Search
Archives
« 1012 - Taking the Train to Learning: 28th Year | Main | Experience Design - Optimizing & Planning Intensity! »
Monday
Oct292018

1011 - Terror Events and Focus, VR Data, and Last Minute Registrations Grow

Elliott Masie’s Learning TRENDS - October 29, 2018.
#1,011 Updates on Learning, Business & Technology Since 1997.
58,023 Readers - www.masie.com - The MASIE Center.
Host: Learning 2018 - Nov 4 to 7 -  Orlando - 1,854 Colleagues Already Registered. 

1. Hate Events Stir and Stun Learners.
2. VR and Immersive Data Touching.
3. Last Minute Learning Decisions - People Decide & Act Late :) 

1. Hate Events Stir and Stun Learners: The hateful events in the United States in the last few days impact our learners.  As the bombs were detected in offices in NYC and elsewhere, there were many corporate offices nearby the CNN headquarters or other target sites that had to shut down - often interrupting a class.  

And, when the 11 people were killed in the Pittsburgh Synagogue on Saturday morning, the tears followed from my eyes and people from around the world sent notes of shock, sympathy and being stunned.   A graduate program that was happening in the Northeast changed their focus on Saturday - to deal with the social realities of hate and violence. 

As learning leaders, we should be aware that these and other events of hate have a direct impact on employees as learners.  They interrupt their focus.  They are much more powerful than an agenda or syllabus that is planned.  And, they go to the heart of the need for safe and brave places for work, for our growth and for working through issues and problems. 

Even as I plan the final details of Learning 2018, which starts in 6 days in Orlando, I have been asking what the impact of these events are on the over 1,800 colleagues participating.  In a few ways, they will shape discussions about diversity, inclusion and belonging.  They will form a backdrop of talking about the impact of social networks on community and trust.  And, I am including them in my questions for keynoters. 

Learning and Development has opportunities to be supportive of our employees at times of disruption. 

2. VR and Immersive Data Touching: Imagining wearing a set of VR googles or dealing with Augmented Reality  through a mobile device - except we could be touching and manipulating data and numbers rather than images or objects. 

We are starting to see VR and Immersive Technologies being aimed at our need to touch, analyze, manipulate and have a more 360 view and sense of data.  As we increase our role as Learning Data Analysts, let’s explore the role that these technologies can have in taking a non-traditional approach to illustrating and exploring data! 

3. Last Minute Learning Decisions - People Decide & Act Late :)  Learning and Development professionals must live more and more in the Right Now Moment!  In the busy and changing times of our businesses, colleagues are making or adjusting learning choices to later and later. 

It is amazing to watch registrations for Learning 2018 flow across my screen this morning.  With only 6 days left, some people are just now getting the clearance or making the space in their busy schedules to attend a 3 1/2 day event next week.  It is part of our production design - as we order more manuals, more meals and more seats for an event - knowing that last minute additions and changes will occur.

 It gets wired into our contracts - to allow adjustments in food orders until a few days before.  And, it means that we must be more and more agile in our planning and layouts. 

Don’t get angry when last minute changes happen.  Learning often needs to adjust to the requirements of other elements in the business.  And, be as flexible as possible so that learners who make last minute decisions can have equally great experiences. 

So, for Learning 2018, here is what we are doing: 

* Adding more rooms at the nearby Hilton Hotel, as the block at Disney is all filled with Learning 2018 participants.
* Addeing a free bus to take people from the Hilton to Disney with ease every morning.  Nothing is more frustrating to an attendee to miss the start of the session due to transportation issues.
* Ordering more materials and resources to cover a last minute rush of registrations.
* Adding a Learning TV program for last minute arrivals.
* Video Taping the last day General Session for those that have to rush back.
* Taking care of Extra Food, Tickets to Disney and More - for those that have no time to plan ahead with a last minute decision to come to Orlando. 

If you would like to join us, go to http://www.learning2018.com  There are still a few days left with Early Discounts.  If not, we will share some of the curated content online after the event. 

In any case, Learning Producers need to be ready for Last Minute, Just in Time registrations and changes.  We are agile and we are part of the solution! 

Yours in learning, 

Elliott Masie
Email: emasie@masie.com
Twitter: @emasie

MASIE Center Seminars, Events and Services: 

- Learning 2018 - Nov 4 to 7 - Orlando  (Advance Registration Discounts Until October 31)
- Learning LABS at MASIE Center and Beyond - Starting January 2019
- Membership in The Learning CONSORTIUM 

Details and Online Registration: https://www.masie.com 

Learning TRENDS is produced by The MASIE Center.  95 Washington Street, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866