Blog

Via my good colleague Rick Shor, CPLP, here is a McKinsey & Company article on how leading companies are using "war games" to “identify, shape, and seize opportunities to innovate.”  These companies have found that war games are good ways to counteract natural human bias, such as excessive optimism and overconfidence, that cause decision makers to disregard how competitors may react to the introduction of a new innovation. 

Such neglect has often proven costly.  For example, a company launches a product with new features only to find a competitor responding by deeply discounting its rival product, cutting into sales of the innovation.  Counteractions of this type can scuttle a product launch.  Thus, developing scenarios of what competitors are likely to respond, in itself an important innovation, can be key to succeeding with innovation.

Designing and conducting “war games” seems to be a natural area for WLP practitioners to help their companies become more innovative.

 Read more at the link here; registration with McKinsey & Company, which is free, may be required. 

The skills gap remains one of the most challenging and important public policy issues facing our society and economy today – and one the workplace learning and performance profession is uniquely qualified to address.  National ASTD continues to be a leader in bringing attention to this issue as it seeks to engage local chapters in addressing the gap at the grassroots.

The gap profoundly affects our nation in many negative ways, not the least of which is by hindering our ability to innovate.  People who lack essential skills cannot be hired, thus retarding U.S. businesses’ ability to keep up with global competition, much less best it by coming up with new ideas and products

In my continuing efforts as the Chapter’s public policy representative to provide ASTDps members with the information they need to become knowledgeable and articulate advocates for change, here is a very accessible “Sixty Minutes” story on the issue.  The story is useful because it presents two sides to the skills gap story.  The first side is that even in the midst of continuing, substantial and devastating long-term unemployment, there are thousands of unfilled jobs.  The culprit: a gap between the skills what the employer needs versus the skills many potential out-of-work applicants possess.  

The other side is the position of Peter Cappeli, Professor of Management and Director of the Center for Human Resources at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton Business School.  He, along with many economists, say that if there is a skills gap then wages should be rising for those who do have the needed skills and who are being hired.  This is not happening. 

In my estimation, the manager of a manufacturing concern featured in the story gives a very good retort to this second view.  He says that training is not a core competence of his small business, and the plant can’t be in the business of remedial education in STEM subjects – a big part of the problem – when it struggles to find ways, even with government funding and other assistance, to train people on the advanced numerically-controlled machines it uses to manufacture its products. 

What are your views?  I believe strongly that government action is essential to closing this gap and putting people back to work.  But are our nation’s current policies the right ones?

Dr. William “Bud” Wurtz

Manager, Public Policy

John Delano, a presenter at our October Ignite Your Mojo conference presents:
 
  Topic: Take the Technical First Step with Tin Can
 
  Date: December 10-11th.
 
  Location: Surf Incubator Seattle
 
  Attendees: 9
 
  Duration: 2 Days
 
  *    Day 1: 11am-12pm (Lunch & Registration)
  *    Day 1: 12pm-6pm (Workshop & Dinner)
  *    Day 2: 8am-3pm (Workshop)
 
  Objectives: After this workshop you will:
 
  *    Have a solid Tin Can technical foundation
  *    Have enabled your application to work with Tin Can
  *    Be ready to use Tin Can for mobile, social, and informal learning

  http://www.saltbox.com/tin-can-api-workshop.html

$250 discount for ASTDps members!

Activating Leadership
Seraphim Consulting & Training Solutions

 

JUST IN - Those who register with their ASTD member ID can attend for $199 instead of the $299 list registration price!

November 13, 2012
8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Double Tree Hotel
18740 International Boulevard
Seattle, WA 98188

Discover the 7 KEYS to actuating the competencies that inspire leadership and motivate others into action. Managers/leaders will be able to increase their personal credibility, confidence, and influence with the awareness and skills that are critical to get the best from their people and lead in a manner that others will follow. This course utilizes small group activities, discussions, and includes a leadership self-assessment.

Register Online
www.seraphimconsulting.net

Cost is $299. Register yourself and bring a guest for only $149. Cost is $349 after November 1st.

The next meeting of the 2013 Innovation Initiative planning team will be this coming Thursday, November 15th, 11 AM - 1 PM, on the Eastside.  There is still time to get involved with this exciting effort.  Come for the full time or for as much as you can.  RSVP to Dr. Bud at government affairs@astdps.org for venue location.

 ASTDps 2012 Ignite Your Mojo Conference: Thank You! The Learning Continues opportunity; reply by Monday, Oct 15th

As a follow up to member interest about the new Tin Can API (next generation SCORM) mentioned at the Ignite your Mojo event we are hosting a webinar on the topic. The webinar will be on Nov 8th at 10:00 AM Pacific. There are a few more details and a sign up at http://blog.saltbox.com/.

Organization Systems Renewal® Graduate Program
Celebrate OSR. Now at BGI. featuring:

Thiagi
The HUB Seattle
OSR at Bainbridge Graduate Institute
Saturday, November 3, 2012
8:30 – 5:00 pm
Attend the day for $99
Register: http://tinyurl.com/9739o98

Thiagi
The Power of Games
Play with the Mad Scientist of Games
Discover new ways to tap the genius and creativity of groups
Gain skills and fun to apply immediately
Connect with the dynamic OSR learning community
Celebrate!

Bring a prospective student interested in the OSR 19 Master’s Program – pay only $49.
Already applied, or seriously considering applying to OSR – attend for free.
Email Paula Brekke at paula.brekke@bgi.edu for promotion codes

 

Dr. Sivasailam “Thiagi” Thiagarajan is the Resident Mad Scientist at The Thiagi Group, an organization with the mission of helping people improve their performance effectively and enjoyably.
Thiagi’s long-term clients include AT&T, Arthur Andersen, Bank of Montreal, Cadence Design Systems, Chevron, IBM, Intel, Intelsat, United Airlines, and Liberty Mutual. On a short-term basis, Thiagi has worked with more than 50 different organizations in high-tech, financial services, and management consulting areas. For these clients, Thiagi has consulted and conducted training in such areas as rightsizing, diversity, creativity, teamwork, customer satisfaction, human performance technology, and organizational learning.
Thiagi has published 40 books, 120 games and simulations, and more than 200 articles. He wrote the definitive chapters on simulations and games for ISPI’s Handbook of Human Performance Technology, ASTD’s Training & Development Handbook, and the American Management Association’s Human Resources Management and Development Handbook.
Thiagi currently writes a monthly online newsletter, Thiagi GameLetter. This newsletter, now in its fifth year, features Thiagi’s training games and other creative interventions that deliver results quickly and effectively. He served as the editor of NSPI Journal and Performance & Improvement for more than 10 years. He currently edits the simulation/game section in Sage Publication’s journal, Simulation & Gaming. He is also a contributing editor of the monthly journal, Educational Technology. Thiagi has made hundreds of presentations and keynote speeches at professional conferences. At ISPI,

Thiagi holds the “records” for making the most presentations, conducting the most
preconference workshops, and being invited to make the most Encore presentations. Thiagi is also a regular presenter at Lakewood’s TRAINING Conferences and the annual conferences of American Society for Training and Development (ASTD) and North American Simulation and Gaming Association (NASAGA). Thiagi has been the president of the North American Simulation and Gaming Associating (NASAGA), International Society for Performance Improvement (ISPI), and Association for Special Education Technology (ASET). He has received 17 different awards and Presidential Citations from ISPI, including the society’s highest award, Honorary Life Member. He also received an Honorary Life Member award from NASAGA as well as its highest award, Ifill-Raynolds Award. Internationally recognized as an expert in multinational collaboration and active learning in organizations, Thiagi has lived in three different countries and has consulted in 21 others.

The Symposium brings together change management professionals to connect with the change community and share thought provoking industry trends and ideas.
For more information and to register, visit:
www.acmppnwnetwork.org

HOSTED AT NIKE WORLD HEADQUARTERS
BEAVERTON, OR

» WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24TH, 5:00PM-8:00PM
» THURSDAY, OCTOBER 25TH, 9:30AM-4:30PM

Change Connect opens with an evening of networking and is followed by a full day of conference activities. The Symposium features a panel of dynamic business leaders exciting breakout sessions and keynote address by renowned leadership expert and author Mark Thompson.

$350 Symposium cost includes
»»NIght before networking event
»»Symposium presentations and track sessions
»»Light breakfast and lunch
»»Optional NIke Campus tour
20% Symposium cost discount available for early bird, groups
and ACMP members

Business Leader panel features:

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
James Shillaber, Director,
Learning & Development

Bonneville Power Administration
Kim Leathley,
EVP of Internal Business Services

Liberty Northwest
Julie Burnett, President & CEO

NIKE, Inc
Roland Paanakker, CIO/VP of Nike Inc.

Kaiser Foundation
David Lake, VP, Health Plan Services

The Standard
James Hindes, Director, Enterprise CRM

The Chapter's Innovation Initiative got off to a great start in this our inaugural year, 2012. Let's build on these successes by developing a plan to make even greater strides in the coming year toward our goal of making the Puget Sound the world's most innovative region on the globe. Join us for ...

Innovation Initiative 2013 Planning Meeting
Thursday, November 8th
8 to 9:30 AM
Jitters Coffee House
2200 148th Ave NE
Redmond, WA 98052

Please RSVP me governmentaffairs@astdps.org if you want to attend.