Blogs

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Consider the SME’s Strengths: from “Effective SMEs”

Greg Owen-Boger
March 12, 2018
effective SME

This is an excerpt from Effective SMEs: A Trainer’s Guide for Helping Subject Matter Experts Facilitate Learning.” In this excerpt, Dale Ludwig (Turpin Communication’s Founder) and Greg Owen-Boger (Turpin’s VP) discuss the importance of designing learning to play to the SME’s strengths. Learning conversations do not necessarily follow a logical path from A to B...

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Designing for Busy People at Work: from “Effective SMEs”

Greg Owen-Boger
February 12, 2018
subject matter experts

This is an excerpt from “Effective SMEs: A Trainer’s Guide for Helping Subject Matter Experts Facilitate Learning.” In this excerpt, Dale Ludwig (Turpin Communication’s Founder) and Greg Owen-Boger (Turpin’s VP) redefine “adult learners” as “busy people at work.” Let’s begin by refining our understanding of business learners. Learning theory tells us that adult learners need...

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The 3rd Fundamental Principle of Success in the Training Room: From “Effective SMEs”

Greg Owen-Boger
February 7, 2018
effective SME

This is an excerpt from Effective SMEs: A Trainer’s Guide for Helping Subject Matter Experts Facilitate Learning.” In this excerpt Dale Ludwig (Turpin Communication’s Founder) and Greg Owen-Boger (Turpin’s VP) discuss the third of three fundamental principles for success in the training room. Design and Delivery Must Focus on Initiating and Managing the Learning Conversation...

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The 2nd Fundamental Principle of Success in the Training Room: From “Effective SMEs”

Greg Owen-Boger
January 22, 2018
Effective SME

This is an excerpt from “Effective SMEs: A Trainer’s Guide for Helping Subject Matter Experts Facilitate Learning.” In this excerpt Dale Ludwig (Turpin Communication’s Founder) and Greg Owen-Boger (Turpin’s VP) discuss the second of three fundamental principles of success in the training room. Learning Events Succeed on Two Levels: Plan and Process Creating the conditions...

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2017 Year in Review

Greg Owen-Boger
January 4, 2018
2017 Year in Review: Turpin's Significant Achievements

2017 Was a Big Year We celebrated Turpin’s 25th year in business. In case you missed it, Dale wrote 25 Lessons Over 25 Years, which is an excellent read. During the year, we delivered a lot of training and coaching for our long-standing clients as well as a few new ones. Along with that, we reached several...

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Starbucks #ProjectGiveGood Recognizes Turpin Cares

Sarah Stocker
December 29, 2017
Starbuck Project Give Good

Turpin Communication employees and “friendlies” were busy this holiday season (2017) supporting people in need through the Turpin Cares project. “We teamed up with Almost Home Chicago and the local Starbucks to provide gifts and pantry items to locals in need. Once everything was tallied up, the holiday project provided 40 individuals with gifts and a whopping 776 pantry...

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The 1st Fundamental Principle of Success in the Training Room: From “Effective SMEs”

Greg Owen-Boger
December 11, 2017
effective SME

This is an excerpt from “Effective SMEs: A Trainer’s Guide for Helping Subject Matter Experts Facilitate Learning.” In this excerpt Dale Ludwig (Turpin Communication’s Founder) and Greg Owen-Boger (Turpin’s VP) discuss the first of three fundamental principles for success in the training room. Trainers and Learners Are Equals With a Shared Purpose Many SMEs come...

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Criteria for Selecting Instructional SMEs

Greg Owen-Boger
November 28, 2017
effective SME

This is an excerpt from “Effective SMEs: A Trainer’s Guide for Helping Subject Matter Experts Facilitate Learning.” In this excerpt Dale Ludwig (Turpin Communication’s Founder) and Greg Owen-Boger (Turpin’s VP) discuss the importance of selecting the right person for the SME-as-trainer job. It goes without saying that SMEs must be experts in the subject matter...

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