Dashe & Thomson

AUGUST 2, 2022

What Is the Disconnect Between Training and On the Job Performance. A major struggle that arises after an employee goes through training is knowing when and how to apply their new skills to real life situations. Without seeing the impact of these new skills, the employee has zero idea of what the outcome should look like, how to use their skills appropriately, and how to connect processes to real life situations.

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Dashe & Thomson

JULY 13, 2022

On March 30, 1971, a small coffee business was launched by three friends at Pike Place Market in Seattle, Washington. Little more than a spark in a highly competitive industry, that same small coffee shop, Starbucks, is now a multinational super chain that grosses just over $5.7 billion in annual revenue. A few years later, in 1976, Los Altos, CA fostered the birth of a small computer business—run out of a garage—that has since become the first stock to reach $3 trillion in market cap under the

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Dashe & Thomson

JUNE 24, 2022

Mental Health in the workplace is the emotional/psychological/and social health that employees' share in their work environment. When an employee experiences mental health distress in the workplace their overall productivity, participation, and retention significantly decreases. The lack of productivity from that employee has a negative fiscal impact on the organization, their unwillingness to participate/communicate with their colleagues makes for slower results, and a hostile or stressful work

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Dashe & Thomson

MARCH 16, 2022

The learning and development landscape has shifted dramatically in the last couple of years, and that includes employee onboarding. Many organizations are opting for fully virtual onboarding programs leading to new strategies, rollout methods, and employee experiences. ­Given this, developing unique, effective onboarding programs should be a top priority for most organizations.

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Dashe & Thomson

FEBRUARY 17, 2022

In recent years, there has been an overwhelming shift toward automation in the work force. More and more organizations are turning toward data analytics, AI, and other novel business strategies to maximize efficiency and productivity. While these tools often make workplaces more effective, they also create working environments that can drain and alienate employees.

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Create Analytics Integrate Digital 130

Dashe & Thomson

FEBRUARY 14, 2022

Microlearning is a term that is used often in the learning and development world. It is an emerging strategy that allows learners to complete their education and development on their own time and is particularly attractive for its flexibility and agility. Thousands of organizations are opting to leverage microlearning as their primary L&D strategy, but it can be confusing to understand exactly what microlearning is.

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Dashe & Thomson

FEBRUARY 8, 2022

Employee training manuals have been a mainstay in learning and development since the conception of organizational training. Despite their prominence in the world of L&D, employee training manuals are often neglected—they are commonly the last items to be updated, refreshed, and promoted. As your team settles into 2022, we suggest looking at your employee training manuals to ensure they are the most effective solution for your learners.

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Dashe & Thomson

JANUARY 31, 2022

In the learning and development world, the term “subject matter expert” or “SME” is used often to refer to individuals within organizations who have valuable knowledge in a particular subject area. Effectively leveraging SME knowledge is an important part of nearly every L&D program, which means it is critical to understand what makes an individual an effective SME.

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Dashe & Thomson

JANUARY 12, 2022

The emergence of virtual and remote work over the last two years has led to radical changes in learning and development strategy. In-person instructor-led training has become nearly impossible to conduct, and many organizations are opting for fully digital development strategies in the wake of office closures and permanent remote workers. As with nearly all business areas, this shift came quickly and without proper time for planning and strategy.

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Dashe & Thomson

JANUARY 10, 2022

Recently, microlearning has become a go-to strategy for organizations looking to create engaging development solutions without overwhelming their learners. Simply put, microlearning is the use of small, short, learning units that can be delivered through a variety of different media. This can include video, interactive modules, interactive knowledge checks, and even games.

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microlearning Statistics eLearning Strategy Module 188

Dashe & Thomson

NOVEMBER 11, 2021

Learning and development professionals are often tasked with the responsibility of justifying professional development within their organizations. Large companies hire and build teams for the purpose of creating learning and development growth opportunities, but often remain skeptical of L&D as an essential business sector. Furthermore, unlike other business departments, L&D is often the “first to go,” due to its perceived disconnect from business outcomes and growth (losing out to more

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Dashe & Thomson

OCTOBER 29, 2021

One of the most common reasons for underdevelopment of employees is that learners simply “don’t have enough time.” Workers and management alike struggle to justify time spent on so-called nonessential business tasks. In a fast-paced and ever-changing landscape, many companies feel as though they do not have the resources necessary to invest in learning and development.

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Dashe & Thomson

OCTOBER 28, 2021

As we emerge from the repercussions of the COVID-19 Pandemic, one thing is certain: the hybrid work model is here to stay. The last two years have been a tipping point for many organizations, accelerating change and forcing organizations to rethink solutions, systems, and work models already in place. Hybrid workforces have transformed the majority of organizations’ talent strategies, employee experiences, and management styles, while also adopting new technologies.

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Dashe & Thomson

OCTOBER 5, 2021

The emergence of virtual learning environments over the past two years has led to unprecedented advances in organizational processes, collaboration, and business development. Many organizations have found that virtual workspaces allow for greater employee engagement, task management, and scalability. Unfortunately, this sudden boom in digital work has also come with new challenges, the most important of which is the emergence of digital skills gaps.

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Digital Skills Virtual Learning Environment Emergent 160

Dashe & Thomson

SEPTEMBER 29, 2021

It’s a known fact thanks to years of research and employee surveys that training on diversity doesn’t typically work. If it’s not working, why is it a standard requirement for so many jobs? Diversity training is typically part of the new-hire onboarding process for most organizations, and more often than not, is just a click-through slideshow followed by a quiz.

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Dashe & Thomson

SEPTEMBER 2, 2021

In a world of rapid change, managing risk is crucial. A lack of engagement and effectiveness in compliance training puts organizations everywhere at risk. As organizations try to move forward after the pandemic altered most business models for the foreseeable future, it’s critical that leaders in the compliance world consider implementing the modifications they’ve made in the last year or so, a permanent change.

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Dashe & Thomson

AUGUST 30, 2021

Blended learning has been a cornerstone of education programs for the better part of 5 years now, and for good reason. Combining traditional in-person learning strategies with online interactions, blended learning can be implemented for a variety of learning and development needs. With the steady development of better eLearning tools over the last couple of years thanks in large part to virtual work, there is no better time to consider investing in blended learning programs.

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Dashe & Thomson

AUGUST 23, 2021

Many companies have made the decision to implement a hybrid work environment for their employees over the last year and a half. At first, companies chose this solution as a response to the global COVID-19 pandemic. However, many organizations are now allowing both in-person and remote work for their employees due to its reduced costs, efficiency benefits, and employee approval.

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Methods Blended Learning Theory eLearning 240

Dashe & Thomson

AUGUST 20, 2021

Hiring a diverse and inclusive team has proven to be an extremely successful approach for organizations. However, creating an environment where employees thrive and are empowered takes a lot of effort and determination. Creating a sense of belonging is critical and you cannot make employees feel like they’re part of the team if you’re not showing appreciation for their lives, backgrounds, and ideas.

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Coaching Culture Diversity Training Develop 246

Dashe & Thomson

AUGUST 16, 2021

In a modern business environment that is dominated by processes, technology, and information, data is an incredibly useful tool in determining a variety of business impacts. Organizations create and collect data across all areas of business, and the use of data analytics is a driving force in determining ROI and other high-impact business metrics. When it comes to learning and development, successful understanding and implementation of data analytics is a key factor in ensuring programs are effe

Metrics 240

Metrics Analytics Learner ROI 240

Dashe & Thomson

AUGUST 12, 2021

Organizations everywhere are pushing to adapt to a more diverse workforce, markets, customers, ideas, and talent. One of the most important emerging traits is possessing inclusive leadership skills which is proving to be a critical component of successful, inclusive, and diverse organizations. Leaders must be capable of expressing not only humility, but also empathy, and have the ability to capitalize on their awareness of bias.

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Dashe & Thomson

JUNE 18, 2021

Instructor-led training (ILT) is a fundamental type of learning and development that is popular for a variety of reasons. It follows the traditional teacher-student model, which creates an environment in which learners are able to interact with each other and an expert on the subject in order to gain knowledge or proficiency. Beyond that, instructor-led training is a popular choice because it is a learning format that many are familiar with and can adapt to easily.

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Dashe & Thomson

JUNE 17, 2021

Raise your hand if you played a game with someone in some shape or form during the pandemic. I know I did, and I’m betting there’s a lot of raised hands reading this right now (you can put those down by the way). Playing games is a natural part of our lives, and it’s something we use not just to entertain ourselves but also to understand the world around us.

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Social Learning Gamification Social Games 168

Dashe & Thomson

JUNE 16, 2021

One vital trait that distinguishes great leaders from poor leaders is the ability to communicate with both transparency and compassion. This is a key aspect of not only individual development, but employee development as well. According to Harvard Business Review , two of the top six traits for great leaders are communications skills. It is absolutely essential for leaders and their teams to possess effective communication skills in order to overcome challenges, reach their goals, and enable the

Communication 244

Communication Effectiveness Leadership Skills 244

Dashe & Thomson

JUNE 11, 2021

The learning and development landscape is vast, spanning across many different industries and servicing a wide range of organizational needs. In recent years, hundreds of new strategies, software, and processes have burst onto the scene, each designed for a specific L&D application or business need. Given this, it can be difficult to identify exactly what services, software, and tools your business may want to consider to meet its diverse needs.

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Dashe & Thomson

JUNE 10, 2021

Hybrid working took the business world by storm in 2021, and organizations everywhere are grappling to find a smooth transition to new training and development programs for all of their employees. As the pandemic has begun to ease and businesses are opening up, several organizations have given their employees the option to work remotely—permanently.

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Dashe & Thomson

JUNE 4, 2021

We have frequently discussed the issue of skills gaps in today’s business world. Before COVID-19 even hit, skills gaps were already a huge constraint and hurdle for organizations to succeed with ever-changing technology adoptions and enhancements. We continually hear that the skills gap problem has not gone away, and unfortunately, the pandemic made it even clearer as businesses went remote or were forced to shut down.

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Dashe & Thomson

JUNE 3, 2021

Since March of 2020, we’ve seen incredible changes to the business landscape. Operations, employee collaboration, and business processes have all changed as a result of offices closing and businesses choosing to keep their employees remote. As we hit the mid-way point of 2021, businesses are settling into what is considered the “new-normal,” and a significant part of this new business landscape revolves around novel technology.

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Technology Program Collaboration Software 191

Dashe & Thomson

MAY 21, 2021

One of the most important skills required in today’s workplace is the ability to establish empathy. By understanding and practicing empathy, you and your employees are more likely to resolve conflict, build productive and efficient teams, and improve relationships organization-wide, as well as with customers. Empathy is vital skill for any leader.

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Create Skills Teams Custom 131

Dashe & Thomson

MAY 10, 2021

There is a huge opportunity for organizations to take advantage of coaching between managers and employees that will significantly improve employee performance. Managers are often only seen as bosses, and not mentors. Employee coaching is an integral part of performance support and management because it empowers employees and is key to building and maintaining a self-motivated team.

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Coaching Performance Support Performance Mentoring 217

Dashe & Thomson

MAY 6, 2021

Creating learning experiences that are built around the learner is a strategy that has been used in L&D since its conception. We’ve written time and again about the benefits of creating solutions that are user-centric and put the learner first. But what exactly is user experience learning? This is a question that is more complex than it may seem and takes various factors into consideration.

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Dashe & Thomson

APRIL 28, 2021

As L&D professionals, most of us are familiar with microlearning, which has become a common form of eLearning that focuses on creating short, digestible learning modules that engage learners. In recent years, microlearning has expanded beyond just one singular learning style, and has begun to encompass many different L&D strategies. One important facet of microlearning is something we like to call micro-video—as the name suggests, these are short, focused videos that aim to help the lear

Video 244

Video eLearning Strategy Micro-Learning Strategy 244

Dashe & Thomson

APRIL 7, 2021

The logic behind performance support is simple. You boost learner motivation, while also ensuring that training is reinforced, retained, and applied. Additionally, you drive a culture of continuous learning throughout your organization.

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Performance Support Support Performance Organization 136

Dashe & Thomson

APRIL 1, 2021

One of the more prominent employee engagement strategies that has emerged in recent years is the gamification of learning. Simply put, gamification aims to use game-like structures to achieve training and learning outcomes via fun, challenging learning formats. Gamification follows in the footsteps of increasing video game popularity, which is an industry that now grosses north of $150B yearly worldwide.

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Gamification Companies Emergent Format 183

Dashe & Thomson

MARCH 30, 2021

As mentioned on our Diversity and Inclusion Training webpage, inclusive workplaces allow employees to feel valued for their contributions and have the same opportunities for advancement as their co-workers. Organizations can use diversity and inclusion training as a tool to create a culture of inclusion by raising awareness of unconscious bias and setting expectations for a respectful workplace.

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Dashe & Thomson

MARCH 9, 2021

Since its conception, Learning and Development (L&D) has undergone major changes in the way it delivers content to its learners. From humble beginnings in instructor-led training to eLearning and blended learning in the early 2000s, L&D has continuously changed and evolved alongside technological changes and innovations. While the past is important to learn from and build upon, it is necessary that L&D professionals focus on the present and future of the field.

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Blended Learning Blended Emergent Learning 224

Dashe & Thomson

MARCH 4, 2021

Organizations across the globe have recognized the need for digital transformation to compete in the current business environment. Gartner reports that less than 50% of business strategies reference data skills as a vital factor for supplying organization-wide value. According to Mike Rollings, Research Vice President at Gartner, “leaders need to look at data first to succeed in their digital initiatives, rather than treating them as an afterthought to help with ad hoc projects.”.

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