Training Industry Quarterly - Summer 2008 - (Page 37)

10 QUESTIONS WITH KRYS MOSKAL 1 What’s most important to a learning professional — classroom/training experience or business experience? A perfect blend of business and training expertise is equally important to effectively make an impact. Training experience helps with articulating speaking points, the ability to persuade and motivate others. Business experience helps to provide quality testimonies regarding measuring the impact of business decisions. All the training of new knowledge and skills goes wasted if the individual isn’t given the opportunity to apply it for business success. Instructional Systems Design (ISD). Simply stated, this process provides a means for sound decision making to determine the who, what, when, where, why and how of training – often referred to as the ADDIE model. 2 3 What’s your favorite training methodology? Providing learning technology infrastructure solutions for an entire corporation with decentralized learning and performance management strategies. As a result, there is a significant amount of “self-discovery” that must occur for training colleagues who do not have much working experience with training and employee development. We are a large company made up of lots of businesses. With that comes a wide spectrum of knowledge and expertise. We need to provide a wide spectrum of programs and services. In addition, people development often is the watershed of information. We often act as brokers of introductions so that people don’t reinvent their work and can benefit from others’ successes. 6 What’s the most challenging aspect of your job? What’s your most memorable training experience, good or bad? I will never forget all the audiences of two simulations games, Starpower and BAFA BAFA. I first experienced them in graduate school. Since then, I led the games with high school and college students, community professionals, and various disciplines in business over the past 25 years. The emotional impact of playing a seemingly simple game that evokes experiences of inclusion and exclusion, of connections to social structures, and of insights to human behavior in contrived circumstances is profound. In a couple of hours, lives are changed. So many elements lend themselves to ongoing discussions about human behavior across all cultures. Years later, participants still recall their experiences during these games and reconnect with the emotions they felt. I love my work. I always have. I know that’s rare. I eagerly read and attend seminars, even when I’m on vacation. Fortunately, my husband shares this passion, so we have many lively discussions about people development in business and life in general. I pursue esoteric topics, personally, in readings and seminars, and always seem to find something I can use in my work. My job doesn’t feel like work. Learning is my passion, and I get paid to help people learn to be successful in their work. Does it get any better than that? 7 What’s the most rewarding aspect of your job? 8 Do you find the time to continue your own professional development? Jean Houston has the most profound impact on my professional and personal life. She is a scholar, teacher and global change agent. All of her seminars leave you better than before you came. Her use of language and clarity of expression in her books and seminars leave me in awe. Her use of a wide liberal arts education often peppers her seminars with references to mythology, philosophy, ancient languages, foreign cultures, anthropology and so on. Your mind can’t help but expand around her. 4 Who would you consider your most valuable role model? Yes, this is a case of needing to “eat your own dog food.” In an effort to increase the footprint of distance learning/asynchronous learning opportunities for employees, you must be comfortable with learning in a similar mode. I often participate in online learning symposiums, webinars. I attend one or two professional learning conferences/workshops to keep abreast of the latest developments in the learning technology industry. 9 Any recommendations for folks out there – books, partners, resources, etc.? 5 Any resources that deal with new directions. Today, we find the most clever inventions have come from areas that did not have a tradition in the field. You never know where new ideas will come. It is critical to stay close to our customers (our employees) and what they are working on to solve in their customers’ worlds. Making connections from various sources to help solve problems is paramount. What are the most pressing issues on your professional plate now? 10 If someone wants to follow in my professional footsteps, I’d tell them to be sure to… The ability to collaborate and influence business units to re-invent their training into revenue-generating initiatives. Also, convincing business units to design agile bite-sized training modules that have a positive user learning experience. Over the years, more and more employees lament not having the time to attend full-day classes. They want something they can access whenever they need it, grab it and go. On-demand podcasts, e-learning, templates and other tools are major hits. Tell them to get some synchronous and asynchronous training experiences. I’d also recommend that they develop a strong knowledge of SCORM 1.2, SCORM 2004, and AICC protocol standards. Become comfortable with relational databases. Experience with rapid application development tools such as – Captivate, Lectora, Flash, Articulate, etc. In addition, I recommend you get your ego out of the way. Don’t rely on past successes for the future. Be open to new technology. Play with the younger generation’s games. Enjoy what they enjoy. 37 Training Industry Quarterly, Summer 2008 / A Training Industry, Inc. ezine / www.trainingindustry.com/TIQ http://www.trainingindustry.com/TIQ

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Training Industry Quarterly - Summer 2008

Training Industry Quarterly - Summer 2008 At the Editor’s Desk Contents Ezine Email Winning Organizations Through People Before You Buy… Learning Technologies Games & Simulations: Playing to Learn Designing Learning Simulations: Strategies for Leveraging Failure Business Impact 101: The Value of Learning Strategic Alignment: Transforming the Business of Training Meet David DeFilippo Meet Krys Moskal Meet Vince Eugenio Dealing with Death: Learning’s Most Sensitive Lessons Closing Arguments

Training Industry Quarterly - Summer 2008

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