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Hari Nair is a fellow of the Advanced Leadership Initiative at Harvard University, senior advisor at New Markets Advisors, an instructor on Duke Corporate Education’s Building Strategic Agility course, and a leading practitioner of innovation and corporate transformation. He has more than 25 years of operational experience applying innovation approaches across multiple sectors and markets.Hari served as chief strategy and innovation officer for Sime Darb, a publicly-traded Malaysian conglomerate with interests ranging from Caterpillar distributorships to palm oil plantations and property development. Hari also led Kimberly Clark’s Global Innovation Center in Seoul, where he worked with a team of 100+ researchers on customer-centric innovations.In addition to leading business lines for P&G in the United States and China, Hari was partner and vice president at Innosight, a growth strategy consulting firm founded by disruptive innovation expert Clayton Christensen. Hari teaches leaders around the world about disruptive innovation.

Hari Nair

The IDEO Design Thinking toolkit identifies three critical success factors of successful customer-centric innovation : desirability, feasibility, and viability.

3 Critical Success Factors for Customer-Centric Innovation

Gain essential skills for managing talent development teams by mastering the core competencies of an emerging talent development leader.

Managing in Talent Development Certificate

Federal agencies are under increasing pressure to modernize learning and development, often with shrinking budgets and growing expectations. Mission readiness cannot wait, but traditional approaches to training are too slow, too rigid, and often too costly. Artificial intelligence (AI) offers a promising path forward, unlocking new possibilities for scalable, adaptive, and personalized learning. However, with this potential comes an equally important responsibility: to ensure that AI is implemented ethically, especially in sensitive federal and defense environments.Government leaders must navigate a dual mandate: harnessing innovation while upholding the trust, transparency, and equity that public institutions require. As more training programs move into digital environments, the case for AI is compelling. Intelligent tools can analyze learner behavior in real time, personalize content delivery, support adaptive testing, and streamline administrative tasks like grading and scheduling. When deployed securely and intentionally, AI becomes a powerful force multiplier for workforce development.Not all AI is created equal, and not every use case is appropriate in a government context. The risks of unethical AI—such as bias, lack of explainability, and unintended consequences—are amplified when applied to workforce development in public-sector environments. For example, if an AI model is trained on narrow or incomplete data, it may reinforce disparities rather than reduce them. If learners do not understand how AI makes decisions about their experience, trust begins to erode. And if agencies cannot validate the fairness or accuracy of outcomes, both performance and public accountability are at risk.This is why ethical AI is not optional. It must be considered from the very beginning. Ethical AI means building from a framework that prioritizes transparency, privacy, fairness, and human oversight. It requires asking hard questions early in the process: Where is the data coming from? Who is designing the model? How are outcomes validated? How will learners be supported and protected?Fortunately, agencies do not have to navigate this transformation alone. While more learning platforms are beginning to explore AI features, only a few are truly built to support the unique needs of federal training environments. The most effective solutions follow a human-in-control model, keeping AI transparent, accountable, and aligned with mission objectives. These tools offer a solid foundation for innovation, but ethical AI depends on more than secure infrastructure. It takes thoughtful design of the technology and the learning strategy to ensure AI builds trust and strengthens outcomes.Federal learning leaders can take these five practical steps to ensure AI is deployed responsibly:Start with cross-functional planning. Include IT, legal, instructional designers, and procurement early in the process. Ethical implementation is not just a technology decision; it requires coordination across teams.Pilot and evaluate. Begin with small-scale pilots where you can measure learner impact, gather feedback, and identify any unintended outcomes before expanding.Ensure human-in-the-loop oversight. AI should support, not replace, human judgment. Trainers, facilitators, and administrators should stay actively involved to guide decisions and intervene when necessary.Communicate transparently. Learners should understand when AI is being used, how it affects their experience, and where they can go with questions or concerns.Align with mission goals. Use AI where it strengthens training relevance, responsiveness, and effectiveness, particularly in field-based or high-stakes environments.Ethical AI does not slow innovation. In fact, it enables sustainable and trustworthy modernization. Government agencies can lead by example, setting a standard for responsible use of AI that protects learners, promotes equity, and enhances national readiness.Anthology is committed to supporting this vision. As we continue to partner with federal agencies, we remain focused on ensuring that every innovation is mission-aligned, secure, and grounded in ethical best practices. Because when it comes to AI in training, how we build matters just as much as what we build.For more insights and resources, visit anthology.com/government.

Modernizing Government Training With Ethical AI: Balancing Innovation and Integrity

If you’ve ever dismissed optimism as simply a “nice to have” personality trait, something you’re either born with or not, it’s time to rethink. In a world that’s moving faster and feeling more uncertain by the day, optimism is no longer optional for leaders. It’s a strategic leadership skill, and one that must be practiced intentionally.As we often say: great leaders aren’t born, they’re made. That applies just as much to mindset as it does to technical ability. The leaders who make the greatest impact on their teams, their cultures, and their results are those who choose optimism, especially when it’s not easy.Optimism Fuels Forward MovementIn Lead In 30, the third pillar of leadership is movement. This is the ability to identify and remove the obstacles (including limiting beliefs and negative narratives) that are keeping a team stuck. Optimism isn’t about ignoring problems; it’s about believing that progress is possible. It’s what gives leaders the energy to keep moving when the easy thing would be to stop, and what inspires teams to stay engaged when the path forward isn’t clear.In Power In 30, we compare human mindset to a cell phone battery: without being recharged, even the smartest leaders lose capacity. Optimism is the power source. It doesn’t eliminate challenges, but it fuels resilience, persistence, and creativity in facing them.It’s Not Naïve, It’s StrategicSkepticism may feel safer. It gives the illusion of realism. However, research consistently shows that optimistic leaders have higher performing teams, better employee engagement, and stronger cultures of accountability. Why? Because optimism drives clarity and alignment, two of the other core pillars we teach.A leader who communicates an optimistic vision creates clarity about what’s possible, not just what’s probable. That mindset shapes the team’s goals, efforts, and behaviors. In short, optimism sets the tone for what’s worth working toward.Alignment, in turn, is easier to create when people believe the future is worth aligning to. When a leader paints a vision of possibility and backs it up with thoughtful strategy and clear priorities, teams move faster, stay engaged longer, and overcome obstacles with more cohesion.The Excuse Trap vs. the Ownership MindsetThe opposite of optimism isn’t pessimism, it’s blame. When things go wrong, it’s tempting to explain it away: “Our team isn’t ready,” “The market’s too volatile,” “This company just doesn’t value innovation.” While those may feel true, they trap us in a cycle of excuses.We call that the Excuse Trap. Escaping it starts with a mindset shift: optimism is the gateway to ownership. When you choose to believe things can improve, you also choose to take responsibility for making them better. Optimistic leaders don’t pretend everything is perfect, they confront hard realities and still commit to moving forward.Optimism Is ContagiousLeadership is emotional energy management. How you show up determines how your team feels and how they perform. If you enter a room with stress and scarcity, your team mirrors that. But if you bring possibility and purpose, they rise to meet it. That’s why we say optimism is a leadership multiplier. It creates psychological safety, fosters innovation, and helps teams embrace change with courage rather than fear.How to Practice Optimism on PurposeOptimism doesn’t mean putting on a fake smile or ignoring hard truths. It means choosing your focus with intention. Here are a few ways to lead with optimism today:Reframe challenges:  Instead of “Why is this happening to us?” ask, “What’s the opportunity here?”Celebrate progress: Highlight even small wins to build momentum and morale.Set vision-driven TKRs: Link team goals to a bigger purpose. Let people see how their work contributes to something meaningful.Talk solutions, not just problems: Create space for dialogue around what can be done, not just what’s going wrong.Model recharge: Unplug, reset, and come back recharged. Leaders who never rest burn out their teams.Find the Power in OptimismLeadership isn’t about being the loudest voice or having all the answers. It’s about creating the conditions for belief—in the team, the mission, and the future. That belief starts with you. Optimism is a choice, and when leaders choose it consistently, it becomes a culture.

The Most Underrated Leadership Skill? Optimism

You can’t build tomorrow’s learning program on yesterday’s infrastructure. Whether you’re training internal teams or educating external audiences like customers or members, the goal isn’t just to “keep up;” it’s to stay ahead. That means building a program that scales without breaking, adapts without rework, and delivers measurable value at every growth stage.If your current training program feels stuck in the past (or in spreadsheets), you’re not alone. But scaling isn’t just about making things bigger. It’s about making them better. Here’s what separates scalable learning programs from the ones that stall out.Designed for Flexibility, Not Just FunctionalityA rigid learning program might check boxes today, but will it hold up next quarter? Next year? Or when you onboard twice as many learners?Scalable programs are built with flexibility at the core. That means modular, reusable content that can easily be tailored by audience, role, or skill level. Instead of locking knowledge into a 60-minute webinar, you can break it into microlearning modules that slot into different learning paths.And don’t underestimate the value of interoperability. A program that “plays well with others” (whether that’s HR platforms, CRMs, or credentialing systems) is more likely to scale without rework or technical debt. Flexibility isn’t just about convenience; it’s your insurance policy against constant reinvention.Learner Experience Comes First (Always)You could have the most sophisticated learning platform on the planet, but learners won’t stick around if it’s hard to navigate.A scalable program puts the learner experience at the center. That includes intuitive navigation, mobile accessibility, clear content progression, and interactive elements that drive engagement. (No offense to static PDFs, but they’re not exactly binge-worthy.)And let’s talk about personalization. Scalable learning programs offer pathways that adjust to each learner’s goals and knowledge level. If someone’s already nailed the basics, let them skip ahead. If they need extra help, give them targeted content. The goal is to help learners succeed faster, not slog through irrelevant material just to hit a “completion” bar.Data Isn’t Just Nice to Have—It’s NonnegotiableIf you’re still gauging program success by the number of people “logged in,” it’s time for an upgrade.Scalable learning programs use data to measure not just activity but impact. They track knowledge retention, course effectiveness, skill progression, and business outcomes, like reduced onboarding time or improved customer satisfaction.This data empowers your teams to iterate in real time. Noticing a drop-off in a certain module? Optimize the content. Seeing a spike in demand for a specific skill? Build a new learning path. When your program is data-informed, it’s no longer reactive—it’s strategic.Technology That’s Built to Scale With YouSpoiler: not all learning platforms are created equal. Choosing the wrong tech stack can feel like upgrading a flip phone with an app store.A scalable program is built on technology that grows with your organization. That means open APIs, customizable workflows, native integrations, and a vibrant partner ecosystem. Whether layering on credentialing, integrating video learning, or expanding into new audiences, your tech shouldn’t hold you back.Equally important? Administrative ease. Your learning ops team should be able to manage content, users, reporting, and integrations without needing a developer on speed dial.Supports Internal AND External Training at ScaleYour organization likely has more than one audience to train. Employees, contractors, customers, channel partners, members, you name it. Too often, companies build a separate system for each, leading to silos, redundant content, and (let’s be honest) a support nightmare.A truly scalable program supports multiple audiences within one platform, with role-based access, custom branding, and personalized learning paths: one system, multiple audiences, zero chaos.This is especially valuable for organizations that generate revenue from education. If your learning program drives business growth, it needs to scale like any other revenue engine with visibility, control, and flexibility baked in.Final Thought: Scaling Is a Mindset, Not a MilestoneThe reality is that no learning program is ever “done.” Business needs evolve, technology shifts, and learner expectations keep rising. A scalable, future-ready learning program is one that adapts to all of it without starting from scratch every time.The organizations that succeed long term don’t just react to change—they design for it. They treat learning as a strategic function, prioritize the learner experience, and ask bold questions: Are we building for today, or preparing for what’s next?Interested in learning how to create e-learning content? ATD’s Articulate Storyline Certificate will show you how to use this powerful tool to create innovative, interactive e-learning content.

Future-Proofing Your Learning Program: 5 Traits of Scalable Success

In leadership, there’s a belief that often goes unspoken—people can’t be trusted to solve their own problems. This mindset isn’t limited to people working in junior roles; it’s prevalent even at the highest levels of leadership. We tend to think that only through our intervention can others succeed. But what if that perspective is fundamentally flawed? What if, instead of positioning ourselves as problem-solvers, we understood our roles as coaches or trusted guides who enable others to unlock their potential?Breaking the “Fix-Them” HabitLeaders are conditioned to solve problems. It’s in our job descriptions, and we often receive praise when we consistently address issues and solve problems. But when it comes to coaching, this “fix-it” mentality can do more harm than good. The challenge is that people are not processes to be solved. We aren’t broken machines needing repair; we’re complex, capable individuals who can navigate our own challenges. Yet, the impulse to jump in with advice or solutions often overshadows our belief in other people’s abilities.This approach doesn’t just chip away at the confidence of the people we lead—it reinforces a false narrative that they’re incapable of resolving their own issues. It’s a subtle form of disempowerment that can stifle growth and innovation. When we’re always the ones solving problems, we unintentionally teach people to rely on us instead of building their capacity to think and act independently.Flipping the ScriptAn InsideOut Approach (TM) to coaching flips the script. Instead of considering ourselves to be the experts with all the answers, we show up as facilitators of self-discovery. This method involves asking the right questions—questions that encourage people to reflect, explore, and come up with their own solutions.When we coach this way, we’re affirming our belief in the person’s ability to handle their own challenges. It’s not just about what they know; it’s about helping them draw from their experiences, values, and insights to find the right path forward. This approach fosters confidence, ownership, and accountability—qualities essential for genuine growth.Tips to Remember People Are Capable1. Pause Before You Advise: When someone comes to you with an issue, a challenge, or a complaint, before jumping in with advice, take a moment to pause. Ask yourself, “What does this person already know about their situation?” This simple shift can help you move from fixing to guiding.2. Ask, Don’t Tell: Just at the point when you think someone needs your sage advice, try turning your advice into questions. Instead of saying, “You should do this,” try asking, “What do you think you should try?” This empowers the individual and encourages deeper thinking. Besides, you will be surprised how often the person says exactly what you are thinking.3. Trust the Process: Give this method a genuine try before dismissing the merits of it. Believe that the person has what it takes to figure things out. Their approach might differ from yours, and that’s okay. We are all different therefore doing it your way might not turn out exactly as it did when you tried it for a variety of reasons. Trust that the journey of discovery is just as important as the outcome.By challenging our own assumptions and adopting an InsideOut Approach (TM) to coaching, we create environments where people feel trusted, capable, and empowered to take control of their own success.

Trusting People to Solve Their Own Problems

What are Section 508 and WCAG? How do they differ? Why should you care? What tools can you use to make your e-learning courses follow accessibility best practices and adhere to the law? Have you ever thought about how someone with a disability experiences the online courses you create? What if your target audience includes people who are deaf or hard of hearing, color blind, visually impaired (partially or totally), or have limited mobility? Shouldn’t they be afforded the same learning opportunities and access to your courses?Section 508 and the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) help with just that—by establishing a set of rules that, when followed, will ensure your e-learning content is accessible to those with disabilities.What Are Section 508 and WCAG?Section 508 refers to an amendment of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 that requires U.S. Federal agencies to make their electronic and information technology accessible to people with disabilities. The law includes a set of technical standards that establish requirements for software applications, operating systems, web-based information and applications, telecommunications hardware and software, and video and multimedia products.Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are a technical standard outlining a set of guidelines and success criteria for making web content more accessible to people with disabilities. It was developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), an international community where members, staff, and the public work together to develop web standards. It is the same organization whose members are responsible for the original HTML, CSS, XML, and other specifications.There are three WCAG levels: A, AA, and AAA. Level A represents the minimum suggested accessibility standards for web-based content and most closely resembles the rules outlined in Section 508, while levels AA and AAA include more rigorous guidelines that further improve accessibility. Meeting level AA guidelines means meeting everything that’s A or AA, while meeting level AAA guidelines means meeting all guidelines—whether A, AA, or AAA.How Do Section 508 and WCAG Differ?Section 508 is part of a U.S. law (the Rehabilitation Act of 1973) and therefore only applies to the United States. Further, the law itself only requires that U.S. Federal agencies comply. Alternatively, WCAG is not a law and is instead only a set of guidelines. These guidelines, however, have been agreed upon internationally as the appropriate standard for ensuring web-based content is accessible to people with disabilities.To put it simply, WCAG is a set of best practices that applies to web-based content in general, and Section 508 is a law requiring mainly U.S. government entities to comply with a set of rules covering a broader span of electronic and information technology. See the breakdown below:Section 508 United States only Law Required for federal agencies One set of standards for different types of electronic communication (software, operating systems, web-based content, etc.)W3C – WCAG 2.0 International Suggested guidelines Optional best practices for any organization Three levels of guidelines of increasing rigor specifically for web-based contentWhy Should You Care?E-learning is a type of web-based content, and therefore, the technical standards outlined in the WCAG and Section 508 §1194.22 apply, if you want or need to make your e-learning courses accessible to those with disabilities. If you’re creating e-learning content for a U.S. government entity, your e-learning content likely needs to be 508-compliant. Several state government entities also require 508-compliance. Also, if you’re not creating e-learning courses directly for a government agency, but you provide services to or are funded by the government, it’s likely that some form of 508-compliance also applies to you.Similar laws exist in other countries for their government entities, but most other countries have chosen to adopt WCAG as a legal requirement, rather than drafting their own rules. So if you’re creating e-learning content for government entities in other countries, there’s a chance that some level of the WCAG applies to you.Even if you aren’t required by law to meet the guidelines, isn’t making your e-learning courses more accessible to people with disabilities the right thing to do? You may immediately think “Yes,” however, that the extra cost, effort, and sometimes compromised experience keep many non-government organizations from making accessibility a priority. Instead, they will often choose to use “reasonable accommodation” and provide training in another way, such as having someone sit down with the person and go through the training together.Before you make a decision for your own organization or try to convince a client one way or another, consider the following statistics based on U.S. Census data:Approximately 56.7 million (about 19 percent) people living in the U.S. had some kind of disability in 2010. This number increased by 2.2 million between 2005 and 2010. \[Source\] Of the 241.7 million adults aged 15 and older, about 14.9 million or 6.2 percent of adults aged 15 and older experienced some level of difficulty with seeing, hearing, or having their speech understood. \[Source\] Individuals with disabilities account for approximately 9.4 million (about 6%) of the 155.9 million civilian labor force (for the time period 2008-2010). \[Source\]**Which E-Learning Authoring Tools Are Best?**Three of the most popular Windows-based, non-PowerPoint-plugin rapid e-learning authoring tools are Adobe Captivate, Articulate Storyline, and Trivantis Lectora. Each has its strengths and weaknesses in general, which Diane Elkins covers at length in her regular tools comparison blogs, but when it comes to complying with accessibility standards, there’s still plenty that divides them.Each tool states that courses published with it can adhere to Section 508. However, both Storyline and Lectora include documentation stating their respective tool satisfies the WCAG level AA. We were unable to find specific documentation relative to Captivate's capabilities for creating courses that can adhere to the different levels of the WCAG.Ultimately, all three tools let you create accessible content. While one tool may rate better than the others in its ease-of-use or ability to meet the requirements, all three end up with fairly consistent total scores. Here’s a closer look at how Captivate 8, Storyline 2 (Update 5), and Lectora 12 fulfill several accessibility requirements, as well as their rankings for creating accessible courses. (Please note that 1 equals the highest rating.)Accessibility Requirement: Text AlternativesProviding a text alternative that describes media such as images or audio narration is important for people with compromised vision. The primary way to make our media accessible is by creating ALT tags for images and text transcripts for audio.Ranking:  Storyline  Captivate  LectoraStoryline gets the highest ranking because it allows you to manage all of your ALT tags for a given slide in one place. Lectora and Captivate require that ALT text be managed on an object-by object basis, but Captivate gets a higher score than Lectora because, like Storyline, it allows for more characters within ALT text. Further, while adding text transcripts is possible in all three tools, the Storyline player’s built-in transcript panel makes it the easiest tool for creating a static text transcript of audio.Accessibility Requirement: Focus/Tab OrderFocus and Tab Order apply to those with compromised vision and/or mobility. This is the order in which the page will be read or processed by a screen reader. It is also the order in which objects will receive focus when pressing Tab on your keyboard. Purely decorative items, such as shapes and lines, should never receive focus, nor be announced by screen readers, since they are not important to understanding the content.Ranking:  Storyline  Captivate  LectoraStoryline is strongest here because, like with ALT text, you can manage Tab and Focus Order for all objects on a slide in a single dialog box. This includes removing items from the Tab Order so they never receive focus.You can manage Tab Order in both Captivate and Lectora, but the ordering also affects layering (or z-order), which can sometimes cause conflict when you want the layering order to be different than the Tab order. Both tools provide a means of flagging items that should not receive Focus, but this has to be done on each individual object. Captivate gets the higher mark between the two since it provides a dialog box that allows you change the Focus and Tab Order of interactive objects.Accessibility Requirement: Synchronized CaptioningSection 508 and the WCAG require synchronized captioning for multimedia such as animated objects synchronized with audio and video, and video that includes audio. It is important for those with compromised vision and/or hearing.Ranking:  Lectora  Captivate  StorylineLectora and Captivate are close in this category, as both provide a means of adding closed captioning to your courses. Both allow you to set the timing of when captions appear and disappear, and provide player controls for turning the captions on and off. We give the higher rating to Lectora because it allows you to import industry-standard caption files (such as those provided by 3PlayMedia.) With Captivate, you have to type each caption and synchronize it manually, but there is an easy-to-use utility to help you do it.Storyline is the weakest in this area. It requires manually adding text blocks as captions, timing them appropriately with the content, and setting up a way to turn those captions on and off. In other words, you can create a similar end product, but there isn’t a feature dedicated for this.Accessibility Requirement: Skip Navigation CapabilitiesImagine if you have a menu button, glossary button, exit button, and more that appear on each page of your course. For learners relying on screen readers, this means those items will be announced on every slide or page they visit. This can get annoying fast! Section 508 and the WCAG require that those relying on screen readers have the ability to skip all redundant navigation items so they can get right to the main content of each page.Ranking: Lectora Storyline, CaptivateLectora is the strongest here, because there are no limitations to how you set this up. You can set the course to skip as many elements on the page as necessary. Storyline and Captivate are tied because they provide close to the same solution. They both provide the ability to skip navigation components that are part of the player, but there are no out-of-the-box capabilities for skipping redundant controls that are part of your slide content.Accessibility Requirement: Data TablesTables that contain data, where understanding the arrangement of the data is necessary to understand the data itself, are not (by default) able to be interpreted by those with compromised vision. Section 508 and WCAG require that when data tables are present, they are labeled in a way that screen readers can interpret the data.Ranking: Lectora Storyline, CaptivateLectora gets the highest rating in this category because first, it supports adding tables to your content, and second, it provides a means of appropriately labeling the table in order for it to be read by screen readers. Captivate has an interaction widget that lets you create tables, but it does not have the behind-the-scenes programming needed to be compliant. Storyline does have the ability to insert a table. With both those tools, any information presented in a table has to be treated as a graphic with an appropriate text alternative for interpreting the table.Moving ForwardIf you’ve come this far, you should now have a good understanding of Section 508 and the WCAG, how they differ, and why they matter to those of us developing e-learning courses. Your next step will be to understand and learn how to implement the requirements in your own courses. Keep in mind, it’s far easier to begin your development process with accessibility in mind than to have to retrofit current courses to meet the requirements. Luckily, there are several resources available online to help. Use these online resources to stay informed and learn more about Section 508 and the WCAG.Section 508 Standards for Electronic and Information Technology Section 508 Technical Standards for Web-based Intranet and Internet Information and Applications Access Board whitepaper on e-learning and accessibility Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 How to Meet WCAG 2.0 Storyline and Section 508 Accessibility Developing Accessible Content in Lectora Creating Accessible Projects (in Adobe Captivate) One-hour webinar overview of Section 508 and WCAG (E-Learning Uncovered)

Accessibility for E-Learning: Section 508 and WCAG

 You seldom get a second chance to make a first impression. In the job market, your resume is often your first impression. You need to make it count.A clear, concise and compelling resume can set you apart from others and create a positive first impression. But, what can you do with your resume to rise above the competition? Here are five key tips to get your resume noticed in a crowded field of candidates.#1: Develop Your Resume With an Eye Toward MarketingMarketing is something we associate with a product or service. Similarly, a seller has a target population. They research that population to identify needs and desires. Then, they craft their unique selling proposition to distinguish themselves from the competition.What is your unique selling proposition? Start with identifying your target market, from both a career and industry perspective. Based on your research, what are those employers looking for in their ideal candidate for the career you seek? Use this information to connect what they need and desire to the unique qualifications you have to offer.#2: Visual Appeal Does Make a DifferenceLooks matter, at least when it comes to resumes. Your resume is scanned in seconds; a clear and crisp visual presentation will make it much easier for someone to scan.What makes a resume visually appealing? Start with your margins. Your resume should be like a picture in a frame, with the frame being white space around your content. Crowding content on your resume will discourage someone from looking at it. In addition, make sure there’s white space between categories to create a consistent flow.Don’t use fancy fonts that are hard to read; Arial is still widely accepted, but the traditional Times New Roman can make you look boring and dated. Fonts such as Garamond, Helvetica, Georgia, Tahoma, and Calibri are equally effective and can make your resume stand out in a positive way. Use an 11- or 12-point font size. Design elements such as bold, italics, and underlining can highlight important content, but overuse can be distracting. Finally, use concise bulleted statements rather than chunky paragraphs for your content. All of these will contribute to a document with maximum visual appeal.#3: Be Strategic and Customize Your ResumeBe sure to customize your resume for the type of positions for which you are applying. Begin with making a list of the categories you want on your resume. Next, prioritize those categories from most to least important based on your market research. For instance, if you have a one-page resume, what would you want someone to focus on if they could only view the top half?In addition, consider customizing your category headings. If you’re seeking a finance position, and you have held finance responsibilities, highlight that related experience by putting it in a category labeled “Finance Experience.” Why should you do this? Because category headings are like headlines in a newspaper; they’re meant to draw someone to the content. Customizing is part of your marketing strategy.#4: Transform Your Resume From a Job Description to a Performance DocumentEmployers believe they can predict future success through past performance. It’s essential to transform your resume from a passive job description to an active performance document. This requires you to develop results-based statements that provide evidence—namely accomplishments and achievements.In general, accomplishments and achievements can be classified into quantitative and qualitative terms. Quantitative includes numbers, dollars, and percentages. These not only demonstrate accomplishment and achievement, but breadth and scope of responsibility. Qualitative includes things as promotions, honors, awards, selections, recognitions, and commendations.Some job seekers are uncomfortable with doing this because it sounds like bragging to them. But, remember that your resume is akin to marketing. It’s about clearly communicating your unique selling proposition in concrete terms, providing the evidence for “why you.”#5: Incorporate Keywords for Electronic ScanningIn this digital age, more employers are using Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) to screen resumes. When flooded with resumes for job openings an ATS helps narrow the field to a manageable number.How does an ATS work? It’s a software application that filters resumes automatically based on given criteria and keywords. The more relevant keywords you have on your resume, the greater your chances the ATS will screen in your resume for a closer look. However, Applicant Tracking Systems have become more sophisticated and now take the context of keywords into account. As a result, it's important to include the keywords within your accomplishment statements and throughout your resume as opposed to merely providing a list.How do you identify these keywords? Take advantage of multiple sources, including job postings, company and professional association websites, resume and keyword books, and career profile websites like O\*NET OnLine. Once you identify them, find legitimate ways to incorporate them into your resume. For more details on how to format your resume for online applications, check out the ATD blog post, “How to Avoid the Online Application Black Hole.”Although there are times when we just want to blend in, this is not one of them. Using these five key resume tips will help you stand out from the crowd and get you closer to the career you’re pursuing.Check out the TD at Work Career Management Collection, for more advice on such questions as:  how to identify your career brand and what tools you can use to market that brand, how to assess what you have to offer employers, and how to manage life and work.

5 Resume Tips to Help You Stand Out From the Crowd

“Acquiring and keeping good people is a leader’s most important task.”—John Maxwell Many organizations hire and promote using the wrong criteria. The results can be disastrous: egomaniacs, poor team players, or ethical corner-cutters who cause embarrassment and financial loss to the organization.When hiring, many organizations focus on “head” characteristics, such as knowledge, expertise, intelligence, education, experience, and skills. Of course, those factors are important. Ron Sugar, former CEO and chairman of Northrop-Grumman, told us, “A lot of our work is literally rocket science, so we have 45,000 outstanding scientists and engineers.”“Heart,” on the other hand, includes such intangibles as character, will, passion, courage, and persistence. Parker Palmer, a distinguished author and teacher, captured this sentiment well: “I’m using the word ‘heart’ as they did in ancient times. It meant that center in the human self where everything comes together—where will and intellect and values and feeling and intuition and vision all converge. It meant the source of one’s integrity. It takes courage to lead from the heart.”As Lynn Easterling, vice president and deputy general counsel at Cisco Systems, told us, “I can teach the hard skills, but I can’t teach good character or good relational skills.”CharacterThe search for heart in people begins with ascertaining their personal character. People with character do the right thing even when it is costly or hard. Character involves trustworthiness, humility, courage, willingness to serve, and the realization that there is something bigger than the self. We cannot expect perfection, but we can probe for what people learned when they made mistakes.We need to look for character flaws in new recruits and colleagues, including excessive ambition, controlling behaviors, hyper-competitiveness, bullying, narcissism, arrogance, and greed. Perhaps the biggest red flag is ego. Our friend Chuck Wachendorfer quips, “My ego is not my amigo.”Emotional intelligenceAnother important component of heart is emotional intelligence. Ursula Burns, CEO of Xerox, told us she no longer interviews to determine task skills, relying on others to screen such head matters. Instead, she probes for character, humility, empathy, emotional intelligence, self-awareness, authenticity, and fearlessness.According to psychologist Daniel Goleman, emotional intelligence entails “managing feelings so that they are expressed appropriately and effectively, enabling people to work together smoothly toward their common goals.” It also includes the ability to work well with others despite differences and challenges.Phil Soucy, co-president and CEO of Modern Technology Solutions, told us, “They may be very knowledgeable in their discipline, but if they lack emotional intelligence, it just does not work.”Cultural fitThe next component of heart is cultural fit. Burns focuses on “fit and fitness” for the Xerox culture when interviewing executives. She explained to us. “I want them to fit with our values and culture.”Alan Lewis, owner and chairman of Grand Circle Corporation, says, “Alignment with my company’s culture and values counts far more than do skills or experience. In most cases, if an associate shares our values, we can teach the job skills.”Be selectiveWe need to be very selective about whom we hire and promote. We recommend panels of multiple interviewers to get different perspectives on candidates. Start reading resumes “upside down,” the way Google does, to find the hidden gems at the bottom under “activities and interests.”Remember to be patient. Resist pressure to fill a vacancy rapidly—because someone weak in heart will be a painful mistake. Take the time to get it right.Some sample questions we have uncovered for interviewing for heart can be viewed on our website at http://triplecrownleadership.com/assets/Interviewing-for-Heart.pdf.Core concept: Recruit and promote for both head and heart. Head involves the knowledge, skills, and experience necessary. Heart involves integrity, emotional intelligence, and fit with the desired culture.“A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination.”—Nelson MandelaPractical Applications for Leaders    Do people in your organization have good head and heart qualities?  How have leaders in your organization shown heart?  What else could you do to assess a candidate’s heart qualities?  Do you recognize and reward people for both head and heart?  What more could you do to build both head and heart in your organization?

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