By Dean Hawkinson. Let’s face it – the title “Instructional Designer” comes with a reputation that designing instruction or training is all that we do. We have been placed into a box that can be a real challenge to get out of, especially when it comes to moving into more of a performance consulting type of role. How do we break beyond the barriers that have been placed on us and convince our clients to look beyond training as the only available solution? So…what is Performance Consulting, anyway? Here is an illustration to help clarify the concept of performance consulting. Individual Factors. MORE >>

Social media is here to stay, that much we know. Yet I am amazed at the number of organizations that don’t take advantage of social components for their employee learning. The efforts I have seen just haven’t caught on because they weren’t used properly. There are a wide range of options at your disposal for social learning, so let me provide you with a strategy for one tool that you may find of use: Social tool: a “Facebook” type wall for commenting. Location: On the organization’s intranet or LMS. Purpose: To give employees a quick reference resource for questions and sharing information. MORE >>

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Still another study , recently published by The Forum at Northwestern University, supports the notion that satisfied and engaged employees are essential to the financial success of companies. Dr. James Oakley , now Associate Professor of Marketing at UNC Charlotte's Belk College of Business, led this comprehensive study of these factors across a sample of 100 media companies. His research team surveyed a representative group of employees in each organization and received responses from 5,568 employees, averaging about 60 respondents from each company. They used R.A. Cooke and D.M. MORE >>

There’s been a great deal of discussion over the last few years related to informal learning. Today, just about any training magazine, website, or conference probably devotes significant time to talking about informal learning. Many times, I feel those discussions miss the mark. My biggest gripe with informal learning is that, like many things, it’s often viewed in terms of absolutes. I’ve read many posts that talk about informal learning as “the better way” for employees to learn, rather than through formal training programs. However, it’s all beside the point. MORE >>