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Justyn Comer is a co-founder and teacher at RWM education and author of Meditation for Life.

Justyn Comer

June 2018 - TD Magazine

Find out how the fundamentals of meditation can help you with learner engagement.

What Does Meditation Have to Do With Training Delivery?

Justin Matheson comes from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada where he works as a learning technology trainer with Saskatchewan Polytechnic. He has his Master's degree in Educational Technology and Design from the University of Saskatchewan where he began forming his idea of using video games as learning tools. Justin developed and is now running a Game-Based Learning lab where he facilitates lessons on essential skills using popular video games!

Justin Matheson

Five reasons why commercial video games can be effective learning tools. 

5 Reasons to Consider Using Commercial Video Games for Learning

How do you appropriately and politely ask people to turn on their cameras during virtual meetings?

Camera Shy? Ideas for Getting 100 Percent Participation in Virtual Meetings

(Alexandria, VA) January 14, 2020—In the modern workplace, new technologies are changing how we communicate, learn, and get things done. These technologies are forcing talent development (TD) professionals to embrace, test, and adopt them to advance their careers and the performance of employees and the organizations they serve. ATD’s 2020 Trends in Learning Technology, a new volume by ATD Press, provides a glimpse into several popular trends and gives insight into how they can be used to impact human performance in organizations.“As a talent development professional, it’s important to stay current on new technologies and to constantly assess what can be useful for your TD function, but it can be challenging to do that,” says Justin Brusino, editor of this book and director of content for ATD. “There’s a lot of noise and hype out there. We wanted to produce a book that could be a quick guide for TD professionals to review the potential and limitations on some of these new technologies, trends, and ideas.”ATD’s 2020 Trends in Learning Technology includes chapters by seven technology experts who examine a different trend and look at what impact each has had and might have in the future:· Microlearning by Shannon Tipton· Podcasting by Mike Lentz· User Experience Design by Becca Wilson· xAPI by Sarah Mercier and Sean Putman· Artificial Intelligence by JD Dillon· Augmented and Virtual Reality by Destery Hildenbrand.Capping off the volume is a chapter on talent development’s role in the changing, technology-driven business landscape by Brandon Carson.“While this book focuses on technology, it’s important to remember that technology is only a tool,” says Brusino. “It’s fun and exciting, but without a purpose, technology is meaningless. Fortunately, the best uses of technology can bring us even closer as humans—by putting us in someone else’s shoes through virtual reality, making content more accessible to all, or enabling workers to achieve their best potential through effective learning. The theme of this book may be technology, but the element that ties all the technology together is people.”TD professionals must continually assess their technology toolbox. Given the pace of change and disruption, a regular review and evaluation of new technologies is a best practice. ATD’s 2020 Trends in Learning Technology is a timely resource for today’s future-focused professionals.About the editorJustin Brusino is director of content for ATD and leads the development of new content and products, including articles, webcasts, books, conferences, and workshops on a variety of talent development topics. With a strong interest in technology, Justin is always looking for new trends and emerging topics in learning tech that can impact the talent development industry.About ATD and ATD PressThe Association for Talent Development (ATD) is the world’s largest association dedicated to those who develop talent in organizations. ATD’s members come from more than 120 countries and work in public and private organizations in every industry sector. ATD Press publications are written by industry thought leaders and offer anyone who works with adult learners the best practices, academic theory, and guidance necessary to move the profession forward. For more information, visit td.org/books.ATD’s 2020 Trends in Learning TechnologyISBN: 978-1-947308-90-9 | 110 Pages | PDFhttps://www.td.org/product/book--atds-2020-trends-in-learning-technology-pdf/711912To order books from ATD Press, call 800.628.2783.To schedule an interview with Mr. Brusino, please contact Kay Hechler, ATD Press Senior Marketing Manager, at khechler@td.org or at 703.683.8178.

New Technologies Change Human Performance in Organizations

 Volunteering involves providing your knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as your time and energy, without establishing an employment relationship and usually without any monetary compensation. Employees who take on volunteer roles are able to build new skills and practice existing skills in a different setting from their day-to-day job.Via volunteering, employees can try something different from their usual work, and bring back new skills to the workplace, thereby adding value to their employer by improving their current job performance. They may even enhance the succession management efforts of their employer, because they become ready to move into positions of greater responsibility faster and more effectively than they would have had they not taken on the volunteer role.The best part about this employee development strategy is that it doesn't cost the organization nearly as much as sending the employee to costly training workshops or hiring a coach. In fact, it often costs the organization nothing.In my ATD Press book, Employee Development on a Shoestring, I describe 11 different methods for developing employees outside the classroom. The chapter on volunteering explains: who should try volunteeringhow volunteer projects benefit learners and the organizationwhat competencies volunteering can develophow to establish volunteer efforts. The chapter concludes with a case study that depicts the success PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) enjoyed as a result of offering this type of development method. PwC’s Project BelizeProject Belize, an initiative that partners PwC employees with schools in Belize City, is primarily focused on financial literacy and environmental sustainability. Specifically, some 200 PwC volunteers—partners, staff, and interns from across the United States—traveled to Belize City, Belize, in the summer of 2011. The PwC team connected with more than 1,200 students in 10 schools in some of Belize’s poorest areas and focused on hosting a youth financial literacy camp, leading a scholar's mentoring program for current and former Belizean students, providing financial and technology training to teachers. According to the project’s website, “since its inception, \[they\] have contributed 30,000 pounds of school supplies, awarded approximately 765 high school equivalent scholarships so these students can continue their education, and delivered our financial literacy curriculum to 6,412 students with the help of 1,609 talented and enthusiastic PwC interns, partners, and staff.” In addition, volunteers built “Learning Landscape” playgrounds using repurposed materials. PwC volunteer Justin Suissa explains that “the experience \[building learning landscape playgrounds\] was valuable on so many levels.” Suissa shares that he was out of his element—construction is not where his expertise lies. What’s more, the team had a tight deadline, as well as many pitfalls and unexpected obstacles to overcome. But clearly defined deliverables—build six playgrounds in five days for the children—helped the team pull together through pouring rain and intense heat and humidity.  Working through these challenges, says Suissa, helped him improve core leadership and teambuilding competencies. He describes how figuring out new technical skills in an unpredictable environment developed his flexibility and agility. “While I did not expect it, it was like a learning playground for us, the volunteers. With high stakes and a tough deadline, my teammates and I had to solve problems creatively and let go of pre-established hierarchies in this new environment.” For another PwC volunteer-employee, Jack Teuber, this experience meant a change in his environment and operational mode. He went from working as a competent managing director who leads a team of experienced adults to a novice middle school teacher in a foreign country, working with children and a brand-new and mixed team of associates and interns. Teuber understood that his challenge was “to get out of people’s way and encourage them to grow, solve problems, and develop their leadership skills.” Doing so helped him develop collaboration and coaching skills. In other words, he and his team cultivated their abilities to support the success of those working around him—building relationships, establishing empathy, communicating, and partnering. These skills are “extremely important back in the PwC environment because they help us serve our clients better and be better leaders and team players to our colleagues,” says Teuber. Finally, he believes that the volunteer experience helped him gain tremendous partnering and networking benefits. According to Teuber, “The team members still keep in touch after returning home and all of us have developed greater access to and understanding of other areas of the business, which serves to break down barriers, especially the hierarchical ones. Belize affected my self-awareness and has caused me to want to do this for my own team \[at home\].” Practical Application While Project Beleize describes a large and generous company taking on a big expenditure, the same principles can be applied to any volunteering effort. Organizations can start volunteering projects in their local communities (no international flights needed) by sending either individual employees or workforce teams to connect with other members of the wider community on volunteer missions. The learning that took place for Project Belize volunteers could happen in your local neighborhood. I hope you give it a try! Employee Development on a Shoestring provides plenty of additional tools, checklists, self-assessments, and other supports to help you implement the various development methods, consider some of the objections you might encounter, and outlines ways to overcome challenges. It’s a comprehensive tutorial for all managers, supervisors, trainers, human resources (HR) personnel, coaches, and other professionals who are involved in developing employee competence efficiently and cost-effectively.

Project Belize: Volunteering as an Employee Development Tool

AI is once again an area of focus at ATD26. There’s no denying that AI has dominated interest in the talent development field for the last three years. Our field is not alone in this, as nearly every industry is exploring how AI can streamline processes, create efficiencies, and do more with less.No matter your expertise level—whether you’re an early adopter or still AI-hesitant—ATD26 has something for you to continue to build your AI expertise. Build AI Sessions into Your ScheduleThis year, we’re proud to offer 35+ education sessions focused on AI. Those sessions are scattered across our various content tracks, but upon reviewing all the titles and descriptions, three strong themes emerge in what they cover.AI for Learning Design and Training Innovation: These sessions focus on how you can utilize AI in your training design and how AI can support performance at the moment of need.AI Strategy, Capability, and Organizational Readiness: These sessions look at AI through the strategic, organizational lens. They cover topics such as AI implementation and will help guide your organization through AI adoption.AI for Leadership and Workforce Development: These sessions focus on leadership skills, coaching, onboarding, career personalization, and team design.For a full list of AI-related sessions, visit: https://atdconference.td.org/program/Explore AI Solutions in the Expo HallIn addition to sessions, there are other opportunities to explore AI at ATD26. Last year, we had more than 60+ companies offering AI solutions. I expect 2026 to be no different. Executing on your AI strategy will likely entail working with a supplier partner—whether you’re looking to speed content creation, scale a coaching or leadership program, or automate and streamline tasks—ATD26 will have the top suppliers in the talent development space. Even if you’re not interested in purchasing a new solution, it’s important to explore the expo floor to see the latest trends and features.Practice Application and Earn an AI CertificateFinally, if you’re looking for a true deep dive into using AI and prompting for L&D, check out our three-day, “Applying AI in L&D” certificate program. Designed and facilitated by author and AI expert Josh Cavalier, this immersive program will both deepen your understanding of AI usage and trends and provide hands-on experience using AI tools, preparing you to apply your new skills.

AI at ATD26

Most new managers dread the idea of having to give feedback…and so they don’t. When it comes to giving feedback, it doesn’t matter how skilled you are or how polished your words are if there is one thing missing: trust. If your employee doesn’t trust your intent, believing you have their interests at heart, they won’t listen—period. This is the essence of psychological safety. To provide feedback that improves results, you will need to do so in a way that invites them to willingly reveal how they’ve missed the mark and sincerely reflect on ways that lead to improvement. Without safety, they’re more likely to distort and defend than reveal and reflect. But there’s a problem you’ll need to address: The brain doesn’t need a stark display of hostility to feel threatened. In moments of vulnerability, it only needs subtle, seemingly neutral cues—the slight raising of an eyebrow, a simple crinkle of your nose, or a break in eye contact can send a strong signal to the brain that it’s unsafe. Your job when delivering feedback is to generate evidence to the other person that they are safe. And you don’t accomplish that by beating around the bush or watering down the truth. Safety and truth are two independent variables. Don’t try to accomplish one by shorting the other. While your truth—the feedback you want to give—might still cause hurt, the pain from that feedback can become growth when others feel safe with you. People rarely get defensive about what you’re saying. People get defensive because of why they think you’re saying it. It’s their perception of your intent that provokes defensiveness, not the sensitivity of the content. If they believe your intent is to embarrass, critique, or shame, they will feel—and act—unsafe. They’re unlikely to reveal all relevant information and reflect sincerely on what they need to do to improve. If, on the other hand, they think that your intent is to find the truth, improve results, and even strengthen a relationship, then there’s a reasonable chance you can lay out the truth as you see it and be fully heard. Once you’ve done the hard yet worthy work of creating a trusting and safe relationship, here are some practical skills that will help you deliver feedback effectively. Share Your Good Intent Expressing good intent does not mean flattering or trying to appease the other person with irrelevant compliments. Expressing good intent means making it clear to the other person that you care about them and their interests. Sharing your good intent sounds like this: “First, I want you to know that I think you are doing a nice job in your role. I also want you to see you grow in this agency and have the success you want to have. I want to share some ideas I think will help you do that.” Share the Facts When it’s time to give the specifics of the feedback, start with facts. Share what you have observed before you share your interpretation of what you’ve observed. You want to stay external by describing what’s happening outside your head (“You cut the person off mid-sentence”) as opposed to what’s happening inside your head (“You’re rude”). Facts are less controversial than opinions and feelings. Facts are more persuasive. Be Brief and Direct Be careful not to let your desire for improvement become a desire to lecture. Even if you use the first two skills, you can destroy safety by turning a simple statement into a drawn-out diatribe. We often use ten words when three would do, deliver long meandering openings, and share random and disconnected compliments. If you’ve created safety, be clear, succinct, and direct. In the end, don’t isolate feedback to rare occasions that have some formal tradition surrounding them. Instead give short, honest, and helpful feedback on a regular basis. If you combine this feedback with consistent praise of excellent performance, you’ll not only help people improve, but you’ll quickly become one of the best bosses people have ever had in their career. 

How to Deliver Feedback Effectively

Summer is a great time to catch up on some professional development. Each year ATD publishes a number of books covering a wide variety of topics from breaking core concepts to showing you how to get on board with the latest trends. Here are three of my favorite new releases.The New Social Learning, 2nd Edition: A great update from Tony and Marcia! The book moves far beyond covering social tools and shares real success stories of socially engaged companies and people. If you’re looking to implement a collaborative strategy in your organization, this book will show you the way. Check out a free chapter and an interview with Traci Wolbrink, co-founder of OPENPediatrics.E-Learning Fundamentals: While e-learning is nothing new, there are always people who are just getting started with it. This book is perfect for those just getting started with e-learning as covers the entire e-learning landscape. Diane and Desiree do an amazing job of breaking concepts down and making them easy to read and understand – also the book is packed with checklists and practical tools you can start using right away. Read a free chapter.Visual Design Solutions: Connie created a great resource to for anyone who wants to design and create accessible engaging educational materials – be it a presentation, e-learning course, or performance support. This beautiful, full-color book is packed full of practical ideas that will have you thinking like a graphic designer. Check out two free chapters.Check out our Midsummer Book Sale. On Tuesday, August 4th save 20% on all in-stock ATD books; then from August 5-14 all 2015 books (including pre-order titles) will be 20% off.

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