Executive Summaries - e-business training and learning methods - Brief Article

Training & Development, Sept, 2001

Swimming With the Big Fish

Patricia A. Galagan

If you want to swim with the big e-learning fish, you have to know which way the tide is running.

First, there are the suppliers, fighting for a chunk of the market. Then there are the big publishers, the software consulting firms, and the Big Five circling the edges like sharks. Stuck in the middle are consumers.

The e-market requires learning expertise and business savvy, but bad business models abound. How can investors and consumers pick companies that won't go belly-up or get eaten? ASTD editor-in-chief Pat Galagan suggests they keep up with market news, research whether a company is likely bait for consolidation, and consider using bankruptcy proof contracts when dealing with e-learning suppliers.

There are six main classes of fish in the e-learning tank: LMS (learning management systems), LCMS (learning content management systems), virtual classrooms, off-the-shelf content producers, custom content, and third-party software.

Reports from the ASTD E-Learning Brain Trust suggest keeping a close eye on LCMS, in-learning applications, and companies that deliver personalized learning experiences.

Train Today, Sell Tomorrow

William Powell

It ain't Willy Loman's world anymore.

Think of any industry and it's likely to involve someone selling not just a product, but also a relationship and a solution. Yet, salespeople are often the last employees to receive formal training. Many companies still prefer to let their sales employees learn at the School of Hard Knocks.

T D associate editor William Powell investigates the state of sales training--where it has been, where it's going, and what such leading companies as Cisco and Microsoft are doing to ensure that their salesforces have the skills to excel and outperform their competitors.

Still, sales training involves more than creating a salesforce that's able to outdo its competitors. Such training must address the unique traits and job realities of salespeople, how to retain such talent, and how to create a work environment that empowers salespeople to provide innovative, highly effective solutions to demanding customers.

Working With Suppliers

David Zahn

Independent startup consultant David Zahn provides five steps to ensure that your experience with training suppliers is successful. He has not only had to work with training and other types of providers, but he's also one himself.

The first step is to ask whether you really need or want an external agent. You might, if you're looking to build cross-functional teams, because the person in your organization responsible for new-employee orientation may not be your best source.

The second step is to identify the "real" client. Avoid frustration by including the decision maker in choosing the supplier and providing input on the project's purpose.

The third step is to define and finalize the project's purpose. Present a clearly articulated vision of what you expect to accomplish.

The fourth step is to agree on the criteria for evaluation. Determine your idea of what success means and how it will be judged.

The fifth step is to determine pricing. Know how consultants establish their fees--whether they are time based or project-based.

Finally, be sure to spell out each step in a formal contract, advises Zahn. The annoyance of formalizing an arrangement up front is well worth it to avoid larger problems later on.

The Mind-Body Connection in Learning

Ruth Palombo Weiss

If you really want to know how humans learn, you have to go to the source. Frequent T D contributor Ruth Palombo Weiss asked scientists, and she describes the workings of the human brain and the complex connection between it, the body, and learning performance. She also throws in some tips on how to care for, feed, and exercise our bodies and our brains.

The brain is the body's hungriest organ, consuming 25 percent of the daily intake of glucose. To ensure that the brain doesn't go hungry, feed it plenty of complex carbohydrates, fats, and proteins at all meals but especially at mid-day.

Physical exercise provides a great boost to mental performance, but it's not enough. You have to exercise mentally. Challenging mental tasks keep our synaptic pathways alive even as we age.

Simple exercises during training can aid participants' learning and retention. Get them out of their seats and moving, breathing, and even laughing. Even simple exercises and changes in our surroundings can go a long way in making the brain more agile and more efficient.