TRENDS 2018 SPEED IS THE HEART OF THE LEARNER EXPERIENCE BY DOUG HARWARD & KEN TAYLOR ith the level of change going on inside every organization, popular theory has been that Wtraining organizations must be able to adapt with the times. Learners' needs are changing, technology is evolving, skills are different, automation is altering processes, and globalization is expanding our reach. Our ability to adapt to change often defines our success. But we are learning that speed is now the factor of success. How fast can we design new learning solutions? How fast can a learner access information they need to do their jobs? How fast can a worker learn a new skill? How fast can we change a learner's behavior to improve the performance of the business? These are the critical discussions we need to be having with corporate executives. Training organizations that perform at a very high level are those that are deliberate in their approach to improving the speed of learning and performance change. The key trends for 2018 reflect the challenge and opportunity for training professionals to develop learning experiences that enable learners to reach proficiency in the shortest amount of time. T R A I N I N G I N DUSTR Y MA GAZ INE - BUSINESS OF LEARNING 20 1 7 I WWW. T RAI NINGINDU S T RY . C OM/ MAGAZ I NE | 29http://www.trainingindustry.com/ezine.aspx