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Kerri Moore is a content specialist at Docebo, an AI-powered enterprise learning platform. An enthusiastic and energetic content marketeer, she is constantly challenging herself and seeking out new opportunities to learn.

Kerri Moore

AI opens up the possibility to create an extension of you—a virtual coach who can support your learners in a personalized and proactive way.

Use a Virtual Coach to Scale and Personalize Learning Efforts

Kerri Conrad, CPTD, has 15-plus+ years in the training profession. She recently joined Nutrien Financial (a division of Nutrien) as the training specialist, where she is responsible for developing learning strategies to support Nutrien Financial’s business objectives and the extensive retail network it serves. Much of her career has focused on sales performance improvement in the high-tech industry, with documented business results. Her experience includes designing and managing global sales kickoff training, supporting worldwide deployments of sales methodology training, and collecting and leveraging “tribal” sales knowledge to help account teams compete more effectively. She has earned multiple industry awards for positively impacting sales performance through L&D efforts. Conrad is also the author of Instructional Design for Web-based Training (HRD Press, 2000).

Kerri Conrad

Here are six high-impact ways to make your presentation more accessible for everyone in attendance.

Designing for Inclusion: 6 Ways to Reach Everyone When You’re Presenting

For more than two decades, Kim Zoller and Kerry Preston have built successful, highly customized coaching training programs for Fortune 500 companies around the world. Recognized experts in business protocol, branding, leadership development, and presentation and communication skills, as well as customer service and sales training. They are the authors of Enhancing Your Executive Edge—How to Develop the Skills to Lead and Succeed , “ You Did What?” The Biggest Mistakes Professionals Make and “You Said What?” The Biggest Communication Mistakes Professionals Make.

Kim Zoller and Kerry Preston

 A few weeks ago, I wrote a short post, “Do the Right Thing.” For those who did not read the article, by right things I was not merely referring to ethical issues. Of course, acting ethical and appropriate are a given. I was also referring to being encouraging and helpful to others, as well as a great teammate and communicator. In essence (and in spirit), I am talking about being a servant leader and a source of positive energy—and only positive energy.Here’s some of the feedback I received for the post: “The message is inspirational—developing a positive and encouraging environment is planting seeds of success in our workplace, and for our team members, and can produce limitless benefits for our firm’s overall success.” “Fortunately, I am in a smaller company that is very leadership focused. In the past, though, I worked with managers with the attitude: “Just do what we tell you, just comply, adhere to our procedures.” They did not encourage creativity, finding new and better ways, collaboration, and even asking questions. It was just do it.” “We need people who know why they do what they do, are guided by proper values and purpose, versus so many managers who do what they do for money, power, attention, control, title, or corner office.” “We need leaders who have faith, a moral compass, and love to coach, mentor, and help others learn, grow, and succeed. We need leaders whose own satisfaction comes from the satisfaction and success of their people.” “It is true that doing the right thing helps others and helps us to feel good about ourselves. I also have found that doing the right thing is key to overall business success. A focus on personal gain can lead to short term success, but doing the right thing usually ensures the ultimate long term emotional (and financial) returns.” “I love the thought of doing the right thing as it improves morale and the spirit of an organization. Results will improve. Failure to do the right things has the opposite effects; it reduces drive, people won’t go the extra mile, and ultimately turnover, which is a huge hidden cost that management usually rationalizes—rather than taking responsibility to learn from and improve.”There is a saying that “kindness of words motivates others.” Having a sense of kindness in our work, leadership, and relationships in business, including our internal relationships, is definitely doing the right thing! Mara Vandlik of McGinn & Co., asked if women are expected to be more graceful, helpful, and encouraging than men? Granted, we could start a dialogue on that question, but my answer to her is that this is an area where men could learn from women and their natural leadership skills and competencies.Kerry Douglass, a spiritual director and counselor, thoughtfully noted that effective leadership comes through community, not authority.John Kelly of Hanover Stone Partners sent the Do the Right Thing post to two former leaders with whom he worked and respects and states that now when faced with a difficult decision or issue, he asks himself “What would Dick or Ed do?” Then the answer is clear, do what’s right. This is consistent with a recent conversation with Joe Bottari, a sophomore student athlete at Georgetown, whom I have the privilege of knowing and mentoring. When faced with what he considers a life decision, he takes the time to seek the counsel of those for whom he has great respect. Joe also believes in having great relationships with his teammates and focusing on team goals, as then work and football practice are easier to handle well.Andy Funt, CEO of Bio Films Innovations, makes an insightful suggestion that we should bear in mind to always doing the right thing—and also do the next right thing. By that Andy means the first right thing might well be an assessment or decision and the next right thing is our action. An example might be reaching out to someone to help them with their inner-confidence as we pursue our desired outcome.Aaron Spokaeski, a general manager at Billy Casper Golf, a company that definitely treasures its people and consciously tries to listen for their ideas, advice, and feedback, points out that doing the right thing means being “we-oriented” not “me-oriented.” It also means realizing that, as a manager and leader, we are a part of a team and every person is an important member of the team as well, and helping them believe that.We should live to help make lives better every day. That is living in our faith, and isn’t it the way we can be in our business lives?!Yes, surely it is. With that personal mission, we can be exemplary and highly effective leaders and team members—by doing our best work, by being positive, and by encouraging and helping others do their best work. As I finished drafting this paper, I happened to read a wonderful article about empathy. It encouraged me to go back and add this paragraph. Bottom line: Empathy helps us improve the lives of others, as well as our own. Here are just a few things we can do each day: See something at work that needs fixing? Just quietly fix it.Say thank you with eye contact and a smile and not being too hurried so the person feels your appreciation.Grab a coffee or tea with someone who could use a conversation. Conversations are a gift, if we listen to connect. A great way to lead our lives from a spiritual sense is to help make lives of others better every day, and we can have that be our personal mission in our work and leadership. We need to encourage and help our team members and other colleagues have better business lives every day. That is doing the right things and that is servant leadership!

What Does “Doing the Right Thing” Look Like in Business?

One of the biggest challenges of leadership is creating a culture where employees feel safe to share their ideas, concerns, feedback, and suggestions. Many have worked for organizations where leaders talk the talk but don’t walk the walk. They ask their employees to speak up but seek only praise and approval themselves.Great organizations develop employees by developing leaders. Leadership is more than a title, it’s a mindset. Joseph Grenny, coauthor of the New York Times bestseller Crucial Influence, once defined leadership as “intentional influence.” Coauthor Kerry Patterson adds, “At the end of the day, what qualifies people to be called ‘leaders’ is their capacity to influence others to change their behavior in order to achieve important results.”Here are four ideas that can help you develop an influencer and manage employee contribution.Solicit SincerelyIf you don’t want their ideas, don’t ask for them. Little contributes to a culture of silence more than insincerely soliciting feedback. So, if you already know what you’re going to do, be sure not to hold a perfunctory brainstorming session.Also, some people want to be seen and heard, but everyone wants to be valued. Employees share their ideas to contribute value. If those ideas aren’t sincerely valued or appreciated, the employee won’t feel valued.You can solicit ideas sincerely by focusing less on being right and more on getting it right. When you gather input and perspectives from others, you expand your pool of meaning, which leads to more informed decisions, actions, and results.Establish ExpectationsMake sure your employees understand that not all ideas can or will be implemented. Establishing proper expectations can help minimize frustration. Let employees know that while their ideas may not be implemented, they do inform the final decision. Their contributions may confirm current thinking or spark new ideas for a better course of action.It’s important that employees know that while they may not be a part of the decision-making team, their contribution as part of the data stream is invaluable. They are often closest to the problems you are trying to solve. Additionally, when employees serve as contributors, they are more likely to adopt the new solution (even if it’s not their own) and serve as champions to encourage others to do the same.Communicate ConstraintsWith limited insight into organizational constraints, employees often share ideas that are beyond the scope of what the organization can do. What resources are available? Is there a budget? What’s the timeframe or the level of quality required? Communicate your constraints so employees can offer suggestions and share ideas that work within them. When suggestions aren’t implemented, it’s generally not because they are bad, but because they are outside the constraints. Communicating constraints will lead to a greater chance of implementation. It also offers transparency and allows employees to see clear reasons should their ideas not be implemented.Reveal ResultsMore often than not, employees realize that all their ideas won’t be implemented. When people get frustrated or angry, it’s usually not about implementation but more likely because they feel their ideas were not considered. So, when people contribute ideas, let them know where things stand. If their idea was not implemented, explain why. Remind them of the expectations that were established and the constraints that were shared.Encouraging employee innovation and creativity is key for organizational success, as well as for engagement and retention. Managing the process can be challenging, but healthy organizations will always have more ideas than they can implement. Creating a process built on safety and rooted in sincere solicitations, established expectations, clear constraints, and transparent results will aid your efforts.

Working With Employee Input

 _“Digital badges are a 21st century credential. Why, in today's hyperlinked, online world, would we depend on an 8.5 x 11 inch piece of paper to carry all the significance of our learning? We've self-reported experience and KSAs for years on paper resumes; 21st century resumes need to be hyperlinked and connected, too. Make a claim, provide evidence.”—_James Kerr, Instructional Designer, Capital UniversityIn my May Science of Learning Community blog post, I discussed how digital badges are used as a measure of mastery. Essential, digital badges can be used by professionals to instantly display the skills and competencies they have acquired from professional development opportunities, in addition to providing evidence of memberships with professional organizations. They are currently in use at post-secondary institutions such as MIT and Yale University and organizations such as NASA, the U.S. Department of Education, and the Smithsonian. Now, let’s look at how to use these badges as stackable credentials in the workplace. Here’s how it works. Whereas certifications primarily function to filter candidates out of positions or advancements, digital badges exist to help candidates compete by showcasing their strengths. Because digital badges enhance an employee’s traditional credentials, they are often referred to as “stackable credentials.” These stackable credentials particularly help as they demonstrate the employees’ competencies that that their employers value most. Certifications are typically reported on a pass/fail basis, so there is little indication as to which skills they have mastered and which they have not. For example, a job seeker who just barely passed their phlebotomist certification may be perfectly competent to handle hazardous waste items, but have trouble handling sensitive patient information. This job seeker may pass the certification exam, but then become a liability to an employer.Meanwhile, as a stackable credential, a digital badge will highlight the specific competencies that employers expect and require from new hires. In this way, candidates and employees can demonstrate to a prospective manager that they have the perfect blend of skills needed to thrive in the workforce—not just that they passed a certificate program. These credentials also help current employees add to their qualifications by showcasing professional development that has taken place since being hired.Indeed, certifications are great and have become a necessary tool for job seekers and employees in many professions. But they are not without limitations. The benefit that badges provide enables employers to identify specific competencies that an employee possesses:Digital badges/stackable credentials give individuals a HUGE advantage in the competitive workplace world of advancements and promotions. Everybody has a certification, but badges help individuals stand out with credentials that target their employer’s expectations.Digital badges/stackable credentials only reflect the skills that employers care about. Most certification exams reflect all the material covered in a given program, regardless of importance to employers. Stackable credentials, however, are more targeted to employer needs. To learn more about the usefulness of badging and how digital badges work, the following resources may be helpful:2013 American Institutes for Research report on The Potential and Value of Using Digital Badges for Adults LearnersApril 2015 Wonderlic blog post about competency badges. Is your organization using digital badges/stackable credentials? Please share your experience in the Comments.

Using Digital Badges as Stackable Career Credentials

Here are six ways to build and enhance the level of multicultural awareness and skill throughout your organization.

Six Ways to Help Employees Heighten Multicultural Awareness

Whether you have just started your first job or you are several years into your career, it’s not too early to pave the way for a leadership role ahead of you.  In fact, if you don’t start thinking about how you can become successful in the future, success may elude you down the road. That’s because there are certain career path essentials that you need to consider and skills you need to acquire to achieve a top position in your industry.Four essential actions will position you now—so that you will be qualified to lead in the future:Develop the right skillsOptimize your performance reviewsCultivate executive presenceAct like a leader.Develop the Right SkillsDeveloping the right skills isn’t easy; you have to figure out what skills you need and how to get them. Here’s how.Review leaders’ skillsets and experience. The only way to ensure you know the qualifications that leaders possess is to study exceptional executives in your industry. Although you can examine top management in your company, it’s also a good idea to broaden your search to include other industry leaders outside your organizations. Consider these questions:What are these leaders good at? What experiences or job postings have lent to their abilities to do their jobs?Is turn around experience necessary to manage a major division? You might notice that your division leader worked on turning around a troubled product line before she was promoted to her current position. But look at other leaders to determine if this is an industry-wide requirement.What education and training do the upper tiers of managers have?Do leaders typically have international experience? What specific department boasts the most leaders in the industry? If it’s a technology firm, maybe the top brass were all engineers. If you’re in the consumer product industry, maybe the marketing department churns out most of the executives.No two successful leaders will have identical backgrounds, but if you can identify patterns and trends, you’ll gain an idea of the skills and experiences you will need to thrive in your industry.Build your skill arsenal. Now that you know the types of skills you need, it’s time to begin to look for opportunities to develop them. Ask for projects that will stretch you professionally. Often, the “king-maker” assignments are company “problems” that most people don’t want to tackle. Will your current position allow you to gain some of the skills you need or has your learning curve plateaued?  If you can’t learn much more where you are, identify assignments in other groups and ask your manager if you can volunteer for them—as long as you complete your other responsibilities. If cross-group project work isn’t possible and you’ve learned as much as you can where you are, you may need to make a change within your company or outside of it.What’s your special power?  Most everyone has at least one skill at their job that they completely rock. Oftentimes, though, they don’t know what that skill is. That’s because when we do self-analysis, we think too big. For example, you may not be amazing analytically or the best salesperson, so you think, “What do I have to offer?”Drill down on little tasks that you’re especially good at performing—maybe even better than anyone else in your group. Is it your ability to engage comfortably with your teammates? Is it your clear understanding of the group head’s requests? Is it your skill at ensuring presentations are free of errors? Is it your creative additions to the scope of a project? Ask yourself, ask your colleagues, and ask your manager what they think you do well. If you’re afraid of sounding too self-serving, ask how they think you handled XYZ, or ask if they could give you feedback on ABC. You’re bound to start hearing the same good things about what you bring to the table. Once you know what that special power is…exploit it! Seek opportunities to assist your manager and colleagues in ways that showcase your talents. It’s a win-win for your company and you.If your goal is CEO, you need to gain line experience. In any company, most of the top managers have gained line experience or have been responsible for a P&L. These professionals are called “line managers” because their jobs are associated with revenue generation. Examples of line positions are easily found in manufacturing, brand management, and sales, to name a few.Alternatively, staff positions are those with clients internal to the company. Examples of staff positions are accounting, legal, and human resources. The path to the top of a staff department can land you at a very senior-level position within your company, such as head of human resources. But typically, there is little mobility outside of these departments.Be sure to assess your goals to discern if you want to be “running” the organization a few years down the road. If so, it’s best to gain line experience.This article covered “Developing the Right Skills,” the first of four essential actions to position yourself to lead in the future. Join me for my webcast, Prepare Now to Lead Later, on February 20, 2015, at 12:00 p.m. EST to review the next three actions: optimize your performance reviews, cultivate executive presence, and act like a leader.

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