Making Technical Support Reps More Effective in the Selling Process

As a leader in workplace learning and performance, FKA has worked in many industry sectors. One common challenge, whether it’s in technology, health services, pharmaceuticals, financial services or manufacturing, is the effective utilization of technical support resources in both pre- and post-sales activities.

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Top 6 Tips for Running Successful Online Learning Sessions

I have provided technical support for online learning sessions during most of my 16 years at FKA, using many of the available platforms. The quality of the technology has improved over the years, but technology being what it is, there are still things that go wrong. Here’s list of my top 6 tips for running successful online learning sessions to help ensure your participants have the best possible learning experience while minimizing the technical challenges.

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Learn to Learn While Learning. A Perspective.

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After nearly 15 years with the same employer, I took the plunge and found a new job. It was a change that I desperately needed, both personally and professionally.  As with most things, I didn’t simply take a few steps to the left or right – I dove headfirst into a brand new, profession- Learning and Development.

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What are the Instructor Competencies for Face-to-Face, Online, and Blended Settings?

Instructor Competencies

What does it take to be a competent instructor? That question has been asked a multitude of times and today’s perspective takes into consideration the face-to-face environments that most instructors and facilitators know (the physical classroom and on-the-job training scenarios), as well as virtual facilitated (synchronous) learning, and blended settings.

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How to Engage Learners

How to engage learners

Do you need to improve the effectiveness of your instructor’s ability to transfer skill and knowledge in the physical, virtual, or on-the-job learning environments?  Does the delivery of your training programs lack engagement and motivation? Do your learners get tired of the same presentation or application methods?

If the answer is yes, here are 10 simple and effective ways to improve learner engagement without having to redesign your total program:

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How Can I Improve Dull and Boring Training?

boring training is caused by weak instructor skills, which leads to reduced learning

One of the more common requests we receive is from clients asking for help with an existing course they describe as dull and boring training. When I look back at the history of these scenarios there is a pattern of the courses being technical training.  The training is teaching how to use a software application or how to follow a standard operating procedure (SOP).

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Analyzing Data

Recently Scott Weersing of GP Strategies asked the questions “Should we add data science to competency/skills needed now?”  in a post he made on LinkedIn.   The post referenced a Harvard Business Review article “The Democratization of Data Science”.

The post and string of comments prompted this post which describes the data analysis workflow that is introduced in FKA’s Training Needs Analysis (TNA) workshop. It outlines a basic data analysis workflow that learning and development professionals should have the capability to use. (more…)

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Consulting Roles for L&D – Part Two

In our previous blog, Consulting Roles for L&D Part One, we identified that to successfully focus on performance, L&D must be redesigned so that it’s goal is to enhance human performance in support of business goals. In doing so, L&D professionals act as performance consultants in their organizations. But transitioning to a performance consultant from the more traditional role of learning consultant is not always easy, especially if they have been working and viewed as an Expert or Pair of Hands and not as a Collaborator by the client. (more…)

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