Future-Focused with Christopher Lind

“Meta-design is much more difficult than design; it's easier to draw something than to explain how to draw it.” - Donald Knuth   The metaverse has become a word that everyone seems to be talking about. Facebook name change aside, the metaverse is simply a digital world that looks to bind the power of a compilation of technologies, consisting of AR, VR, and video, and will allow users to work together in a digital world. I’ve had a number of guests on this show that have demonstrated its virtual application to L&D, but I believe we’ve only scratched the surface on the exciting things to come in the hashtag#futureofwork.     In this Learning Tech Talks, I’m connecting with Edward Prentice III, Founder and President of YEP Nation Inc. to learn more about what Yep Nation is doing to pioneer the metaverse within organizations through a private virtual metaverse (PVM) and to discuss the role PVM’s will have in changing the landscape of the digital workplace for learners and workers alike.

I was really hoping  Tigerhall would send me a shirt to wear for this episode, but I’m afraid that my peers might get the impression that I’m a big cat person. When  I was in my early teens, I wasn’t always a team player. I “played” on a  team, several actually, but my growth as an individual was limited due to the fact that I was more confident in MY own understanding (I knew everything) and became absorbed and stunted by my own negativity. But then I got a J-O-B. I soon came to the realization that we are ALL  playing on a team in the workplace. By helping others grow through sharing knowledge and expertise, we can win by accomplishing a common goal and hitting our targets. In this Learning Tech Talks, I’m learning in with Nellie Wartoft, Founder and CEO of Tigerhall to talk about the trophy that institutional learning holds for career seekers and how Tigerhall is unlocking the power of scalable social learning by democratizing mentorship through real-world ‘thinkfluencers’  that serve to build and develop leadership capabilities and consequentially power, drive and deliver innovation.

I never thought I’d see the day where technology could create training simulations that were almost indistinguishable from real-world experiences, but here VR!...................But here V R! *crickets chirp* Is anyone else as excited for enterprise VR as I am? What a time to be alive as we watch the beginnings of a technology that is going to not only transform L&D, but every aspect of our lives. As with all beginnings, there are failures and It’s more important than ever to be vigilant and skeptical of what enterprise VR can offer to your organization and whether it has the resources and capabilities to provide what they claim to offer. In this episode, I’m cutting through the virtual fluff with Huw Newton-Hill and Greg Hull from Attensi to dissect their approach to industry solutions and learn more about what they are doing to create impact in their VR training solutions with far-reaching results that are spread throughout all levels of an organization. I’m interested to hear their honest thoughts on the future of VR and what they are doing to continually innovate and subsequently create a long-lasting relationship with their partners.

My oldest son told me the other day that he wants to become a railroad engineer when he grows up. I told him he's going to need a LOT of training. I’m pretty vocal about alternatives to traditional higher education. This wasn’t always a very popular opinion. However, I think we live in a time where the idea that college isn’t for everyone has become more accepted as organizations are finding they may have missed talent by having specific education as a prerequisite. Apprenticeships hold their place in history dating as far back as the Middle Ages and we are seeing a strong return to this model in the #futureofwork. In this episode, I'm apprenticing with Tej Mehta, Strategy & Operations Lead at Multiverse, to learn about how Multiverse is helping organizations fulfill their potential by focusing less on requisites and more on applied learning through professional apprenticeships that can teach and reskill at any age with a focus on skills that will be the forefront of change and define the jobs of tomorrow.

With little ones around our house, we are constantly on the lookout to make sure they aren’t chewing on any electrical cords. If they do, we are forced to ground them for conducting themselves improperly. I often remind my kids to take small bites when eating and focus on their chewing to help with digestion. I can’t help but draw a parallel between learning and retention. Consuming too much too quickly takes away from the enjoyment and leaves us feeling lethargic. The benefit of consuming information fast and slow in small and frequent bites largely outweighs the inefficiency of consuming everything at once. In this episode, bite-sized I'm talking to Eran Heffetz and Tal Almog from Bites about the platform they have created to help organizations create and manage bite sized content that can be scaled across an organization for effective learning that doesn't just focus on onboarding, but an unlimited amount of use cases in a wide range of industry application.

A few years ago, I had a colleague leave his position to play cello full time in the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. I’ve been meaning to touch 𝘣𝘢𝘴𝘴 with him. Learning leaders know that managing L&D operations is kind of like conducting an orchestra. The ensemble requirements for an effective department range from data to strategy that combine to meet objectives and keep organizations in rhythm. If you don’t have the right tools you might wind up playing second fiddle. In this episode, I have an arrangement with Stephan Pineau and Peter Olyarchuk to talk about their expertise in training management systems and how he has used his expertise to build Training Orchestra to be the go-to platform for managing instructor-led training to increase resource use and optimize the training investment for organizations so that they can train more with less.

“Good teaching is one-quarter preparation and three-quarter theatre” - Gail Goldwin I don’t know who Gail Goldwin is. Aside from this quote on loads of drop-shipped items, I don’t think this person even exists. Nevertheless, this quote struck a chord with me, as it confronted the often lack of organic theatrics in L&D and how that passion is necessary for effective learning. The workload of design and implementation often overshadows the key ingredient in an engaging blended learning environment. In this episode, I’m going back to college with Ewoud de Kok to learn about how FeedbackFruits is helping leading universities around the world take back their passion for teaching with their tool suite that organizes interactive and collaborative learning activities, enabling educators to focus more on meaningful interactions that activate higher learning and less on energy leaking tasks.

I recently heard that Elon Musk has plans to install a cell tower on the moon. Unfortunately, the service would only be 1/6 G. I’m sorry, I can’t help it if people gravitate towards my puns. Speaking of uncontrollable forces, the average time spent DAILY on a mobile device by users is OVER 4 hours. As a social critic, I find this incredibly alarming. Personal bias aside, I find it unusual with that information why most LMS solutions have mobile accessibility as a second-rate priority. With participation in an industry-wide problem, it would make more sense to meet users where they are already spending their time. In this episode, I’m talking long distance with JD Dillion, Chief Learning Architect Axonify about the time and investment of training and how Axonify is helping organizations give their frontline managers and learning leaders focused content as fast as possible so that they can stay safe, perform smart, and deliver standout experiences all while providing leaders with robust reporting to connect training with business results.

What do you suppose would happen if America switched from using pounds to kilograms as a unit of measure? Mass confusion! ‘What gets measured gets done.’ The L&D Industry’s most weighted secret. I wish I had found it earlier in my career.  It wasn’t until I understood the obligation to myself, management, and stakeholders to provide actionable insights and expectations within my role that I could flourish and succeed at doing my job to the fullest extent. It’s not rocket science, just often convoluted with trivial pursuits. In this episode of Learning Tech Talks, we are having a ‘mass’ive discussion with Peter Brown and Mark McDaniel, authors of “Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning” joined in by CEO of Trivie, Lawrence Schwartz, to talk about how they are working in tandem with proven brain-science techniques and artificial intelligence to create and discover long-lasting and engaging learning experiences.

For years I've been navigating the stormy and ever-changing seas of learning technology. When many steered their ships back to the docks, I found myself pulling up anchor and heading out into the choppy water. Over time I  realized that the conflict in behavior wasn't only because I had a  personal affinity for tech but because many didn't feel comfortable or confident in their knowledge or skill in navigating the stormy seas. As a result, I decided to do something about it and demystify the learning and technology landscape for anyone who would listen. With the help of Christopher Rainey and the HR Leaders team, I streamed the first Learning Tech Talks two years ago today. A few months later, I started the Learning Sharks community to continue the conversation and foster an inclusive environment where the discussion around all things learning and learning tech is ongoing. Two years, 116 episodes, an active, online community later, the adventure continues. I have learned a great deal more than I ever imagined while simultaneously recognizing my knowledge quest is just beginning. Join me on Friday as I spend an hour sharing some of my most significant observations and highlight, amidst the noise, the things I feel every learning professional should consider in a special 2-year anniversary episode.