The Industry is Changing, and I Like It.

The American Society for Training and Development (ASTD) has maintained a competency model for learning professionals for 30 years.  Until this month, the last major update was released in 2004. The world, much less the training profession, has changed much since then, with a continual growth and focus on technology.  But it’s not just the inclusion of technology, but a stronger emphasis on being able to identify WHEN technology is appropriate and WHICH technology should be used (aka Digital Literacy).  As someone who’s chosen this as my career path, it’s seemed a little odd that it’s not recognized as an official field within the profession, but almost every article cover in T&D, Learning Magazine, and other industry publications is focused on a technology or how technology is impacting learning. So that’s why I was excited when I saw an addition to the competency model Areas of Expertise:

Learning Technologies

Apply a variety of learning technologies to address specific learning needs.

Be able to:

• Use technology effectively across the different areas of expertise
• Identify when and how to use technology as a training and development solution

Personally, I like to know that my field in particular is recognized.  More importantly, I think it’s worth noting that technology has made it into the model as a foundational competency (“Technology Literacy”) and a few other competencies for different Areas of Expertise, highlights below:

Instructional Design (renamed from “Designing Learning):

• Analyze and select technologies
• Integrate technology options

Knowledge Management:

• Encourage collaboration
• Facilitate social learning
• Support the development of a knowledge management infrastructure
• Leverage technology
• Design and implement knowledge management solutions

One final note, it’s almost time to start working on 2013 development plans.  I would encourage you to take a peek at the model (found at astd.org/model), review the 10 areas of expertise, many of which mirror roles within our organization, and the 6 foundational competencies.  There are some job aids to help apply the competencies to you or your team.

Living the Dream

Disclaimer:  Here are three things you should know:

1. I tend to share a lot about what I think/how I feel.  Hopefully people view that as authenticity – thought it’s burned me at moments.
2. I’m pretty excitable.  I’m pretty darn passionate about things I care about.  That’s both a strength and a weakness.
3. My wife calls me an “overstater.”  This means that I’m not good at letting a moment pass without taking a second to reflect on how great or momentous that event might be.

That said: I’m sure that at this moment, I’m supposed to put on my “big boy britches” and pretend like I always knew I would get the opportunity to speak at events and conferences or that this is just another day in my life, but the truth is, I’m excited.  I’m 28 years old and last night I got to speak to 50 of my work peers, many who have been in this industry for decades longer than me, about a topic that they may not know much about.  I’m excited about this because this means I’m bringing value – not just in the church I volunteer in or the workplace, but also to others in the industry.

This summer I got to speak to an ASTD Chapter in Alabama, this fall, a class at Vandy, and the doors keep flinging open.  Yesterday, I spoke at ASTD here in Middle Tennessee, next week a conference in St. Louis and a class at Loyola, the following week an education technology conference in Alabama, and I’m ELATED.  I should probably act calm, cool, and collected – but I’m crazy excited about what the future holds.

Here’s to living the dream….

#ASTD2011 Quotables (3 of 3)

In 2014, Gen Y (Millenials) will make up 47% of the workforce. #ASTD2011

Social Learning added 2 CPLP competency model by ASTD They won’t certify you if u can’t leverage emerging technologies4 learning. #astd2011

Buckingham: Strengths are value neutral, sometimes they can come out in inappropriate ways #ASTD2011

If you want someone to innovate, look to see where they are already innovating using their strengths #ASTD2011

Deal with strengths first. You can’t have too much, but you can misdirect. #astd2011 @mwbuckingham

Stats show that in the US, we’re more focused on fixing weaknesses (55%) instead of building strengths (45%). #astd2011

Let’s figure out the algorhythym of ur strengths and build around it. @mwbuckingham #astd2011

Ideas are easy to transfer, innovation isn’t. Innovation is often tied to the practitioner #ASTD2011 #keynote

Facebook asks who you are, then builds around you – thus their success. Same with Netflix, Pandora, and NYT. #astd2011 @mwbuckingham

We’re all here to see who hss discovered the ctrl+c and cntrl+p of our generation. #astd2011 @mwbuckingham

Less need for designers, more need 4 consultants & PMs internal and outsource development. #astd2011

Whereve u r, just get one mobile initiative under your belt – start somewhere! #astd2011

According to recent ASTD research, only 15% of organisations are currently using mobile learning initiatives #ASTD2011 #keynote

mLearning is augmenting the learning experience, not replacing. No need to return to the office, learn where u r. #astd2011

World population of 6.9B, over 5B mobile users out there. Over 200M tablets to be sold in 2014. Learning should match lifestyle. #astd2011

Top performers grew revenue by 52%, average by 4%, poor performers actually shrunk revenue #SU301 # ASTD2011

Great quote from Geary Rummler “When you put good people up against broken systems, the systems win almost every time
Important quote from user from milsapce “…I can ask questions without fear of ridicule…” #astd2011

#ASTD2011 Quotables (2 of 3)

Metrics for social learning inc: time saved thru reduction of questions to experts; engagement, turnover in target audience

New community for learning professionals interested in social learning: http://t.co/rDqzoQh #TU318 #ASTD2011 (invite code=learn)

We don’t have 20 yrs 4 leadership dev like we did w/ Boomers & Xers. The gap left by Boomers will necessitate Millenial leaders.

Generation X will never make up a majority in the workplace – it will go straight from Boomers to Millennials.

Jane Bozarth: “It’s easier to find a high school friend than a document in the office.”

Develop learning that is mobile enabled – not app based. Develop 1x Vs developing 5x #astd2011

Web 3.0 gives u content b4 u know u need it. 17% of learning orgs can find what they’re looking for on 1st search. #astd2011 #inefficient

Allen: We shouldn’t care so much about what people know, we should care about what they do #TU202 #ASTD2011

Web 3.0 is contextually driven – content pushed to u based on ur profile/data, wherever u r – mobile or machine #astd2011

RT @triciaransom: Training manuals are written by those who hate to write for those who hate to read. Recipe for disaster.

1/3 of our ability to innovate comes at birth, 2/3 can be learned. #astd2011

Does your executive team see you as a service provider, consultant, or ally? #astd2011

#ASTD2011 Quotables (1 of 3)

It shouldn’t be doing just-in-time training, it should be just-enough-training @bmosh

Teach the tool, don’t just hand it out!! @bmosh

2nd ref of Sullenberger, Hudson pilot, this week. Faced with support need, he followed checklists. He did not use elearning @bmosh

The next gen will be expert cheaters from their use of mobile tools. Will we design the tools to help them cheat to success. @bmosh

5 moments of need: learning for the 1st time; want to learn more; try to remember/apply; things change; something goes wrong @bmosh

We confuse accessibility with relevancy. It can be well designed and worthless. @bmosh

We’re a ‘shiny penny industry’. The latest ‘pennies’ are social learning & mlearning. We’re doing them a disservice @bmosh

Our job is no longer knowledge dissemination, it’s knowledge aggregation. @bmosh

Turkcell set standards at 15 slides and 10-15 max lessons for mLearning.

Turkcell estimates $10M in savings by deploying mLearning since late 2008.