Did you notice that T+D has a new name: TD (Talent Development)? Although the logo and name have changed to reflect the new name of the association, what hasn't changed is our commitment to bringing you world-class content that will provide useful, how-to information on current best practices, share new technologies and their applications, and report emerging trends. This month we're addressing how to spice up basic skills training. Is your basic skills training program boring or hard to sell to employees? Foundational skills—such as active listening, conflict resolution, and communication­—are critical to the success of an organization, so how do trainers develop a program to boost these skills?

The cover story highlights how gamification techniques can turn "boring" programs into fun ways to learn basic job skills. "With the inclusion of fun game elements, incentives to motivate, and techniques based on solid scientific research, basic skills training can be a welcome addition to your employee learning program," writes author Carol Leaman.

According to her, "existing training content can be adapted to a gamified environment to make it fresh, inspiring, and enjoyable by using a wide variety of game elements and techniques based on brain science research."

Another feature in this month's issue highlights the need to look outside traditional training methodologies to improve competency and proficiency. This, authors Emily Dunn and Adam Krob write in their feature article, takes approaching your design and development process in a slightly different way.

"Think about setting the foundation or the basics of what learners need and then guiding them to the task or process detail via their knowledge resources," they write. "What we are training to is very different: mastery of practices—searching for and creating or improving knowledge—rather than mastery of specific content."

Now is the time to start examining how you design and deliver basic job skills programs. As Dunn and Krob write, you need to "design and deliver training that is just-in-time and consumable in the way the participants need it."

Paula Ketter

Editor, TD

[email protected]