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Scott Bass

Localization is a process that goes beyond the translation of text. Localization also addresses aspects of how information is presented—layout, images, and color; cultural information that is relevant to the target audience; units of measurement; cur

E-Learning Localization: What It Is and Why You Need It

ATD Talent Development and Training in Healthcare Handbook (ATD Press, November 2021) addresses the many opportunities and challenges TD professionals face in the growing and rapidly changing healthcare space. Effective talent development is the thread that weaves through an entire healthcare organization to ensure it is up to standard with the latest practices in treating patients while providing a safe and engaging environment for staff. TD professionals have the unique role of tying together organizational and employee advancement in healthcare systems—and likewise, this handbook dives into areas for business and professional evolution.Written by 25 fellow healthcare practitioners with extensive experience in the field—from nurses, physicians, and administrators to instructional designers, chief learning officers, technology experts, and leaders across the industry—the book covers six key themes across 26 chapters:Learning and development basicsOrganization developmentEmployee developmentBusiness acumen for the health systemDigital transformation and literacyPatient-centric careLearn more about Scott Kashman, market president for St. Dominic’s and the Franciscan Missionaries of our Lady Health System (Jackson Market), and his chapters on leadership development, business acumen, and well-being in this spotlight Q&A.How have your experience(s) in leadership development, business acumen, and well-being shaped the best practices you shared?Leading with a strategic lens, being grounded in operations with the support of a healthy team provides a balanced leadership approach. Based upon experience, I find these three need to stay in harmony or else an organization will achieve inconsistent performance and team engagement.Leaders should engage the hearts and mind of their team by providing a clear vision and sharing the importance, purpose, and why behind the vision. Then they should step back, trust, empower, and support their team as they develop plans and achieve the collective goals. While it sounds basic, it is not always practiced consistently. If you re-enforce how much the team is valued, cared for, and connected, you will unleash the full potential of your organization.How do you foresee advancement of talent development in these areas within healthcare? (i.e. in an ideal world, how do you see this area flourishing for employee or organizational development)?Developing talent takes an ongoing commitment by healthcare leaders and organizational development specialists. Ensure leaders know how to coach other leaders and staff. Many leaders mentor others by telling them about their own experiences and having others shadow them. Learning to be leader-coach takes a different skill: being present and focused on the person you are developing. By asking questions, staying curious, and allowing others to find the answers within, you will create the necessary bandwidth to solve for new and emerging opportunities.What is something unexpected you learned while working on this book?Through this process, I had a chance to connect with other authors. It broadened my understanding of the many facets that contribute to talent development. I appreciated learning from my colleagues and applying these skills within my own leadership practice.Is there something professional or personal you are proud of accomplishing in the past year?Holding space for others to develop personally and professionally. Completing a coaching certification through the NeuroLeadership Institute helped me think differently about how to coach and develop others. For more than a year I was fortunate to develop a strong, healthy leadership team across my previous health system. This served as a foundation of collaboration and trust as we opened our incident command in March 2020 and started navigating through the pandemic. At the same time, we engaged our community partners and internal team to advance our quality, safety, and overall performance.What is a fun fact about yourself or one sentence of advice you’d like to share?Start with self. In the past, I ran many marathons, counseled patients as a psychiatric counselor, joined an improv comedy troupe, and worked on stage at a karaoke bar (and I’m a terrible singer). Each of these experiences shaped my leadership, focused on humility, strategy, operations, and the health of a team.

Advancing Talent Development in Healthcare: A Q&A With Scott Kashman

In my 17 years in training and workforce development, I’ve witnessed a significant transformation that parallels the technological convergence we’ve seen in mobile phones. Mobile phones began as single-use devices for voice communication, evolved to include text messaging, QWERTY keyboards, touch screens, and now host apps for nearly every conceivable need. Technologists predicted this convergence years before it became a reality, fundamentally changing user habits, creating new expectations, and facilitating our always-on, always-connected, ever-changing world.Today, the majority of the workforce was born into this digital world, yet our training methodologies have not kept pace with evolving user expectations. The pressure on learning and skill development functions is no longer annual or fixed; it’s dynamic. Products, goods, and services we train on are moving targets, and with the mobility of the modern workforce, so are our learners. Like their phones, employees expect an always-on, always-connected experience. They no longer want to navigate multiple platforms for training, communication, conferences, performance tracking, and rewards.This convergence in expectations necessitates a shift in mindset. We are no longer just trainers; we must adopt the mindset of marketers, connecting our strategies from training to communication to rewards and recognition into one cohesive, connected learning journey.The Era of Dynamic LearningThe traditional model of static, periodic training sessions is becoming obsolete. Organizations must move toward a dynamic learning model, where continuous skill development and talent nurturing are integral parts of the employee experience. This shift is driven by several factors:Accelerated Product Life Cycles: As product life cycles shorten, training must keep pace with rapid changes in technology, customer preferences, and market demands. Employees need immediate access to the latest information and skills to remain competitive and effective.Remote and Global Workforce: The rise of remote work and global teams demands flexible and accessible training solutions. Employees must be able to learn anytime, anywhere, on any device, ensuring that learning fits into their daily routines.Hyper Personalized Learning: Just as users personalize their smartphone apps to fit their lifestyles, employees now expect personalized learning paths that cater to their skills, roles, and career aspirations. Adaptive AI learning technologies and data-driven insights enable the creation of tailored experiences that meet individual needs.Integrating Training, Communication, and RecognitionTo meet these new expectations, training programs must be integrated with communication and recognition strategies, creating a unified learning ecosystem. Here’s how organizations can achieve this:Unified Platforms: Implement integrated platforms that provide a one-stop shop for learning, communication, and performance management. These platforms should offer a user-friendly interface, accessible via mobile devices, ensuring that employees can easily access all resources.Continuous Feedback Loops: Foster a culture of continuous feedback, where employees receive real-time insights into their performance and development. This approach encourages ongoing improvement and helps employees feel valued and recognized for their contributions.Cross-Functional Collaboration: Encourage collaboration between training, HR, marketing, product, and IT teams to develop cohesive strategies that align with business goals. This cross-functional approach ensures that all aspects of the employee experience are interconnected and reinforce each other.The Marketer MindsetAdopting a marketer mindset means viewing training as a holistic journey rather than a series of isolated events. It requires understanding the employee experience from end to end and crafting narratives and connected strategies that resonate with learners. Here are key elements of this approach:Storytelling: Use storytelling techniques to create engaging learning experiences that captivate employees’ attention and foster emotional connections. Compelling narratives make training content more memorable and relatable.Gamification and Rewards: Incorporate gamification elements and rewards to motivate and engage employees. Leaderboards, badges, and point systems can drive healthy competition and encourage active participation.Data-Driven Insights: Leverage unified data analytics to gain insights into learning behaviors and preferences. These insights enable organizations to continuously refine and optimize their training programs to better meet employees’ needs.Campaign-Based Learning: Develop modularity in your learning content architecture to create ongoing continuous learning campaigns. These campaigns can adapt based on market dynamics and conversion data, ensuring that learning remains relevant and effective.Embracing the FutureThe convergence of talent and skill development is not just a trend; it’s a necessity in today’s fast-paced, digital world. By adopting a holistic, integrated approach to training, communication, and recognition, organizations can create a connected learning journey that meets the expectations of the modern workforce. This shift requires a marketer mindset, where learning is personalized, dynamic, and seamlessly integrated into the employee experience, ensuring that organizations remain agile, competitive, and ready for the future.