Blog

Is training really the answer? Ask the flowchart.

Is training really the best solution? Often, no. Here’s a flowchart that will help you find what will really work, whether it’s a job aid, a workflow improvement, training, or something else. Read more.

How to get a client to agree to needs analysis

How to handle the handoff conversation

Do your clients expect you to create training on demand? By changing how you talk to them, you can steer them away from an information dump and help them solve the real problem. Learn more.

7 things to check before you design training

“Training will help solve this problem.” Before you say this, make sure more powerful changes have been made first. Here are 7 factors to consider. Learn more.

“Show, don’t tell” — How do you do it?

Good fiction writers “show, don’t tell” so their scenes seem real. What does that technique actually look like, and how can we apply it to scenario-based training? Learn more.

How to quickly find the cause of a performance problem

Your client thinks a course will solve their problem, but you’re not so sure. Help the client see the real cause by asking not only “why?” but also “what for?” Learn more.

3 classic tips for writing training scenarios

How to write a strong mini-scenario, why you want to use “showing” feedback, and how to make your characters sound like real people: Three classic scenario tips from my blog. Learn more.

5 new scenario-based training examples to inspire you

Check out these examples of branching scenarios, and examine the design decisions behind them. Read more.

Save your clients from themselves

“Our job is to give the client what they want.” Nope. Our job is to save the client from themselves. We need to learn who they are and what challenges they’re facing, and then help them do the analysis that they probably skipped. Learn more.

Burn your training request form

“I’ll create whatever you want, even if it will never work!” That’s what the typical training request form promises clients. Set the right expectations by burning that form and replacing it with these ideas. Learn more.

Learning objectives: Our frenemy

Does that learning objective really want what’s best for you? Conventional objectives aren’t always our friends. These three questions will help you set boundaries with our frenemy. Learn more.