Future-Focused with Christopher Lind

2023 is well underway, and I'm happy to announce that microlearning is STILL a relevant conversation!    Haven’t bought into the microlearning wave yet? When  I first started researching platforms, it took me some time to digest some of the pragmatic use cases. During a conversation, someone  mentioned that the experiences that resonated with them were the ones the felt the same as all of the other apps they use on a day-to-day  basis. Bingo. Learning applications need to feel AND function familiar to users for increased retention and adoption. What’s familiar to me may not be familiar with my team or company culture. Do your research, quantify familiar, and take action to create results.   In this Learning Tech Talks, I'm catching up with Kate Udalova from 7taps Microlearning to talk about some of the vast changes in the space and with their product since our chat in 2021 and what the outlook for microlearning is moving forward with it's easy-to-digestits learning content that caters to users in a wide range of ways that promotes learning on something that feels familiar and not something they’re forced to deal with.

The journey continues! There's no shortage of trends in our industry. Some are new; some are rebranded flavors of things past. While it's never advisable to chase a trend simply because it's a trend or because someone else is doing it, there is value in knowing what they are and their implications. Unfortunately, a lot of information skims the surface without the necessary depth to consider thoughtfully whether the trends fit your situation. In an effort to help, this Learning Tech Talks is the second in a two-part mini-series on 10 of the most notable trends we should be considering as learning and talent leaders in 2023. Hopefully, you'll find this helpful as you consider your plans and investments in the coming year.

There's no shortage of trends in our industry. Some are new; some are rebranded flavors of things past. While it's never advisable to chase a trend simply because it's a trend or because someone else is doing it, there is value in knowing what they are and their implications. Unfortunately, a lot of information skims the surface without the necessary depth to consider thoughtfully whether the trends fit your situation. In an effort to help, this Learning Tech Talks is the first in a two-part mini-series on 10 of the most notable trends we should be considering as learning and talent leaders in 2023. Hopefully, you'll find this helpful as you consider your plans and investments in the coming year.

Skills. In the famous words of Inigo Montoya, “I do not think it means what you think it means.” Like many other trendy buzzwords, people often say the same words but mean very different things. Given their significance and the critical role L&D plays, we  must be clear on the definitions, their implications across the talent  spectrum, and the specific impact on our operations. To start the year, I’m hosting an ad-hoc Learning Tech Talks  covering all of the above and more. As we embark on the new year,  there’s no better time to revisit our strategies and ensure they're  aligned with one of the most significant opportunities of our time.

Last week's session just wasn't enough time.   The effort to support folks dealing with a job loss, potential upcoming loss, or even struggling with the overall uncertainty in their current role continues. The first session focused primarily on skill development, staying relevant, and networking as an L&D professional. This week, the focus is on standing out and navigating seemingly impossible and defeating application processes. I'll also highlight some watch-outs that may inadvertently hinder your success. Additionally, I'll share some of what I believe are the best skills you can develop to shine in an interview. While far from a guaranteed playbook for success, I hope people find this two-part Learning Tech Talks mini-series helpful.

I've recently seen and heard from an unfortunate number of folks in my network about the loss, or potential loss, of a job. Even many securely in their positions are questioning their stability and planning for the worst. With global economic uncertainty and many companies attempting to get their bearing, I predict it's a trend we'll see for a while. To help people through this turbulent time, I captured some of the experience I've gleaned over the years and my perspective as an L&D  hiring manager. While there was originally an intended break in content planned, this seemed important enough to supersede the original plan. While far from a guaranteed playbook for success, I hope people find this two-part Learning Tech Talks mini-series helpful. In part one, the focus is on best practices and considerations for  building skills, staying relevant, and networking as an L&D  professional.

“I’m confidently competent in constructing critical core criteria and capable in connecting conditional constraints with care,” said the alliterating learning leader during their annual review. Learning and competency assessment is, well, complicated. The biggest challenge lies within the burden of proof. Streamlining evidence-based assessment at scale is still something L&D often overlooks as a result of its traditional format and application in specific sectors. I predict as we continue to experience a remote work shakedown, we will see more evidence-based assessment tools to validate our roles. In this Learning Tech Talks, I'm hosting Japman Bajaj from Vametric to go deeper into assessment tools and what sort of applications learning leaders can take from them and their potential to shape the future of L&D.

“People who know what they’re talking about don’t need PowerPoint” – Steve Jobs The advent of presentation software brought us out of the dark ages from the classic overhead projector that had been used for decades. Anyone remember those?   However, much like other early digital transformations, it became a blessing and a curse. The ease of use built an overdependency on cut-and-paste creation with little intentionality.    Without continual improvement and progress in software design, will slide decks become the overhead projector of our era?   In this Learning Tech Talks, I'm talking with David Warren from Prezi to explore the past, the present, and the future of presentation software and how to push boundaries that balance usability with cutting-edge technology and advanced capabilities to engage learning in the #futureofwork.

Interactive content is an expectation from users.   Static video won’t cut it in the #futureoflearning. Digital learning has historically relied preponderantly on the logic of passive consumption. The key for learning leaders today is identifying interactive opportunities within the scope of industry parameters and then designing and creating them.    In this Learning Tech Talks, I'm reconnecting with John Hudson and Tiera Ellis from LUMA1 to learn more about their journey with interactive content and how it has influenced their drive to push learning further and faster to help organizations hone their learning strategies and stay on pace in the #futureofwork.

Recommendations are everything.    Good or bad, recommendations fuel the discovery of new ideas,  compound preexisting knowledge, or challenge pre-existing assumptions. Stop and think about your life and how many things have come based on a  recommendation.  When it comes to learning, recommendations are key to building a sustainable learning culture.    With content on the brink of oversaturation, how do we scale recommendations on a personalized level that is effective and transformative to a work culture?   In this Learning Tech Talks, I'm teaming up with up with Phil Purver and Jari Järvelä from Valamis to tackle what a learning ecosystem looks like for the everyday learner and what tools learning leaders can utilize for data-driven learning to recommend success for everyone.