Training Industry Quarterly - Summer 2008 - (Page 42)

CLOSING ARGUMENTS | TIM SOSBE TAKE AWAY THE SUPERVISORS, STUDENTS AND STAKEHOLDERS, AND YOU’RE LEFT SERVING FOUR MASTERS: SPEED AND SCOPE, QUALITY AND COST. A TALE OF TWO (OR MORE) OPTIONS “It was the best of times; it was the worst of times.” If you don’t mind a little literary lesson here, let me tell you what you may already know: Charles Dickens’ “A Tale of Two Cities” is one of the best-known examples of parallel construction in literature. With a story taking place alternately in England and in France, the story of the French Revolution starts with that opening line, setting up the dual concepts in one memorable phrase. So begging forgiveness from the Dickens fans out there, I’m happy to borrow that famous opening line for this quarter’s column. You’ve come to the end of another issue of Training Industry Quarterly, and it’s my happy duty to pull it all together for you. I’m using that literary quote as a starting place, because there were a lot of parallels in this issue. I have to wonder how many of you appreciated the “minitheme” around simulations this time around. Two related articles does not a theme make, but the pieces were complementary, one focusing on the use of gaming and simulations to extend learning and the other promoting simulated failure as a training tool. They do illustrate the point that things can have similar goals, but still take very different paths. Read the Peer Review profiles for three good examples of that principle. Each leader spotlighted is tasked with similar missions, but each has also left a unique mark on his or her organization. It’s not easy to be familiar and original at the same time, but it clearly can be done. That’s the world we all live in, where we have to do the difficult on a regular basis. If you want a good example of that grace under fire, check out the company spotlighted in this issue’s case study, Service Corp. International. Their Dignity U helps train the people who help you say a last goodbye to loved ones. There’s absolutely no room for error in that mission. The concept of parallels is nothing new to learning professionals, of course. No doubt a lot of you wear at least two hats in your company: training and talent management, for instance. At the very least, you’re responsible to your supervisors, but also to those who work for and with you. And, of course, you’re serving learners inside the org at the same time you’re keeping in mind the 42 needs of stakeholders on the outside. You face those dual decisions when it comes to delivery as well. You have a large number of learners to reach with a critical lesson, and thanks to today’s technology you now have a large number of options for rolling out the learning. Do you send out an army of instructors or open the virtual doors for an online classroom? Do you push out podcasts or bring on a blend of solutions? It gets worse for you: Take away the supervisors, students and stakeholders, and you’re still left serving four masters that run along parallel tracks: speed and scope, quality and cost. Sacrifice one of those elements, and your effectiveness suffers. Overlook two, and you’ve got a disaster in the making. Ignore any three, and start updating your resume. Forget all four? Well, just try managing and delivering cutting-edge education today using carrier pigeons, mimeographs and an abacus. One last parallel to point out: The strategy feature on determining business impact bounces nicely off the Focal Point column, where everything comes thematically together under one mission-critical subject: strategic alignment. There is no business impact without alignment, so you might as well consider that the fifth element. Your learning can be quick, thorough, well-designed and fiscally conservative, but if your company is manufacturing tractors while rolling out training to decrease outpatient infections, a thorough content review may be in order. So that’s it for another issue. Thinking still in parallels, I hope you’ve found a pearl of wisdom or a nugget of knowledge, made a new connection or connected with inspiration. We’ll be back with another issue of Training Industry Quarterly in October, when we’ll share information on onboarding leaders, tapping into 2.0 tools (and beyond) and development strategies for informal learning. In the meantime, let’s get back to our work of building businesses and improving lives. As Mr. Dickens might say, it is a far, far better thing that we do… Tim Sosbe is editor of Training Industry Quarterly ezine and general manager of webinars for Training Industry, Inc. Email Tim at tsosbe@trainingindustry.com. Training Industry Quarterly, Summer 2008 / A Training Industry, Inc. ezine / www.trainingindustry.com/TIQ http://www.trainingindustry.com/TIQ

Table of Contents 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