Barbara Babcock

I was reminiscing with a colleague about a project we dubbed “Swamp Thing” because every time work approached completion, the learning team would be asked to tweak part of the content or design. The project requirements weren’t especially onerous; the execution, however, took on a life of its own. I came on board when the team was completing rewrite number 24.

The root cause of the project’s longevity turned out to be simple: the focus was on ideas and wants, not on true learner needs. While...

Is it possible to acquire game-changing career skills in less than five minutes? How about five minutes a day? Research gathered by the consulting firm Deloitte found that the average employee in the U.S. was able to devote just 1% of their work week to professional development. In an average workweek, that translates out to just 4.8 minutes per day, or 24 minutes per week.

Today’s workplace is lean, mean, and agile. Systems and processes are in a constant state of improvement, so learning...

Wherever you work, and whatever you do, chances are good that something is missing from your current curriculum map. The more critical the information, the more urgent it is to fill that gap ASAP.

Learning teams run pretty lean and mean so business partners or subject matter experts may be tasked with creating and delivering critical training topics. At first glance, this idea can sound like a no-brainer: “Jack has been the go-to guy for XYZ for five years now. He can do a presentation and...

Consider this scenario: until recently, your department was meeting most goals and metrics. Now it seems like every day there's a new red flag, quality violation, or lowered score. You've talked about the situation at every team huddle and your people appear to be doing their best. Your boss knows the effort you've made and wants to help you get back on track. There's one thing left to try, so the word goes out.

"We need another round of service training."

When experienced employees start...

The average “skills shelf life” is only about five years, according to LinkedIn’s 2017 Workplace Learning Report. Continuous learning and development is the new normal for today’s workforce. As a result, talent development leaders are finding new ways to create and maintain accurate and up-to-date learning resources for their organizations.

The right curriculum strategy is key for managing resources and time effectively. Scaling your curriculum strategy across your department, division, or...