The Lounge Podcast

In this special episode I'm joined by Kevin Thorn, Karl Kapp and Deborah Thomas to talk about the value of getting in touch with your creative side! More notes to follow - currently just trying to get the new episode up! Reserve your seat, or learn more about the Step Away: Innovate and Play event happening in September 2020 here. Connect with our guests here: Deborah Thomas on Twitter and LinkedIn Karl Kapp on Twitter and LinkedIn Kevin Thorn on Twitter and LinkedIn   We here at the Lounge Podcast hope that you and your family are healthy and adjusting to the new normal that comes with the pandemic we are experiencing. As a result, we've been a little busier than normal and have had to put the podcast on hold. BUT things are looking up for us here and I enlisted some help to get this episode edited. So hopefully I'll be getting the episodes out a little more regularly!

In this episode, Learning Professional of the Year nominee, and my friend, John Hinchliffe joins me to discuss his L&D journey from the UK to the UAE. He shares information about how he prepared for success in the UAE, how he came to be nominated for a prestigious learning award, and provides some advise for new, emerging and senior learning professionals alike. Due to Internet Issues, I am having difficulty loading the transcript and images, so I'll update this with all the information for John as soon as I can. I wanted to get this out prior to John's Awards banquet.

In this episode, I'm joined by my friend Mike Simmons, founder of Catalyst Sale and host of the Catalyst Sale podcast. Mike joins me today to talk about analysis skills and how proper analysis and communication can help persuade, engage and guide our clients away from learning failures! Get the transcript 26 - Mike Simmons_transcript. Covered in this episode: Why is analysis important? Mike's process for analysis We covered some of the following Write it down, Get the data you need to make a decision Find gaps in info Questions we can ask to understand the problem (who, what, why, where, when, how) Conduct research (public information or interviews with people) Understand the boundaries you are working in Define the objective Recognize what "good" looks like when the problem is solved How do you get to the story? There isn't just ONE way! Find YOUR way Simplify questions so you don't create objections Getting information from SMEs Selling the analysis phase when someone doesn't support it Flat tires and learning analysis Create a plan Set timelines to avoid analysis paralysis Leverage "good enough" Mindmap as a tool The value of deconstructing the learner journey Using OneNote, technology and, yes, paper note cards Mike's details: More than 20 years of operations, customer success, sales and sales leadership experience, 15 in the EdTech space. Life long learner, creative, analytical, and driven to achieve results. Mike has built, lead, and optimized sales organizations leveraging both direct and indirect teams. Husband, father, and jeep enthusiast. Arizona State University B.A. Psychology. LinkedIn * remember to let him know you heard him on The Lounge Podcast www.Catalystsale.com Twitter Podcast Episode 1, Episode 2

When was your last Subject Matter Expert (SME) meeting? How did it go? Was it a painful experience for both of you? If so, this episode is for you! What's Happening in The Lounge today? I'm excited to bring you this impromptu chat with my new friend Sean Hickey. Sean is a master at working with people. He's incredibly personable and a joy to spend time with. I've had the privilege of spending time with him at two separate conferences, the Ohio ATD Tech days last September and the March 2019 Learning Solutions conference where he and my friend Cara North presented a fun and engaging session - and where they won BEST OF SHOW at DemoFest for their fun game on question pitfalls and the mayhem that comes from ill prepared multiple choice questions. Sean and Cara win Best of Show at Learning Solutions 19 DemoFest This episode isn't about assessment or evaluation - instead we're going to dive deep into the tips that Sean has for working effectively with your SMEs to help you and them get the most of your often limited time together. It's a fun conversation - I had to cut out a lot of my giggles because Sean makes me big belly laugh to the point I sounded like I might need emergency medical attention. So what did we talk about ? Here's a little list. In this episode: What is a subject matter expert (SME)Sharing the importance of your workAre SMEs critical to our project success?How to build rapport with SMEsIdeas to deal with conflict between various groupsUsing humour / humorWorking from a state of agreementIdeas to reduce stress when SMEs time is “side of the desk”Sean’s process for engagement, formal and informal communicationDealing with the “unnecessary” Things you can do to motivate attendance (I’m not ashamed to admit to bribing folks with food!)Understand the small picture (how their actions impact the new employee)Sean’s process for continuous relationship buildingProbing questionsImpostor syndrome and SMEsGiving the SMEs value to take awayThe 3-Ps of service About Sean Hickey Sean Hickey Sean Hickey is Lead Curriculum Developer and an instructional designer at Ohio State’s Center on Education and Training for Employment (CETE). As part of his role, he facilitates item-writing workshops for statewide career-tech end-of-course tests and industry credentialing exams, and develops eLearning materials for teachers and subject-matter experts. Sean was previously an instructional designer at McGraw-Hill Education, where he partnered with Apple in the creation of the first-generation of interactive iPad textbooks. He has taught educational technology courses and is actively involved in several instructional design groups and associations at both the state and national level. Find Sean on Social You can find Sean on twitter @mshEducation, as well as at various edtech or learning and development conferences throughout the country.

Today’s episode explores something I’m not overly familiar with, and I admit, it can be a little scary when you don’t know much about it. AI and Machine learning and not new but for some of us, it’s a bit scary to talk about something we only know about formally through Hollywood blockbusters. In today’s show I’m chatting with Anna Leach, a Graduate Associate and PHD student at the University of Arizona. Anna shares some interesting information about the AI Circle and some other things we should think about at a deeper level! In this Episode: What is AI and how it impacts usTaking the scariness out of AIAn introduction into AI and Algorithms The Grand CircleThe differences between machine learning and AI and Deep LearningPeanut Butter sandwiches and step by step processesData impacts Bias in learningIt’s not “IF” it’s “WHEN” we should start understanding AI and Machine Learning for future inclusion in our toolbox. About Anna Leach Anna is a PhD student and graduate associate at the School of Information at the University of Arizona.  The iSchool focuses on the intersection of people, technology, and information.  Her studies are focused educational technology and the information it produces or consumes and how it can or does impact humans.  She is working to understand the value of the data collected and how it can empower learners and elevate learning.  She is researching what data is collected in our LMSes and how much we understand about data privacy. Anna is a PhD student and graduate associate at the School of Information at the University of Arizona.  The iSchool focuses on the intersection of people, technology, and information.  Her studies are focused educational technology and the information it produces or consumes and how it can or does impact humans.  She is working to understand the value of the data collected and how it can empower learners and elevate learning.  She is researching what data is collected in our LMSes and how much we understand about data privacy. Prior to the PhD program, Anna worked as a data analyst at the Ohio State University.  She also completed her Masters in Learning Technologies in the Fall of 2016 through the Ohio State University online program.  She has discussed her data analysis journey in a TEDxPSU talk titled Beyond the Numbers: A Data Analyst Journey - https://youtu.be/t2oOFs4WgI0  In her free time, she spends time with her family and pug Skully or hiking or crocheting.  Anna's Links: Joy Link:  https://www.ted.com/speakers/joy_buolamwini  Machine Learning: https://www.coursera.org/learn/machine-learning  Here is an image Anna really likes:  https://wordstream-files-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/machine-learning.png  It is what is considered Artificial Intelligence.   Anna sent me this in respect to the discussion of PB&J sandwiches. She uses it to prompt discussions about what an algorithm is. https://youtu.be/FN2RM-CHkuI Want to learn Articulate Storyline? Learn Storyline from two of my favourite Storyline guys! http://masterstoryline.com is your place to go! Get Storyline video training courses at MasterStoryline.com. Learn fundamentals, and build your skills including design, interactions, gamification, tips, tricks, and best practices through our courses and just-in-time video library. As a Lounge Podcast listener you get a 10% Discount off your first year subscription when you use the code " lounge " when you sign up. This code is valid until December 31, 2019 - so don't delay! And don't miss an episode of their podcast: https://www.theelearningguys.com/

If you listened in last week, you heard Hadiya and I discussing quality control and quality assurance, as well as feedback cycles.  I wanted to continue the conversation with you this week but talking about the life-cycle of a learning object. Sometimes, our learning content needs to be updated to reflect new ideals, practices, organization goals and direction, new performance problems and of course, updated government legislation. In this episode: what is a review cycle and why are they importantwho should be involvedwhat do I do in a review cyclereview a real exampletalk about how freelancers and contractors can implement review cycles My example review cycle: set up review cycle in advanceperform cursory reviewrun relevant reportsshare contentagree to next review I'd love to hear what you are doing - you can leave a commont below, email me host @ theloungepodcast.com, or you tweet me with the hashtag #theloungepodcast and let me know what you do to ensure you are keeping your content current.

So many of us fell into training, learning and development - it wasn't a selected career path for most of my friends and colleagues in the industry. This week's guest is no different. Hadiya Nuriddin started much like I did, supporting peers with hardware and software questions, being the most knowledgeable and being able to clearly communicate the "how-to" and "why" of training. Hadiya and I bonded over a previous conversation chatting about quality assurance, quality control and review cycles for learning projects and I knew that this conversation should be not only shared between the two of us, but with ALL of us, our clients and our projects. We want the best output for our projects. We want our clients to be happy. Part of this is ensuring quality output in our learning programs, whether it's an instructor led experience (presentation, student guide, facilitator guide), job aids and support materials, or eLearning! We want things to work, to be accurate, to be almost perfect. I've had my share of projects the client has seen before quality assurance testing was completed, and I can't tell you the number of time's I've cringed because a button doesn't work, I forgot the trigger, or it goes to the wrong place. It happens, especially when I look after my own reviews, which I don't recommend. The value of a defined QA process is important to delivering a high quality end product. Hadiya Nuriddin, Owner of Focus Learning Solutions, and Author In This Episode: review cycles for learning programs, what it is and why you need onequality assurance as a disciplinethe importance of adding QA into a project planhow to get started putting QA into practiceconsiderations for what you need in a QA processthe importance of consistency in reviewthe value of investing in the right person for the jobfeedback loopsVerb - Current State - Recommended StateImportance of a single point of contactConsequence Management (my fav term from this chat!)tools for capturing feedbackversion controlwriting a bookthe hero's journey About Hadiya: Hadiya Nuriddin has two decades of experience in learning strategy, instructional design, elearning development, and facilitation. She worked in corporate learning before choosing to found her firm Focus Learning Solutions where she's worked with a wide array of companies on a variety of topics. She speaks at events and industry conferences and travels teaching courses for the Association for Talent Development (ATD). Hadiya holds an M.Ed. in curriculum studies, an M.A. in writing, and the Certified Professional in Learning and Performance (CPLP) designation. She is the author of the book StoryTraining: Selecting and Shaping Stories That Connect, published by ATD. Links: Story Training Book (no affiliate link)Story Training Companion WebsiteHadiya on LinkedInHadiya on TwitterFocus Learning Solutions Website

I was an early adopter of online learning. I provided training on Microsoft products to insurance industry professionals around North America using a precursor to WebEx, a product Called Centra99. That was 20 years ago - and while some of the technologies have changed, the foundation needed to provide virtual training in a virtual classroom hasn't! This episode is here to help you determine if you are ready to implement virtual training into YOUR development roadmap for your staff. It's an amazing chat with loads of value for you when you look to implement or improve your virtual learning opportunities. Cindy Huggett In today's episode: What is virtual training (Cindy has the BEST definition I've heard to date!)How virtual training fits into a blended learning approach to curriculumWhat does it take to be successful with virtual learning?Change management considerationsSet our learners and instructors up for successFinancial impact implementing virtual training - the costs to investing in virtual trainingWhy do organizations invest in virtual training?How to convert classroom content for a blended experienceCultural considerations for geographically dispersed audiencesFacilitator preparation Engagement in virtual training events ONE easy action you can take to get started!Things to consider when evaluating virtual training/meeting environments ABOUT CINDY HUGGETT, CPLP Cindy is a pioneer in the field of virtual training. She’s been providing virtual training solutions since the early 2000s, and is a recognized industry expert in teaching training professionals how to design and deliver interactive online classes. Cindy is the author of four books on virtual training: Virtual Training Tools and Templates: An Action Guide to Live Online Learning (2017), The Virtual Training Guidebook: How to Design, Deliver, and Implement Live Online Learning (2014), Virtual Training Basics (1st edition 2010 and 2nd edition 2018). She’s coauthored two ASTD Press Infolines, “Simple, Effective Online Learning” and “Designing for the Virtual Classroom”, has contributed to many compilations, including the ASTD Handbook: The Definitive Reference for Training & Development and 101 Ways to Make Learning Active Beyond the Classroom, and written several articles for T+D magazine. Cindy partners with her clients to help them transition from the face-to-face to the virtual classroom, and works with them to design online and blended learning solutions. Her clients include global organizations of all sizes, including several in the Fortune 100 list. She is a sought after speaker at learning and development conferences and I was privileged to meet her at DevLearn18 and sit in on her amazing session on virtual training. How to connect with Cindy: www.cindyhuggett.comCindy on TwitterCindy on LinkedInDON'T MISS THE RESOURCE!!! Click here to get the amazing handout from Cindy just for The Lounge Podcast listeners!

Join me in this first episode of 2019 as my friend Lance Healy joins me to discus how he collaborated with a learning partner to implement a learning management system for a very short-term project:   the 2015 Toronto Pan Am and Para Pan Am Games.I met Lance 10 years ago at a Lectora Conference - and we've been friends ever since! I love chatting with him every opportunity I get and I suggest you take a look at his social and connect with him!  In this episode:  Thinking a bit outside the norm helped solve a big business problem and contribute to the amazing success of these games. When was the last time you got to contribute and solve a business problem that wasn't necessarily learning related? As training, learning and development professionals we can offer so much more than a training session, webinar or eLearning course - if only we are given an opportunity. Seek out YOUR opportunity to contribute and make a difference in your organization or your community! If you aren't familiar with the games, they are some of the most amazing amateur sports competitions - if you can't make it to the Olympics, the Pan Am Games are just as exciting. The next games will be held in Lima, Peru in 2019. About Lance: Lance is a sales and marketing leader with expertise in eLearning solutions, global business development and international channel market cultivation. Over the past 14 years, Lance built a wildly successful network of channel partners across the globe and assisted thousands of organizations with enhancing their eLearning programs.  Lance on Social: LinkedInTwitter

I am super-duper excited to bring you this awesome lounge conversation with Bryan Jones, my authority for cut-out people, images and backgrounds for elearning projects. I am privileged to have been an early adopter of the amazing items Bryan offered up through is business eLearningart.com. Bryan has been working in elearning for a while now, and about 10 years ago he recognized a need, a shortcoming in the industry - he needed great images for scenarios and interactions in his elearning projects, but he had a hard time finding what he needed. I was there too! Between my needs for safety related images and a more diverse workforce, Bryan was my go-to guy. He readily responded and helped me and my best friend Jenn get the images we needed for our projects. No questions asked except what does it need to look like and when do you need it. Now he's branching out to offer other amazing products like templates and presentation aids and a much needed course on building a portfolio. About Bryan Jones and his company eLearningArt.com eLearningArt  is the leading provider of eLearning images and templates for the eLearning industry. Through its people picture images, background images, templates, and other stock photos, eLearningArt empowers eLearning developers to build better training, faster. With the largest library of eLearning assets on the web, eLearningArt offers trainers not only a wide selection to choose from, but all of the assets are developed specifically to meet the needs of an eLearning developer. I can't recommend Bryan's library of images enough! Head on over there - and as a valued listener, and to thank you for your ears in this episode, Bryan offered us a special Lounge package FREE to download! Take a look at this special download he's put together just for Lounge listeners! In this episode: how Bryan got started how to use images why a repository is a great way to build out your scenarios legalities of using purchased images why you need to know your terms of use and licensing for images you purchase how images can help you build out a portfolio Bryan's Portfolio Course   Portfolio Building I am one of those folks that never really had a portfolio. I've been lucky to be referred business and to be included with some really amazing companies as an outsourced developer, but I really want a portfolio to help me build out my own client base. I also know I'm one of those people who needs to have some "skin in the game" in order to DO something. I need to be held accountable. So - because I know me, I joined Bryan's latest cohort and let me tell you the value I've had in the first two sessions is incredible! His knowledge and ideas are amazing and he is just so authentic and real. I am well on my way to building out a portfolio that my clients will find both interesting and valuable in making the decisions to work with me. I know you will find great value in this too. If you don't have a portfolio, take a moment to get on the list to be notified of the next cohort. It will really help you target your portfolio and get started! This Reminds me of a pain in my back! I spend so much time every day sitting at my desk, trying to keep caught up on all the things that need to be done, and trying to meet all my deadlines. I work a lot - I'm usually at my desk from just after 6 am until between 3:30 and 4:30. If I'm lucky, I remember to have lunch - I forgot today, but there was a lot going on - like trying to get this episode out, a call with Bryan about the portfolio cohort, my new kitten Mac knocked over my teacup and I had a bit of a tea disaster...so many things, so little time to get stuff done. But I feel creaky and my knees and back get achy. It doesn't help that I have degenerative disc disease, disc compression and a bulge, which I relieve by using my inversion table and spinal decompression therapy. During the day though, I discovered an amazing tool that I easily add...