GROWING GREAT IDEAS BLOG

Storytelling Brings Training to Life!

2013-08-26T09:54:00.000-05:00

If you have children, you’ve probably witnessed the power of a good story. Picture a story hour at the local library—children gathered around, quiet, focused, and interested, even if only for a few moments. Whether gathering for coffee or at the water cooler, it seems human nature to be interested in stories. Think of a time when you had to sit through a presentation; didn’t a good story make it more memorable?

Read the rest of the post on the GP Strategies Blog here.

Cooking for Geeks: Book Review

2013-07-10T14:05:00.000-05:00

Fascinating for Foodies AND Science Buffs

Jeff Potter’s approach to food and cooking is much the same as he must have approached computer science studies at Brown University, using a logic-based, well-researched, slightly academic approach. He starts the book with the explanation, “We geeks are fascinated by how things work, and most of us eat too.”

Cooking for Geeks is an expansive book, nearly 400 pages, written for digesting much like a 14 course meal, to be broken down into manageable bites with time to reflect in between chapters. It begins with the basic tools a good cook needs, paring them down to only the essentials and then steadily progresses to more complex topics such as sous vide and cooking with liquid nitrogen and dry ice. He frequently cites research done on different techniques so if you want to do more research on your own, there is a starting point.

Most interesting are the many interviews Potter has sprinkled within the chapters from a wide range of “geeks” who are experts in a particular area sharing their unique take that can be related back to the kitchen. From Adam Savage, of Mythbuster’s fame, on scientific testing, Adam Ried from America’s Test Kitchen on equipment and recipes to Hervé This, a French physical chemist at the Institut National de la Recherché Agronomique, on molecular gastronomy, Potter allows each of these experts a forum to succinctly regale the reader with their particular expertise as an accent to the topic.

Cooking for Geeks also includes some science experiments to illustrate the techniques and help readers to actively participate and get excited about the concepts within. Potter also shares his experiences with preparing some of the dishes he breaks down in the book and there are many recipes throughout to try.

His fascination with the way things work is interesting and infectious enough to make even non-geeks spend some time reading this book. As a foodie and science buff, I can highly recommend his book for those of us who aren’t satisfied only knowing the “whats” but want to delve into the “whys” of cooking.

Note: O' Reilly Publishing provided me a free, review copy of this title as part of their blogger review program.

Motivation: The Key to Learning Transfer

2013-07-03T14:07:00.000-05:00

There are many reasons training fails to transfer learning. Often, one of the key reasons is the lack of motivation, not on the part of the learner, but because the design of the training itself is demotivating. When training fails to motivate, offering no knowledge transfer or skills gain, a learning opportunity is lost, and, even worse, it can influence learners against future training programs.

This begs the questions: what tactics can instructional designers use to make people really want to learn? What are some ways to make motivation a key point when building training?

Read the rest of the article in Training Industry Quarterly.

Microsteps to Creative Teambuilding

2013-07-03T13:56:00.000-05:00

Last November I conducted a workshop for one of the ASTD Atlanta Special Interest Groups on ideas for creative ways to build teams.

View the Prezi presentation here.

Can You Hear Me Now? Good Listening Skills = Good Instructional Design.

2013-07-02T12:10:00.000-05:00

When a recent storm left me without electricity for almost a full day, I was amazed at how quiet the house was without all the usual sounds that accompany modern, electrified life. The quiet also was an opportunity; it made it so much easier for me to focus during a face-to-face conversation.

This incident reminded me how distractions and poorly executed communication skills can take away from effective workplace interactions. I know from my own experiences as an instructional designer that being practiced in the art of listening is crucial for working with subject matter experts as well as when consulting with business leaders. The ability to truly listen and understand the message by employing active listening techniques makes for good working relationships and often keeps mistakes, misunderstandings, or missteps on a project to a minimum.

Read the rest of the post on the GP Strategies blog.

Show Me to Tell Me: Infographics

2013-05-24T07:34:00.000-05:00

As an instructional designer, most of my work consists of summarizing, condensing, and rephrasing existing data and materials. I do my best to make training projects more clear, memorable, and understandable for learners, so I am always seeking tools and technologies to assist me in the process. I recently came across infographics. At first glance, infographics seemed to meet many of my instructional design objectives, so my curiosity led me to do some deeper research. I found, surprisingly, what I thought was something new and innovative, was actually quite old and time-tested.

Read the rest of the post on the GP Strategies blog here.

Kicking the (Tin) Can

2013-04-19T13:19:00.000-05:00

Every new learning and development technology is frequently hyped as the next big solution. Tin Can API, also known as Experience API or simply xAPI, is a promising addition to this collection. I recently attended a workshop about Tin Can led by Mike Hruska and Neil Lasher, both deeply involved in shaping its development. Despite all the reading I had done about Tin Can to prepare for the workshop, I still wasn’t able to fathom exactly what it did, but I was excited to learn the details from the experts...

Read the rest the post on the GP Strategies Blog.

Let them drive! Learner-centered training gives learners the keys to drive

2013-03-19T15:42:00.001-05:00

Personalization is the modern standard. Previous experiences and preferences shape our world, embedding personalization everywhere, including online shopping, smart phone apps, social media sites, and more. Improved technology has provided the means for us to receive what we want, when we want it, avoiding what doesn’t interest us. With this level of personalization widely available, why do we still encounter employee training and development that seems to use a one-size-fits-all approach?

Read the rest of the post on the GP Strategies blog.

Asking Good Questions

2013-02-01T14:45:00.000-06:00

A child questions everything, yet as adults, we often accept what is front of us, even if it doesn’t work so well, never asking for more information, clarification or simply, why? Our acceptance of what is rather than what could be can mean the loss of potential for an organization. By encouraging and asking questions,--good questions -- the kind of questions to challenge processes and simply ask why are we doing what we do in the workplace, organizations can move past the status quo and get more creative.

Why? So, why don’t we ask questions? Those of us who have been in the school system too long (high school, college, grad school) often regret asking too many questions; we get singled out, and not in a good way, for asking rather than accepting what we are told.

Maybe we have a question yet don’t ask when given the opportunity because we believe our question isn’t good enough to ask. In the workplace environment, we hesitate to question someone with authority or power over us, whether it’s our boss, a subject-matter expert, or even a colleague.

Many of us are intimidated by silence, the time when someone says “does anyone have any questions”; we may not want to reveal our ignorance. Instead of putting ourselves into a potentially embarrassing situation, we keep silent. Our question goes unasked and unanswered.

Good questioning skills are a talent we should help our employees to embrace.

Communicate and encourage. First and foremost, let employees know there are no stupid questions. Smart, successful people don’t accept what is front of them at face value and they certainly aren’t satisfied until they find an explanation they understand—to do this they ask questions.

Engage. Help people ask better questions. Give them effective examples such as:

· "Can you explain the details of this situation?"

· “Why did you choose this particular approach?”

· “What are the possible consequences of going this route?"

· “Why do you think this project turned out as it did?”

· "Can this be accomplished in any other way?"

· “Why did this work?”

· "Why didn’t this work?"

· "Based on your experience, what do you suggest we do here?"

Self-help guru Tony Robbins puts it like this, “Successful people ask better questions, and as a result, they get better answers. “ By encouraging and showing employees how to ask good questions, you can develop their abilities—abilities for solving problems, being resourceful, and becoming more creative in the workplace.

Karen Sieczka is an Instructional Designer with a performance consulting company, Creativity@Work expert, and founder of Growing Great Ideas.com, a training resources website. Karen has designed, facilitated, and managed a variety of training programs including technology, soft skills, customer service, leadership, and business communications. She also trains organizations of all sizes to be more creative and innovative in the workplace using micro-steps from her Kindle eBook Growing Great Ideas: Unleashing More Creativity@Work.

Low or No Cost Training Resources

2012-05-18T14:34:00.000-05:00

The Competitive Edge of Continuing Ed...

If knowledge is power, then training and continuing education are the power source that keeps your business moving ahead. From industry changes to regulation to technology and more, additional training and education is available in virtually every aspect of business, from a wide variety of different sources, says workplace training consultant Karen S. Sieczka, founder of Growing Great Ideas in Douglasville, Georgia.

Read more on the INC. Small Business Solutions blog here.

Spring: A Time for Renewal

2012-05-09T11:10:00.000-05:00

Spring is a time when nature refreshes and renews. It is also a great point in the calendar to look at your training resources to if there is an opportunity to refresh or renew your materials or methods. Most trainers and training departments have a range of resources already created and in place but like the garden that needs some TLC after a long winter, these resources can be revitalized with a little bit of effort and enthusiasm.

Read the rest of this post on the Greenlight Communications blog.

Key Trends in Training for 2012

2012-05-03T08:01:00.000-05:00

From HR Matters: Special Feature -As I see it

13 practitioners share what they believe to be key trends in training and development for 2012

Karen Sieczka shares, "Since most training departments will still be running “lean” in 2012, one of the trends I see is that training programs will need to be even more targeted and relevant to the job skills your organization’s workforce needs. "

Read more here.

The classroom vs. elearning

2012-04-23T13:15:00.000-05:00

Technology for learning is available at our fingertips, from our desktops and across the Internet. As organizations search for cost-effective alternatives to onsite classroom training, it is natural to wonder if face- to-face classroom training is still worth the time and effort. Is it even relevant?

Read the rest of the post on the Greenlight Communications blog.

Harvesting Creativity through Social Media

2011-12-30T08:38:00.000-06:00

Social media can be a creative and collaborative portal for organizations that makes it easier to gather ideas and generate innovations. Proper implementation is necessary to fully develop these tools so the business can reap the rewards. This article illustrates how to successfully integrate social media into the workforce for a creative idea harvest.

Read the rest of the article in Training Industry Quarterly...

Want to get more creative and innovative in the workplace? Growing Great Ideas: Unleashing More Creativity@Work, THE creativity training book, is now available for Kindle.

The Paradox of Creativity

2011-08-22T08:45:00.003-05:00

Creativity is often born in a paradox. Why? Many creative thinkers are divergent thinkers. This means they are able to generate large quantities of ideas, whether brilliant or mundane, maintain a playful attitude about the process, and have the flexibility to switch perspectives to unusual and new associations. The paradox comes from the need to temper creativity with a dogged determination and perseverance necessary to bring ideas from the conception stage to actual, practical use.

One without the other results in a net gain of nothing: either there are no ideas generated or the ideas languish and die unused.

It’s here! Creativity@Work, Growing Great Ideas: Unleashing More Creativity@Work, with over 80 pages of ideas, exercises, and resources at the E-book website.

Follow me on Twitter or become a fan of my Facebook Creativity@Work page. I can also train you and your organization to be more creative and innovative using microsteps at work. Email me for more information.

Creativity@Work: Memorable Biz Cards

2011-04-01T07:41:00.002-05:00

Creativity might be defined as seeing the world through sufficiently new eyes so that new solutions appear. –William M. Boast

It’s a snack, it’s a business card

Anyone with a computer, printer, and some cardstock can create a business card so business cards have become a dime a dozen. How do you make one more memorable? Turn the business card into a novelty, that’s how.

Meatcards.com provides a slab of beef jerky with your contact information laser- etched onto the surface. Talk about making a first impression and standing out from the rest of the business card givers! Now, why didn’t I think of that?

Consider: What can you do with common, everyday objects to turn them into something memorable?

It’s here and it’s free! Extended through April 15, 2011-- download the complete training guide to Creativity@Work, Growing Great Ideas: Unleashing More Creativity@Work, with over 80 pages of ideas, exercises, and resources at the E-book website.

Follow me on Twitter or become a fan of my Facebook Creativity@Work page. I can also train you and your organization to be more creative and innovative at work. Email me for more information.

Creativity@Work: Articles

2011-03-11T06:43:00.002-06:00

Gather creativity and innovation information to add to your organizational Idea Library from some of these interesting resources. How can you and your organization apply these ideas and resources to problems and projects or use to seek new opportunities, niches, and combinations?

Duke University: Creative Thinking Value Rubric
How to Overcome Creative Blocks and Distractions on BNET
What is Creativity by Linda Naiman
Do You Recognize These 10 Mental Blocks to Creative Thinking? On Copyblogger
WorkMadeEasier.com: Will Creative Thinking Make You More Successful?

What creative and idea resources will you add to your Idea Library?

It’s here and it’s free! Until March 31, 2011-- download the complete training guide to Creativity@Work, Growing Great Ideas: Unleashing More Creativity@Work, with over 80 pages of ideas, exercises, and resources at the E-book website.

Follow me on Twitter or become a fan of my Facebook Creativity@Work page. I can also train you and your organization to be more creative and innovative at work. Email me for more information.

Creativity@Work Idea Master Seth Godin

2011-03-04T07:03:00.004-06:00

What would our world look like if more people started projects, made a ruckus, and took risks? The job isn't to catch up to the status quo; the job is to invent the status quo–Seth Godin, from his book Poke the Box

Seth Godin embodies embracing new technologies to market ideas and products and has always managed to be on the cutting edge as a provocateur/marketer. American Way Magazine dubbed him, "America's Greatest Marketer," and Godin’s blog is one of the most popular in the world written by a single individual. His latest book, Poke the Box
is a call to action to take the initiative both in career and in life. Seth broke from the traditional publishing model by the book releasing it through a partnership with Amazon.com called The Domino Project. Some of his previous books include Unleashing the Idea Virus and the Big Moo.

As an entrepreneur, he has founded dozens of companies, most of which failed. Yoyodyne, his first internet company, was funded by Flatiron and Softbank and acquired by Yahoo! in 1998. It pioneered the use of ethical direct mail online, something Seth called Permission Marketing. Not one to let failure derail his career, his latest company, Squidoo.com, is ranked among the top 125 websites.

Consider how your organization could think more like Godin, push aside fear and tradition to embrace new strategies and projects. Think: What would Seth do?

It’s almost here! The complete, expanded second edition e-book is coming! Download a free, 25 page preview of THE training guide to Creativity@Work, Growing Great Ideas: Unleashing More Creativity@Work, at the E-book website.

Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter or become a fan of my Facebook Creativity@Work page. I can also train you and your organization to be more creative and innovative at work. Email me for more information.

Creativity@Work Exercise Soup Bowl

2011-02-28T05:38:00.003-06:00

Soup Bowl

Making out-of-the-box associations and connections gives staff practice that can be applied to internal projects, products, or services.The exercise encourages thinking outside the box when facing problems needing solutions that are out of the ordinary.

Objective: To come up with creative ways to use common, everyday items.

Instructions: As a team, spend five minutes finding an interesting use for five items randomly pulled from a large soup bowl such as small toys, sticky notes, paper clips, etc. Anything that fits in the bowl is fair game. Teams will then be invited to share and illustrate alternate uses for the item with the group. The group can then vote for the funniest or most interesting uses by a team and a prize could be given.

It’s almost here! The complete, expanded second edition e-book comes out on March 1st! Download a free, 25 page preview of THE training guide to Creativity@Work, Growing Great Ideas: Unleashing More Creativity@Work, at the E-book website.

Creativity@Work: Idea Master Richard Branson

2011-02-25T06:58:00.004-06:00

My interest in life comes from setting myself huge, apparently unachievable challenges and trying to rise above them...from the perspective of wanting to live life to the full, I felt that I had to attempt it. –Sir Richard Branson

Sir Richard Branson is a British entrepreneur and risk-taker extraordinaire, best known for his Virgin Group of over 400 companies. Branson’s first successful business venture was a magazine called Student at age 16. He is the 212th richest person in the world according to Forbes' 2010 list of billionaires.

What makes him an Idea Master is his philosophy to embrace life, take risks, learn from failure, think creatively, and continually adapt.

Consider how your organization could “think” more like Richard Branson to become more creative and innovative by borrowing some of his traits:

• Step out of the comfort zone- Branson is constantly stepping outside his comfort zone into new industries and challenges.

• Face toward problems-When problems arise, Branson tackles them immediately and aggressively, making sure that small problems don’t become big issues.

• Be open to change- Branson is constantly open to changing his perspectives, viewpoints and approach to any situation if he feels that it will help him attain his goals and objectives in a much more effective and efficient manner.

• Seek new opportunities- Branson is always on the lookout for new opportunities and ideas that will enable him to gain an advantage over his competitors.

• Ask questions- Branson is constantly asking questions to clarify his thinking and help him overcome the challenges that confront him on a daily basis.

• Be playful- Branson turns everything into a game where having fun is on top of his agenda.

• Take notes- Branson carries a notepad in his pocket to capture ideas for new projects, gather feedback from customers and employees, and to write his goals, thoughts and experiences on paper.

• Learn from failures- Branson fully understands that lessons are usually learned through mistakes and experience.

To learn more about Richard Branson, visit Virgin’s website.

Creativity@Work: Idea Library Resources

2011-02-23T11:04:00.002-06:00

Here are some places on the web to gather creativity and innovation information to add to the Idea Library. Consider how your organization can apply these ideas and resources to problems and projects or use them to seek new opportunities and combinations.

• 2011 may go down in history as "The Year of Opportunity." Venture capitalist Saku Tuominen, founder of the Idealist Group, says in the Monocle Small Business Guide2010/11. Read the complete article on Amex’s Open Forum website.

• 5 Ways to Spot a $100 Million Idea. Read the blog post on BNET.

• 6 Steps to Achieving Creativity in Business, Personal Life: It turns out that the creative process involves both art and science. Read the article in US NEWS

• Become a More Creative Leader — Think Small by Stew Friedman in HBR.

What creative resources can you add to your Idea Library?

It’s almost here! The complete e-book comes out on March 1st! Need more ideas to unleash Creativity@Work? Download a free, 25 page preview of THE training guide to Creativity@Work, Growing Great Ideas: Unleashing More Creativity@Work, at the E-book website.

Creativity@Work:Grow Ideas Like Mold

2011-02-21T05:31:00.007-06:00

The end of sandwich stalkers

If you take your lunch to work and store it in a communal refrigerator, you may have had it stolen. Or maybe you had roommates who helped themselves to your food. The Anti-Theft lunch bags are the brainchild of Mihoko Ouchi and Sherwood Forlee, a pair of eclectic designers and founders of the company they simply call “the”.

The plastic bag has green, mold-like splotches printed on both sides, disguising your food as putrid, inedible fodder.

When searching for new ideas, consider a look at niches that would solve a common, everyday problem. If you find yourself saying, Now why didn't I think of that?, you are onto something!

Need more ideas to unleash Creativity@Work? Download a free, 25 page preview of THE training guide to Creativity@Work, Growing Great Ideas: Unleashing More Creativity@Work, at the E-book website.

Creativity@Work Idea Master: Leonardo da Vinci

2011-02-18T07:19:00.005-06:00

Most of us are familiar with the genius of Leonardo da Vinci (1452 –1519). Not only did he paint several famous works including the Mona Lisa and the Last Supper, da Vinci was an observer, scientist, and inventor. His studies in science and engineering are as impressive and innovative as his artistic work, much of which is recorded in notebooks comprising over 13,000 pages of notes and drawings. Da Vinci is also credited with inventing a tank and helicopter centuries before they were produced in their now familiar form. He was a man of ideas well before their time.

Michael Gelb’s book, How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci, has a roadmap to use what Gelb calls the da Vinci principles, with one in particular, sfumato, managing ambiguity and change, is extremely relevant to facing the prospect of change and innovative processes in the workplace. While many of us have fears of the unknown, using da Vinci’s sfumato, which refers to a style of painting where the edges are hazy but implied, we need to become at ease with the unknown. Only by embracing the inherent uncertainty of creativity and innovation, can we move to da Vinci’s level of thinking and creativity.

For more information on Gelb’s book and the other da Vinci principles, visit his website.

In an earlier post, I included an exercise called Write it Down, which uses some of da Vinci’s technique of observation to gather ideas and information for unleashing the creativity process.

Need more ideas to unleash Creativity@Work? Download a free, 25 page preview of THE training guide to Creativity@Work, Growing Great Ideas: Unleashing More Creativity@Work, at the E-book website.

Culture vs. Creativity: Is Your Organizational Culture Killing Ideas?

2011-02-16T12:26:00.001-06:00

In July 2010, IBM released the results of an interesting survey, after asking a worldwide group of 1,500 CEOs what they thought were essential skills for success in today’s world. About 60% identified creativity as the most important leadership quality over the next five years. While the IBM survey marks a step toward acknowledgment of the significance of creativity in the workplace, does the corporate culture really support a more creative and innovative workplace environment or is it just wishful thinking?

Read the rest of the article on TrainingIndustry.com

Creativity@Work: Books

2011-02-16T06:54:00.006-06:00

What better way to build a foundation and reference point for creative pursuits in the workplace than to read about innovation from a variety of viewpoints? Build an Idea Library with some books that may help your organization think more creatively:

• 101 Creative Problem Solving Techniques: The Handbook of New Ideas for Business by James M. Higgins

• A Whack on the Side of the Head: How You Can Be More Creative by Roger von Oech

• Get Back in the Box: Innovation from the Inside Out by Douglas Rushkoff

• The Ten Faces of Innovation: IDEO's Strategies for Defeating the Devil's Advocate and Driving Creativity Throughout Your Organization by Thomas Kelley and Jonathan Littman

• How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci: Seven Steps to Genius Every Day

Need more ideas to unleash Creativity@Work? Download a free, 25 page preview of THE training guide to Creativity@Work, Growing Great Ideas: Unleashing More Creativity@Work, at the E-book website.