In this episode, we are joined by Tara Cohn. Tara is a Director at Wipfli, a Data Storyteller, and Analytics Translator! Together we discuss how to go from order takers to business partners, helping stakeholders & L&D identify and measure outcomes, and telling a better story with data that inspires the business to take action.

​Take Aways

• Understanding over efficiency.  Don't be afraid to ask questions and really understand the needs of a project request. Take the time to think through how to empower and support your colleagues. It may seem like a waste of time but this information can mean all the difference to the success of your project.
• Educate your peers. Don't expect your colleagues to know the intricacies of your process and how they relate to positive outcomes. Time spent educating your organization on what you do, the value you bring, and the what it takes to get there, will help you to build a brand at your organization.
• Speak in plain language.  Have discussions at the business level vs. technical level. Ask questions such as "what does good look like"? "What does it mean if something is failing"? "How would we know that"? Then move backwards from there to more technical needs. This gets us beyond looking only at metrics and understanding the process more thoroughly to find better solutions.
• Use industry standards and benchmarks to fill in any data blanks!
• Own your data! When selecting vendors, make sure you own and can access your data! 
• Build relationships. Get to know your peers and stakeholders! Relationships are the most important thing for L&D and BI Data & Analytics.
• Build your acumen. Learn how your organization functions. What does success for your company look like? How does that happen in every area of our organization? How can you align your efforts together to make that happen? Shadow team members, if you have the opportunity.

​
Donors Choose

What does it mean to be an evangelist for training? Get inspired about learning with Zach Napolitano, Product Marketing Director at Splash (SplashThat.com).

Take aways

• ​Treat your learners like a customer: Commit to creating compelling content that's worth their time.  Satisfied customers will evangelize your services!
• Be data driven: Measure your efforts, don't be afraid of the results. Welcome feedback from learners and stakeholders.  
• Market your services: Your learning product should always be in motion and evolving. Market your LMS, content, programs, etc. Go on a roadshow!
• Training isn't always the answer:  Overly complex products and customer confusion with a product may not be a training issue. It might be a product problem.

​​Check us out on istrainingtheanswer.com, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your podcasts.

DonorsChoose
As part of my own personal development I'm donating one dollar for every filler word I speak in an episode. I tried this out with my last public speaking event and ended up closing one DonorsChoose project and supporting another work towards completion.

This episode helped to complete Calculate to Educate, a project by Mrs. Smith.

Ever wonder what causes your colleagues to ask for training to solve a challenge? Why is training the answer in their minds for non-compliance with a process or procedure? Why not focus on enhancing the process, technology, or even the working environment to solve the challenge?

Join myself and Rory Sacks as we talk to professionals inside and outside of learning and development to answer L&D's most frequently asked question. Every month we'll launch a new episode aimed at helping you be more effective, responsive, and compassionate when working with your colleagues to deliver the best learning experience possible.

Check us out on istrainingtheanswer.com, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your podcasts.

Quick post this week due to a well deserved vacation to the Jersey shore with my family.  While walking the beach with my son, I found myself picking up some small pieces of garbage out of habit.  It got me thinking about something a friend of mine passed on to me while teaching me how to fly fish.  "Leave it better than you found it".  In a nutshell, while you are out enjoying nature do what you can to clean up after those who have come before you.  

I started thinking about how this saying applies to different aspects of my life.  In the context of this blog, it touches on how I've left the various companies, roles, projects, and teams throughout my career.  How have I left them better than I found them?  

Some examples would be implementing Kirkpatrick's methodology for evaluating projects, creating highly rated tutorials and courses for an educational university site, successfully onboarding a new Instructional Designer, running a learning hackathon, or helping to build and support a great team of learning professionals.

Even though I was on vacation I couldn't resist checking my feeds and it was a great two weeks for articles and posts shared in the Talent Development field.  If you are looking for ideas on how you can add lasting value to your organization, read on! 

A few years ago I was given some feedback that I really took to heart.  I was told that If I wanted
to influence change and affect or set strategy within the organization that I would need to be seen as a thought leader.   At first I wasn't sure what to make of that feedback.  My immediate thought was something akin to "Great, now I have to become the next Josh Bersin or Richard Branson if I want to make a real impact".   

Steppping out of my fixed mindset, I did a little research to see what being a thought leader was all about.  What I found is that it's not just about popularity or fame, there's much more to it than that.  

Free industry reports:​​
The following repots can be accessed either directly or by submitting your information to the website first.  A small price to pay for access to some great information.  I've included a one or two sentence summary about each and one key take away to help you determine if you're interested in learning more.

​Combining the insights from the above reports along with your expertise and knowledge should allow you to form some thoughts on how you can enhance your learning organization.  Use this as base from which you can generate innovative ideas to solve the challenges faced by your company. 

Additional industry reports for purchase
If you are interested in doing some more research you can access additional reports from the following organizations.

•  Association for Talent Development 2018 State of the Industry Report
• Association for Talent Development Research Reports
• Training Industry Magazine Research​

What am I missing?
Please share the sites and research, for purchase and free, that you use to learn about the latest trends in the learning industry.