[January, 2007] - With a whole new year starting up, it's time to think about training and what can be done to improve it in a now 21st century world. The big challenge... and the big opportunity for training is in obtaining measurable performance outcomes that all stakeholders on all levels value and understand. Without accounting for measurable results ... training professionals and their respective training operations are highly at risk.

The good news, however, is that training organizations can achieve measurable results and more preferred futures if training folks take a more structured approach based upon "tried-and-true" Instructional Systems Design (ISD) priniciples and processes... and if they combine that with an innovative approach that uses today's provocative "new world" communications and learning technologies. At just about every phase of the Instructional Systems Design (ISD) process, high-powered, but low-cost technology-based communications and learning strategies can now be innovatively applied and leveraged:

• Needs Assessment: What's new is the way that it's now possible to communicate using multiple communications strategies... across the entire enterprise and at alllevels ...e.g. using next-generation, lower cost Internet conferencing, rich media, and social (inter-) networking technologies.
  
  
• Task Analysis: Where the "tire meets the road" is in the actual job performance or task performance that today's well-designed training program needs to be designed around ..from learning how to use the latest release business software, to being Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) compliant, to acquiring more complex "far-transfer" skills, such as professional sales skills, customer service skills, management, leadership, and even value innovation skills - e.g. "blue ocean" strategic thinking and planning.
  
  These complex skills all require the acquisition and skillful application of principles and management/legal guidelines.... as well as procedures and knowledge of key business and/or operational processes..even IT-based management software processes that can make a mission-critical difference in the business and financial well-being of the organization. Today's technology smorgasboard is chocked full of possibilities. You now can doing everything from on-line focus groups, to doing "hands-on" "hard-skills" software training, to doing highly-interactive, decision-based and business scenario-based "soft-skills" training...completely on-line...or in a "hybrid" world way that combines the best of both "physical world" and "virtual world" communications and learning modalities.
  
  
• Learning Objectives: Long gone are the days when training learning objective could just say you would gain "understanding" about something. Today's training demands that you are able to "do something with that understanding" ...something that you can measure and assess the success of your training against. What's cool about some of the new technology is that you can now even create on-line simulations, and decision-based learning paths..using even video.. that doesn't have to break the bank either. Even video assets produced with the new "pro-sumer" video technology ...some of which even comes free with a Mac or Windows operating system and be burned to DVD, or better yet and even more cost-effectively, can accessed on-line.. In the right hands, this approach can transfer the knowledge, and help develop the right mission-critical decision-making skills the organization is looking for.
  
  
• Assessment: Both the Instructional Systems Design (ISD) and the new technology allow you to build assessment instruments right into the training design. The Kirkpatrick Method of assessment: 1) surveying end-user reaction, 2) looking at learning exercise metrics, 3) assessing on-the job job behavior, and 4) assessing "bottom-line" business impact can all be designed in, and can take advantage of multiple communications & learning technologies used to do it.
  
  
• Development: If enough up-front consulting and planning time is invested in the instructional design, the development can proceed smoothly using 21st century communications tools and strategies. We are video producers with a public television background and can produce some powerful rich media learning assets. We also work with "dream team" of multi-media specialists, Flash developers, and independent software developers.
  
  
• Test & Revision: We can even use affordable Internet conferencing-based focus groups to test and revise the training product offering based on the user feedback.
  
  
• Implementation: Using 21st century communications and learning strategies, it will be absolutely amazing how fast and how effective we'll be able implement training across the enterprise...compared to former ways that cost more, took longer, and actually were not as effective.
  
  An important environmental note: Besides saving training dollars, we'll also help the biosphere.. using our "free instant virtual transportation" that burns not one drop of gas and adds not one micron of pollution... as we "get you there"... and "get you back" to "virtual training architecture" and to your "physical world"..."riding the electrons"...just by logging on and off!
  
  If you'd like more information and to explore this. Call us at- 425-844-8908
  
  It's going to be a great Year 2007. Let's plan on getting together soon!
  
  Best regards,
  
  
  
  Art Johnson
  New World Communications
  425-844-8908
  e-mail: ajohn@newworldcom.com