Do you have that friend or family member who offers you a ride and then doesn’t look at a map or set their GPS app because they’re so sure they know how to get to where they’re going? They may be confident that they know where they’re headed, but unless you already trust them—a lot—you...
read moreDry Runs: The Key to Training Readiness in the Virtual World
August 14, 2020 0 Comments
In the post-pandemic world, the communication skills training we deliver takes place in both virtual and face-to-face environments. Surprisingly, as the pandemic wore on, we learned that, in some respects, virtual delivery is preferred. It’s easier to schedule and doesn’t require any travel costs. Face-to-face training still plays its role, of course, because it helps...
read morePresentation Skills Training: REDEFINED.
March 21, 2019 0 Comments
Josh Bersin wrote an interesting article on LinkedIn about the mismatch between academic education and job skills. What jumped out at me was research showing that while 72% of educational institutions believe newly educated workers are ready for work, only 42% of employers think the same. That’s a pretty big disconnect, but it’s one that I’m...
read more4 Ways to Progress from a Trainer to a ‘Thinking Coach’
April 12, 2018 0 Comments
If you are a trainer or a SME who delivers training, one of your major responsibilities, and possibly one of your major challenges, is knowing how to use the conversation that takes place during training delivery to meet your learning goals. Some trainers welcome unplanned, spontaneous interaction with learners. Others prefer a more controlled Q&A...
read moreConsider the SME’s Strengths: from “Effective SMEs”
March 12, 2018 0 Comments
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...
read moreDesigning for Busy People at Work: from “Effective SMEs”
February 12, 2018 0 Comments
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...
read moreThe 3rd Fundamental Principle of Success in the Training Room: From “Effective SMEs”
February 7, 2018 0 Comments
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...
read moreThe 2nd Fundamental Principle of Success in the Training Room: From “Effective SMEs”
January 22, 2018 0 Comments
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...
read moreThe 1st Fundamental Principle of Success in the Training Room: From “Effective SMEs”
December 11, 2017 0 Comments
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...
read moreCriteria for Selecting Instructional SMEs
November 28, 2017 0 Comments
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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