.

 

>> What does "seat at the table" mean?

TP: Getting a seat at the table means a seat at every table, not just the "C" level table. Training needs to be a strategic partner and understand the business.

PM: Pay attention to WIIFM with stakeholders. Always determine: "How will we know when we're successful?"

DP: You get a seat at the table by building credibility.

BA: If your phone is ringing, you have a seat at the table.

 

>> Why are we still asking this question?

DP: This question isn't limited to training, but is a common thread among all support functions. Training groups need to understand the business.

TP: The table changes - CEOs change, economics change...need to be resilient and relevant.

BA: We get in our own way...those at the "table" don't talk about the "table."

 

The panelists then agreed that the key is to align training with strategic goals.

 

It was a lively discussion with input from the audience as well.

 

Did you attend yourself? If so, what element rang true for you?

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